PRICE
SEK 16500
Luleå Archipelago Skiing Tour
Luleå archipelago skiing tour
Winter in Swedish Lapland is a season to be looked forward to; a time of cold, crisp days, white landscapes and blue skies. View the Northern Lights, cosy up in front of a wood burning stove with hot chocolate after a day outdoors. The Luleå Archipelago has a total of 1,300 islands and is an unique environment to explore. Between December and April the sea freezes up to a meter thick ice which is perfect for winter tours on cross-country skis or snowshoeing. You can enjoy miles and miles of vast, white landscapes a stone throw away from the city of Luleå.
Cross country skiing
On this tour you spend the days skiing and in the evening you stay in remote back country cabins in the Luleå Archipelago. Here you can relax by the wood stove, enjoy a hot meal, warm drinks and even have the option to use a wood -fired sauna after a day of adventures.
Accommodation
The cabins used, are owned and maintained by the Luleå municipality and offer an authentic experience. Solar cells provide power for some lightning and 12V wall sockets for charging electronic devices. The cabins are equipped with kitchen, common room with a dining table, chairs and a wood burning stove and bunk beds. Near the cabins you will find a dry toilet. The islands are remote located and therefore open up op great opportunities to see the Northern Lights in the evening.
The first and the last evening from the tour you stay in a modern hotel in the city centre of Luleå, the other days you spend outdoors using cabins during the night. The days on the ice are fully guided. We provide transfer from Luleå Airport to the start of the tour, skis, snowshoes, poles and accommodation. Beside that we provide all the food during the hike and promise you an unforgettable nature experience. This skiing tour is suitable for everyone who has basic skiing experience and can manage a 10 km forest walk.
If you are unsure if you are able to take part don’t hesitate to contact us and tell us about yourself and your worries.
ITINERARY
Luleå archipelago skiing tour | 6 days / 5 nights
Arrival Day – Welcome to Swedish Lapland!
Arrival at Luleå airport based on your flight schedule. You will be welcomed by our local guide who will bring you to your hotel in the city centre. Check-in at your comfortable hotel and depending on your arrival time you can choose to relax, take care for the last shopping’s or explore the city and nearby ice track on the frozen Luleå River. In the evening you will meet up with the rest of the group and your guide will provide an update of the weather forecast, ice conditions, go through the equipment and give an introduction of the program for the coming days.
Day 2 – Storbrändön to Kluntarna
After breakfast you will be picked up at 9.00 from the lobby of your hotel for the transfer to the start of the tour. Here you will be provide with pulk and harness to store your belongings, before heading straight out to the frozen archipelago. The start of the route will go alongside the island Storbrändön and the destination for today is the island Kluntarna. This island has been seasonally populated for centuries and used as a base for fishing and seal hunting. The afternoon is free for a self-guided snowshoeing trip or just to relax body and mind in the wood fired sauna (today’s skiing distance is around 9 km).
Day 3 – Kluntarna to Småskär
Today’s walk leads to the island Småskär, a beautiful island in the outermost part of the archipelago. Småskär ischaracterised by bays with fishing villages, boathouses, old growth forest, rocks and cliffs. The oldest chapel in the archipelago was built in 1720 at Kyrkviken, a kilometre east of our cabins, and is well worth a visit (today’s skiing distance is around 8 km).
Day 4 – Småskär to Brändöskär
The destination today will be the fishing village Brändöskär. This island is located in the outer rim of the archipelago and particular exposed to weather and winds which has shaped the barren landscape. This beautiful fishing village is located in a sheltered inlet, with old fishing huts that have survived from the past. The old chapel, was built in 1774 by the fishermen of the outer Luleå archipelago (today’s skiing distance is around 8 km).
Day 5 – Brändöskär to Luleå, via Hindersön
Today is your last day in the archipelago and the route will lead back to Luleå via the still inhabited island of Hindersön. Hindersön is one of the largest islands in the Luleå archipelago with a current population of about 80 persons. The island includes fishing ports and old farms, some still in use. The school building and teacher’s residence have been modernised and have got other functions. The island is during winter accessible by the longest ice road in Sweden about 15km, from here you will be transferred to your hotel in the city centre (today’s skiing distance is around 11 km).
Day 6 – Departure day
After a wonderful week full of new experiences it’s time to travel home. Depending on your flight schedule your transfer will be ready to bring you to Luleå Airport. You can look back on an amazing winter holiday in Swedish Lapland.
