Lapland: where sleds meet snowmobiles, you can sleep in igloos, see the Northern Lights (and solve the mystery of Santa Claus!)
Traveling to Lapland is like stepping into a special cartoon episode: snowy landscapes, huskies pulling you around with their tongues hanging out, and... oh right, Santa Claus living there all year round (no, it’s not an urban legend!).
But that’s not all: with Sto Gran Tour, you can enjoy an experience that will have you jumping straight from a sled onto a snowmobile. And trust me, it’s not a threat—it’s a promise of seriously awesome adventure!
Want some good reasons to head to Lapland? I’ll just say this: sleeping in an igloo, seeing the Northern Lights, and riding the legendary Polar Express! Need anything else?
If so, here are the 5 reasons why you should go to Lapland!
After this article, I’m sure you’ll have packed your bag before I even finish saying “SANTA CLAUS IS REAL, DAMN IT!”
Read also: How to Dress for the Northern Lights in 2024: A Guide to Not Freezing to Death!
Rovaniemi: meet Santa Claus (and roast him)!
First stop? Rovaniemi, of course.
The real star here is him: Santa Claus. Yes, the one in the flesh, bones, beard (and probably with dangerously high cholesterol).
The world’s most beloved old man (after Gianni Morandi, obviously) is waiting for you in his village, ready to receive letters at any time from little ones—and sometimes adults too (which is a little unsettling)...
And he never takes a break, because running a toy factory all year long is hard work.
What’s that? The elves do all the hard work and Santa is just a greedy capitalist?! Go tell him to his face if you dare!
There you go, we’ve just found another reason to leave for Lapland: to give Santa a proper telling-off!
But Rovaniemi isn’t just about “Santa” and reindeer-drawn sleighs, so keep reading our outrageous ranking.
“Did you say Northern Lights?”
Ah, the Northern Lights... that magical moment when the sky turns into a psychedelic painting worthy of the best ’90s rave. I’m telling you: it’s the wildest sight you’ll ever see in your life, at least while sober!
The Northern Lights really are an incredible show, but you need patience (and a bit of luck too!); it’s not like you put a coin in a jukebox and the color explosion starts.
Here, there are no artificial lights to ruin the experience—just clear skies and stars framing this absolutely mind-blowing show!
And the best part is that it all happens with just you and nature. No typical city chaos, no stress, nothing at all really. Just the cold reminding you that you’re alive and watching one of the most extraordinary spectacles on Earth. All you have to do is look up at the sky and enjoy this explosion of neon colors unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
And if you have a decent camera, you can even capture the moment and take home an unforgettable memory of the coolest experience you could ever have!
Sleds, snowmobiles, and icebreakers: get ready for action!
Now let’s take it up a notch: get ready for something more intense. Who needs a simple walk in the snow when you can speed across it on a snowmobile like a stunt rider?
And we’re not talking about some ten-minute tourist ride: with Sto Gran Tour, you’ll head deep into the snow for 5 full hours at top speed!
And if a snowmobile sounds too tame for you, wait until you hear about our crossing on the Baltic Sea.
That’s right, a seriously badass icebreaker ship! We cut through the ice as if it were butter under steel blades and at the end, for the boldest travelers, there’s even the chance to take a dip in the icy waters.
Oh, and if heavy-duty vehicles aren’t your thing, we’ve got something for the softies too: husky sled rides! These incredible fluffy companions are ready to take you through snowy forests like you’re in a Disney Christmas movie—so: less speed, more sweetness!
Trust me: by the end of the ride, you’ll be so blissed out you’ll be purring louder than a snow cat!
Sleeping in an igloo (without freezing to death!)
Thought that was it? Nope, there’s still the cherry on top of this frozen cake: sleeping in an igloo. And we’re not talking about those luxury igloos that look more like a dreamy suite in a five-star hotel. No, that’s not really our style.
Here, we do things for real: a proper igloo, made of ice, with reindeer hides to keep warm!
OK, maybe it won’t be the most comfortable night of your life, but let’s be honest: how many times will you get to say you’ve slept in an igloo under the Northern Lights?
And don’t worry too much about the cold, because surprisingly, an igloo insulates pretty well from the freezing temperatures. In fact, the temperature inside can even rise above zero (miracle!). With a good sleeping bag and reindeer hides, you’ll sleep like a baby seal.
And if you wake up in the middle of the night, you might even catch the Northern Lights without having to leave your sleeping bag. More comfortable than that? What do you want, the aurora delivered to your door with a pizza?!
Read also: 5 winter destinations to end 2024 in an unforgettable way
Polar Express and Old Santa
We can’t forget the train ride on the Polar Express, which takes us straight to Santa Claus, speeding through the snow. Come on, even if you stopped believing at age eight, you still want to meet the bearded old man in person, right?
I know he let you down with all that Coca-Cola advertising, but do you know how much it costs to keep all those reindeer?! They eat like there’s no tomorrow!
And then we head off to Abisko and Kiruna, where in summer the midnight sun steals the show and keeps the party going nonstop, while in winter the Northern Lights take over and leave you speechless.
Our tour then takes us right to Kiruna, where we sleep in a super-cool igloo and enjoy dinner with the Sami, the indigenous people of Lapland.
Make sure you try everything!
Pack your bag and join us in Lapland!
If you thought Lapland was just snow and Santa Claus, you’ve got it completely wrong. A trip with Sto Gran Tour is the perfect mix of adventure and natural wonder that will leave you speechless.
So, are you up for sleeping in an incredible igloo, racing across the snow on an amazing snowmobile, crossing the sea on an icebreaker and, the icing on the frozen cake, seeing the Northern Lights?
Come on, it’s time to leave with us on this amazing 7-day tour of Lapland!
