Igloos & Auroras

Fly to the capital of Finnish Lapland, transfer to the Arctic Snow Hotel and check in for three nights in a glass igloo. Located on the shores of Lehtojärvi Lake, these cosy little pods have electrically-heated glass ceilings and their own private showers and toilets. Request the hotel’s Aurora Alarm and drift off safe in the knowledge that you will be woken if the northern lights appear overhead.

Your flight arrives early so spend the morning getting acquainted with Lapland's snowy winter landscapes by taking a two-hour snowshoe excursion out into the forest before. Enjoy a welcome drink at the hotel's Ice Bar, in which everything, from the chairs and tables to the glass you drink from, is carved from blocks of ice. Tonight sit down for dinner at the hotel's main restaurant. (D)

• Hotel Description

After breakfast today set off out on an exhilarating private snowmobile safari. This trip uses new electric snowmobiles, which are better for the environment and quieter than the more common petrol snowmobiles, so you can glide through the silent wilderness and experience the nature peacefully. Tonight enjoy a special dinner in the Ice Restaurant and retire to your glass igloo to relax under the stars. (B, D)

• Hotel Description

The lakes in Finnish Lapland freeze over so solidly in the winter that even vehicles can cross the ice. Today set off out on the ice and try your hand at ice fishing, drilling a small hole into the frozen surface to try to catch a fish or two. In the evening, take dinner at the impressive Kota Restaurant on the lakeshore, with fresh food cooked over a roaring open fire in front of you. Follow this with a traditional Finnish ice sauna experience, and warm up in a private open-air Jacuzzi to watch the northern lights dance above. (B, D)

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