,

Top 5 most popular winter activities in Luleå, Swedish Lapland

Top 5 most popular winter activities in Luleå

So, you’re dreaming of coming to Luleå, in the Northern most part of Sweden for your winter holiday but not sure where to start planning your activities. Don’t worry, we’re here to help! First, you need to decide if you are going to come here for speed and adventure, or tranquility and time for reflection. To help you further, we made a list of most popular winter activities in Luleå. The experiences are mainly nature oriented. Why? Because that’s what Swedish Lapland in wintertime is mostly about: snow covered forests, frozen rivers, and magical Northern Lights.

1. Dog sledding

By far the most requested activity and one of the most iconic ways to enjoy the nature of Swedish Lapland in wintertime. Going on a a dog sledding tour through Swedish Lapland is a unique experience in many ways. Live the dream of feeling the strength of the dogs pulling the sled at high speed in the snow-covered terrain. Listening to the sound of the snow crunching under the sled and the paws of the dog team. A lifetime experience!

We offer short dogsledding tours, half-day dogsledding tours and evening dog sled tours to chase the Northern Lights!

2. Northern Lights

The Northern lights, Aurora Borealis are shrouded in magic and mystery. Joining a Northern Lights tour will allow you to use our experience and mobility to go to the best places around Luleå to see the Northern Lights and learn more about this magical natural wonder.

We offer 4 different types of excursions: our regular Northern Lights tour by car , by snowmobile, our more active version with snowshoes, or try the thrilling experience of going for a kicksled tour on the ice.

3. Snowshoe walking

Experience the serenity of the nature areas around Luleå ‘floating’ across the snow in an unspoiled winter wonderland. Our snowshoe walking activities offer a unique way to get close to nature. During the excursion, your guide will tell you about the unique local nature, and hot beverages will be served.

We offer 2 different types of excursions: our regular Snowshoe Walking tour and an evening tour to chase the Northern Lights!

4. Sámi culture experience

Meet a Sámi family to get to know their way of life. Laponia is also the land of the Sámi people and the reindeer, referred to as Sápmi, stretching from Norway to Russia including Sweden and Finland.

In this excursion, you will get the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Sámi culture. Listen to joik, the traditional Sámi way to musically tell a story and to remember the old ways. A genuine Swedish experience!

5. Icebreaker Cruises

Come and join our unforgettable polar adventure on a cruise over the frozen Gulf of Bothnia! Let the magical moments in arctic nature blow you away and enjoy floating in icy water. It is a safe activity. You don’t need to know how to swim thanks to the neoprene suit.

You can book online and choose between Icebreaker Arctic Explorer and Icebreaker Polar Explorer.

/by
,

Ice Bathing, a fun and freezing adventure

Ice bath Luleå

For upcoming winter season we will offer a new typical Nordic experience. Between December to March you can enjoy a hot sauna in combination with ice bathing in central Luleå. The feeling you will get is euphoric and it will be an experience you will always remember. If you ever have experienced the benefits of putting yourself out of your comfort zone, this is a big one! Winter swimming is an old Nordic tradition. Some say there are health benefits, and the feeling of boosted energy you get after getting up of the cold water surely implies that!

Nordic Experience

This typical Nordic experience starts in the preheated sauna, besides the frozen Luleå river. Here you will meet the other winter swimmers (max 6) and get advice from the instructor before getting into the ice cold water. You will also be guided through the activity, so you get the best experience from your stay in the ice bath. If you prefer a private experience it’s also possible to book the whole sauna.

When you get out of the water, standing outside in your swimming suit in -10 degrees Celsius feels like no big deal. Your body’s survival mechanism is working full time, and you will soon begin to feel sensations you’ve never experienced before. Relax and enjoy this moment of triumph for a while, this feeling that anything is possible and that life has just begun.

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our activities and travel packages.

 

 

 

/by
,

Northern Lights – Autumn Equinox

Northern Lights

The coming of the Autumn Equinox 2023 is on Saturday 23 September. It brings the start of the astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere, a season known for red and yellow colours in the forest.  But did you know it can also colour the night sky green? As the month continues you’ll slowly start to notice colder weather and  shorter days. But what exactly is the Earth doing to cause these seasonal changes? It’s all in our planets tilt.

Our planet turns around the sun at a slight angle of about 23.5 degrees . This little lean is responsible for all of our seasons. So when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun it’s winter up here.  But it’s summer for everyone down in the Southern Hemisphere. The Spring equinox is a transitional period when the Northern Hemisphere begins to lean towards the sun, ushering in spring.

