Canterbury Travel Reviews 

The representative I spoke to was super helpful and enthusiastic. It was a very clear process and everything matched the quote.

No long wait for call to be answered, knowledge of call taker (sorry can’t remember her name) thorough service and advice about the booking. Confirmation email through before call ended.
Absolutely brilliant service.

We recently returned from the Christmas as Luosto tour staying in a log cabin. We had a fantastic holiday and our children absolutely loved it.

Accommodation: Luosto was a lovely little Ski town. The log cabins are perfectly located just a few mins walk to the shops and restaurants. The cabins are cosy and authentic - not the most modern fittings but that didn’t matter. We were hardly in the cabin and when we were the log burner (wood provided) was lovely to warm up. The only thing to consider is that the upper bunk beds over the bottom beds have no side - we don’t feel it was safe for our children to sleep up there so we all slept at the bottom.

Flights and transfers: our return flight was very delayed due to a significant storm but overall the experience with the flights was fine. Jet2 were good and made the experience fun for the kids. Cold sandwiches on the way out and a hot roast dinner on the return - these were fine. The coach transfer from Rovaniemi took about 90min but flew by with the arctic stars keeping everyone energised.

Food: we’re a mixed group of vegetarians and vegans. We were very impressed that we were served specific meals straight from the kitchen for every meal. Even when we were taken to local restaurants for lunch near the activities. Our allocated restaurant was the Kelo - they were very accommodating and food labelling was good. Similarly, our requirements were taken care of on the flight with specific meals ready for us. Overall we thought the food was good - simple, hot and hearty. A range of options to suit the kids and adults. I was concerned about travelling with specific dietary needs, but we were very well looked after.

Arctic stars: our two stars (Tay and Lewis) stuck with us for every coach ride and experience. They were fantastic. Such fun and bringing the energy throughout. They made everything seem so well organised. We didn’t need to worry about a thing - just turn up where they said and everything else was taken care of.

Activities: overall the activities were great. The transfer to activities was no more than 15mins - far less than we expected. We loved the husky ride, reindeers and seeing Santa. The kids loved going on the little snowmobiles. The adult snowmobiles was the only activity that was a little dissapointing. The adult trip was just 5mins around a small loop - I was expecting a bit of a longer experience than this. Santa was brilliant - such a magical experience. The elves were brilliant and the continuity of seeing them throughout was brilliant for the kids.

Overall we’re very glad we did the trip and would highly recommend. The Canterbury experience costs more but everything was just taken care of and so stress free. Doing the longer Christmas tour was great - you get an extra day where we got to go and hang out at an old ski resort and repeat our favourite activities like snowmobiling and sledging.

A helpful and friendly service.

Prompt Friendly helpful and efficient service.

We have just returned from Pyha on the Arctic adventure. Canterbury were fantastic from start to finish, everything ran like clockwork and we didn't need to worry about a thing. Our Arctic Star Lewis was brilliant, catered to everyones needs, was very easy to get along with and have a laugh with. I've come home and literally can't get Lapland out of my head, it's amazing! Much more than I ever expected

We had a fantastic experience on the Canterbury Travel Arctic Adventure New Year trip. Despite very stormy weather meaning our flight landed at Kuusamo airport instead of Kittilä, Canterbury Travel were extremely well prepared and had coaches ready to transport everyone safely to Luosto with minimal disruption.
The Arctic Starts team from the Suomu resort accompanied us to Luosto, which was very reassuring and showed great organisation and care throughout the journey.
All of the activities were excellent and very well organised. A real highlight was the snowshoe hike, where each family had their own dedicated guide, making the experience personal, safe, and enjoyable for everyone.
Special thanks to Ash and Kazz our Arctic Starts, who were absolutely brilliant. They made sure everything ran smoothly, were always friendly and approachable, and genuinely helped make the whole trip memorable.
Overall, a wonderfully organised adventure and a great start to the New Year.

