WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

I would like to take my daughter to visit Father Christmas in Levi. I don’t want anything too tacky. Do you have any ideas or suggestions?

MIKE WILDEMAN

Dear Mike

When it comes to the commercialisation of Father Christmas in Finnish Lapland, you are right to be wary of tack. But some operators do focus on creating a more “authentic” experience. You might consider, for example, Inghams (inghams. co.uk/santa-breaks), which offers three and four-night Santa breaks in Levi, including a private family meeting with the man in red. There’s also time to play in the snow, take a reindeer and husky safari or have a ski lesson. New to its 2018 programme is the four-star Levi Hotel Panorama, a three-minute gondola ride from Levi village centre. It has family rooms and apartments and facilities include a children’s play area and sauna. Three nights start at £849 per person based on two adults and two children sharing, including half board, return flights to Kittila and 20-minute airport transfers (this year sees new direct flights from Newcastle and East Midlands). Use of thermal suits and boots (from three years old) are also included.

If you are prepared to consider other destinations in Finnish Lapland, long-standing Santa specialist Canterbury Travel (santa-holidays.com) organises festive holidays from a base at Luosto, a 90-minute transfer from Rovaniemi. Tours range from a day trip to a four-night stay, with prices starting at £575 (adult) and £510 (child aged four to 11). Nordic Experience (nordicexperience.co.uk) offers a limited number of departure dates to family-owned lodges in the tranquil areas of Harriniva, Lake Inari and Iso-Syote. Also a little more off the tourist track, Transun (transun.co.uk) organises short Santa breaks to the far-flung destinations of Hetta, Kilpisjarvi and Karesuando, small Sami villages on the border of Finland and Sweden.