The Activities Abroad Blog

Family Winter Holiday Inspiration From A Travel Expert

As a travel expert at Activities Abroad, i’m often asked for holiday inspiration... Here are some great ideas for family winter holidays.

For younger families there may only be one chance to meet the ‘real’ Father Christmas in Lapland.

Ranua 27

Credit: Marko Junttila & Hotel Gulo Gulo

Our Father Christmas and Arctic Animal Encounters ensures a memorable and magical experience for both children and adults alike. The focus of the holiday is of course the Santa visit......Travelling as a family by snowmobile pulled sleigh through the snowy Lappish Forest, the trail leads to a cosy cabin where you will be welcomed by Father Christmas himself. If you like the idea of a private Santa Claus experience, this is perfect, with the children getting around 20 minutes to talk with him about his most important of jobs!

For families keen to experience the Northern Lights and take part in some unique activities the Sortland Aurora and Wildlife Explorer offers a wonderful itinerary set against the magnificent backdrop of the Norwegian coast. In addition to the nightly aurora hunts the holiday includes a trip to a space station and a reindeer homestead alongside more simple pleasures such as tobogganing and snowman building, but for nature lovers the highlight has to be the whale safari. Aside from moderating the climate, the Gulf Stream also ensures a rich sea life which can be unforgettably explored by exciting RIB boat.

With the sea here hosting minke whales, humpbacks, sperm whales, and even orca you’ll rarely get a better chance to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.


For many dog sledding is unmatched in its ability to evoke the sense of arctic adventure. For the more adventurous family, our Family Wilderness husky safari and the ICEHOTELL trip offers the opportunity to really explore the beautiful frozen wilderness of northern Sweden. Quickly forging a bond with your friendly team of dogs you will glide over this picture postcard winter landscape staying in a number of different wilderness cabins during your adventure. The holiday also includes another Swedish highlight with the added bonus of a visit to the world famous Icehotel.

Sculpted fresh each winter from Ice from the nearby river, you will receive a tour of the hotel marvelling at the amazing Ice Sculptures and intricately designed rooms.

Read 3791 times Last modified on Friday, 07 May 2021
  • FAMILY SPECIALISTS

    Created by families for families

    Experience real adventures enjoyed safely

    Family friendly destinations and accommodation

    Maximising your precious family time

  • SHARED EXPERIENCES

    Family time, not screen time

    Family memories to treasure

    For toddlers, young children, teenagers & adults alike

    Enjoy the company of like-minded families

  • INDEPENDENT

    Family owned and run

    Proudly Independent

    Personal, hands-on service

    Fair and sustainable work ethos

  • TRUSTED

    We research the holidays so you don’t have to

    ATOL and ABTA Financial protection available

    Customers rate us 4.8/5 Stars

    Award-Winning: Best Travel Company for Adventure Holidays 2023

MrZenTravel Website Development

We use cookies to help us provide a better service for you. By continuing to use this site you agree to the use of cookies. Click here for more information