Turn dreams into reality with these breathtaking holidays of a lifetime. By Claire Turrell.
Turn dreams into reality with these breathtaking holidays of a lifetime. By Claire Turrell.
HEAD UP TO SANTA’S VILLAGE.
LAPLAND, FINLAND.
For a fairy-tale vacation, the Arctic Treehouse Winter Wonderland holiday is hard to beat. During your eight-day stay in Finland, your little ones will be able to visit Santa Park, where they will meet none other than Santa himself; watch the elves prepare for Christmas at the Santa Claus Secret Forest, and visit Santa’s reindeer farm. The holiday cheer continues with your stay at the new Arctic Treehouse Hotel found within this winter wonderland. Priced from $8,676 per person, www.lightfoottravel.com.
BE A MINI HUSKY MUSHER.
Poikkijarvi, Sweden.
If you have any mini adventure lovers in your family, they will be smitten with A Family Wilderness Adventure of Artic Lapland. Upon touching down at the wilderness retreat of Fjellborg Arctic Lodge in Sweden, they can ride pintsized snowmobiles and mush their own husky team on kid-sized sleds. Families can also choose to go ice fishing, visit an ice hotel and enjoy lunch around a campfire over the course of five days. Priced from $9,068 for an adult and $4,532 for a child, www.jacadatravel.com.
CLIMB ABOARD THE POLAR EXPRESS.
CALGARY, CANADA.
All aboard! Relive the magic of the 2004 film and get whisked away on The Polar Express through the Canadian countryside. Once on board, get treated to hot chocolate and cookies, followed by a storytelling session of the namesake book. After singing along to Christmas carols, your tot will also receive a festive gift—a silver sleigh bell, just like in the movie. If that’s not enough of a treat, they can also spend the night in a train carriage at the station in Aspen Crossing. Available from 25 November to Christmas Eve. Priced from $58 per person; Caboose cabins from $205 per night, www.aspencrossing.com.
SEE THE ICE VILLAGE.
HOKKAIDO, JAPAN.
Frozen fans will love the Ice Village located within Tomamu Ski Resort. When the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees, an array of ice sculptors will turn the park into a home that Princess Elsa would be proud of. Explore the colourful ice domes, listen to a musician play ice instruments, play on an ice bowling alley or skate around the ice rink. Free entry. Stay at Risonare Tomamu for around $286 per person per night, inclusive of a ski lift ticket. Visit www.snowtomamu.jp.
SKATE ON THE RINK AT ROCKEFELLER.
NEW YORK, USA.
A Christmas icon that has appeared in countless holiday movies, this year, The Rink at Rockefeller Center celebrates 80 years of bringing joy to New Yorkers and their families. Book the Viator VIP: Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Experience to skip the queues and hit the ice directly. After you’ve indulged in mugs of piping-hot chocolate, you will be given free entry to the Rockefeller Observatory Deck. Finish your festive evening with the Suite Slumber Party at The Mark, which features a tepee, an in-room family movie screening, plus milk and cookies for pint-sized guests. The Viator VIP: Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Experience is priced from $131 per person, www.viator.com. Suites at The Mark are priced from $1,026 per night, www.themarkhotel.com.
WHAT TO WEAR.
Keep those winter chills at bay in the most stylish way possible.