I wish to agree with T Brown. We were abandoned by Canterbury on 27 December in a small Finish airport with scant facilities. We had been lied to about a plane having landed at this airport at 8.50 and that it would stay on the runway until we arrived. We were on a coach with no toilet facility as it was overflowing. We were driving at 90 when the speed limit for that zone was 60. The driver could not see out of the windscreen because of snow fall. We were in those conditions for 5 hours. We could not get a proper meal and were left in a cold airport with no facilities apart from toilets, that were running out of toilet paper. No Canterbury Rep with us! Just dumped at an airport until Jet2 managed to get a plane to us the next afternoon. Wonderful, sympathetic crew. No duty of care from Canterbury. They should be prepared for bad weather conditions. Should not have put coach passengers in such a dangerous situation on a coach. Passengers on our coach had to deal with a fallen tree blocking the road - no assistance from the driver or Canterbury Rep.
Lied to repeatedly and then just dumped. Appalling negligence on the part of Canterbury Travel.

We’ve just returned from the Magical Interlude trip from 23-27th December.

Wow! The experience was purely magical from start to finish. We stayed in a log cabin in Ruka, so we had the perfect mix of traditional Finnish living, with the convenience of full-board catering and transport!

The Arctic Stars (Lee & B-Dog), aboard coach R4 were exceptional. Their attention to detail and engagement was second to none and it was clear to see that they loved spending time with children and adults alike.

The location was stunning; the activities were brilliantly managed and the involvement from Canterbury staff was fantastic.

We would 💯% recommend.

We returned just two days ago from the most INCREDIBLE trip to Ruka of Christmas. We stayed in the Aurine Appartments and words can't describe how amazing this expereince was for the kids (and the big kids). From the moment we received the activity bags, Santa sent his invites and to the moment we stepped off the plane. Canterbury built the excitement perfectly. Once there our amazing Arctic Stars on coach R2 (Gemma and Chloe) were superstars. Managing our group and the kids wonderfully and making each and every moment super special. I was a little sceptical of organised fun BUT this blew me away and exceeded all expectations. The food was always going to be okay and not blow away but I really enjoyed it all. We ate a lot and i found it yummy. Will be recommending to friends for sure. Thank you Canterbury and to all of your wonderful staff on the ground, not to forget the magical elves who live there. They are so wonderfully SPECIAL.

Hell on earth! Worst customer care ever from Canterbury Travel. A magical Christmas has turned into a HOLIDAY NIGHTMARE with Canterbury Travel ✨ after my family and an entire plane full of passengers with young children and older people in wheelchairs have been abandoned in lapland. Our flight was cancelled this afternoon and we were driven around in coaches without working toilets for 9hrs to save Canterbury Travel having to provide us accommodation and we were then taken to an airport, where we told that a plane was sat there waiting for us, only to arrive and realise that there was never any plane there and all Canterbury travel staff promptly left and abondoned us with no way of getting home. Literally disgusted by the complete lack of care from a company that claims to be so family focused. We are still currently at the airport with no way to get home and all communications completely stopped.

Trip 19th - 22nd December 2025

We have not long returned from beautiful Lapland, our first visit with our daughter on the Magical Interlude package in search of Santa. From the moment we boarded the plane to the very end the trip just kept on giving.

The elves are incredible and made our holiday! We can't thank them enough for their energy, enthusism and the interaction and attention they gave to us all. Our daughters favourites were Tricky Dicky, Noisy Nod and Speedy Sam. We loved Figgy, what a character. All of you are brilliant and have made many big and little humans so happy! You have given us and our daughter memories to last a lifetime.

Our tour guides Imogen and Faye on coach R1 were amazing, please bring them back next year they are in the perfect job and worked so hard. They were always smiling, kept our party organised and on time and looked after us all so well. We find it very hard to explain to people our experience, beyond anything we could have ever imagined. We loved the songs, the numerous surprises that just kept on giving.

Our hotel 'Royal Ruka' was perfect, we felt so relaxed, and taken care of. Food was so varied and beautifully prepared fresh in every location we ate in.

The activities were amazing, giving us a taste of true Lapland. Our favourites being huskie sleigh, reindeers and snowmobiles and the ultimate of meeting Santa, how magical!

This trip will stay in our hearts forever and we can't thank you all enough for giving us such a special gift. We were very emotional leaving you all, the experience and this beautiful country. We want to do it all over again and will be aiming to book again soon. Canterbury Travels, a fantastic company, thank you all so much!

