more info click here

talk to an expert
if you would like to speak
to an expert about your arrangements click here

mini moons in finland

Northern Lights Over Lake Inari

prices from £1,425.00

overview agenda accommodation

Included in the price...
• Duration: 4 nights
• Group size: approximately 4-16 people
• Flights from London Heathrow to Ivalo (via Helsinki)
• Return airport transfers
• 4 nights hotel or apartment
• 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
• Snowmobile driving lesson, snowshoe trek, ice fishing, 2 visits to Aurora Camp, husky safari, Aurora snowmobile safari, snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm (The order of activities is subject to change)
• Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
• Fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors

Departure dates from: 02 December 2012 to 17 March 2013

This holiday is specifically designed to enhance your chances of experiencing the Northern Lights.

Your base will be the homely Nellim hotel and Apartments and from there, we will head out to some of the best Aurora viewing spots anywhere in Western Europe. One of these is our very own Aurora Camp situated on an island amidst the endless frozen ice of mystical Lake Inari.

It's a remote place far from any artificial light pollution making it the perfect spot to gaze skywards in wonderment.

And don't worry about the cold, we'll provide you with thermal outfits, a blazing fire and plenty of warm soup and drinks to keep the midnight chills at bay. The time passes swiftly in such a remarkable place!

Thursday: Flights, transfers and welcome
A day which starts with the hustle and bustle of London’s Heathrow Airport will end in a remote family run hotel approximately 200km North of the Arctic Circle.

Friday: Snowmobile lesson, snowshoes, ice fishing and Aurora Camp
After breakfast you will receive a safety briefing and instruction during a snowmobiling lesson.

This afternoon you will be provided with snowshoes and your guide will lead you off the beaten track to explore the wilderness on foot. You will also get the opportunity to catch your own dinner with a spot of ice fishing.

You aren't quite done for today. This evening we'll take you out to the Aurora Camp on Lake Inari. With no light pollution and a North facing base, there are few better places from which to gaze in awe at the Northern Lights and the vast Arctic sky. There's even a small wooden cabin with a fire in which to keep warm. We think it's one of the best Aurora view points in the world!

Saturday: Lake Inari husky safari and Aurora Snowmobile Safari
Today you will harness up your dog sleds and take the reins for a safari on the thick ice of frozen Lake Inari. You may well pass Aurora Camp which looks very, very different in the daylight, but equally beautiful.

Your safari will last for approximately 4 hours.

Tonight's evening snowmobile safari continues the Aurora hunting quest. Anybody who is unsure about snowmobiling at night can ride with the guide or in a sleigh pulled by snowmobile.

Sunday: Snowmobiles, reindeer and Aurora Camp
After breakfast, you're back on the snowmobiles and heading towards a local reindeer farm where you’ll meet the animals and their herders and learn something about the culture of the region and the importance of the reindeer to the Sami people.

After your farewell dinner you will head back to an Aurora camp for another stake out and with any luck the Northern Lights will come to bid you farewell.

Monday: Depart or extend your stay
Today it is time to return home. If you can’t quite bring yourself to wave goodbye to Finland then you can spend some extra time at Nellim trying out some additional activities or simply relaxing during the day and searching for the Aurora at night.
Alternatively we can arrange for you to spend the night in a snow or glass igloo at Kakslauttanen Igloo Village. Both provide a truly memorable night’s accommodation.

Nellim Wilderness Hotel & Apartments
Built in traditional Finnish style, this one-storey hotel was formerly the village school. It offers cosy, clean and very comfortable accommodation in just 18 double and three single en-suite bedrooms. There are also a few larger bedrooms which are suitable for families. These rooms are all housed in the main building which is the hub of the hotel's activity.

To be honest staying at the hotel is more like being part of the family than enduring a soujourn in some characterless and standardised chain hotel. After dinner in the restaurant, why not get a drink from the bar and join the rest of the family watching the unfathomable Finnish TV?

Seriously, nightlife is not high on the agenda here so you may want to take a few books or games as additional entertainment. However, after exploring the amazing Lapland vistas, a drink and sheer relaxation are more likely to be the preferred option. Either that or a stroll down to the lake to peer skywards.

The Facilities

All the food is home-cooked and, as far as possible in this far-flung corner, locally sourced and produced. Suppliers include local reindeer herders and fishermen. Generally speakng the dishes will be pretty much what the family would eat on a daily basis. Good, wholesome and nutritious.

There are two saunas and a well-stocked bar but make sure you keep your coat on the pegs near the main entrance. That way you can grab it quickly for the dash outside when the Aurora Borealis starts dancing across the night sky.

As you will doubtless have gathered, Hotel Nellim is not a large establishment so availability is often limited.

in our opinion...

"Sitting on a warm reindeer skin, in the middle of a frozen lake, hot berry juice in hand, gazing at the stars and watching the Northern Lights dance and shimmer across the sky was truly unforgettable. An amazing experience."

mini moons in finland

in our opinion...

you may also like...