Muotka is a really great base for families, aside from the fact it looks like a picturesque winter wonderland it also has the most wonderful cosy and welcoming atmosphere too. Seeing in the New Year here feels like you are celebrating with a group of friends who are equally grateful to be sharing in this special experience. All of the activities we have chosen show the real highlights of Lapland and my daughter still talks about how much better at Snowshoeing than me she was during our lesson, a really special family memory.
Overview
Key facts
- Duration:4 nights
- Suitable for: Children aged 8 years and over (younger children may join the holiday, but may not be able to participate in all the activities). Please see terms for details
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What's included?
- Flights: return indirect flights from London Gatwick to Ivalo (via Helsinki). Flight routes subject to change.
- Transfers: return scheduled group shuttle airport transfers
- Accommodation: four nights in a standard wilderness room (2 adults sharing with 1 child on extra bed.) (Please note: the hotel can usually accommodate your bed set up preference but this can’t be guaranteed. Upgrades available on request.)
- Meals: full board
- Activities: gentle snowshoeing, Aurora camp, Snowmobile safari to reindeer day, husky safari (the order of activities is subject to change).
- Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
- Fully qualified guides and instructors during activities
- Aurora alert
Travel high above the Arctic Circle to the family-friendly Muotka, a frozen playground filled with exceptional snow-based activities. This 4-night winter break is unforgettable in its own right, but pair it with new year celebrations and you have the opportunity to create some cherished family memories.
We’ve included some of the must-do winter activities to explore the pristine surroundings. From dog sledding through the wilderness to enjoying a magical reindeer sleigh ride, you’ll get the full Lapland experience. You’ll also take a walk over the deep, soft powdery snow with ease during a snowshoe tour to see the local flora and fauna.
As darkness falls, your adventure continues with a visit to a nearby Aurora camp. Here, with your local expert guide, you’ll search the skies in hopes for a display of dazzling green lights. What’s more, you’ll receive an Aurora alert system to use for the duration of your stay, to help you tick this brilliant phenomenon off your family bucket list.
With a winter wonderland setting, snow-based activities for the whole family and the chance to see the Northern Lights, Muotka offers an unforgettable way to welcome in the new year.
Image Credits: Markku Inkila, Anthony Oberlin & Wilderness Hotel Muotka
Agenda
Agenda
Show full agenda-
Day 1 Arrival
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred* to Muotka where you will check into your hotel accommodation.
Enjoy a welcome meal in the restaurant and spend the evening settling in to your wintery surroundings. You will also be given an Aurora alert which will sound if the Northern Lights are present in the area.
*Transfers are based on a scheduled group shuttle that sometimes stops at a few nearby hotels. If you would prefer to upgrade to private taxi transfers please ask our Family Travel Experts for a quotation.
Please note the order of the activities listed in the agenda is just for guidance and is subject to change.
Included Meals: Dinner -
Day 2 Reindeer Day and New Year's Eve
After breakfast, you’ll get the full Lappish experience when you visit a local reindeer farm via snowmobile.
Once you have received a full briefing and instructions, you’ll take to the frozen trails for a snowmobiling adventure. Adults will drive the snowmobile (two per machine) while children will ride in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile.
Upon arrival at the reindeer farm, you will meet with the local herders who will introduce you to their animals and tell you all about their significance here in Lapland. You will get to try your hand at lassoing before enjoying a wonderful sleigh ride with warm snacks served afterwards. Please note you must be at least 18 years old and hold a full driving licence to drive a snowmobile.
Tonight you will enjoy a special dinner in the restaurant to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Keep an eye on your Aurora alert system as the Northern Lights may be there to add to your festivities.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Day 3 Husky Safari and New Year's Day
Fill up on breakfast before starting the new year with the must-do Arctic experience of dog sledding.
You’ll hear the huskies before you see them as they will be barking eagerly to get going. Children will be tucked safely in the guide’s sled and adults will ride two per sled (one driver and one passenger with the option to swap). You’ll receive a full briefing and instructions on how to handle the sled before you set off into the wilderness. The dogs will soon quieten down as you cruise along the trails and you can admire the winter wonderland scenes around you.
Lunch and dinner will be served in the restaurant.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Day 4 Gentle Snowshoeing and Aurora Camp
After breakfast, it’s time to head out and explore your surroundings. You will strap on a pair of snowshoes and follow your local guide out into the wonderful Taiga forest. The snowshoes will help you walk over the deep snow with ease so you can admire the local wildlife that the guide will point out along the way. You’ll also hear all about life in Lapland before enjoying lunch by the open fire.
