Arctic Circle Aurora Adventure

Discover Sweden’s snowy north, home to untamed landscapes, Sámi culture, and the Northern Lights

Travel 125mi (200km) above the Arctic Circle to Sápmi (Lapland) in Sweden, where wild rivers and vast forests dominate the landscape. Our base is Rajamaa on Pitkäsaari island, where the Malmström family has welcomed guests since 1986. In this wilderness, we discover the indigenous Sámi culture and explore nature by dog sledding, snowshoeing, and forest skiing. Each night, we watch for the Northern Lights. The trip ends with a two-day forest expedition, staying in a traditional log cabin surrounded by untouched nature.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

It’s a mixed-activity week for adults, with a good selection of guided activities and free time for independent excursions or relaxation. Although none of the activities require previous experience, a good level of fitness, agility and balance is required.

Some forest ski training and tuition will be provided during the week. The distance covered on the two-day expedition will depend on the group’s fitness and on the temperature and weather conditions. Usually, you cover approximately 4.5mi-7.5mi (7km-12km) each day and the activity duration is around four hours plus a lunch stop by the fire.

Temperatures in this part of Sweden can drop as low as -30C (-22F). Come prepared for such extremes. With standard precautions and good clothing, the cold weather won’t be a problem but can be tiring. Arctic outerwear (snowsuit, gloves, hat, socks and winter boots) is provided – please see our essential packing list for more information.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Sweden

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

Sweden

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Sweden. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/sweden
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/sweden
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/sweden/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Sweden.html

Food & Drink

All meals are included; however, the dinner on Day 1 is only available subject to your flight arrival time (dinner is usually served at 7pm).

The food at Rajamaa is a mix of Swedish food and sometimes international dishes, all prepared on site. They only use regionally sourced meat and fish from the Arctic Sea.

Breakfast is continental style, with fruit, cereal, porridge, boiled eggs, cheese and cold meats. The lunches provided as part of the itinerary will be eaten outside or at the lodge and are usually a sandwich (plus yoghurt and fruit) or a hearty soup. Dinner each evening consists of a main course and dessert. Vegetarian options are also available.

Weather

Temperatures should remain below freezing point for the whole season; however, recent years have had some unexpected fluctuations, both warmer and colder. Generally, you should expect much colder temperatures in December and January: around -25C to -10C (-13F to 14F). As the days get longer, the temperatures rise to around freezing point by March.

Daylight hours: As we are inside the Arctic Circle, the sun remains just below the horizon during the day from 1 December to 7 January. But it is not dark: there is plenty of reflection from the snow, so expect four to five hours of daylight. At the end of January, daylight hours increase to six to seven. In February, there are 10 hours and in March 15 hours.

Northern Lights: The Aurora Borealis are one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights and seeing them hover above us on a cold winter’s night is an experience never to be forgotten. Scientists will tell you the Northern Lights occur when solar wind particles collide with air molecules in the earth’s atmosphere, transferring their energy into light. The ‘season’ runs from August to April (when there is sufficient darkness). Within this window, the slightly better months are September and March. During periods of high solar activity (not forecastable) they can often be seen every night, but the sky has to be clear of cloud cover, and you need to be away from other light sources. Displays can vary in intensity, from a greenish-yellow glow moving gently around the sky, to a spectacular multi-coloured show dancing across the heavens. Sightings not only vary in intensity but in duration too, from just minutes to sometimes hours.