Experience Finnish festivities and chase the Northern Lights with The Aurora Zone

Experience Finnish festivities and chase the Northern Lights this Christmas and New Year with The Aurora Zone

The Christmas and New Year period is a magical part of the year; a joyous time spent catching up with family and friends and celebrating together. This year, make the festive period even more memorable with a trip to Finnish Lapland for a true white Christmas. Experience thrilling snowy adventures, explore picturesque winter wonderland landscapes and have the chance to witness the magic of the Northern Lights dancing in the night skies.

The UK’s original Northern Lights holiday company, The Aurora Zone, offers a wide range of both new and well-established trips to some remote and spectacular winter landscapes, well away from the Santa crowds. The company’s small-scale festive breaks help showcase Lapland at its best, making them the perfect choice for the holiday season.

Christmas

NEW: Wilderness Hotel Inari: Christmas Aurora Hunting Adventure – from £2,525 pp
Situated on the shores of Lake Inari in Northern Finland, Wilderness Hotel Inari provides the perfect base for a Christmas week packed with unforgettable activities. Soak up the serenity of the wilderness on a leisurely snowshoe walk, learn how to best capture the Northern Lights on camera at an Aurora Workshop, before revelling in the traditions of Finnish festivities on Christmas Eve. Visit the famous Sámi Siida Museum on Christmas Day for a fascinating insight into the local culture and spend the evening at an Aurora Camp for unobstructed views of the dark skies and, hopefully, the Northern Lights. Aurora activities continue post-Christmas, with a night-time snowmobile safari and an Aurora hunt by vehicle increasing the chances of experiencing the mystical spectacle. Spend daylight hours cross-country skiing and visiting a local reindeer farm.

This seven-night trip is priced from £2,525 pp (two sharing), including flights (London), transfers, seven nights’ full-board hotel accommodation, activities listed, cold weather clothing, Aurora alert and expert guides. Departs 23 December.

Muotka: Christmas Northern Lights Adventure – from £1,895 pp
At Christmas-time, Muotka is defined by snow-covered fells and wandering reindeer. Nestled in the forests of north-east Finland, it provides the perfect setting for a memorable Christmas. Cosy up around a campfire for spectacular views of the star-studded skies and watch for the dance of the Aurora. Take a snowshoe trek through the wilderness, and enjoy cross-country skiing ahead of a special Finnish Christmas Eve dinner complete with local delicacies. Spend Christmas morning at a reindeer farm, meeting the furry residents and enjoying a sleigh ride, before heading back by snowmobile for a night-time Northern Lights snowshoe trek through the frozen fells. Boxing Day will be spent visiting a husky farm for a safari with the excitable dogs and, as darkness falls, heading out on an Aurora hunt by snowmobile.

This four-night trip is priced from £1,895 pp (two sharing), including flights (London), transfers, four nights’ full-board hotel accommodation, activities listed, cold weather clothing, Aurora alert and expert guides. Departs 23 December.

Betwixmas

NEW: Torassieppi: Northern Lights and the Snow Village – from £1,685 pp
Make the most of the time between Christmas and New Year with a visit to Torassieppi in Finnish Lapland. Stay for two nights at the magical Torassieppi Reindeer Farm. Activities will include a thrilling husky safari and a reindeer farm visit, as well as a chance to spend an afternoon learning how to cook in true Finnish style, over an open fire, before an epic 20km Northern Lights snowmobile safari. Experience the relaxation of the indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and hot tubs at the Levi Spa, before an unforgettable night is spent in a Snow Room at the Snow Hotel. Admire the fantastic snow sculptures, the ice bar and chapel, before settling down for the night in a hotel room made entirely of snow and ice – an experience never to be forgotten!

This three-night trip is priced from £1,685 pp (two sharing), including flights (London), transfers, three nights’ full-board accommodation (two nights at Torassieppi Reindeer Farm; one night in a Snow Room at Luvattumaa Snow Hotel and Ice Gallery), activities listed, cold weather clothing and expert guides. Departs 27 December.

New Year

NEW: Nangu: Lighting up the New Year – from £2,325 pp
Imagine, spending New Year’s Eve traversing the wilds of Finland. Starting with a husky safari and visiting a reindeer farm, before standing on the shores of a vast twinkling lake, experiencing the peace and quiet of the frozen wilderness, waiting for signs of the Aurora Borealis to appear. Staying at the adults-only boutique Wilderness Hotel Nangu, set off on snowmobiles through the fells, taking in prime Aurora viewing spots and delving deeper into this pristine wilderness. Spend the final day of the trip exploring on snowmobiles during daylight hours, then returning for a warming dinner before heading out again to an Aurora Camp close to the lake for a perfect Northern Lights vantage point.

This four-night trip is priced from £2,325 pp (two sharing), including flights (London), transfers, four nights’ full-board hotel accommodation, activities listed, cold weather clothing, Aurora alert and expert guides. Departs 30 December.

Menesjärvi: New Year Wilderness Auroras – from £1,755 pp
Menesjärvi, a tiny reindeer herding village 300km north of the Arctic Circle, is a real Northern Lights hotspot, with very little light pollution and snow-covered forests centred around a beautiful frozen lake. The warm, welcoming hospitality of the Finnish hosts will provide the perfect start to a truly escapist short break, combining an array of active adventures with ample opportunities for relaxation. Set off on snowmobiles for an ice fishing experience, take an Aurora Workshop alongside a knowledgeable guide, and head into the wilds on snowshoes to search for the Northern Lights. On New Year’s Eve, spend the morning with a reindeer herder, shadowing him on his usual daily work, and enjoy dinner in a Finnish kota, before welcoming in the New Year by the pristine lake. New Year’s Day will be spent getting active on a husky safari and visiting the fascinating Sámi Siida Museum, before rounding off the trip with a magical Aurora hunt by snowmobile.

This four-night trip is priced from £1,755 pp (two sharing), including flights (London), transfers, four nights’ full-board hotel accommodation, activities listed, cold weather clothing, use of snowshoes and cross-country skis and expert guides. Departs 29 December.

Press: For more information, high-res images or to discuss a commissioned press trip, please contact Kate Chapman or Julia Farish at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or k.chapman@travelpr.co.uk or j.farish@travelpr.co.uk.