At this time of the year, you might be considering a destination to travel to on your winter holidays. My suggestion is Lapland, and here is a list of things to look forward to if you go there:
1. Santa Claus Village
If you travel to Rovaniemi, hop up to the Santa Claus Village to meet the real Santa and feel like a child again. Talk to him in your native language, as there’s a high probability he might understand you (during our 5 minute visit, I heard him speaking Ukrainian, Portuguese, German and English, in addition to Finnish). You will also cross the Arctic Circle while you’re there!
2. Husky/Reindeer Safari.
A lot of places offer you a ride in a sleigh with huskies and/or reindeers, and it’s definitely a unique and typical experience to have in Lapland. You can get a ride for around 120€, but it varies according to duration, route, as well as other factors. You can do it directly from the Santa Claus Village, but some separate parks are more affordable.
3. Go hiking with your friends and a camera.
What amazed me the most in Lapland were the landscapes. Make sure you bring warm clothes (and warm gloves!), grab your friends and go for a hike. I guarantee you that the sight is breathtaking. On top of that, you may print the pictures you take as beautiful, personalized Christmas postcards.
4. The real sauna experience.
Find a typical and affordable Finnish cottage on Airbnb beforehand, and warm up the sauna every time you come home from an exhausting day in the freezing outdoors. Then, after staying inside for a bit, go outside and rub snow on your skin – or, if you’re brave enough, jump in the lake!
5. Try your luck with the Northern Lights.
Northern lights are probably the dream of every traveler who comes to Finland. You need to be lucky to see them though, as you might miss them for a matter of one day. Get a good Aurora Forecast app in your AppStore or Google Play Store, and make sure the KP is high enough while the sky is relatively clear from clouds. If that happens, get away from the city lights and you might be able to see them!