Sweden, 6 June 2017: Simply Sweden (01427 700115; www.simplysweden.co.uk), the Scandinavian travel specialist, is offering guests an exclusive festive experience with its new break Jokkmokk Christmas Market.

The highlight of the three-night escorted trip is a new Christmas Market in the pretty town of Jokkmokk, which, like the world-renowned February Winter Market, is a place where the Sami showcase their traditions and sell handicrafts.

For more than 400 years, Jokkmokk has been a meeting place of the indigenous people, where they still come together in winter to trade handmade crafts, clothing, food and jewellery. Launched last year, the Christmas Market is now an annual event aimed at helping the Sami preserve their endangered nomadic way of life. A far cry from the usual festive market experience, the Jokkmokk Christmas gathering is a way to gain a deeper insight into this fascinating culture as well as a great opportunity to shop for some unusual and authentic gifts.

And in line with its sustainable tourism policy, Simply Sweden is offering a maximum of 16 places on the December trip, which is now available to book.

Other highlights of the new break include the chance to have Sami guides explain the customs and lifestyle of this reindeer-herding people, and a 'wilderness' meal that takes guests on a culinary journey through a range of seasonal Lapland delicacies. Northern Lights excursions, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are also on offer.

Guests will stay in cosy, traditional Hotel Akerlund, which received its first guests in 1928 and has been the hub of the Jokkmokk cultural scene ever since. The renowned local restaurant Viddernas Hus will be the venue for the wilderness meal, where reindeer, moose, mountain fish and capercaillie are on the menu. 

There will be plenty of free time, too, and Jokkmokk's location just inside the Arctic Circle makes it a great base for exploring the frozen lakes and snow-covered Taiga – the boreal forest – where thousands of reindeer roam free.

From £1,375pp, based on two sharing, including all flights, transfers, three nights' half board at Hotel Akerlund and a full-day Sami cultural experience. Departs 7 December 2017.

For more information and prices, visit www.simplysweden.co.uk or to book call 01427 700115. Follow developments on Twitter @Simply_Sweden and facebook.com/simplysweden.

For further information, images, or to arrange press trips, please email: travelnews@traveltappers.co.uk. Alternatively, contact Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@traveltappers.co.uk and Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@traveltappers.co.uk. Traveltappers is a trading name of Little Black Book Creative Ltd.

Notes to editors:

Simply Sweden began selling holidays in 2006 and has become one of the UK's leading tailor-made tour operators to Scandinavia; in 2016, it added the Faroe Islands, in the Kingdom of Denmark, to its range of destinations. The company, founded by Chris and Karin Graham, draws on the inside knowledge of its small Sweden-based team, gained from travelling extensively across the territories, to create itineraries that offer customers the best experiences and deliver a genuine insight into the Scandinavian way of life.

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