Fantastic trip. Our guide, Daisy, was amazing and all the kids loved her! Lots and lots of activities. Worn out when I arrived home!

Our trip was magical and a real hit with our Granddaughters from start to finish. All the staff & the elves were brilliant and great at their jobs.
Santa Claus was amazing and the way in which the visit was executed was fantastic, what a surprise …
The accommodation was in a lovely wooded location , well equipped and very quaint , but a little tired, the furniture was old and very dated.
Our Canterbury reps were brilliant Lucy &Lucy , and the Coach driver on coach F was really lovely and helpful and always prompt.
The food at the Hovi was very basic and lacked choice, and sometimes quality . Choices for the children were very limited indeed.
Snowsuits and boots provided by Canterbury were in poor condition and not particularly clean . I would definitely use my own in preference .
We booked very early on so we could choose our departure dates but would’ve benefited from substantial discounts had we have waited . We paid premium price and could have saved ourselves some money .
Canterbury travel are well experienced and reputable, but maybe need to take some of this feedback on board for the future trips.

Our trip was magical and we loved most of it, our children said it was the best holiday they have ever been on!

Would I go again - absolutely, would I recommend Canterbury Travels - probably but with a few Caveats! Since doing my research and talking with others that have be been to Lapland with competitors who generally are cheaper their trips have sounded just as magical! You are probably wondering why the 3 stars … if you have time to read (as I suspect this will be a long review you will understand why).

My advice would be if can hold your nerve and be flexible with dates/places leave booking as long as you can they do heavy promotions the later you book! So unfortunately if you ask me do I feel I got value you for money - not really no because people that booked the exact same trip as me with a few weeks to spare (bearing in mind we had to pay 10 weeks in advance) got it for 25% less! When you are talking a trip that cost thousands of pounds that’s fairly substantial!

We booked around 4 months before, a week after we booked they did a promotion, £50 per child Smyths voucher with every booking! At the time I was little miffed but oh well let it be. Around 3 weeks before our trip I noticed something on social media about last minute deals - they hadn’t just reduced our trip but pretty much every single one! I did query it with them as there is a clause in the t&c’s stating if some operational costs increased they would pass on the increase on - costs go down you could be entitled to a refund and the customer service was actually laughable! They said costs haven’t gone down but they do drop prices closer to the time to fill all remaining seats! They said they would not intentionally disadvantage customers that book earlier - bit of a contradiction there really if you also admit to increasing promotional activity closer to the dates of departure! Then the worse thing was they offered us the option of cancelling our trip and receiving a 25% refund - so basically I’d have just given them a few thousand pounds for nothing! Handled very badly which of course then did leave me incredibly anxious leading up to trip and confirmed money is definitely more important to them than customers!

The only issue I would say we had on the trip was snowsuits and boots! I’m concerned that they don’t actually get cleaned or quality checked! They get dropped off on the way back to the airport and presumably just hung back up again?! It is impressive how they get everyone fitted so quickly but there were a lot of people needing to go and make changes the first night. The initial snowsuit I was given had bits of Velcro missing so didn’t do up! I was able to change it on the first night. The next morning I noticed my daughters snow boot was broken and also had no Velcro so the strap was hanging down, unfortunately I hadn’t noticed the first night and she said she thought it was meant to be like that but was annoying! Credit where credit is due I mentioned it to the Helpdesk at breakfast and they got her some different boots whilst we ate breakfast! Infact the staff we dealt with there couldn’t have been more helpful and lovely! Kass our artic star was fantastic and got to know all the children’s names and the all adored her! Similarly the elves, and rangers, characters were brilliant! My little boy especially became very fond of Pudding and Tricky Dicky!

Had I not been disadvantaged by booking early and offered a thoughtless cancellation I likely would have given a better review.

Package tours are really not usually our thing, but we went on the Magical Interlude trip and absolutely loved it. So well organised and brilliantly put together - great attention to detail every step of the way and the Arctic Star assistant (Amanda) was brilliant and so helpful - nothing was too much trouble. The whole experience was so much more than a holiday - it was an entire production, like a short break, active adventure and interactive and participatory panto all rolled into one. Canterbury Travel absolutely smashed it out of the park. Unforgettable!

