Travel

Santa in Hetta: a Real Lapland Village Christmas for Families

In this story

Santa in Hetta: a Village Christmas in brief

  • 3 or 4 nights in Hetta, with direct flights from 10 UK airports.
  • Full board, transfers, thermal clothing and a private family meeting with Santa included.
  • Find your departure by airport and month, from £1,349 per adult (subject to availability).
  • A real Lapland village of under a thousand people, just 20 minutes from the airport.
Santa Claus stepping out of a wooden cabin in the snow
A real Lapland village of under a thousand people, just 20 minutes from the airport.

Santa in Hetta: a Village Christmas is a 3 or 4-night break in the far north-west of Finnish Lapland, well north of the Arctic Circle. Hetta is the main village of Enontekiö, on the shore of Lake Ounasjärvi and at the northern gateway to Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. You fly direct from the UK, with no change in Helsinki, and everything is included from the moment you land: transfers, full board, thermal clothing and a private visit to Santa.

WhereHetta, Finnish Lapland
Nights3 or 4 nights
FlightDirect, about 3 hrs 30
TransferAbout 20 minutes
Best forYounger children (short transfer)
MealsFull board
UK airports10 to choose from
ClothingThermal suit and boots lent

Dates and departure airports

Find your departure

  1. November 2026
  2. Humberside3 nights · back Tue 1 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  3. December 2026
  4. Liverpool3 nights · back Fri 4 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  5. Edinburgh3 nights · back Mon 7 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  6. London Gatwick3 nights · back Thu 10 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  7. Bournemouth3 nights · back Sun 13 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  8. Belfast3 nights · back Wed 16 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  9. Norwich3 nights · back Sat 19 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  10. Bristol3 nights · back Tue 22 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  11. London Gatwick4 nights · back Sat 26 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  12. London Gatwick3 nights · back Tue 29 DecSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  13. Leeds Bradford3 nights · back Fri 1 JanSold outAsk us for a similar dateAsk us
  14. November 2027
  15. Humberside3 nights · back Tue 30 NovLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  16. Liverpool3 nights · back Fri 3 DecLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  17. December 2027
  18. Bristol3 nights · back Mon 6 DecLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  19. Norwich3 nights · back Thu 9 DecLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  20. Belfast3 nights · back Sun 12 DecLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  21. Bournemouth3 nights · back Wed 15 DecLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  22. Edinburgh3 nights · back Sat 18 DecLowest pricefrom£1,349per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  23. Cardiff3 nights · back Tue 21 Decfrom£1,439per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  24. Humberside3 nights · back Fri 24 Decfrom£1,439per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  25. London Gatwick3 nights · back Mon 27 Decfrom£1,479per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  26. Bristol3 nights · back Thu 30 Decfrom£1,399per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire
  27. Leeds Bradford3 nights · back Sun 2 Janfrom£1,429per adult · Subject to availabilityEnquire

Prices are from, per adult, and subject to availability. Tap Enquire and your trip, airport and date are added to your message for you. Dates disappear once they have left.

What’s included

  • Direct flights from your nearest UK airport to Enontekiö, about 3 hours 30 minutes, with a hot meal on board
  • 18 kg hold luggage and 5 kg hand luggage each
  • Transfers between the airport, your accommodation and every activity
  • Full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Thermal suits and snow boots on loan for your whole stay
  • All the activities listed, with local guides
  • All taxes and air passenger duty
  • A private family meeting with Santa, and a small gift for every child

Your activities

A snowmobile riding through a snowy forest

A private family meeting with Santa

    Time with Santa in his cabin, just your family. He already knows each child’s name, and every child receives a small gift.

    A husky team pulling a sled along a snowy forest trail

    Snowmobile safari

      Adults drive (with a full licence) and children ride as passengers or in a sledge pulled behind the guide.

      A team of reindeer pulling sleighs through the snow

      Reindeer sleigh ride

        A quiet ride through the forest behind a reindeer, the traditional way to travel in Lapland.

        A family walking hand in hand through a snowy forest

        Husky sled safari

          A full-length ride behind an excited team of huskies across frozen lakes and forest trails.

          Where you stay

          Wooden cabins in the snow in Finnish Lapland

          A family-run inn that has welcomed travellers for more than a century, with buffet meals in a traditional dining room.

          Hetta is the main village of Enontekiö, on the shore of Lake Ounasjärvi and at the northern gateway to Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.

          SWEDENFINLANDNORWAYThree-Country CairnKilpisjärvi2 hr transferKaresuando50 to 60 min transferHetta20 min transferLake Jerisjärvi1 hr 15 transfer✈ Enontekiö airportPallas-Yllästunturi National Park

          Orientation map, not to scale. Every trip flies direct from the UK to Enontekiö, the small airport at the centre of this map, in about 3 hours 30 minutes.

          How the trip works

          WhenWhat happensDetails
          Day 1Fly to LaplandA morning flight takes you straight to Enontekiö. Your guide meets you, and on the way to Hetta you collect your thermal suits and boots. Settle in, then a welcome briefing and dinner.
          Days 2 to 3Into the snowYour activities are spread over the stay and timed around the weather and, for the families, around Santa's busy diary. Every day ends with a warm room and a hot dinner.
          Last dayHomeA final morning in the snow, then the transfer back to the airport and your direct flight home the same day.

          Your exact activity timetable is given on arrival, so it can be planned around the weather.

          What to pack

          • Wool or thermal base layers, a fleece and a warm hat for each person
          • Thick socks (several pairs), liner gloves and a neck warmer
          • Lip balm, moisturiser and a phone power bank (the cold drains batteries)
          • A valid passport with at least three months left after your return date
          • Travel insurance

          Frequently asked questions

          Where do the flights go?

          All flights go direct from the UK to Enontekiö airport in the far north-west of Finnish Lapland, in about 3 hours 30 minutes, with no change in Helsinki.

          Which UK airports can I fly from?

          Released departures for this trip fly from Belfast, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Humberside, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick and Norwich. Each airport has its own dates, so use the finder on this page.

          What is included?

          Flights with luggage, transfers, full-board meals, the loan of thermal suits and boots, all the listed activities with guides, and a private family meeting with Santa.

          Will the children really meet Santa?

          Yes. Each family has a private meeting with Santa in his cabin, not a queue. Before you travel you can tell Santa's elves your children's names and what they've been up to, and each child receives a small gift.

          Can young children do the activities?

          Yes. Children ride in sledges pulled behind the snowmobile or with an adult on the husky and reindeer rides, and all activities are guided. Ask us about babies and toddlers.

          How cold will it be?

          In December and January temperatures are usually between about -10°C and -20°C, and can drop lower. With the thermal suit and boots on loan, plus your own layers, you'll be warm.

          Do I need a visa?

          No. British visitors can visit Finland for up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa. Your passport needs at least three months' validity after your return date. Check the FCDO Finland advice before you travel.

          How much does it cost?

          Released departures start from £1,349 per adult, subject to availability. The price depends on your airport and date: school holiday and pre-Christmas dates cost more. Every price is shown in the finder on this page.

          How do I book?

          Send us an enquiry with your airport, preferred dates and who is travelling. We'll check live availability and price, hold your places and handle everything in one ATOL-protected booking.

          Keep planning

          Check dates and prices with a Travel Designer

          Tell us your nearest airport, your dates and who's travelling. We'll check live availability and hold your places, all in one ATOL-protected booking.

          Make an enquiry See all Santa holidays