ROCS Guided Holidays 8 Day Magical Christmas in Lapland & London

Fun Facts About Lapland Lapland is considered one of the most beautiful regions in Finland. It has been the subject of many children’s books, movies, and songs for decades. At Santa’s Lapland, we bring this magical place that exists in these books to life. The land of mystical reindeer, Santa, and his cheeky elves. What more could you want in the world of Christmas? Let’s not forget the enchanting pine forests, frozen lakes, and streams. This magical wonderland has inspired many generations of families the world over to visit in search of that perfect Christmas spirit. Join us in this other-worldly location, deep in the arctic wilderness, where a once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits.

WHERE IS SAARISELKÄ? Santa’s Lapland takes you 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, to the small village of Saariselkä which is set against the beautiful backdrop of Urho Kekkonen National Park. Once you’re there, exploring the cosy little village is as easy as mince pie. Just slip on your snow boots and you’re ready to go. With a supermarket, souvenir shop, and plenty of restaurants nearby, you won’t have to wander far for anything you need. And because it’s close to Ivalo airport (about 30 minutes transfer time), getting there won’t take hours out of your day. This resort is a world away from the rest of Lapland, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the magic of Northern Finland. You’ll see plenty of snow, huskies, and reindeer! EXPERIENCE SÁMI CULTURE Explore the ancient sounds, traditional handicrafts, and long-standing reindeer culture of Saariselkä on your trip to Lapland. Sámis are Finland’s and Europe’s only recognised indigenous people. SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS The Northern Lights are one of nature’s most amazing spectacles. And on your stay in Saariselkä, there is a chance that you’ll see them in all their full glory. LAPLAND IS HUGE! Lapland covers a lot of ground. It’s a region, not a country. In fact, it makes up about one-third of Finland’s total area! Lapland stretches from the Arctic Circle in the north to the borders of Norway and Sweden and from east to west all the way down to Finland. It’s huge! DAYLIGHT HOURS Daylight is as rare as catching a glimpse of Rudoph’s nose lighting up the sky (keep an eye out, you might just get lucky). You can expect to only get about 2 hours of low level sun, making its entrance at around 11am, and setting by 2pm, leaving behind a mystical aura of pink and yellow hues in the sky. It’s true that in Lapland, magic is in the air, as well as in its night sky. Just don’t forget to look up - you won’t want to miss Santa’s magical glow trail. THERE’S MORE REINDEER THAN HUMANS IN LAPLAND Lapland is the land of reindeer. The human population is tiny, with just over 200,000 reindeer compared to 178k humans. The ratio makes it a little easier to spot one of those antlers in the wild! FINNISH IS THE MAIN LANGUAGE SPOKEN Finland is the land of snow, but it’s also a land of languages. Finnish is the main language with some people also speaking the Sámi languages.

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS IN LAPLAND & CENTRAL LONDON 2024

Finnish is spoken by around 5 million people, mainly in the western part of the country.

Sámi is a minority language that is spoken by around 2,000 people living in the North of Finland.

LEARN SOME FINNISH PHRASES! The letter Y is pronounced as a U. The letter J, pronounce as a Y. Where there are the same two letters in a row, emphasise the sound.

Hyvää Huomenta - Good Morning Hyvää Iltaa - Good Evening Hei! / Moi! / Morjens! - Hi! / Hello! Moikka! / Hei Hei! - Bye Mitä Kuuluu - How are you? Kiitos, Hyvää - Good thanks Anteeksi - Excuse me

Kiitos - Thank You Ole Hyvä - You are Welcome Kippis - Cheers Kyllä - Yes Ei - No Saisinko yhden oluen? - Can I have a beer please? (A vital one to learn).

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