What a trip. It will be hard to put into words how amazing, magical and perfect this trip turned out.

I don’t often leave positive reviews but I had to write this. I’ve not even left Lapland yet - I’m sat on the runway and to say I’m devastated to go home would be an understatement.

We did the 3 night magical interlude trip and stayed at Sunday Morning Resort in Phya. Tay, was an absolute gem and is a credit to Canterbury Travel. He checked in at every opportunity and was fab with the boys. Even arranged to light our cabin fire whilst we were eating at the restaurant so we could open the boys Christmas presents off Santa before we went to the party.

Emily S, our Arctic Star was also perfect. From picking us up to dropping us off it was an absolute pleasure and nothing was too much trouble. It’s clear both Emily S and Tay love what they do - it shines out of them like the stars that they are.

Activities were all flawless. Never too much waiting and everything was planned to perfection.

I’ll be recommending Canterbury Travel to every person who considers a visit to Lapland and I’m already looking at the new years trip.

Thanks again - you’ve made two boys (and their daddies) dreams come true.

We have just returned from the 'Magical Interlude' Search for Santa experience at Suomu, and it is honestly difficult to put into words how incredible the full journey is. From the moment we booked, the magic began; our little one received his own backpack, water bottle, and activity packs that he became instantly obsessed with. Even the journey there was great! The chartered flight was filled with food, Christmas music, and games that got everyone in the spirit before we even touched down in the snow.
​We were greeted by elves and our own "Arctic Star" guide who made us feel like we had stepped directly into a storybook. The hotel at Suomu is full of luxury and adventure, giving some of the most incredible views of the ski slopes—which we then got to toboggan down! We were also so impressed by the food; every meal was of such a high standard, keeping us energised for the days of exploration ahead.
​The "Search for Santa" isn't just a tour; it’s a beautifully crafted storyline adventure. We followed the trail to help the elves and the 5 main characters find Santa, and every single destination we visited was more stunning than the last. While we initially worried about the Arctic temperatures, the snow suits and boots provided kept us perfectly toasty and breaks in the kottas with fires and hot chocolate were great! Though the trip is centred around children we were able to have some bucket list activities too, from sledding with Huskys to operating snowmobiles whilst the little ones did elf training and got their own mini driving licences!

​What truly elevates this experience, however, is the people. A huge shout-out to our Arctic Star Ash, who worked endlessly to ensure every family was looked after and entertained us at all hours of the day. Then there is Snowy Bowy, who our little one is now completely obsessed with and will truly never forget. But a very special mention must go to Connor. It is rare to meet someone as genuinely incredible as him; his kindness and thoughtfulness are unmatched, and he has a way of making you feel like your family is the only one in the world that matters. He didn’t just do his job; he poured his heart into making our trip perfect, and he is a testament to the outstanding level of care this company provides.
​No holiday we have ever been on can even begin to compare to this. If you are even thinking about booking, please don’t hesitate. It is a world of pure joy, and we are already counting down until we can go back to make even more fantastic memories!

We went to Lapland with Canterbury travel it was pretty expensive but worth every single penny the fun started at check in at Manchester airport staff dressed as elf’s and Xmas hats we even had a game in the plane our rep in Lapland was the wonderful Evie she was amazing our driver was hecky a lovley gent ,this trip was the most magical trip I have ever done everything was perfect watching my grandchildren in the search for Santa the reindeer sleigh the husky sleigh the snow mobile rides absolutely perfect the elves in the snow covered forest absolutely magical the run to to meeting Santa was perfect so was the accommodation I will treasure these memories for the rest f my life I actually feel like Iv had the most magical white Christmas with my family

We have just returned from a phenomenal trip magical interlude with Canterbury. The attention to detail was second to none. After last year didn't go as planned, we were so grateful for Canterbury providing the opportunity to go again, and it exceeded all expectations.
Our guide, Sydney, was wonderful and so thoughtful, and the elves were simply fantastic—they brought so much magic to the trip for the children. Seeing the Northern Lights was the icing on the cake. Everything was so well-planned and stress-free. We can't thank the team enough for such a special time!
Thank you Canterbury would absolutely 100% recommend anyone to use Canterbury and have the full trips it makes the experience. Customer service is exceptional!!