Travel across the magical Arctic Circle for your personal meeting with Santa Claus

Travel across the magical Arctic Circle for your personal meeting with Santa Claus

A new itinerary launched for this Christmas is a magical way to escape reality and meet the big man in red at his personal invitation, deep in the Lapland forest.

The festive journey starts at home, with a personalised hand written letter and photobook from Santa, highlighting all the ways guests have been “nice” this year, and requesting their presence at a one-on-one meeting with him at his home in Lapland.

Perfect for everyone, big or small, the seven-day Ultimate Christmas Invitation, launched this week by specialist travel company Off the Map Travel, has brought hyper-personalised travel to the traditional festive holiday. 

Available from November to January, the adventure begins with a night in Finland’s capital, Helsinki, where a ‘golden ticket’ for the festive ‘Polar Express’ overnight train to Rovaniemi awaits.

“This is an incredible opportunity to meet Santa face-to-face and will leave people big and small feeling like one in a million,” says Jonny Cooper, Arctic travel expert and founder of Off the Map Travel.

“The whole itinerary is created to build suspense and anticipation up to the moment of meeting Santa. With no queues and located in the most festive place on earth, it’s a once in a lifetime trip for those who love Christmas and are looking for something a little different over the holiday season.”

Staying in an urban Arctic hideaway in Rovaniemi, guests can stargaze and hunt for the Northern Lights through the huge skylight windows of the exclusive Aurora loft rooms at the contemporary Arctic Light Hotel, located minutes away from the city’s major shopping and cultural areas.

It’s nearly time to meet Santa as guests head to their final destination, Inari. After check in, collect your winter clothing and an updated itinerary of what awaits.

Over the course of the next few days, guests will go dog sledding, meet local reindeer and head out on a snowmobile through the stunning Lappish landscape.

Last, but not least, is the highlight of the trip - meeting Santa in the birthplace of Finnish Sami culture, Inari.

This one-on-one visit will leave you time to chat with Santa about his important job and see what his elves have been crafting in the workshop.

You will receive a very special gift before embarking on a sleigh ride to the Inari Wilderness hotel for your final night.

The resort is a winter wonderland. Each log cabin comes fully equipped with comfortable beds, a bathroom with a sauna and views over Lake Inari or River Nukkumajoki. The cabin’s open fire is the perfect place to cosy up and reflect on your trip. You might even catch a glimpse of The Northern Lights in the clear skies over Inari.

The seven-day, six-night Ultimate Christmas Invitation itinerary costs from £3299 per person, on a full board basis, not including flights. As with any itinerary from Off the Map Travel, each can be tailor-made to fit the festive wishes and requirements of the guest. Just speak to an Adventure Artists to personalise your trip further.

This includes one night in Helsinki, one night on the overnight train to Rovaniemi, one night in Rovaniemi, and three nights in Inari, private transfers, all activities and all meals.

For more information visit www.offthemap.travel, call 0800 566 8901 or email info@offthemap.travel