Wonder of Santa - Short Break - 4 Days - 2008

Resort

Rovaniemi is one of Lapland's most famous resorts and is known worldwide as 'Santa's Capital' It is a large resort with a lively centre and a wide range of shops, plus the special Esprit attractions of Santa's Christmas Control Centre and dinner and Elf Show at Santa. Rovaniemi lies right on the Arctic Circle surrounded by miles of pine and fir forest covering plains and gently rolling hills.

The vibrant bustling resort centre is home to a wide range of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, whilst the woodland outskirts host the huge array of activities and adventures on offer.

Rovaniemi's Elves

The famous Rovi branch of the elf kingdom here in Rovaniemi are recognisable by their big noses and pointy ears, and have been helping Santa for hundreds of years with his preparations for Christmas. Santa's Big Christmas List is held in huge books, which are updated all the time as letters to Santa fly in from all over the world. You will be able to see the Rovi Elves in action at the Santa Control Centre before heading off to search for Santa!

Itinerary

Day One:

After arriving at Rovaniemi airport the children will love being greeted en route to the resort by a reindeer with its Sami handler and one of Santa's elves! This gives you the perfect photo opportunity to start your Lapland break in true style! You will be whisked off on a comfortable coach for the 25-minute transfer to your chosen hotel or cabin. On the way you will call in to get fitted out with special thermal over-suits, boots, gloves and hats so you are ready for the adventure!

Fun-time - a chance to explore Rovaniemi and get your bearings in this popular resort, or to head out into the snow to make snowmen or try tobogganing, or maybe enjoy a relaxing sauna. For guests on full board basis a wonderful welcome dinner sets the scene for tomorrow's excitement!

Day Two:

Today's major highlight is the thrilling one and a half hour snowmobile safari adventure! Zooming along forest trails or across the frozen river, adults ride with a partner, taking turns if you wish to drive or ride pillion, whilst children are towed in special sledges behind the guides. Older children may choose to ride pillion behind a parent. The trip includes a break for hot drinks around a crackling camp fire with toboggans laid on to keep the youngsters happy!

Day Three:

You will be picked up from your doorstep for the ultimate Christmas adventure. The following exciting activities are all included in the price of your short break!

Reindeer sleigh ride - here in the Joulukka Adventure Forest reindeer sleighs are the ideal way to move around the area and you can hop on and off the sleighs as you go between the various activities.

Husky-sled ride - these lovable dogs just love to run, and the sensation of gliding through this winter wonderland behind a team of eager huskies is a highlight of the trip for many guests. Children ride sitting with a parent, whilst grown-ups can take a turn at actually 'driving' their sled on this thrilling 15 minute adventure!

Visit Santa's Christmas Control Centre' to see how Santa keeps track of all his letters from around the world, and stays in touch with all his elves and helpers, busily getting ready for Christmas.

Warm up with a fun visit to the Elf School, learning about the elves and their ways and children can find out how to make a traditional Lappish Christmas decoration.

Lunch is included to 'recharge your batteries' for the afternoon. This will be a simple two course meal with plenty of hot berry juice, squash, tea and coffee.

The highlight of the day is setting off by snowmobile-sled on your family's own Search for Santa! Tucked away in the woods you will find his little log cabin home and meet Santa Claus himself in an exclusive, private family meeting, with his helpers on hand to ensure there is magic in the air!

A super range of other snow and ice activities is available for you all to enjoy, including, kick-sledding (a cross between a scooter and toboggan!) tandem skiing, mini skidoo rides for the children, tobogganing and the local skill of reindeer-lassooing.

