Ski, Lapland and Northern Lights Holidays: Winter Planned Around You
A winter holiday can mean a week on high Alpine slopes in March, a family morning at Santa Claus Village or a clear Arctic night waiting for the Northern Lights. Each one works best when it is planned around who is travelling and the month they go.
Ski and snowboard holidays, festive Lapland breaks and Northern Lights trips are all part of what I put together, for adventurous travellers, families, couples and solo travellers alike. Where to stay, when to go and what to book in advance are decisions I make with you from the start.
Ski and snowboard holidays
Which resort suits you depends on how you ski. La Plagne, Les Arcs and Flaine are good for beginners and families, while Tignes, Val d’Isère and Chamonix suit confident skiers who want harder terrain. A group with mixed abilities does well in a large linked area such as the 3 Vallées, where everyone skis at their own level and meets for lunch. Across the Atlantic, Whistler Blackcomb in Canada brings big open terrain and powder.
The month makes a difference too. March is often the best, with longer days, softer snow and milder weather. February has excellent snow but is the busiest month because of school holidays, and January is quieter and better value, though colder. Height above sea level plays a part, because higher resorts hold their snow for longer, so it is one of the first things I look at.
New to skiing? A week with morning lessons and the afternoons free gives you five or six days on snow, and a few days of lessons usually get a beginner onto green runs and gentle blues. Lessons, equipment hire and cosy après-ski all fit around your level and your pace.
Festive Lapland and Santa Village
Finnish Lapland at Christmas is a family holiday built around meeting Santa. Rovaniemi is the base for Santa Claus Village, where children meet Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves and send postcards from Santa’s post office. The days fill with husky and reindeer sleigh rides, snowmobiling and ice slides.
December is the busiest month, when families travel to meet Santa, so early planning pays off. If a long stay is too much, a day trip gives you the Santa Village experience in one go: you visit Santa’s homeland, meet the man in red himself and join in a range of winter activities.
Northern Lights holidays
A Northern Lights holiday is a different trip altogether. The days are slow, the evenings are long, and the point is to be somewhere dark and still, whether that is Iceland, Norway or Finnish Lapland. Couples can watch from a glass-roofed cabin or igloo, or from an outdoor hot tub.
The lights are most likely to appear from late September to late March, and they are present on about eight in ten clear nights. Cloud is the real obstacle, which is why four or five nights give you a far better chance of a clear sky than one. A full moon can wash the lights out, so the moon phase is part of choosing your dates. The display usually appears between 6pm and 4am, most often around 10pm or 11pm.
Lapland holiday: what to pack
Packing for Lapland is a challenge of its own, so my guide on what to pack for a Lapland holiday gives you the essentials and a detailed checklist, and you arrive prepared.
Solo ski and snow holidays
Does planning a winter holiday alone, or travelling alone, put you off? I have travelled solo myself, so I know it can feel daunting, and I am on hand at every stage. If you would like company, there are group trips designed for solo travellers, and I can find the right one for you.
What is it you are looking for from the winter: fresh snow, a family Christmas, or a night under the Northern Lights? Tell me who is travelling and what you hope it will look like, and I will do the research and planning, with your holiday financially protected through ATOL and ABTA.
With 30 years of adventure travel experience, I select operators who deliver the best possible holidays for my clients. I remain independent and have the flexibility to provide you with the best package to suit your specific needs and budget. I search the whole market to find the best deals for every aspect of your trip so that you don’t have to, providing honest and impartial advice.
Whatever the activity, I take the time to find the right fit before I book anything, and I follow my Animal Welfare Policy on any wildlife experience. Holidays that include flights include a payment to Sustainable Travel International, a non-profit working to protect vulnerable destinations and the communities who live there. It is part of the price, there is no opt-out, and I keep a record of each payment. My Traveller’s Pledge and full approach are on my Responsible Travel page.
7 nights Lapland Log Cabin!
7 nights
Regional departures
Enjoy snowy woodland views from your cosy log cabin in Levi Finland
Immelmokit Cabins - Perfect experience with friends and family
Levi, Finland
Fireplace
Sauna
Self catering (HB upgrade available)
Linen, towels and final clean included
Excursions Available to book:
Husky Safari
Reindeer Safari
Snowmobile Safari
Overnight stay in Aurora Cabin
More excursions are available to book to tailor-make your package
7 nights (Based on 6 Sharing on 2 bedroom cabin + Mezzanine sleeping area)
Transfers and hold luggage included
T&Cs apply, other dates available
Bulgarian Winter Wonderland
7 nights
Regional Departures
🌲🌲🌲🌲 WINTER WONDERLAND: Experience the Thrills of Skiing in Pure White Bliss! 🌲🌲🌲🌲
4* Hotel Iglika Palace
🇧🇬 Bulgaria, Borovets 🇧🇬
🍽 Half Board
🛏 7 nights
✈️ Flights, Transfers & 22kg luggage included
☃️☃️☃️ Deposit ONLY £70 per person!! ☃️☃️☃️
Hotel Iglika Palace has been completely renovated and is situated in a prime location, in close proximity to the ski lifts, the nearest of which is 150 meters away.
