Travel operator TUI is running special day trips to meet Santa in Lapland this year, including flights from Cardiff Airport. The Search for Santa day trips give families a Lapland experience with the chance to meet Father Christmas in his own homeland and be back tucked in their own bed the same night.
Prices and Departure Points
TUI is offering its Search for Santa day trip from Cardiff to Kittilä, north of the Arctic Circle in Finland, from £750 per person on December 11. It is recommended for children aged four and up.
Direct flights also depart from London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol, East Midlands, Glasgow, Birmingham, Stansted, and Dublin. Flights from Bournemouth Airport will also resume in winter 2026 after last operating in 2019.
What the Experience Includes
The experience includes a search for Santa, a visit to Snow Village, reindeer and husky rides, a mini snowmobile experience, and a private meeting with Santa.
Your day trip begins with a traditional cooked breakfast on your flight to Lapland, then you land around midday to pick up your snowsuit and boots. Then head to the Snow Village, a world-famous winter wonderland attraction, rebuilt every year with millions of kilograms of snow and ice. It is home to an ice hotel with igloo-like rooms, an ice bar, an ice chapel, and impressive carved ice sculptures. The unique location also serves as a hub for Lapland excursions including husky safaris, reindeer encounters, and snowmobile tours.
Activities and the Main Event
Wrap up with a bucket-list Lapland experience on a chilly reindeer ride. Other activities are also on offer, like snowmobiling and a husky-led sleigh ride around the frozen landscapes. Kids can also learn how the dogs are trained, and Santa’s elves have a cute story about how the huskies saved Christmas. Kids can also play in the snow and enjoy a warming campfire with hot berry juice.
The main event, though, is the search for Santa as elves whisk your family through the snowy forests to his log-cabin hideaway to meet the big man and discuss Christmas lists. After your day at Snow Village, Santa’s elves will take you back to the airport where you'll enjoy a Christmas dinner in the sky on the flight home.
Additional Northern Lights Trip
After Christmas, Transun is also offering a four-night Northern Lights trip from January 17-21, 2027, flying direct from Cardiff to Enontekiö in Finnish Lapland and offering the chance to experience the Arctic wilderness and search for one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena.
Brad Williams, communications officer at Cardiff Airport, said: “Lapland is one of those truly magical destinations that captures the imagination, particularly at this time of year, and we’re delighted to offer travellers the opportunity to experience it from Cardiff Airport.
“Whether it’s meeting Santa, exploring the snowy wilderness, or searching for the Northern Lights, there are some incredible experiences available this winter.
“Having these trips depart directly from Cardiff means families and travellers from across Wales and the southwest can start their Lapland adventure from their local international airport.”
