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11 days - Independent tour - Staying at ICEHOTEL, Tromsø and 3 nights in Glass Igloos.
Scandinavian Lapland offers a great range of comfortable Nordic style accommodations and activities with an added bonus of the mesmerising Northern Lights. During the day, you get to know huskies and reindeers, and at night, our guides will take you out on snowshoes and snowmobiles to ‘hunt’ for the Aurora Borealis.
Experience the vastness of Finnish Lapland, a stay in glass igloos, the incredible wild scenery of coastal Norway and the original ICEHOTEL located in the little village of Jukkasjärvi.
Arrive into the small airport of Kittilä and transfer to your accommodation, check in from 4pm.
Each glass igloo has a kitchenette, shower and toilet. The windows are insulated and electrically heated to keep them from frosting. The kitchenette is equipped with a breakfast set for two, electric stove, microwave, coffee maker and kettle, toaster and fridge. In addition, the igloos have a radio/CD player, a hair dryer and a socket for car engine heaters.
At the centre of the igloo is a motorised double bed that can be converted into twin beds.
This evening, dine at your accommodation restaurant, Restaurant Aurora Sky - open from 6pm.
Mid morning, start your arctic experience with huskies! After the safety instructions start your 8km safari and enjoy the silence and beautiful winter scenery of Levi. Everyone will get a chance to mush their own husky team (one driving, one is sitting on a sledge). After the trip warm drinks will be served by the open fire.
Afterwards, why not spend the afternoon in Levi where you can enjoy the local restaurants and cafes or join more optional activities. Downhill Skiing is also an afternoon option!
Fat Bikes are bicycles with huge fat tires so they roll well even on snow! Electronic engine assists you as you pedal through the forest trails, taking the scenic route to see a perfect landscape view and to take some photos. Try to keep the smile off your face during this two hour adventure.
After resting this afternoon, head out for an evening snowmobile drive to search for Northern Lights. Your guide, a professional Aurora Hunter will lead you through the snowy forests and frozen waters away from any artificial lights. It’s really exciting to drive at night. You might even see some white rabbits or reindeer in your headlights. If lucky, there might be beautiful Northern Lights above you. Warm drinks served during the safari.
Return to your glass igloo.
After breakfast, board your bus to travel to Tromsø, 6-hours north across the Norwegian border. Tromsø is the gateway to the Arctic and one of the best and most cosmopolitan places to observe the spectacle that is called the Northern Lights. Tromsø is located in the middle of the Aurora Borealis zone, and following the planet’s rotation, Tromsø moves into the aurora zone from 6pm to midnight.
After breakfast, you are met by our guide at your hotel and brought outdoors on a historical and cultural city walk through Tromsø city. During this walk you visit the Polar Museum with your guide. This museum contains the history of the Arctic explorers Amundsen, Nansen and Scott. The walk ends at the Polaria aquarium and environmental centre.
The rest of the day is free to wander around in this Arctic capital - if it is a bit fresh outside, explore the lovely cafes & galleries.
Clear night - be sure to head up to the cable car and observatory to look for the Northern Lights!
After breakfast, start your Sami experience by hand-feeding a herd of 300 reindeer before entering the gamme tent for a hot traditional meal cooked over the fire. Finish the day by gathering around the fire to enjoy joiking (traditional Sami songs), Sami history and stories.
In the evening, join a Northern Lights Cuisine Cruise in complete silence around the Arctic capital and enjoy the city from the sea. Take in the atmospheric arctic night over a local and seasonal tasting menu. On board the electric catamaran there is served a five-course taste of Northern Norway. Buy the drinks from the bar and enjoy the panoramic view of the well-known sights around Tromsø. Sailing on board the electric catamaran away from the light pollution of the city you might see the Northern Lights from deck, or from the panoramic saloon on the second floor. The darkness of the ocean will reflect the stars and Northern Lights as the snow-covered peaks offer a majestic backdrop. The experienced guide will share knowledge from life in the arctic, the coastal culture of Norway and the Nordic cuisine. Arrival back in Tromsø 22.30
In the mid-morning you will make your way to the port and board the express service along the coast south to Harstad. On arrival in Harstad you will be picked up by our local friends for a 3-4 hour minibus transfer through winter landscapes to Abisko in Sweden.
Dinner at the hotel's restaurant. This evening, join a snowshoe hike to search for the Northern Lights.
Head out this morning on a guided snow shoe hike around the surrounding lake and mountain areas. Enjoy a free afternoon exploring the small village.