One strange side effect of the equinox is a dramatically increased likelihood of Northern Lights – Aurora Borealis. The magnetic storms that flare like ghostly fire in our atmosphere. For Northern Lights to happen, the Earth’s magnetic field and the magnetic field of the solar wind have to connect. Earth’s tilt at the equinoxes appears to orient the planet’s magnetic field in a position that’s ideal for the solar wind to create these illuminating electron collisions.

Northern Lights tours – Luleå

To increase your change to see this natural phenomena we offer Northern Lights tours from September to April from Luleå in the most northern part of Sweden. Northern Lights tours by car on snowshoes, snowmobile, dogsled and kicksled. Together with an experienced guide you will go on a hunt for searching the magical Northern Lights and learn more about this natural wonder.

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our activities and travel packages.
Photo credit; Luleå Travel

 

 

 

/by
,

Kiruna Aurora Dreams

For season 2023/24 we have added a NEW travel package to our Northern Lights  holiday assortment:

Kiruna Aurora Dreams

This 4 day holiday package focuses on chasing the magical Northern Lights in Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost destination. Kiruna’s location within the Auroral Oval offers fantastic opportunities to see the northern lights from September to March. If clear weather, Northern Lights can be seen almost every night during the dark season. With this Northern Lights holiday you will chase the magical Aurora almost every evening. This package also includes a guided tour for you to visit the Kiruna’s landmark ICEHOTEL and meet reindeers in a Sami open air museum. At the same time, you have flexibility to customise your holiday in many ways to explore Kiruna’s surrounding areas. Seasonal activities like hiking and fishing in the Autumn, or Snowmobile and Dogsledding safaris in the winter are easy to arrange for you.

Availability

Available from September to March. Flexibele arrival dates, duration and we can customize the holiday further to your wishes.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland is Sweden’s northernmost destination. It is the perfect place to experience natural contrasts unlike any other. It is naturally isolated from the rest of the world, being sparsely populated and having its natural openness. About a quarter of a million people, 2.6 % of Sweden’s population live here, resulting in a density of approx. 3 persons/km2. Besides, Swedish Lapland’s tradition and Sámi culture are still very much alive, entwined with reindeers. Some parts of Swedish Lapland have more sled dogs than inhabitants. Swedish Lapland is located within the Aurora oval and barely has any light pollution, the region therefore offers great opportunities to see the magical northern lights!

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our Kiruna Aurora Dreams holiday.

Travel date: September – March

Photo credit: Ylva Sarri

/by
,

Swedish Lapland Ski Holiday

For this winter season we have added another NEW travel package:

Swedish Lapland Ski Holiday

This 8 days Swedish Lapland skiing holiday is a perfect combination of staying on the coast of Swedish Lapland and spending time in the rural countryside. In Luleå you will experience iconic activities for the region as Dog Sledding and Snowshoe Walking. While the small village of Kåbdalis offers fun and playful Skiing for the whole family.  Your accommodation will be modern with a nice view and a rental car gives you the flexibility to plan your own outings.

Kåbdalis is about 140 km from Luleå. Here you find 10 slopes, varied powder skiing, a park and a children’s area. The length of the slopes is between 700-1500 m. and the drop height is 210 metres. The children’s lift is free to ride for everyone and has two easy slopes for small and big beginners. For those who feel comfortable in their skiing there are off-piste trails in the woods at varied difficulty.

Accommodation

In Luleå, you will stay in a modern Beachfront bungalow, with wide views over the frozen Luleå river and on a short distance (9km) from the city. In Kåbdalis Ski resort your accommodation will be located next to the ski slopes, offering ski in – ski out possibilities and wonderful view over the ski resort and the lake. Both locations are ideally located to see the magical Northern Lights in the dark polar nights.

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our Swedish Lapland Ski Holiday

Travel date: December – April

Photo credit: Kåbdalis ski resort / Joakim Nordlund

/by
,

Jokkmokk Winter Market 2023

We have still a few places left for our popular travel package to the famous Jokkmokk Winter Market. Travel dates: 1-5 February 2023. The Jokkmokk winter market is one of the oldest marketplaces in Sweden, with dates from the Middle Ages. It’s the biggest sales opportunity of the year since 1605 for the Sámi traders to make contacts and see old friends. During the market you can experience the widest collection of Sámi handicrafts in the country. Folk dance, traditional music, reindeer rides, lectures and taste local food.

