SAMPLE ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly to Abisko Mountain Station

Today fly to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland. From here transfer 1.5 hours to Abisko Mountain Station for an overnight stay. Situated 195 km north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of Lake Torneträsk, Abisko National Park is famous for its natural beauty and the exceptionally high chances of seeing the Northern Lights. With no light pollution and frequent cloudless skies, during the winter months there is nothing to hinder auroral displays.

After dinner take a 15 minute walk to the base of the mountain, where you’ll be kitted out in warm clothing before a 20-minute ride on a chairlift to the Aurora Sky Station. Here you can learn more about the Northern Lights and hopefully spend time enjoying this amazing natural phenomenon before returning to your hotel.

Day 2: ICEHOTEL

After breakfast transfer to the Icehotel for a 2 night stay (1 night in an Ice Room and 1 night in warm accommodation). Spend the rest of the day at leisure to enjoy one or more optional excursions.. . The world’s largest hotel made only of snow and ice, it is constructed from scratch each year in November/December, and melts in April/May and is a breathtaking place to spend a night. Using ice from the Torne river, there is enough ice and snow in its walls to make 700 million snowballs. Crafted into a unique design, it has some dazzling details including a grand chandelier made only from ice. There is an ice bar, standard rooms and beautifully decorated art suites, each lovingly chiselled by some of the best ice sculptors in the world.

Experience sleeping on a bed made from large blocks of ice, with a thick mattress covered by layers of reindeer hide, and a warm thermal sleeping bag (provided). Rooms are kept at -5 to -8 degrees, but toasty compared to outside which can be -37! Warm socks and hat are therefore recommended. You can’t take any belongings in to the room with you, so these will be stored in a locker. The restaurant is located in the heated part of the building, together with communal showers and toilets, as bedrooms do not have private bathrooms (apart from Deluxe Suites in the permanent hotel - see below).

ICEHOTEL 365 is a permanent structure that supplements the original hotel, offering a few en-suite rooms for those who need them for the night. Covered in snow during winter, it blends seamlessly into the adjacent seasonal structure, while in summer its domed roof is covered in wildflowers. Maintained at sub-zero temperatures by solar power, the interior is identical to the seasonal hotel - complete with ice bar, standard rooms, art suites and deluxe suites.

Note: Art suites are in high demand and get booked up very early.

Day 3: Day at Leisure

At the Icehotel free for optional excursions or just soak up the beautiful surroundings. Excursions include husky sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice-sculpting, moose safaris, horse riding, winter survival and northern lights photography, as well as special treats like a sauna ritual and starlit dinner.

In the evening enjoy some delicious Swedish cuisine, and maybe take a snowmobile ride in search of the Aurora Borealis – the spectacular Northern Lights.

Note: We recommend booking all optional activities early, as they get booked up quickly.

Day 4: Homeward Bound

Transfer to Kiruna for the flight back to UK

Note: The best time to go is between December and March, as the snow sets the scene.  If you go at other times of the year you will need to stay in the permanent ICEHOTEL 365 and activities will be different, with hiking and fishing rather than husky dogsledding and reindeer interactions.

PRICING

• 1 night accommodation in a room with private bathroom at Abisko

• 2 nights at the Icehotel in a Kaamos Room with private bathroom and an Ice Room with a shared bathroom

• All breakfasts, three-course dinner at Abisko

• Chairlift excursion to the Sky Station

• Transfers to and from Abisko and the Icehotel

• Thermal one-piece suit, boots and mittens to use while staying at the Icehotel

Airfares are quoted separately to the holiday price and start from around £330 per person with SAS, or from around £550 per person during peak times such as Christmas and New Year. When enquiring, our Travel Specialists will provide the best fare possible from your preferred airline / airport.
Note: Airfares tend to be cheaper the earlier you book.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.