Aurora Break in Luleå Archipelago

Fly into Luleå in Swedish Lapland, where you will be met and driven in style to the beautiful Clarion Sense Hotel, the region’s latest and finest 4-star hotel, with a stunning spa, and well stocked cocktail bar with a view over the harbour.

Located on the edge of town with far reaching views over the frozen Lule river and the northern night sky, this sleek and stylish hotel offers excellent rooms with their colourfully modern murals, bold dark furniture, super comfortable beds and lovely large windows that create an airy atmosphere.

Luleå is situated on the coastal edge of the Luleå Archipelago in the bay of Bothnia, which has a total of 1,300 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. From the hotel you look out over the frozen expanse of the Lule river with great views for miles.

Once you have settled into your hotel, we suggest that you enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the sky bar with its great views. We have included dinner on your first night as after travelling you may wish to have an easy start to your break.

Enjoy a three-course dinner under the stewardship of Chef Marcus Samuelsson who has received widespread critical acclaim. His kitchen transforms the freshest, local ingredients into cosmopolitan inspired dishes that are stunning.

Note: if you would like to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, we recommend upgrading to a deluxe room with views over the frozen river to the northern horizon. This comes with free spa entry too!

Buffet breakfasts in Sweden are feasts in their own right! Indulge before heading out on a 2-hour snowmobile adventure in the forests around Lulea and bordering on the frozen archipelago.

You will be provided with arctic clothing and training before heading out with your partner on a guided exploration of the countryside. There is something special about being on a snowmobile adventure off the beaten track, soaking up the beauty and majesty of the forests and frozen lake views. With vast winter landscapes, this truly snowmobiling adventure takes your breath away, drop a location pin and see how far you are from your friends back at home! When you return to the hotel and you can enjoy some downtime, and try out the spa (charges may apply if you have not upgraded your room).

You have the facilities at the hotel or you can wander into the centre of Luleå. Our recommendation would be to walk the Ice Road. There is a road marked out on the frozen ice which allows people to walk, ski or skate around the city. See the locals in deep conversation, mothers pushing their children around in adapted push chairs or students racing each other around on skates.

It’s a totally unique experience and well worth a try! There are kick sleds available at certain points of entry to the ice road.

This evening you are free to enjoy dinner at one of the restaurants in town before an evening Northern Lights hunt. You will be picked up from the hotel by your guide and his minivan and taken out to some remote vantage points for seeing the Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights are not guaranteed, but this trip out will give you the best options for seeing them if the forecast is good.

The guides might change the night of this tour if they believe the chances of seeing the Northern Lights are better on an alternative evening during your stay in Lulea.

Return around 23.30 and overnight.

After breakfast, experience what for many is the highlight of any trip to the Arctic (after seeing the Northern Lights!) and that is the joy of riding your own dog sledding team through pristine snowy landscapes.

Your guide will transfer you to the kennels about 15kms away from the lodge. With 2 people per team, learn to take control of a husky team and have the satisfaction of mushing them as you drive on the forest and lake trail. The experience lasts 2 hours and is sure to leave you with some fantastic memories.

You will stop for a Swedish Fika as part of the trip.

On your return to the hotel, enjoy exploring Luleå or if you have upgraded your room, enjoy your free access to the Spa and enjoy a typical Swedish Sauna.

This evening venture into town for dinner maybe followed by a drink in the Sky Bar at your hotel keeping a careful watch on the sky for the auroras.

After breakfast, at leisure prior to your transfer to the airport for the flight home.

If you would like to make the most of your time there is the opportunity of detouring via the UNESCO world heritage site of Gammelstad en route to the airport. This is the best preserved example of a ‘Church Village’ in Scandinavia.

At its centre is the impressive 15th-century Nederlulea Church surrounded by 424 wood-built houses. The houses were only used on Sundays and during religious festivals to accommodate worshippers from the surrounding countryside who could not return home the same day because of the distance and difficult travelling conditions.

If celebrating a special occasion, why not extend your trip and experience a night in one of Sweden’s iconic hotels – the Tree Hotel.

Alternatively you could include a mini break to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital city and one of the most picturesque capital cities in Europe.