Following dinner in the restaurant, you’ll sit inside a cosy sled and go out into the night to search for the Northern Lights. Pulled along by the guide’s snowmobile, you will all keep an eye on the sky as you journey to a nearby Aurora camp - ideally chosen based on the weather and Northern Lights forecast for the evening.
You’ll arrive at a camp in the wilderness where you will keep warm by the open fire and enjoy hot drinks. Your guide will tell you all about the Northern Lights while you wait in hopes for a display. You will be out for approximately 2.5 hours tonight.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner -
Day 5 Departure
Today it is sadly time for your New Year’s family adventure to come to an end. Enjoy breakfast in the restaurant before being transferred to the airport for your flight home. If you have an early flight time, we’ll box up breakfast for you.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation
Accommodation
Included in price
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Muotka Wilderness Hotel
Nights: 1-4
Around 40km away from Ivalo Airport, and tucked neatly in the forests and fells of North East Finland, families will find Muotka Wilderness Hotel.
Owned by our friends Jouko and Mari, the hotel offers the same warm welcome as its sister property at Nellim.
The landscape around the hotel is stunning and offers families an easily accessible escape from the every day.
Read more about this accommodation Read less about this accommodationThere are two main buildings, one contains the majority of the rooms and the other houses the reception, restaurant and the remaining cosy bedrooms. They are just moments from each other so there are no long walks for meals. There are also superior sauna rooms in separate buildings and some very special cabin options too, again, only a short distance from the hotel’s main restaurant.
Hotel facilities
- All meals are served in the hotel’s restaurant. Typically this is a buffet of options from which to choose. There tends to be a mix of international dishes alongside some local favourites. Dietary requirements can all be catered for as long as we are informed at the time of booking.
- There is a sauna in the main building which is heated daily for guest use. Saunas are not the reserve of grown-ups in Finland and so this can be a family affair.
- Free Wi-Fi is available in the main building
- Standard rooms do not have tea and coffee making facilities but tea and coffee are available free of charge in the restaurant area
Room types
Standard rooms
All standard rooms are en-suite with shower room, wardrobe, hairdryer and nightstand and can be made up as either a double or twin. We can request adjacent rooms for you if available.
Please note: the hotel can usually accommodate your bed set up preference but this can’t be guaranteed. Upgrades available on request
Image Credit: Matt Robinson
Other options
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Muotka Wilderness Hotel - Superior Sauna Rooms
These sauna rooms are a great upgrade and can accommodate two adults and up to two children on extra beds. The rooms are located in separate buildings (each containing four sauna rooms) and are just a short distance from the main restaurant building. Each room is 34m².
Please note: the hotel can usually accommodate your bed set up preference but this can’t be guaranteed. Upgrades available on request
Read more about this accommodationPlease contact our Travel Experts for a quotation.
Image credits: Muotka Wilderness Hotel
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Muotka Wilderness Hotel - Panorama Log Cabins
These cosy log cabins are a wonderful treat for families. They have large glass windows on one side so you can look out across the landscape and hopefully up at the sky, where the Northern Lights often appear. The cabins are very well equipped and have an en-suite shower room, private sauna, and log burning stove.
Read more about this accommodationThere is a queen size bed in each and space for two extra beds for children. There is a small kitchenette and kettle provided and hairdryers are available at reception if needed.
The cabins are just a short walk from the main restaurant building and are around 50 m² in size.
Please note: the hotel can usually accommodate your bed set up preference but this can’t be guaranteed. Upgrades available on request.
Image credits: Muotka Wilderness Hotel
Special Nights
Sleep in an Aurora Kota
Muotka is renowned as an Aurora viewing destination and so the hotel has created a selection of Aurora Kotas for guests to enjoy.
These part-cabin and part-glass tepee buildings are self-contained and situated a short distance from the hotel. The idea is that you can hopefully watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of the bed.
The Kotas are all 25m² with their own private sauna, double bed and en-suite bathroom. There is also room for two extra beds for children.
Please note: prices are based on you spending the first or last night of your holiday in this unique accommodation and not keeping your original accommodation. If you would like to do this on any other night during your holiday you will need to keep your accommodation and supplements will apply. Please contact our Travel Experts for a quotation.
Image credit: Anthony Oberlin
Personalise
Personalise this tour
Our pick
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Sleep in an Aurora Kota
Muotka is renowned as an Aurora viewing destination and so the hotel has created a selection of Aurora Kotas for guests to enjoy.