This 5-days winter holiday also includes a guided tour to the district’s main cultural symbol ‘Gammelstad‘. A unique UNESCO World heritage site which literally means ‘old town’ located about 10 km more inland than Luleå. On the tour, your guide will bring you back in history, when Northern Sweden was still a so called no man’s land. Gammelstad church town is more than 400 years old and is the best-preserved church town in Sweden.

Dog sledding tour

During this unique 5-days holiday you will also go on a dog sledding tour! The strength of the dogs and their capability to pull the sled at high speed in the snow-covered terrain will give you a memory for life. Beside the planned activities there will be enough time to enjoy the city of Luleå on your own. The entrance to the popular ice track is on walking distance from your hotel. The track is about 10 km long and except ice-skating or kick sledding its very suitable for a walk.

Winter activities

If you want to do more winter activities like snowmobiling or snowshoe walking, we can easily arrange this for you. The surroundings of Luleå offer many possibilities to enjoy the outdoors. In the evenings, it is possible to join one of our Northern Lights tours. You will go off the beaten track and chase together with an experienced guide one of the most mysterious and profound phenomena the world has to offer.

Take this chance to visit the famous Jokkmokk Winter Market and combine this with winter activities you like! Visit our website for more information about our winter holiday Jokkmokk Winter Market 2023 or contact us if you prefer personal contact.

Travel dates: 1-5 February 2023

Photo credit: Lola Akinmade Åkerström/imagebank.sweden.se

/by
,

Arctic Sweden Winter Holiday

For this winter season we have added a NEW travel package to our Winter holiday assortment:

You now can experience the northernmost part of Sweden in a unique way. During this Arctic Sweden Winter Holiday you will stay a night in the world famous Icehotel, drive your own Dogsled to a wilderness cabin, hunt for the Northern Lights on a snowmobile and night visit the Aurora Sky Station.

Overnight Dogsledding

The holiday includes a top-of-the-range overnight excursion, where you will drive your own team of enthusiastic huskies. The tour goes along the tracks in snow-covered winter landscape. Enjoy the tranquillity and the sound of the dog’s paws against the snow while you are driving deeper into the woods. Eventually, you reach your accommodation for the night in a cozy wilderness lodge, secluded in the forest. While your guide is preparing a warm dinner for you, you may warm up in the wood-heated sauna and roll yourself into the snow, make a “snow-angel” like the local does. If the sky is clear, hopefully you will see the magical northern lights in the evening. During the morning, after breakfast, you help to harness the dogs and drive your own dog sled back to the Husky Homestead again.

Availability

Available from December 2022 to 18 March 2023. Flexible arrival dates, duration and we can customize the holiday further to your wishes.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland is Sweden’s northernmost destination. It is the perfect place to experience natural contrasts unlike any other. It is naturally isolated from the rest of the world, being sparsely populated and having its natural openness. About a quarter of a million people, 2.6 % of Sweden’s population live here, resulting in a density of approx. 3 persons/km2. Besides, Swedish Lapland’s tradition and Sámi culture are still very much alive, entwined with reindeers. Some parts of Swedish Lapland have more sled dogs than inhabitants. Swedish Lapland is located within the Aurora oval and barely has any light pollution, the region therefore offers great opportunities to see the magical northern lights!

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our Arctic Sweden Winter Holiday

Travel date: December – March

Photo credit: Art Suite Lollipop | Design Luc Voisin & Mathieu Brison | Photo Asaf Kliger | © ICEHOTEL

/by
,

Aurora Winter Glamping

For this winter season we have added a NEW travel package to our Winter holiday assortment:

You now can experience Swedish Lapland with an original Winter Glamping Holiday. During this 5-days winter holiday, you will stay 2 nights in a genuine small scale accommodation and 2 nights in the first glamping site in the world for Arctic winter climate.

Arctic glamping experience

The camp is situated at a very quiet site by the Råne River, about 1h drive from Luleå. Located far away in the forest and away from artificial light, electricity and road networks. Here you can be totally off grid, but still live in comfort. Choose to stay in a heated lavvu room (Sámi tents) or in an aurora glass cone. All rooms in an ideal position for watching the northern lights if they come on. A floating sauna, frozen into the ice and a nice lounge/dining lavvu completes the Artic glamping experience.

