Lapland Ice Adventure

Unforgettable Five Day Arctic Adventure In Lapland!

Dog Sleds & Snowmobiles
Based in the snowy northern outpost of Kiruna, the fun starts with a dog sled safari. With our professional guide, team of 12 huskies and 3-4 people per sled, we mush off into the wilderness. We shall take our lunch in a Sami tent in a beautiful nature reserve and can round the day off with a steaming sauna. Next, switching our transport to snowmobiles (optional), we can race across the snowfields towards Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest peak, stopping en route to try a spot of ice fishing. Back at base there will be the obligatory sauna to warm up.

Reindeer Rides & the Icehotel
Transferring to Jukkasjarvi we check in at the world famous Icehotel, where everything from the chandeliers to the glasses for your drinks are made of ice - (here you can drink a vodka on the rocks!). We enjoy a short reindeer sled ride, then the afternoon is free for optional activities of your choice - snow-shoeing and cross country skiing are both available. Tonight, in what might be the strangest night of our lives, we sleep on thick rugs on beds made of ice in snow rooms at the incredible Ice Hotel. If the weather is clear, we may also be lucky enough to witness an amazing natural wonder - the northern lights!

This unusual trip provides an exciting winter break suitable for people of all abilities, as the more strenuous activities are optional. The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and we are unable to make any guarantees of sightings.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Trip Highlights
Jukkasjarvi - A night at the world-famous Icehotel.
Kiruna - Dog Sledding with huskies.
Kiruna - Visit a Sami family.
Kiruna - The chance to try snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross country skiing and snow-shoeing (all optional).
Kiruna - Good chance to see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Join tour Kiruna (Sweden)
On arrival in Kiruna we check into a cosy downtown hotel within easy reach of Kiruna’s interesting town centre. The remainder of the day is free for personal sightseeing and orientation. An Explore tour leader/representative will be on hand to provide local information.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Day 2: Dog sled safari; optional cross country skiing or Iron Ore Mine visit
We begin this morning by greeting our teams of enthusiastic huskies. With three to four people per sled, we set off across the frozen snow and ice for a wild ride (don’t worry – a professional guide drives each sled). This afternoon is free for optional activities. You might like to explore Kiruna on foot. Highlights include the church, built in the shape of a Sami tent and designed by Gustav Wickman. Completed in 1912 and donated by the LKAB Mining company to the people of Kiruna, the altar painting is by Prince Eugen. In 2001, the church was voted Sweden's most beautiful building. You may also visit the Sami cultural centre and museum. We also recommend, if you’re up for it, a spot of cross country skiing, the traditional means of transport in Lapland. All equipment can be hired locally. Alternatively you could choose to visit the World’s largest underground iron ore mine (1km deep), with guided tours available and an underground museum. Some enterprising Kiruna residents have set up a business growing Shi-itake mushrooms in the old Iron mines; you can also visit this interesting venture. This evening you can round off the day with that most popular of Scandinavian activities – a sauna.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Visit a traditional Sami family & reindeer sledging; transfer to Icehotel
This morning, we drive to a nearby Sami village where we visit a Sami family to learn more about their traditional way of life; here we try reindeer sledging and enjoy a traditional Sami lunch in a lavvu or tent. You cannot fail to be impressed with the Sami people’s relationship with their environment. Then we aim to finish off this Arctic adventure in fine style by heading to Jukkasjarvi and the incredible Icehotel. Carved afresh to a new design each year by a team of sculptors, this unique construction has become justifiably world-renowned. The entire hotel, from floor to ceiling, beds to chandeliers, is manufactured from pure ice. We shall no doubt visit the ‘Absolut’ bar for a welcome drink or two – from a glass made of ice naturally – before settling down for the night in one of the snow and ice built rooms! Don’t worry: though it might be down to minus 30°C outside it never falls below minus 8°C in our rooms and you’ll be warm and toasty in your sleeping bag (provided) on a mattress of fur skins. There are also toilets within the complex (thankfully not made of ice!) and a restaurant adjacent. You’ll no doubt want to spend a while this afternoon enjoying the splendour of the Icehotel, but you might also choose to do one of the optional activities offered nearby, such as snow-shoeing. If you can walk, you can snowshoe and no previous experience is required. Snow-shoes strap easily onto any stiff walking boot and are a fun way of venturing off into pristine areas that would be a struggle to get to without the ability to walk on deep snow.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Free morning for optional snowmobiling. Drive Kiruna where tour ends.
Today we highly recommend the option of a morning excursion on snowmobiles (skidoos), starting right from the Icehotel itself. You can either team up and go tandem with two per snowmobile or, for a little extra cost, go solo and drive your own machine. Whichever you opt for we take a little time to master the controls then speed off, probably following the course of the frozen Tornealven River that winds past the Icehotel. After a quick early lunch (not included) we then head back to Kiruna where the tour ends.

Please note: valid driving licences are needed, and operators must be over 16.

Included meals: Breakfast

Other Details

Accommodation Details

3 nights Standard Hotel (H+)

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

Sat 17 Dec - Tue 20 Dec 2011 - 1690 GBP Single Room Price 190 GBP
Fri 23 Dec - Tue 27 Dec 2011 - 1810 GBP Single Room Price 270 GBP
Fri 30 Dec - Tue 03 Jan 2012 - 1810 GBP Single Room Price: 270 GBP
Sat 14 Jan - Tue 17 Jan 2012 - 1730 GBP Single Room Price: 190 GBP
Sat 28 Jan - Tue 31 Jan 2012 - 1730 GBP Single Room Price: 190 GBP
Sat 11 Feb - Tue 14 Feb 2012 - 1730 GBP Single Room Price: 190 GBP
Tue 14 Feb - Sat 18 Feb 2012 - 2020 GBP
Sat 18 Feb - Tue 21 Feb 2012 - 1730 GBP Single Room Price 190 GBP
Sat 17 Mar - Tue 20 Mar 2012 - 1730 GBP Single Room Price: 190 GBP
Sat 31 Mar - Tue 03 Apr 2012 - 1730 GBP Single Room Price: 190 GBP

0844 499 0901