Design your own ice hotel adventure
If the Icehotel isn't enough, the fells around Kiruna create some of Sweden's most spectacular scenery. It's no surprise then that they also provide some of the best snowmobile and dog sledding trails in Northern Europe.
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Details |
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Price Includes |
(MT-18264-P) |
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Any duration (we recommend a minimum of 3 nights) |
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Return airport transfers |
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Return flights from UK to Kiruna (via Stockholm) |
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En-suite hotel rooms or winter cottages . B& B basis . wilderness cabins on overnight safaris |
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All equipment including thermo-overalls, socks, mittens, boots and warm hat for the duration of your stayFully qualified wilderness guides and instructors |
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Fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors |
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Activities Included |
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Snowmobiling, Aurora dog sledding, moose safari, Icehotel, sami and reindeer |
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Suitability / Level |
Moderate |
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Minimum Age |
7 |
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Theme |
Activity Days
(Click to Search All) |
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Itinerary
& Highlights |
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Our tailor-made programmes allow you to design your own holiday. Simply decide when you want to travel and for how long then match your stay to the activities available below.
Tailor made holidays in Kiruna are based on a minimum stay of three nights in en-suite hotel rooms. Also included are: flights, transfers, bed & breakfast and cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay.
Kiruna - The activity programme
You could spend a lot of time doing all the activities available from Kiruna. If the sheer volume of available trips is confusing please contact our reservations staff who will be delighted to discuss your best options. As ever, many of our staff have visited Kiruna and done the activities so you will get first hand advice rather than information gleaned from a crib sheet.
Here’s a brief description of the many activities.
Reindeer and Sami Culture
It takes a hardy soul to herd reindeer in sub-zero Arctic temperatures but Sami have lived this way for centuries driving their herds between their winter and summer camps. The Sami way of life is changing but they retain a strong sense of tradition which they are more than happy to share with visitors.
Visit a traditional reindeer herding village and you will learn about the Sami people, their history as well as the importance of reindeer in their culture and daily life. You can feed the reindeer and will get the opportunity to try your hand at lassoing. Lunch will be served in a lavvo allowing you to experience the Sami cuisine in one of their traditional shelters.
We offer three Sami Culture trips, two of which include short reindeer-pulled sleigh rides and the third goes in search of the Northern Lights.
Snowshoeing
Trying to explore the wilderness on foot is pretty difficult without snowshoes. The "with and without snowshoes" images may slightly exagerate the point but not by much. With them, it is the perfect way to experience deeper areas of the forest. Snowshoes also allow you to move amongst the trees very quietly enhancing the possibility of spotting the local wildlife. We would only recommend the longer snowshoe safari if you have a good level of fitness.
Cross country skiing
We offer two cross country skiing trips both with tuition before you set out. Beginners may prefer to try the shorter tour as this extremely popular Nordic activity can be exhausting until you really get into the swing of things.
Husky safaris
A dog sled safari is an absolute must for anybody visiting Lapland. The excitement of being pulled by a team of eager huskies through the winter landscape is something you will remember for ever.
Kiruna offers possibly the most diverse range of husky safaris anywhere in Scandinavia. You can do just about anything including searching for the Northern Lights and overnight safaris staying in a wilderness cabin. We can even arrange airport transfers by husky!
Snowmobile Safaris
The thrill of driving across vast frozen lakes and rivers and then steering your course along the snowy forest trails is something you just have to experience. The fell landscapes and wilderness that surround Kiruna make this a snowmobiling paradise.
As with the husky safaris, our range of snowmobile trips is extensive from short safaris suitable for beginners to exhilarating overnight expeditions staying in remote wilderness cabins. Two particular favourites here at Activities Abroad are the safari to the Icehotel and the Northern Lights Snowmobile Safari. You just seem to go much faster in the darkness!
Horse Riding in the Snow
Although small in size, Icelandic horses are a strong, powerful riding horse, bred to carry all people of all ages in comfort and safety. Imagine the excitement of riding out into the snowy countryside that surrounds Kiruna on a 50km circuit.
Mushroom Mine
Remarkably, a gallery at Kiirunavaara, the world’s largest iron ore mine, has been adapted for the cultivation of shii-take mushrooms. The mine environment suits shii-take perfectly, giving the exclusive mushroom an extra delicate flavour and texture. You can even have shii-take soup for lunch in the underground café. Bizarre!
Icehotel
This is the original and possibly the best Icehotel in the world. Since 1990 the Icehotel has been constructed using the pure ice from the Torne River on which it is built. A trip to this part of Swedish Lapland is not complete without, at very least, a tour of this remarkable spectacle.
You will be transferred to the Icehotel, given a guided introduction and tour of the building and then will have plenty of time to explore on your own. Alternatively, why not arrive in real style by snowmobile?
For a genuinely unique experience, we can also arrange for you to spend a night in an ice room or suite – surprisingly cosy at -5ºC!
The Icehotel is immensely popular and we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment. |
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Accommodation
& Centre Details |
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Rica Hotel Kirkenes
Rica Hotel Kirkenes was refurbished in January 2006 and now presents itself as a modern hotel with attractive rooms and public areas.
The hotel has 67 bedrooms many of which offer a view of Kirkenes and the Varangerfjord. Every bedroom has an en-suite shower or bathroom equipped with hairdryer and underfloor heating.
The restaurant "Brasseriet" offers a buffet every evening with both local and international food. Importantly, there is also a fully licensed bar.
Kirkenes Snow Hotel
The SnowHotel here in Kirkenes is another that is constructed by our friend Rami from Lainio in Finland.
We have no idea where he finds the time but the results are invariably very impressive. The third Kirkenes SnowHotel will open on 20 December 2008 with 10 SnowSuites. All the planned work should be completed by 7 January 2009. This will include 10 more SnowSuites, a SnowBar and even a SnowChapel.
Overnight stays start with dinner in a traditional restaurant followed by a night in an expedition grade sleeping bag in a SnowSuite. Your experience has been cleverly thought out. Come morning, a Scandinavian sauna and breakfast will soon warm any chilled bones. Unforgettable! |
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Holidays
Extras |
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We have provided a little
section of extra travel needs that you may need
and to make life easier for our customers. We aim
to provide all the extras you would need; flights,
hotels, insurance, car hire and airport parking.
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Included