These part-cabin and part-glass tepee buildings are self-contained and situated a short distance from the hotel. The idea is that you can hopefully watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of the bed.
Read moreThe Kotas are all 25m² with their own private sauna, double bed and en-suite bathroom. There is also room for two extra beds for children.
Please note: prices are based on you spending the first or last night of your holiday in this unique accommodation and not keeping your original accommodation. If you would like to do this on any other night during your holiday you will need to keep your accommodation and supplements will apply. Please contact our Travel Experts for a quotation.
Image credit: Anthony Oberlin
From £110 per adult
Dates & Prices
Thank you for your interest in this Activities Abroad family experience.
We have found that this holiday is better tailored exactly to your requirements, so please email our Travel Experts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact us on 01670 789 991 to discuss the various options available to you.
Our Travel Experts have been to all the destinations we feature and love to share their experiences and insight. We want to match you with your perfect trip, so if you have any questions please get in touch; we will be happy to talk through the destinations and itineraries with you.
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Please view our alternative departure dates here - A Family Short Break to Lapland and A Family Christmas in Lapland
Dates
Terms
For our full booking terms and conditions please click here
The Specifics
Holiday group size (approximate)
Minimum 4 people and maximum 28 (approximately)
Group Size
We always try to provide an approximation of the group size you can expect to be with for the duration of each of our holidays. It may be that you are joined by others for parts of your holiday (such as transfers and particular activities) but the above number reflects those you can normally expect to be with from beginning to end. If group size is something which is particularly important to you, please speak to our Travel Experts and they can suggest the best holidays for you.
Tailor-made holiday group sizes will vary for all activities as will the group size for any additional activities you book.
Minimum numbers required for a holiday to operate
Some of our holidays require a minimum number of participants to operate (as listed in the ‘Group Size’ section). If your holiday departure has not yet reached the minimum number, you will be told at the time of booking. In the unlikely event that your chosen date is not guaranteed by nine weeks before your scheduled departure date, we will contact you to discuss the available options as per our booking conditions.
Minimum and maximum age
The minimum age for this holiday can be found in the ‘Key Facts’ section of the holiday overview.
Younger family members may be able to participate but may not be able to take part in all activities. Please contact one of our Travel Experts if you have any questions.
Itinerary amendments
The order of activities listed in this agenda is provided for guidance only, your final and detailed itinerary will be provided either with your final travel documents (which are uploaded into your online account around a week prior to departure) or upon arrival.
Medical History and Advice
We want our holidays to be accessible as they can be and will do our best to accommodate any special requests and requirements where possible. We have a wide range of holidays and destinations and so our travel experts will help find the best holiday for you.
In order to give us the best possible chance to do this we ask that if you or any member of your party has any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or has any special requirements, that you tell us at the time of enquiry or booking. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. You may need to provide a doctor’s note and proof of insurance in some cases as the health and safety of our clients is absolutely paramount.
In providing this information you are allowing us to work with our expert local partners to ensure that your whole party can enjoy the holiday. By letting us know in advance we can discreetly work with you to adapt any part of the holiday which may potentially be challenging. Being able to prepare for this in advance makes an incredible difference to what we can offer and minimises any impact on your party and the rest of the group.
Unfortunately, if you choose not to share this information with us in advance then it may limit some or all of the itinerary you have booked, and we cannot be held accountable for any additional costs or missed activities resulting from this.
It is vitally important that you advise us prior to departure of any medical or dietary condition relating to any member of your party so that we may notify our local staff before you arrive. We recommend only drinking bottled water from bottles with unbroken seals and be vigilant about the use of ice in drinks and ice cream.
Insurance
Insurance is not included in your holiday, but it is a pre-requisite to travelling with us. You will need to ensure that you have cover for all the activities that you will be participating in during your holiday.
It is extremely important that you take out a suitable travel insurance policy at the time of booking. Plans do sometimes change, and you will need this policy should you need to cancel your holiday.
If you are struggling to find a suitable policy then details of our preferred provider, who will cover you for all the activities we offer, can be found on our website by clicking here. Please note that this policy is available to EU residents under the age of 75 only.
