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Northern Lights – Autumn Equinox

The coming of the Autumn Equinox 2022 is on Friday 23 September. It brings the start of the astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere, a season known for red and yellow colors in the forest.  But did you know it can also color 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.

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. Both by car and a more active variant by snowshoes. 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

 

 

 

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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

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Autumn holidays Swedish Lapland

For the autumn season we have added a NEW travel package to our Autumn holiday assortment:

Autumn Northern Lights Holiday. This 4 day short break is ideal for those who want to discover the Northern most part of Sweden.  Many think autumn is the most beautiful time of the year to visit Swedish Lapland. You can benefit from milder temperatures while hunting for the Northern Lights. The Luleå river and archipelago are still open and there is plenty of daylight to enjoy outdoor activities. Nature lovers can enjoy the colourful fall, berry and swamp picking and landscape photography. In general the atmosphere is quieter and nature displays a firework of colours before the winter sleep settles over the landscape.

During this exciting Autumn holiday, you will spend 4 days in the charming coastal town of Luleå. It includes 3 nights hotel, an exciting Northern lights tour by car and a guided tour to the UNESCO World heritage site Gammelstad.

Availability

Available from September to November 2022. Where the arrival dates are flexible 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 Autumn travel packages

Travel date: September – October

Photo credit: Luleå Travel

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TripAdvisor Travelers Choice 2022

Luleå Travel wins 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Award!

We are very proud that today TripAdvisor announced Luleå Travel has been recognized as a 2022 Travelers’ Choice award winner. The Travelers’ Choice Awards highlights the places that are consistently excellent – delivering quality experiences. Based on a full year of reviews from customers.  As challenging as the past year was as we emerge from the pandemic.  Luleå  Travel stood out by consistently delivering positive experiences to travellers. Time and time again even while navigating changing customer expectations and new ways of working.

To see traveller reviews and popular activities, visit our TripAdvisor review page

We say THANK YOU with all our heart! Thanks to your great reviews on TripAdvisor we can count ourselves among the top 10% of the best rated travel companies worldwide!

Contact us for more information, or visit our website if you want to know more about our latest travel packages and all season activities.

 

 

 

 

 

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Luleå Travel is recruiting!

Work in Swedish Lapland – Luleå Travel is looking for a sales agent and nature guides to support us for an exciting new winter season at Luleå Travel.  So, if you are looking for a change & are brilliant at what you do, read on!

Sales Agent / Customer Relations

This position focus on sales aimed toward the European market. You will follow each booking from first contact until the guest(s) arrive on their destination. In addition, you will keep track of Luleå Travels daily bookkeeping. Finally, you will be responsible for creating and publishing content on all our social media platforms, grow an audience, build brand awareness and ultimately boosts sales. We are looking for someone highly structured with a background in sales who love the outdoors.

In a perfect world you are well-organised, highly structured, enjoy tracking our daily activities and bookkeeping. You have a background in sales, are confident in e-marketing and love the outdoors. Interacting with guests and potential guests via email, social media, and on arrival/departure is natural for you and goes with ease.

Qualifications:

  1. Excellent social skills
  2. A great interest in nature
  3. Swedish background &/or excellent local knowledge
  4. Confident in sales
  5. Passionate about customer service
  6. Basic knowledge of economics for small businesses
  7. Capable of handling daily bookkeeping
  8. Competency in using social media (Facebook, Instagram, other)
  9. Experienced with e-marketing (Google, Facebook)
  10. Previous experience with FORTNOX or similar program(s)

We are looking forward to receiving your application and specifically encourage mature candidates to apply. The announced position is on a yearly base full time however, workload is higher during winter than summer. Working hours are flexible and depend on your availability.

How to apply?

Contact us at cecilia@luleatravel.com or give Cecilia a call at +46 70 620 1901. Our recruiting process is open so please don’t hesitate to send us your CV and a personal letter today!

Nature guide

Work in Swedish Lapland –  Luleå Travel is now looking for a Nature Guides to strengthen our team from November to April 2022/23. The position is part-time, based upon demand and on irregular basis. Therefore we see that you live in the area of Luleå. Your main tasks will be:

1. Guide and entertain our guest(s) by car while seeking the best vantage spot for the Northern Lights.
2. Guide our guest(s) by snowshoes, foot or fatbike among ancient forests, while presenting information about its natural history.
3. Advise our guest(s) in nature photography, especially during the Northern Light Tours.
4.  Transport, entertain and guide our guest(s) between their accommodation and booked activity

Qualifications:

  1.  Loves the outdoors and is a natural storyteller.
  2. Has an excellent understanding of Swedish Lapland’s natural history and a good knowledge about the phenomena Northern Light.
  3. Has a minimum of two years’ experience in nature tourism, preferable in Swedish Lapland.
  4. Holds a class B driving licence and is comfortable with driving in the dark.
  5. Fluent in English + another language.
  6. Swedish background &/or excellent local knowledge.
  7.  Knows how to boil coffee and create a cosy atmosphere.

We are looking forward to receiving your application and specifically encourage mature candidates to apply. The announced position is part time. Working hours are mainly in the evenings and depend on your availability.

How to apply?

Contact us at cecilia@luleatravel.com or give Cecilia a call at +46 70 620 1901. Our recruiting process is open so please don’t hesitate to send us your CV and a personal letter today!

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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

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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.

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Jokkmokk Winter Market 2022

We have now updated our popular travel package to the famous Jokkmokk Winter Market. Travel dates: 31 January – 4 February and 2-6 February 2022. 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 2022 or contact us if you prefer personal contact.

Travel dates: 31 January – 4 February and 2-6 February 2022

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

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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 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 2 different types of excursions: our regular Northern Lights tour by car and a more active version with snowshoes.

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.

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Northern Lights Kiruna and Abisko

For winter season 2021/22 we will offer a new travel package specially designed for the ones who are dreaming of seeing the magical Northern Lights. You will spend 5 days in Kiruna and Abisko, both located within the Aurora Oval. Offering a high chance of seeing the Northern lights during your stay. By arrival in Kiruna, you have already landed 150km above the Arctic Circle. From here you will travel even more north, to the small mountain village of Abisko. One of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights.

Aurora Nights

Almost every night you will spent time outdoors trying to catch a glimpse of the magical Northern Lights. You will hunt the Aurora Borealis over the frozen landscape with a team of friendly huskies. Immerse yourself in the silence of the polar night in a warm outdoor jacuzzi and visit the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko. One of the best places on earth to see the Northern Lights. Optional we can add on the last evening a thrilling Northern Lights snowmobile safari if you want to get the maximum out of your Aurora nights holiday in Swedish Lapland.

Winter activities

It’s not only the Northern Lights which makes Swedish Lapland an interesting destination. During day time you will bring a visit to the renowned ICEHOTEL, the world’s first hotel made by ice. You will also have the chance to learn more about the Sámi cultureand meet and feed reindeers on a traditional Sámi meeting place. This Abisko and Kiruna Aurora package also offers flexibility to customize your holiday further with adding activities like Snowshoe walking, Ice Fishing, Moose Safari and Reindeer Sledding.

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our latest travel package Abisko and Kiruna Aurora Nights

Photo; Credits: Hjalmar Andersson/imagebank.sweden.se
Location: Lapporten, Abisko – Swedish Lapland

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