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Northern Lights – Solar Maximum

Solar Maximum, maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights!

As the winter season approaches, the forecast is looking bright for astronomy enthusiasts and winter enthusiasts alike. The expected Solar Maximum is all set to illuminate the night sky with breathtaking displays of Northern Lights. Swedish Lapland is the ideal destination to witness this cosmic spectacle. The Solar Maximum is expected to occur during the winter season of 2024-2025. A rare phenomenon that happens when the Sun’s magnetic field is at its strongest, causing particles to be ejected towards the Earth, resulting in spectacular displays of the Northern Lights. The last Solar Maximum took place in 2013, making this a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Swedish Lapland

For those planning to visit Swedish Lapland, this is an opportunity not to be missed! The region is known for its immersive winter landscapes, snow-covered forests, and frozen lakes. And with the Solar Maximum expected to bring increased activity to the Northern Lights, visitors can expect a visual feast of swirling colors and patterns in the night sky. Imagine witnessing the aurora borealis dance across the sky, with swirling curtains of green, blue, and purple hues painting the night canvas.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness nature’s greatest light show. Our expert guides will take you on excursions to the best viewing spots, and we will ensure that you have an unforgettable winter experience,” says the team at Luleå Travel. “We can’t wait to share this extraordinary phenomenon with our guests and create memories that will last a lifetime.”

We offer a range of winter activities and packages that cater to all interests and ages. From dog sledding and snowmobile tours to icebreaker cruises and snowshoeing, there’s something for everyone in this winter wonderland. And with the Solar Maximum expected to coincide with the festive season, visitors can enjoy a magical winter holiday experience like no other.

Don’t miss this chance to experience the Solar Maximum in Swedish Lapland. Book your winter holiday with Luleå Travel today and get ready for an unforgettable adventure!

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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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.

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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.

 

 

 

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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

 

 

 

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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

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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

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Swedish Lapland Winter Holiday

Already bored of these long, warm and lazy summer days? What about planning your next winter holiday in the northernmost part of Sweden? Swedish Lapland: Northern Lights,Dog Sledding, Snowmobiling, Sámi culture,  icebreaker cruises and much more activities to choose from. Visit now our website and choose from our latest Travel Packages: short breaks, roundtrips, week holidays, highlights of Swedish Lapland and Northern lights tour packages.

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our winter travel packages

Travel date: December – March

Photo credit: Luleå Travel

 

 

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Winter Break Luleå

For this winter season we continue offering one of our most popular packages: Winter Break Luleå. This 4 days package is ideal for those who wish to escape from daily routine into a winter wonderland! Offering 4 star hotel accommodation in the city’s newest hotel and including activities like dog sledding, snowshoe walking and snowmobiling.  Where you have the chance to see the magical Northern lights during the evenings!

Availability

Available from 9 December to 18 April 2022.

Luleå

Having a wide variety of iconic winter activities, Luleå becomes the perfect winter destination to experience family-friendly snowshoe walking to thrilling snowmobile safari. From a close-up meeting with Husky’s, during a Dog Sledding tour to driving on ice through the frozen archipelago. You can also explore the region cultural icon the UNESCO World Heritage site “Gammelstad”, which is Scandinavia’s largest and best-preserved church town. When lucky you even have the chance to see the magical Northern Lights!

Package highlights

This package includes 3 nights in the city newest hotel at the Clarion Sense that highlights its all-season sense spa facilities and the rooftop Skybar that you can be amazed by the best view in town. To enrich your Swedish winter experience, this package includes the most popular winter activity for the region, a unique dogsledding tour. On top of the included dog sledding tour, this package offers flexibility for you to customize your holiday further. Choose from one of the following winter excursions which is covered by this package; Northern Lights tour, Snowshoe walking, Luleå Archipelago Tour, Ice-Fishing, Gammelstad guided tour, Meet a moose, Outdoor skills and Nordic Ice-Skating. Or use your activity voucher for activities like snowmobiling or joining a once in a life time icebreaker cruise!

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our latest travel package Winter Break Luleå

Photo credits: Anna Öhlund/imagebank.sweden.se

 

 

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Sami Culture Winter Holiday

We have now updated our Sami Culture Winter Holiday package. This 6-day package features the Arctic winter and indigenous Sami culture in Jokkmokk. It also offers flexibility to explore Swedish Lapland on your own, benefiting from the included rental car. Visit the world famous Icehotel. Or go skiing in the nearby ski resort Dundret.

During this winter holiday you can learn more about the indigenous Sami culture in Jokkmokk. Meet and feed reindeers, listen to stories during a visit by a Sami family and enjoy the beauty of winter during a unique dog sledding tour with Husky’s. With minimal light pollution in Jokkmokk, if lucky, you may even see the magical Northern Lights in the evenings!

Jokkmokk

Located about 5 km north of the Arctic Circle, Jokkmokk is an important cultural hub for the region’s indigenous Sami population. The surroundings consist of vast forestland, marshland and mountains with national parks of Sarek and Padjelanta. This town with its certain mythical charm, has long been a significant trading area. Indeed, it is the best place in Lapland to stock up on authentic Sámi art and handicraft products. The Ájtte Museum, one of Sweden’s best museums, is dedicated to showcase the viable Sámi culture.

With its only 5000 inhabitants, Jokkmokk is a yet unfamiliar destination for many people. However, the town annually hosts one of Swedish oldest markets, dating from the Middle Ages, attracting both traders from across Sapmi region as well as international tourists to Jokkmokk.

Accommodation

You will stay in a typical Swedish wooden cabin on a small campsite near the lake “Stor Skabram”. The cabin is equipped with a bathroom with toilet & shower, TV, free wifi, a sofa bed, refrigerator, kitchen pantry with an electric stove and cutlery, pots, and pans. Two bedrooms with bunk beds, one room with the lower bed 120x200cm, the upper bed 90x200cm; the other room with bunk bed 90x200cm.

Contact us for more information or visit our website for more information about our latest travel package Sami Culture Winter Holiday

Travel date: December – March 2022

Photo credit: Anna Kuhmunen/SilbaSiida

 

 

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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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