The UK Foreign Office Advice
Our clients’ safety is at the centre of everything we do, and our operations team continually assesses and monitors the destinations we feature. We carry out thorough risk assessments and work closely with all of our suppliers to continually follow best practice. For up to date travel advice the UK government offers its Travel Aware website as well as the advice detailed below.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice
We receive all updates from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) with regards to travel advice and we always ensure that we follow this advice in our operations. The FCO issues travel advisories for countries based on a very wide range of factors. They may provide notification about things as simple as a football match and crowds, or they may go so far as to advise against all travel to a region. We ask all our clients to refer to the relevant Travel Advice by Country for the destinations they are visiting in order to make an informed decision on the safety of the destination based on the details provided. It also provides vital information regarding entry requirements, embassy information, local laws and customs as well as specific safety and health. Guests should take responsibility for keeping themselves up to date with this advice. Please also ensure that, if you are transiting through another country, you have read the advice and meet the entry requirements for that destination too.
The FCO travel advice is applicable to British Passport Holders. Most governments will issue their own travel advice for a region and, if you are not a UK resident then you can find some helpful links below:
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/
Canadian Consular Affairs Bureau http://voyage.gc.ca/
The U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english.html
If the FCO deems that there is an unacceptable level of risk for UK citizens then, together with the government, they may issue an advisory against all travel to a region or country. If such an advisory is published, then we will act accordingly, and this may require the cancellation, curtailment or amendment of a holiday itinerary. These decisions are made on the basis of ensuring our clients’ safety and will affect all clients on the holiday, regardless of their nationality.
If one of our local experts suggests an amendment due to a situation which develops locally then we may also take the decision to amend an itinerary appropriately.
If we have to cancel your holiday prior to departure you will be offered the option of an alternative trip (where any price difference will either be refunded to or covered by you) or a full refund of the monies paid.
If we have to curtail a holiday, then you will be refunded for any costs for the elements we have been unable to deliver, where we have been able to secure a refund from our suppliers. If we must reroute a holiday, then any basis for refund is determined on a case by case basis and dependent on whether the central holiday experience was provided or not.
Booking activities locally
Additional activities can be booked locally in almost all our destinations. However, as per our booking conditions, we cannot be held responsible for any injury or loss incurred through participation in activities which are booked at your destination outside of our holiday itinerary (see our ‘Terms and Conditions’ for further details).
When arranging any such activity please always ensure that safety is your primary concern.
In some of our destinations, you can borrow or hire equipment for use in your free time. You do so entirely at your own risk. You must ensure that you are correctly prepared, have the necessary equipment and knowledge (maps, etc.) and ensure that where applicable, you follow marked routes. We recommend discussing your plans with the local teams who will be able to advise on the most suitable options for you.
Always let the reception/guide know where you are planning to go and take a torch and mobile phone (with the hotel/guide’s phone number stored). It is also a good idea to leave your contact number and the time you expect to return to the hotel should the hotel need to contact you.
Flight schedule changes and connecting transportation
On your documentation, we will confirm your flight schedule. Sometimes the flight number, routing and timings might change prior to your departure. If the change is classed as a significant change then we will contact you to discuss this. Please see our booking conditions for details.
Flight schedule changes can impact on your pre and post-holiday travel arrangements if these have been booked separately to your holiday. We strongly recommend that you do not book transport (such as trains or transfers), car parking or non-connecting flights to the departure point for your holiday until you have received your final confirmed travel times when your final travel documents are issued. We are not responsible for the effect of any schedule change on your pre or post travel arrangements. We strongly recommend that you do not purchase non-flexible or non-refundable tickets to avoid cancellation and penalty charges.
Booking your own flights cancellation disclaimer
If you have chosen to book your own flights, then you will need to wait until we confirm to you that the holiday departure has met the minimum numbers required to run (if applicable to your chosen holiday). Once the holiday is guaranteed to run, you will be informed and you can then make your arrangements.
If transfers are included in your holiday, please ensure that any potential flights will be met by our standard transfers (speak to one of our Travel Experts for advice) otherwise private transfer supplements may be applicable. Once your flights are booked, please send us a copy of your detailed flight itinerary.
Please be aware that most tickets are non-refundable in the case of cancellation. For this reason, we strongly advise you check the rules of the ticket and check the limitations of your cancellation insurance before booking. We cannot be held liable, in the unlikely eventuality that we should be forced to cancel or amend your trip, for losses incurred relating to any flight booking you have made.
Terms and Conditions
Our full booking terms and conditions can be found on our website: https://www.activitiesabroad.com/booking-conditions
Please note: our payment and cancellation terms will be unique to each booking – they will be confirmed with you at the time of quotation. The terms listed above are noted as a guide only
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