After dinner, visit the Abisko Aurora Sky Station. Abisko, in the middle of the Aurora zone, is considered to be the best place on earth to see the Aurora Borealis. With its fresh, clean air and its practically permanent cloud-free sky, the prerequisites in Abisko are optimal. More or less active Northern Lights can be seen almost every night over the winter months, however they can never be 100% guaranteed.
If you wish to enjoy dinner at the sky station (not included in tour), we would recommend booking beforehand. We can do this for you if you would like.
Take the local train to Kiruna and transfer to the ICEHOTEL. Wander around the ICEHOTEL and check out all the different art suites.
Enjoy a drink in the uber-cool icebar before settling into your snow room at the ICEHOTEL. Choose between two restaurants: The ICE Restaurant with an "Ice Menu" or the Old Homestead with a more traditional feel.
This evening, you will settle into your ice room for the night. Sleep in thermal sleeping bags laid out on reindeer skins on a special bed made of snow and ice.
Inside ICEHOTEL, the temperature is never colder than -5 °C to -8 °C, regardless of how cold it may be outside. Dress in warm thermal underwear, put on a hat and slip into the cozy sleeping bag. You are awakened in the morning with a cup of hot lingonberry juice at your bedside. Breakfast buffet, morning sauna and towels are included in your stay.
Note: The ICEHOTEL loans you snow boots and for those who feel cold, onesie snow suits - both free of charge.
After breakfast, transfer back to Kiruna for your departure.
Superior includes superior room in Tromsø and Deluxe Art Suite in ICEHOTEL and private transfer from Levi to Tromsø.
Please note all prices are per person in double/twin share.
The trip runs weekly from January 2024 to March 2024 with fixed departures from Kittilä every Wednesday. 28th February is not available.
PLEASE NOTE: The following dates are not available as independent departure but can be booked with our Lapland Highlights Escorted Small Group Tour: 03 Jan, 7 Feb and 6 Mar 2024. The escorted version of this tour includes a private mini-bus between Kittilä - Tromsø, group escort and slightly different activities. Please contact us for further information.
Please note that the itinerary and price is subject to availability. We do our utmost to create an itinerary as close to this published tour as possible. Activities are subject to change due to updated schedules.
Read about staying overnight at the ICEHOTEL here.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:
Your glass igloo hosts in Kittila have been awarded the Green Key award in recognition of their environmental actions. The igloos are run on green electricity, geothermal heating, and air-air heat pumps. To reduce plastic no bottled water is sold or provided, Finnish tap water has been scientifically proven to be among the purest in the world, as such it is served in glass as an alternative. Recycled materials are encouraged, an example of this is staff clothes in the restaurant which are all made of recycled materials.
Light pollution affects the ecosystem and among other things, it disrupts the ability of birds to navigate by moonlight and starlight, and the ability of nocturnal animals to hide from predators. As such they utilize as much natural light as possible, and only keep the lights on when they are needed. Customers are encouraged to do the same – this way marvelling the northern sky becomes easier.
The original and famous ICEHOTEL was one of the first accommodations in Kiruna to become ‘Sustainable Arctic Destination’ certified and the hotel’s connection with the environmental cycle is core to everything it does. The hotel is located on the Torne River and ice is harvested every winter to make the hotel, and in the summer, when the hotel is melting, the water returns to its origin. As such waste and emissions are kept to an absolute minimum.
Planning your Northern Lights trip and want to get the best advice? As we approach another Solar maximum period, solar activity will start ramping up, and auroras should increase in frequency, peaking in 2024/2025.
Get away from the crowds with a stay in Levi igloos. Experience the Arctic nature only 8 kilometres from the bustling holiday ski resort of Levi, Northern Finland.
Aurora Safari Camp founder, Fredrik Broman offers handy hints about capturing the Northern Lights.
If you want to commit to a booking please use the Book Tour form below.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. The safety of our travellers, staff and operators is a major priority of 50 Degrees North. With an operational office in Norway, 50 Degrees North has access to an up-to-the-minute flow of information regarding the countries we work in. We are also in regular contact with the various operators we use. Their in-depth knowledge and understanding of their various areas is vital.
Norway has a few items that typically surprise travellers when visiting Norway for the first time. Alcohol and luxury items are heavily taxed and therefore prices are higher than you would expect. On the other hand, necessities such as bread and milk, are taxed low and therefore are great value.
We recommend that you bring all the alcohol you’re allowed to bring into the country when you arrive. There are many lovely parks and balconies where you can enjoy your duty free. However, be sure not to bring more than you’re allowed!
