This is a luxurious Northern Lights break staying in two authentic, stylish lodges in beauitiful locations by the coast and in the forest - Pine Bay Lodge and the fabulous Arctic Retreat.
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Luxurious Coast and Forest Aurora Retreats
Credit Graeme Richardson
Credit Graeme Richardson
Combine exploring the frozen seas of the Bay of Bothnia on one of the most dramatic snowmobile adventures that we offer, then a full day out with huskies in the forests around the Arctic Retreat. There is plenty more to add if you would like to from ice scuplting, aurora hideaway dinners, snowshoeing and much more!
Great food and excellent hosts are the icing on the cake for this very special 4-night break. We do many special occasion breaks for clients wishing to get away as a couple or small family group.
Location
Sweden
Duration
4 Nights
Available dates
Jan - Feb
Price per person (excl. flights)
from £2,500
Overview
Highlights
- 2 nights at Pine Bay Lodge set on the edge of the frozen seas of the Lulea Archipelago
- 2 nights at the luxurious Arctic Retreat set in a forest by the river
- Pack Ice Snowmobile Adventure – one of the best in Lapland (From Mid-Februay to March)
- Wilderness husky dog sledding experience in the wilderness around Arctic Retreat
What’s included
- 2 nights full board at Pine Bay Lodge
- 2 nights full board at the Arctic Retreat in luxury log cabin
- Daytime snowmobile tour
- Daytime private dog sledding tour
- Transfers
- Arctic clothing
A note on flights
While flights are not included in the holiday price, our team will happily provide a quote and arrange them for you. Simply ask one of our Travel Experts for details of the available options.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Pine Bay Lodge
Fly to Lulea in Swedish Lapland, where you will be met and transferred to Pine Bay Lodge (Furufjärden in Swedish).
Pine Bay Lodge, owned by Goran, is situated on the coastal edge of the Luleå Archipelago, which has a total of 1300 islands and only 100 residents and is a unique wilderness environment where the sea around the island freezes up to a metre thick in winter. The Lodge is a lovely traditional Swedish red cottage with a very homely feel and has a luxurious annexe in the grounds.
This will be your base for the next two nights. You will be kitted out with arctic clothing.
Enjoy a wholesome 3 course dinner prepared using local ingredients served in your private annexe.
Day 2
Snowmobile Adventure
A four-hour nature-focused tour by snowmobile through Luleås snow-covered forests and over its frozen sea and lakes. Your nature guides will meet you by the lodge for a briefing about the days adventure. Safety instructions are given as well as background information regarding what we are about to experience. Our main focus being the regions nature, people and culture and the history of the area.
You will use modern snowmobiles as our transportation. This is the natural way for locals to move around the forest and over the frozen lakes as they go about their daily life. The nature guides will lead you along the established snowmobile trails so that you have an easy experience and we leave a minimal impact on our environment.
Along the narrow trails stops are made for tea and coffee and lunch and the guide will tell you about the surroundings.
This evening relax in a traditional Swedish Sauna overlooking the frozen sea before enjoying a 3 course dinner. Spend the rest of the evening by the fireplace or venture outside in search of the Northern Lights.
Day 3
Arrive at Arctic Retreat
After breakfast transfer to the Arctic Retreat.
The transfer, which takes around an hour, will take you from the open expanse of the Archipelago to the forest lands of the interior. You will head off the beaten track as you wind your way down to the river valley.
Set on a bend in the river among the tall pine trees lies the wonderful Arctic Retreat, this exclusive camp comprises 4 log cabins, each with an individual style but all have luxurious details. They comprise a loft room bedroom with a downstairs living room. These luxurious log cabins have comfy double beds, log burner, Nespresso Machine, Private Hot Tub looking out towards the Northern Lights and ensuite shower and toilet.
The separate restaurant cabin comprises just two tables and overlooks the river bend. Lisa is an accomplished cook who prepares wonderful meals from locally sourced produce. Sitting here with a glass of wine in hand, savouring fine food and enjoying the scenery is what we call ‘Arctic Heaven’!
Day 4
Dog Sledding Adventure
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before setting off for a fabulous dog sledding adventure in the forests near the Arctic Retreat
Return to the lodge for a late lunch and time at leisure. You can relax in your private hot tub overlooking the river, go for a short walk or just soak up the unique atmosphere.
This evening enjoy dinner in the cosy log cabin restaurant.
Day 5
Return Home
After breakfast at leisure prior to transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Alternatively you could extend your stay by a night to include the unique Tree Hotel which is located around 45 minutes away from the Arctic Retreat.
For those of you who would like to take the opportunity of a mini break to Stockholm, Scandinavia’s capital city and one of the most picturesque capital cities in Europe, we have a two night extension staying at the Rival Hotel which is owned by Benny Anderson of ABBA fame.
Where You'll Stay
Arctic Retreat
Arctic Retreat is an intimate, high-quality eco-lodge just 50 kilometers north of Lulea and a short distance south of the Arctic Circle. In the heart of Swedish Lapland, next to a secluded river bend, this hidden gem has just three cabins. Mixing the traditional rustic log cabin look with contemporary Scandi chic, this intimate hideaway seamlessly blends style, comfort, and adventure.
Each cabin boasts a private deck with a fire pit and hot tub for added indulgence. Compact yet well-appointed bathrooms feature locally sourced products like lingonberry shampoo.
