Best of Finland & Northern Norway in Winter

Touch down in Rovaniemi and transfer to your luxury igloo-and-spa resort, tucked into the snowy forests at the Lapland border. Settle into your room framed by woodland views, well placed for catching the Northern Lights right from your window. The resort pairs Finnish spa traditions with fine dining and a lakeside sauna, an easy place to shake off the journey and ease into the rhythm of the far north.

After breakfast, ride out to Santa Claus Village for a few hours of year-round Christmas cheer. Meet Santa, browse Lappish gifts, and mail postcards stamped by the elves' own post office. Cross the Arctic Circle line and collect your official certificate before sitting down to a lunch buffet.

As night falls, head deep into the Arctic forest on a Northern Lights hunt, chasing the darkest skies for the best chance of catching the aurora overhead. Warm up beside a crackling fire with a Lappish barbecue of reindeer sausage, marshmallows, and hot blueberry juice, with a vegetarian option on request. Northern Lights sightings depend on weather and solar activity and cannot be guaranteed.

Fuel up at breakfast, then take the controls of a snowmobile for a ride through the Arctic forest and out across the frozen expanse of Lake Palojarvi. The route suits both first-timers and experienced drivers, with the option to combine it with a short night ride in search of the aurora. Back at the resort, spend an unhurried afternoon at the Arctic spa. Warm up in the lakeside sauna, sink into the outdoor hot tubs, and linger in the steam room while Lapland's quiet forests stand watch all around you.

Meet your guide in Rovaniemi for a scenic drive through Lapland and across the border into Kirkenes, Norway. Here you join a King Crab Safari, where expert divers show you how to catch these giants of the Arctic waters before you sit down to a meal of your own catch. Travelers must be older than 7 to participate in the catching activity. As night falls, head out on a hunt for the Northern Lights, then settle in for the night in a wooden chalet or comfortable hotel in Norway.

After breakfast, travel to Inari to explore the Siida Sami museum and learn about the culture and history of Lapland's indigenous people. Continue to the mountain village of Saariselkä for a Finnish lunch, taking in the alpine scenery, then head up to Kaunispaa fell for panoramic views over the landscape from 400 m (1,310 ft) above sea level. The route back also takes in fjord sightseeing along the way.

After breakfast, return to your Arctic resort and check into an Aurora Treehouse, its glass roof made for watching the sky. The day's adventure is a two-hour icebreaker cruise on the Bothnian Gulf. Explore the ship, take in sweeping Arctic views, and stop to walk on the frozen sea. Pull on a warm immersion suit and float in an open channel of icy water, then warm up over lunch aboard. You'll come away with a cruise-and-swim certificate and a story worth retelling.

Enjoy a final breakfast and check out of the resort. Your guide will meet you at your accommodation and drive you to the airport, where your flight home awaits, along with plenty of unforgettable memories from the Arctic.