As of May 2014, the allowances according to Visit Norway are:
Alcoholic beverages:
Minimum age: 18/ 20*
1 litre of beverages with more than 22% up to and including 60% alcohol per volume as well as 1½ litre with more than 2.5% up to and including 22% alcohol per volume or three litres with more than 2.5% up to and including 22% alcohol per volume
and
2 litres of beer with more than 2.5 % or other beverages with more than 2.5% up to and including 4.7% alcohol per volume.
This means that you may for example bring with you five litres of beer provided you do not have any other alcoholic beverages with you.
*For importing alcoholic beverages with more than 22% alcohol per volume the minimum age is 20.
It’s illegal to bring extra alcohol into Norway and can end up costing you. Another thing you should bring and not buy in Norway is razor blades. Good razor blades in Norway are expensive.
At 50 Degrees North, we generally include at least one of our favourite activities into your tailor-made itinerary but there will also be extra time when you could add something extra. There are lots of different optional excursions to enjoy during your stay at the ICEHOTEL. Now that it is open 365 days a year, the range is even wider.
During the summer months, enjoy the 24-hour daylight with kayaking, hiking or bike riding. You can rent your own equipment for half or whole day adventures.
Prices and validity dates vary - we will assist you with up to date information at the time of booking.
The tours always include top quality equipment and our guides are trained in wilderness safety and touring in Arctic climate. Your tour begins with an introduction and safety demonstration by the guide. All outdoor activities are weather dependent and may be cancelled or replaced by more suitable alternatives should the conditions not permit to run the tour as planned. The snow depth at the beginning and end of the season determines start and finish dates for activities.
All tours start and finish at ICEHOTEL Meeting Point, Jukkasjärvi. Please note that there must be a minimum of two adults per tour, as it will otherwise be cancelled.
We also recommend you calculate for some “warm time” between activities, for you to go inside for a couple of hours, change clothing if necessary and re-heat.
Never shower, wash your face or put on water-based creams or make-up before going out on an excursion as this means you remove the skin’s natural protective layer of oil and you are more exposed to the cold.
The activities start and finish at ICEHOTEL meeting point so no transfers to/from the activity are necessary. Our snowmobiles are purchased from contractors who are leading in environmental sustainability. The machines have four stroke engines that are environmentally friendly and not very noisy so good for our guides and our neighbours too. All vehicles are run on unleaded petrol or environmentally friendly diesel. ICEHOTEL staff or our suppliers prepare and maintains the snowmobile and dog sledding tracks so that we can ensure that it is done in a way that is not harmful for our surroundings. ICEHOTEL management works closely with local land-owners and Sámi villages to continuously maintain sustainable levels of land-use in connection with our activities. ICEHOTEL seeks to work with local suppliers of food in order to minimise our carbon footprint and promote local entrepreneurs. ICEHOTEL strives to avoid using disposable items where possible.
We recycle and re-use as much as possible and our guides always bring back wastage from the tours to dispose or recycle at the main hotel facilities. ICEHOTEL has set out a goal to become CO2 negative, which means that we will contribute to producing more energy than we consume.
All our guides are trained and hold the Swedish Transport Board’s permission to work as a snowmobile guide. All snowmobile tours begin with an induction to the vehicle that you will be driving. Should a damage occur during a tour, the snowmobile will be inspected and if necessary taken out of service to be repaired until it can run on tour again. In order to drive a snowmobile on a tour operated by ICEHOTEL, you must be at least 16 years of age and have a driver’s license. If your license has been issued before Jan 1, 2000, you are entitled to drive snowmobile on your own or in connection with a guided tour.
If your license was issued after this date, you are only eligible to drive a snowmobile under the supervision of a certified guide. To attend Ice driving as a driver, you must be at least 18 years of age and have a driver’s license that is valid in Sweden. If you are unsure, please check with our Destination Specialists. Alcohol must not be consumed prior to or in connection with a
snowmobile or ice driving activity. A breath alcohol test may be carried out prior to the tour and ICEHOTEL reserves the right to refuse your participation without refund if levels are found to be too high. All our guides are trained in wilderness safety and to prevent associated dangers such as frost bite. First aid and other health and safety equipment are always brought on the tour and our health and safety policies are developed in collaboration with the local emergency services. ICEHOTEL provides necessary safety equipment for our activities, e.g. helmets for the snowmobile and ráidu tours. Crossing frozen rivers is always done by ICEHOTEL snowmobile guides before customers in order to check the resilience of the ice. Despite this, accidents may still occur.
We recommend that you book your activities at least three weeks prior to your stay, to ensure that there is space for you on the excursions that you are interested in.