Refreshments are included too and are available indoors throughout the day, for those times when a few minutes warming up by a log fire is needed! Finally, it's back to your cosy cabin or hotel, and if you have booked the great value full board option, on to the Esprit-exclusive Lapland Dinner Show to round off your break in style! **

Fun-time again, with the chance to thrill to one of the wide range of exciting Optional Adventures, such as a snowmobile safari, skiing, tobogganing or snowshoeing (please ask for further details). Alternatively you may wish to use the morning to do a little Christmas shopping in Rovaniemi's attractive range of clothes, craft and gift shops, and take a taste of Lapland home with you. Whatever your choice, if you have booked the full board option, a light packed lunch will be provided from your hotel to be eaten at your convenience.

You will then be collected by coach for the short journey back to the airport for your flight home, and the chance for sleepy children to dream of Santa!

Lapland Dinner Show **

If you book the full board option in any of the properties below you will also enjoy a wonderful evening out at the Santa Park Centre. It opens its doors especially for Esprit guests. The fun starts with an enjoyable 3 course dinner during which an entertaining 'Elf Show' will be performed on stage with lively songs and dances, plus the opportunity for children to join in and take part in an Elf dance!

After dinner there is time to sample some of Santa Park's many other attractions. Try the snowball range, marvel at the carvings in the Ice Gallery, and take a fun ride on the Magical Mini-Train through animated model scenes of magical Lapland life- great for younger children! Parents may find the ice bar more appealing with its bar, seats and 'glasses' carved out of ice. The attractive shop offers the chance to stock up with a few souvenirs.

The Esprit team will collect you from your accommodation by coach and leave you home again as well as being on hand throughout the evening.