Guests can enjoy a dip in the indoor swimming pool (open from 4pm onwards) or indulge in a well-deserved massage after a day on the slopes.
🎆 Bar and lounge area with fireplace
🎆 Kids' play area
🎆 Spa with Finnish sauna, herbal sauna, steam bath
🎆 Central Location
🎆 Ski storage room
🎆 Indoor swimming pool
Optional Extras:
⛷ First-time adult ski pack from £352pp
⛷ First-time child ski pack from £261pp (child age 7+)
*Includes Lift Pass, Ski and Boot Hire and Tuition
🏂 First-time adult snowboard pack from £332pp
🏂 First-time child snowboard pack from £244pp (child age 8+)
* Includes Lift Pass, Board and Boot Hire and Tuition.
Rustic traditional chalet, all rooms boast en suite bathrooms.
Spacious dining and seating areas.
Close to the slopes in Meribel Mottaret.
Fly London Heathrow – Grenoble
Shared Transfers
Hold baggage included
Ski-All-In price includes:
Return flights & transfers to the resort
Accommodation
Meals
Lift pass (local area unless stated otherwise - you can upgrade to full area at an additional cost)
Silver-level ski/board hire (you can book ski carriage as an alternative, or upgrade your hire at an additional cost)
Town centre: 800m Ski school: 120m Ski lift: 120m Piste: 120m Bus stop: 100m
Perfect position- Chalet Andre is in a superb location situated in the same large freestanding chalet building as Chalet Elodie, near the top of Meribel Mottaret.The lifts can be accessed from a blue run, which is just 120m (approx.) from the chalet. Alternatively, beginners can walk to the lifts which are just 250m away.
Northern Lights in Iceland Tour
Regional Airports
Experience the astonishing cosmic displays of Iceland’s Northern Lights 🏔️ 💫 ❄️
🧭 Iceland’s Northern Lights - 4 days from £865pp
✈️ 31st Oct 2024
📍 Reykjavik
📆 Departing throughout 2023, 2024 & 2025
⭐️ Search for the breathtaking Aurora Borealis on a Northern Lights excursion
(If luck is not on your side, then your Northern Lights Excursion will be repeated during your trip until you have a successful sighting)
⭐️ A full day at leisure to explore Reykjavik
⭐️ Witness the spectacular double cascade of Gullfoss Waterfall and the eruptions of Strokkur Geyser
⭐️ Embark on a full-day tour around the Golden Circle, passing steaming hot springs, bubbling mud pots, erupting geysers and dazzling landscapes
⭐️ Marvel at the colossal fissured rift valley of Thingvellir National Park
✈️ Return flights from London Heathrow and all internal travel
🏨 3⭐️ accommodation
🍴 3 meals
📷 2 excursions
🙋 Expert local tour guide
🛫 Flying from London Heathrow from £865pp
🛫 Flying from Manchester from £1,025pp
🛫 Flying from Glasgow from £1,025pp
Ski in Whistler, Canada
10 nights
London
⛷Snow Sure Resort voted 'World's Number One Resort'
⛷Two mountains in one resort & pass
⛷Option to add on a Vancouver city stay
⛷$250 dining voucher for those staying 10+ nights in Whistler
⛷Book hire through us and our rental company can ski fit your customers at their hotel for no extra cost
⛷Free equipment hire for children under 12 when adults book 5+ days premium package
Hotel Aava, Whistler
❄️Two minutes to Whistler Village
❄️Five minutes to Whistler & Blackcomb gondolas
❄️Upgrade to a junior suite or two-bedroom suite
❄️Wellness area with heated outdoor pool, sauna and hot tub with mountain views
❄️Ski valet & lockers
❄️Rent snowshoes locally
👩👩👧👧Based on 4 sharing
🍽Room Only
📆12/01/24 10 nights
✈️LHR
I recommend adding on ski extras when confirming the booking to make the most of the early booking discounts, please note that Whistler lift passes are non-refundable & non-transferable.
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Enjoy snowy woodland views from your cosy log cabin in Levi Finland 
Fireplace
Husky Safari
Reindeer Safari
Overnight stay in Aurora Cabin
7 nights (Based on 6 Sharing on 2 bedroom cabin + Mezzanine sleeping area)
Transfers and hold luggage included 
