Challenge level: 2 out of 5
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17 December - 24 December 2022 | Coming Soon | |
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Duration | 8 days |
Prepare for the best Christmas of your life! This magical family adventure challenge gives you the chance to ski, ice-skate and snowshoe through the sparkling Arctic wilderness, build igloos as a team and even meet Santa Claus and his Elf!
That’s not all! You’ll embark on a private husky safari, earn your reindeer driving license and learn Arctic survival skills, like how to light a fire without matches and use it to cook a meal.
No Christmas is complete without family games, and we’ll play a collection like no other. Ever tried playing Finnish baseball in the snow with a rubber chicken? How about participating in the Monkey Olympics? You will now, with loads of fun team-building activities to strengthen your family bonds and leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.
You’ll bake gingerbread with Santa’s Christmas Elf, ice fish with our Arctic experts, relax in a traditional Finnish sauna and spend a night sleeping in the igloos you’ve built.
What’s more, every night, our Arctic Experts will watch the sky to see if the conditions are right for the Northern Lights to dance for us. If we’re really lucky, we’ll experience the Aurora Borealis, a breath-taking display of nature few people ever get to see!
Sustainable travel
Dream Challenges and our partners in the Arctic believe nature is the most important thing on this planet. Our amazing local challenge leaders do everything they can to ensure the lakes, forests and natural beauty can be enjoyed and preserved now and for generations to come. See our FAQs to learn more.
Pay the registration fee (£125) and challenge costs (£1,699) + airport taxes/fuel surcharge (approx. £195).
£1,699
Challenge costs, not including airport taxes
Pay the registration fee (£125) and challenge costs (£1,250) + airport taxes/fuel surcharge (approx. £195).
£1,250
Challenge costs, not including airport taxes
This family adventure is most suited tor adults and children from 8 years and above. Children younger than 8 are welcome to join too and further discounts will apply - they will be able to take part in most activities. Please just get in touch and we'll be happy to arrange this for you. Email us at bookings@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 431094 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).
It's the perfect Christmas adventure to bring families closer together and make amazing new friendships with other adventurous families. There's no maximum age limit.
This amazing Christmas Family Adventure is suitable for people of all shapes, sizes and fitness levels. No training is required, but the fitter you are, the more likely you are to enjoy the physical activities, like snowshoeing and skiing.
Why not get started now with these awesome indoor training ideas you can do as a family?
We have given it a difficulty rating of 2 due to the long hours spent in sub-zero temperature conditions, but we make sure all participants have adequate gear to do this safely and comfortably.
No, absolutely not!
We don't expect you to have previous ice skating, snowshoeing or skiing experience. The activities are designed for beginners, with lessons to teach you the basics and a slow pace when we venture out into the wilderness. It isn't down-hill skiing, but off-road skiing.
Both Dream Challenges and our local partners in the Arctic believe nature is the most important thing on this planet. Our amazing local challenge leaders for the Family Christmas Challenge in Finland 2022 do everything they can to ensure the lakes, forests and natural beauty can be enjoyed and preserved now and for generations to come. See their full pledge here.
Our local partners have built relationships with animal handlers that have the same core responsible tourism values as we do, so you can rest assured the huskies and reindeer are very well cared for and never overworked or underfed.
Our local partners are committed to supporting both travellers and our local economy in a way that respects the best interest of all parties. The money goes where it should go: to the local guides, bakers, fishermen and women and other small producers and local partners that make you feel part of the community.
Your registration fee of £125 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £1,699pp for adults aged 18+ or £1,250pp for children aged 8 - 17 years old, cover:
Please note, the challenge costs do not include airport taxes and fuel surcharge (approx. £195) and winter gear rental (approx. 109€)
*No single supplement is available, but each participant will only share with their own family.
In addition to paying your registration fee, you will need to budget for:
All the special gear (like outdoor cooking gear, camping equipment, snowshoes, cross country skis, etc.) will be provided and are all included in your challenge cost.
However, you do need to come prepared for a variety of weather conditions in the Arctic.
We strongly recommend adventurers who don't own suitable outdoor clothing (like Winter Boots, thermal base layer, etc.) to hire these from our Arctic experts at an additional cost. Please just get in touch with us upon booking your challenge to reserve your gear package. Suitable sized equipment for children of all ages is available. Call us on 01590 646410 or email us at bookings@dream-challenges.com
The gear hire is at an additional cost of £109pp, so please make sure to budget for this. The hired gear includes:
● One set of thermal underlayer (trousers and shirt)
● Woolen socks
● Fleece
● Wind and waterproof jacket and trousers
● Down jacket
● Winter boots (suitable for snowshoes)
● Small hat + big hat for extra cold weather
● Gloves + mittens
● Buff
● Balaclava
● Head torch
We'll supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you need to take on the challenge well before your departure date and we'll have a gear check on our first day to make sure you have everything to keep you warm and comfortable enough for the planned activities.
We'll spend most nights at the adventure lodge in the stunning countryside of Kuusamo. On one of the nights, you have the option to sleep in the igloos we've built, with all camping equipment provided to keep you cosy. However, you can sleep in the lodge if you prefer.
Once a public primary school, the guesthouse has been newly renovated to provide clean and cozy, standard-level accommodations. The dorm-style rooms have bunk beds with a maximum occupancy of six people per room with private bathrooms. No single supplement is available, but you'll only share rooms with your family. Bed linen, towels and access to the traditional wood-heated sauna are included. See video and pictures here.
Due to the capacity at the lodge we can only accept bookings from a maximum of 5 families per trip so book early!
All camping equipment for the igloo is included and designed especially for Arctic conditions, to keep us warm and dry.
All the food is included, according to the outlined programme:
The menu typically consists of typical Finnish foods, which are sourced as locally as possible. The food is plentiful, generally local in style, and will give you plenty of energy.
If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know at least 60 days before the challenge and we'll be happy to arrange this for you. Email us at customercare@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 646410 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm).
Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Finland, simply get in touch and we can find flight options for you.
Please let us know if you decide to do this at least 17 weeks before our departure date by emailing us at customercare@dream-challenges.com or calling us on 01590 646410 (Monday - Friday, 9am- 5pm).
You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation.
Dream Challenges has a provider detailed in your Welcome Pack, which you will receive shortly after booking your challenge, which provides appropriate cover for this type of activity and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19. You can also call us for details on 01590 646410 during our office hours (9am, 5pm, Monday - Friday).
You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a ice skating, snowshoeing and skiing holiday in Finland.
Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate cover for your challenge.
Currently, UK nationals don't need a visa to visit Scandinavia. We'll let you know if this changes.
As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.
We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.
NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home
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