ACCOMMODATION
Cabins		Sky Hotel ***
These well appointed, semi-detached traditional cabins are colourfully painted and attractively furnished throughout, making for ideal family accommodation in cosy and charming Lapland style. This delightful little 'holiday village' of cabins was recently built in the quiet Ounasvaara area of Rovaniemi at the foot of the ski area, handy for tobogganing, and just five minutes easy taxi ride from the resort centre. Naturally all transfers to and from the airport and activities stop here for your convenience. Type A - Red or White Cabins, sleeping 2-4 These are studio-style with an entrance lobby and compact kitchenette, leading into the main open-plan room with twin beds, sofa, dining table and chairs and TV. A fixed ladder (unsuitable for children under 6 years old, despite the stairgate at the top), leads to a den-like mezzanine loft area under the eaves, with two further single beds. The shower room with wc and sauna opens up off the main room. Type B - Yellow Cabins, sleeping 4-5 These have a lounge with single sofa bed, dining table, chairs, TV and compact kitchenette. A concertina partition separates a small twin bedded room from the lounge. The second twin bedroom is accessed via steep stairs (with a stairgate at the top) from the hallway,and has a sloping ceiling and an internal porthole window to the lounge. The shower room with wc and sauna opens up off the hallway. Type C - Superior Red Cabins, sleeping 5-6 As Type B but newly built, and with additional fold down bunks above the single beds in the downstairs bedroom and no sofa bed in the lounge. Type D - Traditional Log Cabins, sleeping 4-5 Built from traditional logs in typical Finnish style these cabins have dining room/kitchenette/lounge with a single sofa bed and a twin bedroom. There is a shower room with wc and a further shower room with sauna and separate wc. Two additional beds are in the mezzanine loft area (not suitable for children under 6). The red and white cabins are slightly closer to the main restaurant building, whilst the slightly larger and newer yellow, superior red and traditional log cabins are the other side of the complex, across a little road.		This slope-side hotel is the perfect choice for families who want to spend as much time out in the snow as possible. The chair lift arrives in front of the hotel for easy access to the slopes (occasionally floodlit!) and the toboggan runs are just a short walk from the door. The roof terrace is a favourite spot for night-time star gazing in search of the mystical and awe-inspiring Northern Lights - thermal suits recommended! The restaurant is one of the top 20 in Finland and its Lappish specialities and international cuisine are hard to beat, complemented by the wonderful views of the wooded slopes through the restaurant's panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows. If you want to head into the resort centre, it is approximately an 8 minute taxi ride and the Santa Sport Leisure Centre, with its swimming pool, tennis, squash, sauna and steam rooms, is around an 8 minute downhill walk (800m). Type A - bedrooms, sleeping 2 These have twin beds and private en suite shower or bath, wc, TV, minibar, hairdryer and tea making facilities. Type B - bedrooms, sleeping 2-3 These have 3 single beds and private en suite shower or bath, wc, sauna, TV, minibar, hairdryer and tea making facilities. Type C - bedrooms, sleeping 3-4 These have twin beds and a double sofa bed (for 2 children or 1 adult) and private en suite shower or bath, wc, sauna, TV, minibar, hairdryer and tea making facilities. Type D - family suites, sleeping 4-5 These have a twin bedroom and separate lounge with double and single sofa bed (suitable for 3 children or 1 adult + 1 child), sharing private en suite shower, wc, sauna, TV, minibar, hairdryer and tea making facilities. Type E - family cabins, sleeping 5-7 Traditional, semi-detached wooden cabins in the hotel grounds (between one and five minutes easy walk from the hotel) offer three separate sleeping areas. On the ground floor is one twin bedroom, separate lounge with sofa, dining table, chairs, fireplace, TV and kitchenette. Stairs from the lounge lead to a mezzanine loft area with one single bed under the eaves and overlooking the lounge. Off the mezzanine is a further twin room with sloping ceiling. The shower room, including wc and sauna, is off the hallway. Type F - family cabins, sleeping 5-7 A newer version of the Type E with an extra shower room/wc off the loft area. NEW for 2008 - experience the Sky Hotel's new Igloo Snow-Cabins. You can book a one night stay in an igloo and sleep on a snow shelf with thermal matress! A thermal suit, socks and arctic sleeping bag are provided for the -5 degrees temperature. Supplement applies - ask for details.
Hotel Cumulus ***		Hotel Santa Claus ****
This comfortable hotel is situated in the heart of Rovaniemi, set back slightly from the main hub, but conveniently close to all the resort amenities. Children will appreciate the chance of a swim and a splash about in the hotel's small indoor pool (12m x 5m), with its supply of floats and inflatable toys, and parents can relax in true Finnish style in a sauna. Good food is served in the attractive open-plan Polar Restaurant, including a hearty buffet breakfast to set you up for the day's adventures. Type A - bedrooms, sleeping 2 These have twin beds and private en suite shower, wc, TV, radio, minibar and hairdryer. The operator will always request parents' and children's rooms to be next door to one another for greater convenience. Type B - bedrooms, sleeping 3 These have 3 single beds and the same facilities as Type A rooms. Type C - bedrooms, sleeping 4 These have twin beds and 2 single sofa beds and the same facilities as Type A rooms. Type C rooms are larger.		This attractive and comfortable four diamond hotel is the best to be found in Rovaniemi for service, style and location. It is situated in the pedestrianised area of the resort, adjoining the modern shopping mall with its many boutiques, craft shops and restaurants. The adjacent toy shop even offers hotel guests an area for children to play in during normal opening hours! The hotel's restaurant has won Finland's top award and is a popular dinner choice in the resort. The more casual Zoomit cafe/bar is fabulously located for people-watching through its floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the corner of the lively and bustling street outside. A choice of well appointed bedrooms is available as follows: Type A - bedrooms, sleeping 2-3 These are double rooms with single sofa bed, bath/shower, wc, TV, tea/coffee-making facilities, minibar and hairdryer. Type B - bedrooms, sleeping 3-4 Larger twin room with a corner sofa bed ideal for one adult or two children under 12 and the same facilities as Type A rooms. Type C - family suites, sleeping 4-6 These are two Type A rooms joined by an interconnecting door.         Type D - family bedrooms, sleeping 3-4 These deluxe rooms have the same configuation and facilities as Type B but are newly built and have the benefit of an en suite sauna.

Direct flights to ROVANIEMI

Holiday Prices

- please call or email for a full quote

- all our Lapland trips are discounted from brochure prices.