Northern Lights tour, Sweden, Finland & Norway
Description of Northern Lights tour, Sweden, Finland & Norway
This fabulous holiday combines the breathtaking landscapes and cultures of three Nordic beauties – Sweden, Finland and Norway – with exciting activities and guided forays to try and catch the wonder of the Northern Lights. You can add extra fantastic winter activities too, such as a Northern Lights cruise or Northern Lights reindeer safari!
Mark your arrival in the far north in spectacular style with two nights at the world-renowned Icehotel! Then sweep through the pristine wilds of Swedish Lapland into Finland to contrast the pulling power of huskies and snowmobiles. There will also be a chance to try your hand at Finnish crafts, before a night out by a campfire beneath starry heavens.
Another day you'll drive yourself on a husky safari from the Arctic Sled Dog Centre through the picture-perfect Olosvuoma Forest, followed by cooking and eating traditional Lappish food. Other native cultural experiences on the trip include time with a Sami family – and their all-important reindeer herd.
After your Finnish adventures, you head even further above the Arctic Circle – via Finland's most northern town, Kilpisjärvi – for a blast of urban cool in the vibrant and elegant Norwegian city of Tromsø. Described as both 'Capital of the Arctic' and 'Paris of the North', it offers a wonderful melange of culture and entertainment.
Round things off with a journey through Norway's stunning fjord landscape to a boutique waterside hotel to soak up Arctic coastal vibe and indulge some final winter pleasures in gorgeous surrounds.
Accommodation
The ICEHOTEL® - Night: 1-2
Located on the banks of the magnificent Torne River in the village of Jukkasjärvi, the ICEHOTEL® is the world's original ice accommodation. The concept began when a Swede by the name of Yngve Bergqvist built a small igloo to display locally designed art. Some of the guests asked if they could spend the night and it was from these small beginnings that this concept began, rapidly growing in scale each season. Today the ICEHOTEL®, which is constructed in stages from December onwards covering around 5,500 square metres, uses 30,000 tonnes of snow and ice with ice blocks harvested from the nearby Torne River. Each year, architects, designers and artist submit designs for the hotel's famed suites, chapel and ice bar and a handful are chosen to go forward with their theme. This year will see 19 uniquely designed and hand-crafted suites, among them a three-meter tall African elephant carved out of snow, a Russian imperial-inspired ice palace and a 1970’s inspired love capsule.
Torassieppi Sauna Winter Cottages - Nights: 3-5
Located on the edge of Lake Torasjarvi, and bordering the Pallas Ylläs National Park, Torassieppi Reindeer Farm is situated in one of the most picturesque wilderness areas in Finland.
The farm building dates back to 1847 making it one of the oldest in the area. Today it has been lovingly renovated and accommodation has been added nearby so that guests can stay in this spectacular spot.
Scandic Ishavshotel - Nights 6-8
Situated right by the quayside, you’ll only have to walk approximately 50 metres from the Hurtigruten ferry to reach this hotel with fantastic views. The Ishavshotel has a lovely modern design with free Wi-Fi, a restaurant and bar area.
All of the activities and services listed below are included in the holiday price:
*Flights: Flights are included from London to Kiruna (via Stockholm) returning from Tromsø to London (via Oslo). Regional and Non-UK flights on request
*Flight routes are subject to change
*Transfers: All airport and destination transfers are included
*Accommodation: 1 night in a warm room and 1 night in an ice room at the ICEHOTEL®, 3 nights en-suite sauna cottage at Torassieppi Reindeer Farm, 2 nights en-suite double/twin room at Scandic Ishavshotel
*Meals: 7 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
*The following activities and equipment are included: 17km husky safari, 25-30km snowmobile safari, Aurora horse sled, Aurora reindeer, Arctic sauna, Northern Lights hunt by minibus in Tromsø (order of activities is subject to change)
*Experienced guides and instructors for all activities
*Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay in Torassieppi
Image credits:©Francisco Damm, Malangen Brygger, Malangen, Ole Christian Salomonsen and Tromso Adventure
Price information
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Travel guides
Reviews
3 Reviews of Northern Lights tour, Sweden, Finland & Norway
Reviewed on 15 Feb 2023 by Michael Gigante
Excellent accommodations, activities and food. The experience was beautiful. Seeing the Northern Lights was amazing. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Jan 2019 by Christine Downie
Seeing the Northern lights was the most memorable part of the holiday... 10 out of 10. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet
During this holiday our guests will visit two very different environments in Norway and Finland. Starting in Kirkenes, guests will enjoy the wild landscapes that surround this frontier town. The town has been built primarily on fishing and one of the main hauls in the modern day are the king crab. In this region these animals are of great economic value but they are responsibly fished in order to manage the stocks. Strict quotas are in place and treaties are enforced by the marine police. These guidelines not only manage king crab catches but they are also designed to try and ensure that there is a balance of marine life in the region.The hotel we use in Kirkenes is operated by Thon hotels who have a well developed environmental policy which they continually develop. Their hotels in Norway are all certified using the eco-Lighthouse system and they employ a companywide energy saving campaign in conjunction with third party specialists.
At Nellim the area is truly remote and wild and the hotel owners guides here appreciate the need to maintain such pristine environments. When on safari all guides ensure that there is no trace of their visit left behind and that if they are utilising fires, they use designated sites with sustainably sourced wood. The trails for dog sledding, snowmobiling and skiing are all well managed and maintained and utilised throughout the safaris. Guides will stick to these trails in order to limit the impact on the surrounding environment and prevent any unnecessary erosion to the ground. In general however the perma frost protects the surface from any long term effects of these activities.
Throughout the holiday group sizes are limited in order to lower the impact and guides will do what they can to impart their knowledge of the local environment.
People
Both regions visited during this holiday are well supported by the tourism industry. This has been an area of growth which has replaced more traditional industries and created jobs to enable young people to stay in these more rural and northern regions.All of the businesses we work with employ local people in order and try and are owned by local people, this means that there is little leakage of the economic benefit from any tourism expenditure. They use local suppliers for produce and services where possible and help to spread the tourism multiplier effect more widely.
The regions visited are renowned for being remaining hubs of Sami culture and a cultural insight we feel is an important element of holidays to these destinations. We feel that an understanding of the local traditions is an essential element of any visit.
At Nellim, the hotel has been constructed on the site of the old village school and has revitalised and preserved some of the delightful buildings which would otherwise have fallen into disrepair.
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