The Lavvus include insulated walls, a small glass veranda that is North facing (perfect for the Aurora) and an en-suite washroom consisting of an incineration toilet and wash basin. In each tent there are burners that remain warm throughout the night to keep the tent cosy and warm no matter the temperature outside.

The coast of Swedish Lapland

The camp makes a perfect combination with staying the first or last 2 nights at Brändön Lodge, located on the coast of Swedish Lapland. We also offer the flexibility to extend your stay with an extra night in the World famous Treehotel or the extra ordinary spa hotel Arctic Bath, all located within approx 1h drive from each other.

Availability

Available from December to April 2023. Flexibele arrival dates, duration and we can customize the holiday further to your wishes.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland is Sweden’s northernmost destination. It is the perfect place to experience natural contrasts unlike any other. It is naturally isolated from the rest of the world, being sparsely populated and having its natural openness. About a quarter of a million people, 2.6 % of Sweden’s population live here, resulting in a density of approx. 3 persons/km2. Besides, Swedish Lapland’s tradition and Sámi culture are still very much alive, entwined with reindeers. Some parts of Swedish Lapland have more sled dogs than inhabitants. Swedish Lapland is located within the Aurora oval and barely has any light pollution, the region therefore offers great opportunities to see the magical northern lights!

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our Aurora Glamping Holiday.

Travel date: December – April

Photo credit: Fredrik Broman

/by
,

Snowmobile Safari Sweden

Snowmobile Safari Sweden

If you like to feel your blood rushing, to drive a motorized vehicle and are ready to venture into wilderness in wintertime, then snowmobiling is for you!

You can choose between driving your own snowmobile and sharing one through the dark snowy landscape, following your guide. No experience is required, and all gear needed for a safe and comfortable trip will be supplied.

Either you do it during daytime or at night to chase the Northern Lights!

We offer two different tours during daytime, from 2 to 4 hours. In the shortest tour, a stop is made along the way for tea or coffee. Your guide will tell you about the surroundings and about life and nature in Swedish Lapland.

In the longest tour (lunch included), the destination is the Junkön island, an idyllic fishing village dating from the 17th century. You will visit the chapel dating from 1774 and one of the fishing-huts. Outside the island is the frozen Bothnian Bay with its seemingly endless fields of pack ice and snow. Some years the blue ice of the sea piles up into high formations.

The aurora snowmobiling tour is an experience you will not forget! Together with an experienced guide, you will go off the beaten track and go on a hunt for searching the Northern Lights. A great opportunity to learn more about this natural wonder.

You can save and easily book your snowmobile safari in Sweden on our website. Do you prefer personal contact? Then contact us and based on group size and your wishes we will help you in achieving a unique memorable experience.

Photo credit: Luleå Travel

/by
,

Icebreaker cruises Luleå – Swedish Lapland

Icebreaker cruises – Swedish Lapland

⁠Come and join our unforgettable polar adventure on a cruise over the frozen Gulf of Bothnia!

The icebreaker is a unique vessel. Unlike other ships, the icebreaker has a specially designed reinforced hull to withstand the pressure of the ice. It also has an ice-clearing shape to cut a channel through the frozen waters, and a great power to push through sea ice. In the beginning of winter, ice is not more than 30-50 cm thick, but it could reach up to 2 meters by April.

Frej is a Swedish icebreaking vessel owned by Sweden and operated by Sjofartsverket (Swedish Maritime Administration). The ship is homeported in Luleå.⁠ The list of Swedish icebreakers includes Ale (1973), Atle (1974), Frej (1975), Ymer (1977) and Oden (1987). They contribute to maintaining maritime and environmental safety and accessibility. Oden also serves as a scientific research vessel.

Experience the rare opportunity to travel aboard the icebreaker while visiting Swedish Lapland!

During the icebreaker tour, you will be a witness of a massive ice breaking power of the vessel. You will have a guided tour all the way down to the engine rooms and all the way up to Captain’s bridge. You will be able to relax in the cosy saloon, go for a walk on the ice or float in icy water for the most courageous ones! It is a safe activity. You don’t need to know how to swim thanks to the neoprene suit.

Let the magical moments in arctic nature blow you away!

You can save and easily book online and choose between Icebreaker Arctic Explorer and Icebreaker Polar Explorer on our website. Do you prefer personal contact? Then contact us and based on group size and your wishes we will help you in achieving a unique memorable experience.

/by