Harriniva Santa Break, Lapland

Day 1 » UK to Harriniva
After your flight to Kittila, accompanied by your Best Served Scandinavia host, you’ll be met by your local guide and taken, via airport coach transfer, to Harriniva, nestled high above the Arctic Circle. Your cosy hotel, perched alongside the frozen banks of the river Muonio, awaits, with a wood-cabin aesthetic that’s pure Scandinavia. Rooms are reassuringly rustic, their pine-clad interiors completely in tune with the forested Lappish surroundings. Indulge in dinner at the wood-panelled restaurant, enjoying hearty, home-cooked dishes – a wonderful prelude to late-night tobogganing where you can race through the frozen firs. You may even, with luck, be joined by the shimmering, raking lines of the aurora.

Day 2 » Reindeers & Snow Fun
This morning you’ll meet Lapland’s most emblematic residents after transferring to Torassieppi* and Finland’s oldest reindeer farm, where they’ll be ready and waiting for a ride through the glacial forest. It’s a tranquil pace as you feed them and even try your hand with the herder’s lasso before returning to the hotel for a typical Finnish lunch – it’s the perfect fuel for your action-packed afternoon. Glide on snowshoes on the thick snow blanket, and for further thrills there’s cross-country skiing, tobogganing, ice football and even mini-snowmobiling for children – and everyone’s kept toasty warm alongside drinks and cookies around the open fire. A festive Finnish Christmas dinner awaits this evening, comprising of hearty, traditional Lappish dishes. After, there’s the chance to head on an optional private riverside sauna and hot tub experience under the Arctic sky – pre booking is a must.

Day 3 » Snowmobiling, Husky Safari & Meeting Father Christmas
After breakfast, it’s time to head back out into the Arctic playground for a thrilling snowmobile safari. Glide through the ice-slicked forest while children are pulled on a sled just behind, with stops, of course, to play in the deep snow blanket. After lunch, you’ll be introduced to another of Lapland’s most emblematic animals as you head to a husky farm where your eager team await to tow you through the frosty tundra, the silence only interrupted by their friendly yaps. The festive anticipation is palpable with cookie baking and Christmas crafts before it’s time for a magical nighttime snowmobile sled journey to the woods, where Father Christmas himself awaits. Indulge in pancakes over an open fire first before a personal meeting with Lapland’s most famous man in red. Presents clutched tightly, a final dinner is served in the cosy restaurant before a night of exciting Christmas games – with another appearance by a very special guest.

Day 4 » Harriniva to UK
After your final breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

*Please note, this is a sample itinerary. Your final itinerary including days & timings of the excursions will, for operational reasons, be reconfirmed to you on arrival. Due to planned upgrades, there may be slight changes to the programme and we reserve the right to amend excursion descriptions accordingly.