boarding.The trip takes you to a traditional
wilderness hut, where visitors are treated
to a dinner including a smoked salmon
sandwich, moose stew, apple cake, tea,
coffee or a hot ligonberry juice.Whilst you
enjoy the facilities at the hut, the guides
will keep a look out for the Northern
Lights. Sightings cannot be guaranteed,
however, in the winter months they are
much more likely.The tour lasts four hours
approximately. There is also the option to
enjoy an overnight snowmobile tour, which
involves a stay at a Wilderness Camp. The
accommodation and facilities are basic and
shared but provide the opportunity to
experience a traditional wood-fired sauna.
With the overnight snowmobile tour
you can truly experience the rustic life of
Northern Sweden and, hopefully, catch a
glimpse of the Aurora Borealis against the
black velvet sky.
Ultimate Husky SledgeTour
For a more exhilarating winter activity,
the husky trail into the Abisko wilderness
allows you to fully experience the nature
and landscape of Swedish Lapland or get
hands on and test your skills as a musher.
This tour, available through the ICEHOTEL,
allows you to travel over the frozen lake
and into the woods either as a passenger
or under your own steam as a musher.The
trip includes a lunch at the Wilderness
Lodge and a visit to the dog kennels. The
excursion runs on a daily basis and leaves
at 11.15am for a duration of four hours.
You can also combine your sighting of
the Northern Lights with husky sledging
in the Northern Lights Husky Safari, which
includes an hour and a half long sledge at
night in the forest.
Cross Country Skiing
The cross country skiing is a hands on
experience open to everyone from
amateurs to first time skiers. The activity
includes a short walk with your guide to
the surrounding forest of the ICEHOTEL,
an introduction to skiing technique and the
chance to try cross country skiing on the
specially made tracks. After working up
a sweat you can enjoy a selection of hot
drinks around a camp fire.
Ice Driving
The ice driving, Top Gear style activity
allows you to test your driving ability
on a specially built ice track. You will be
supervised by skilled instructors who will
run through basic manoeuvring tests on the
ice, which push the ABS and stabilization
systems to the limit allowing you to have
your own Jeremy Clarkson moment. You
are allowed two drivers to a vehicle with
two passengers.
Sami Camp
At the Sami Camp in Jukkasjärvi you
can experience the rich culture of
the indigenous peoples of Lapland.
Traditionally, the Sami head to the
mountains during the summer months
and down to shelter in the forests during
the winter. During this excursion you
will meet a reindeer herder, learn how
to drive a reindeer sledge and try your
hand at some other Sami skills. Visitors
will also have the opportunity to enjoy a
traditional menu in a lavvu, an authentic
Sami tent.
Northern LightsTour on
Horseback
Experience the timeless Lapland scenery
in a way like no other. A transfer bus will
be provided, through the ICEHOTEL, to
a farm where you will be introduced to
Icelandic horses. After an introduction
allowing you to get familiar with the
horse, you are free to saddle up and
explore the moonlit forest and, if you are
lucky, experience the Northern lights also.
Ice Sculpting
If you fancy a fun, artistic indoor activity
then ice sculpting is for you. On site at
the ICEHOTEL you will be guided by
an expert to learn how to transform
a small block of ice into your very own
masterpiece. Many of the experts have
been directly involved with the building of
the hotel or interior decoration. If your
sculpture is impressive, it will join others
presented around the hotel complex.This
activity has a minimum age requirement
of 12 years old due to the use of sharp
implements.
GETTINGTHERE:
The airport nearest to the Swedish
Lapland tourist locations is Kiruna. For
those planning on staying in Jukkasjärvi,
transfers are available to Kiruna airport,
which is only 15km away. Scandinavian
Airlines (SAS) offer daily flights to Kiruna
direct from Heathrow airport.The airline
also offers connecting flights to many
airports throughout the world. For those
wanting to travel around Sweden by train
the Kiruna train station is based 17km
away from the main town of Jukkasjärvi.
In Swedish Lapland there is something
for everyone. From relaxing in a sauna
and embracing the peaceful surroundings
of the forest in the Treehotel to
experiencing the adrenaline thrill of ice
driving or mushing over a frozen lake, a
holiday in Lapland is one to remember.
The wondrous gleam of the spellbinding
Northern lights is, if anything, a bonus.