At Arctic Retreat, guests dine together in a small dining cabin for shared breakfasts and dinners – although the option to enjoy meals in your cabin is also available. Breakfasts are a delightful mix of simplicity and heartiness, featuring eggs, toast, cereals, local jams, and fruits. Lunch, enjoyed outdoors between activities, showcases the rich variety of local produce, from reindeer stew to campfire-cooked salmon. In the evenings, local husky-sledding expert Richard Karlsson crafts inspired menus influenced by local cultures, creating feasts that can last up to three hours. All meals are included in the room rate, with additional charges for alcoholic drinks.
Whether you seek adventure or relaxation, Arctic Retreat caters to your preferences. Action-packed options include husky sledding, snowmobiling, and Northern Lights tours, while those desiring a more leisurely pace can enjoy culinary experiences, sauna rituals, and in-room massages. Embark on a moose safari to discover local wildlife, and on a clear night, look out for the northern lights.
Pine Bay Lodge Lulea Archipelago
Pine Bay Lodge (Furufjärden in Swedish), run by Goran Widén, is situated on the edge of the Lulea Archipelago. The Luleå archipelago has a total of 1300 islands and only 100 residents. It is a unique wilderness environment where the sea around the island freezes up to a metre thick in winter. You will access the lodge by snowmobiling on the frozen sea on your first day making it quite unique in terms of experience!
Small, cosy and inviting this is the perfect short break retreat in the arctic.
The lodge is a lovely traditional Swedish red cottage with homely feel. On entering the lodge a lounge area and dining area with warm open fireplace welcomes you. This is home away from home and an area that you will relax in after your day’s adventures.
There are only 7 guest rooms, each with their own ensuite bathroom. Furufjärden’s kitchen will prepare wonderful dinners for you using only the best local ingredients.
Outside is the traditional Swedish Sauna house where you can relax and enjoy one of the local’s favourite pastimes.
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Reviews
See what our clients say
An excellent holiday which was enjoyed by all. The super jeep ride on the second day to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was memorable and thanks to our driver Margaret who proved to be a really good guide. We thoroughly enjoyed the facilities in the hotel Ranga. The staff were very helpful and we managed to see the Northern Lights. The Hotel Reykjavik Centrum was very nice with amazingly helpful staff. All in all, the whole holiday was brilliant.
Brian Coombs
We have never before experienced such friendly and simultaneously professional service! Alex’s communication was super prompt, questions encouraged and welcomed and attended to with great care and detail. Everything was well organised and available on beautifully designed and very useful platforms. Our destination (Mattarahkka Northern Lights Lodge) was fabulous on so many different levels – exquisite views, friendly interactions from everyone on the team, great food, exciting activities, perfectly situated to see the northern lights (seen twice in 4 nights’ stay), a great fire place, and not to mention our fantastic guide Fabio. Their provision of winter kit (hats, down jacket, snow trousers, leather gloves and boots) offered everything we needed to be comfortable outside. All we needed to have packed really were base layers, a few layers of clothing and woollen socks. Defintely somewhere we would highly recommend and return to when possible!
Inge Elliott
My daughter and I had an amazing time on our trip, we didn’t want it to end! Everything went according to plan, each excursion was well organized and everyone involved with each activity, as well as everyone at the lodge was kind, friendly, positive and happy, which makes such a difference to your whole experience. The food at The Abisko Mountain Lodge was also incredibly good. Our room was large, comfortable and well-furnished. The bathroom too was also spacious and well-equipped. The outdoor clothing provided was of very good quality which kept us warm, and the staff members are happy to change items if they are not quite the right size for you. This is my second trip with Weekend a la carte and I’m sure there will be more as I have complete trust in them. I highly recommend Aurora Nights, it was fabulous.
Jane Ashworth
My wife and I had an awesome and memorable trip to Iceland thanks to Alex at Aurora Nights. Alex tailored the itinerary to exactly what we wanted to see and chose excellent hotels to stay at. We totally enjoyed the city of Reykjavik and the many beautiful waterfalls. He went above and beyond to not only recommend sights to see around the Golden Circle and Ring Road, but also mapped it out so we were prepared to drive through the country during unpredictable weather and road conditions. And we were especially pleased to see the Northern Lights on our visit. Alex was very flexible to make changes to our plans and choosing the wonderful Sky Lagoon to replace our tickets for the Blue Lagoon due to the closure from the volcanic activity. We highly recommend Alex and Aurora Nights.
Lisa Kovens-Harris
Dear Abigail, We have safely returned from Iceland and we wanted to say a huge and sincere thank you for all the plans that you put into place to make this one of the most memorable holidays we have ever had. It was simply beautiful each and every day. The cabin was idyllic and so cosy and warm. The tour guides were so knowledgeable and friendly and the scenery was breathtaking. All the arrangements worked so well and we will remember the trip for a long time to come.
Thank you once again.
Gillian Griffiths
Brilliant short break. Hotel Ranga was lovely, excellent food. Managed to see the Northern Lights as well! Iceland on the whole was quite expensive but a lovely place to visit, the people were very friendly.
Linda Palmer
1. Gourmet Cabins was excellent and Johan was a friendly and knowledgeable host. The food, cabins, hot tub and sauna were brilliant.
2. Dog sledge was a fantastic experience and we were given the opportunity to drive our own sledge
3. Snow Mobile – really got off the beaten track and into the spectacular mountains
4. Saw the Northern Lights twice in two days. There is no description that can really do them justice
Nigel Longton
We booked with Aurora for a short winter break to celebrate an event. We wanted something special and that’s what we got. Clear information was backed up with straightforward booking detail, and we had a super, holiday with no complications.
The holiday exceeded my expectations and I will use Aurora in the future. Thank you!
David Foley