Maximise your chances of seeing the Northern Lights with this 3-night stay at Nellim resort, including a night in an Aurora Cabin, Aurora alerts and two evenings with Northern Lights hunting activities.
This packages has been designed for experiencing the wonders of Finnish Lapland, with multiple opportunities to catch a glimpse of the aurora.
Location
Finland
Duration
3 Nights
Available dates
Dec - Mar
Price per person (excl. flights)
from £2,000
Overview
Highlights
- Stay in a traditional log cabin with one night in an Aurora Cabin*
- 3 winter activities
- Full board included and winter kit hire
What’s included
- 3 nights accommodation in a Log Cabin and Aurora Cabin
- 4 winter activities
- Return transfer from Ivalo (options to upgrade to private transfers are available)
- Full board
- Winter kit hire
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 in Nellim
Arrive into Ivalo Airport where you will be met by your shared transfer and take to your property, Nellim. This will be your base for the next three nights, and from where you will have a variety of excursions included in your package.
This particular package is set up for you to stay in a Log Cabin but also includes a night in an Aurora Cabin along with an Aurora alert for the duration of your stay. There are plenty of other options to consider when it comes to accommodation here, so be sure to enquire about these.
Day 2-3
Winter Activity Options
There is the option to add on further activities if you wish – just speak to the team to look into this for you.
Explore Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling in Nellim is big fun. There is unlimited wilderness, lots of tracks and beautiful scenery all around. After a snowmobiling lesson and safety instructions, we will head off on our snowmobiling adventure. During the day we will enjoy lunch by the open fire and warm drinks to keep us warm. Is there a better way to spend a winter day?
Husky Safari
An absolute ‘must do’ when visiting Nellim! You will be taught how to handle the sled before you head out for the husky safari, where the huskies will pull your sled through the beautiful winter scenery, passing through the frozen Lake Inari. The dogs’ excitement is infectious and as the animals fall silent on the trail, you will realize that this is the only way to see Lapland. All of our husky safaris include full instruction and are based on two people sharing a sled unless otherwise stated.
Aurora Camp
This activity takes you Norther Lights hunting on the amazing Lake Inari. You will be comfortably seated in a sledge that is pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. This way you can enjoy the northern sky all the way to the camp place. While observing the night sky, we will enjoy the blazing campfire with hot drinks and each other’s company. The atmosphere by the campfire is an experience in itself. Our Aurora Camps are located 3-6km from Nellim, facing the northern sky. Lake Inari is one of the best places in the world for Northern Lights viewing since there is no light pollution at all. If you are lucky, you might get to enjoy this unique light phenomenon.
Aurora Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing in the woods at night has its own excitement. We will wander in the Nellim woods and surroundings, until finally reaching the camp spot. At the camp we will enjoy some warm drinks and gaze at the sky hoping for a possible Northern Lights show.
Day 4
Returning Home
After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport for your flight home. Speak to the team if you wish to extend your stay.
Where You'll Stay
Nellim Resorts - Nellim
Nellim is the perfect combination of traditional Lappish style and Nordic luxury, just moments from the shores of Lake Inari in Finnish Lapland. Managed by the local Lappalainen family, the hotel has been carefully and thoughtfully designed to resonate with the region’s nature, exuding a friendly, warm, and relaxed atmosphere.
Room options are ideal for couples, families, and larger groups of friends traveling together and include Wilderness double or twin rooms, Arctic Suites, Log Suites in Cabins, Log Cabins accommodating 2 to 7 guests, an Aurora Lakeside Villa, Arctic Nature Cabin, Arctic Lake Villa, and Aurora Cabins and Bubbles for aurora enthusiasts. Each type offers unique features, with some including a private sauna. Our team can help you pick the accommodation that would be best for you.
Enjoy full board dining, including heart breakfast buffets and evening feasts of traditional Lappish cuisine, featuring salmon, arctic char, reindeer, moose, soup, salads, and more, served in the hotel’s cozy wilderness restaurant.
Work up your appetite by embarking on an array of Arctic activities throughout your stay, such as driving snowmobiles, mushing your own team of huskies, snowshoe treks, Nordic skiing, visits to a reindeer farm, ice fishing, and several evening experiences in pursuit of the aurora borealis.
After thrilling winter escapades, unwind in the sauna—an essential experience for visitors to Finnish Lapland. Some accommodation types boast private saunas, while others can arrange private sauna appointments in the shared facilities on-site.
Enquire Now
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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
Hotel Ranga was perfect, with amazing food. It is in the middle of nowhere, very quiet and with the weather being bad there wasn’t the possibility of leaving the hotel in the evening so mightn’t suit all for that reason. Super Jeep tour we thoroughly enjoyed with 2 lovely guides.
Hotel Borg was in the perfect location. For us, one night in Reykjavik would be ample.
Blue Lagoon was a wonderful experience only heightened by the appearance of the northern lights on our walk home from dinner. All in all we had the best holiday and we plan to return to Iceland hopefully sooner rather than later.
Lisa McAleer
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
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
We had the most fabulous time and everything worked like clockwork. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and extremely competent. The food was excellent and the experiences, especially Husky Homes, were brilliant. We saw the aurora lights at the mountain top in Abisko where the photography tour will be an enduring memory of a wonderful time. I would very much recommend Weekend a la Carte as a proficient tour operator.
Mark Nicholson
A fantastic short break which fulfilled all expectations. Well organised with a polished delivery, we could not have asked for more. The accommodation was perfect for us and the guides knowledgeable and helpful. Every day was packed with adventure, each lasting longer than scheduled but we were never rushed; the guides took pride in showing and explaining their beautiful country. We would certainly use Weekend a la carte again and recommend them to others.
Carol Mumford
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
We did the aurora nights break and had a great time overall. Everything related to flights, hire car, and hotels ran smoothly. There were a few issues largely relating to the weather and driving conditions (we travelled in mid March), but what we did manage to do was amazing.
The blue lagoon was easy to access from the airport and was a brilliant experience. We booked the standard package and it came with a free drink and face mask. Facilities were clean and organised with free toiletries in the shower rooms, which helps if you’ve gone there straight from the airport.
The drive to Hotel Ranga afterwards was long but fine (check out the road on google streetview to know what to expect). The hotel and staff were great. We were limited to one option as vegetarians on the bar and a la carte menus, but the food was lovely and if you are a meat eater you will see options of unusual dishes like puffin and reindeer.
Our northern lights super jeep trip was cancelled on both nights due to a poor forecast, but we were lucky enough to get an aurora wake up call from Hotel Ranga the first night. We couldn’t use the hottubs as there are only a few and they were always taken in the limited time we spent at the hotel, so don’t go expecting to get lots of time in one and you won’t be disappointed. View them as an add on if you can time it right. We were travelling with an 11 year old, so we didn’t stay up really late. If you are a couple you probably have a better chance of getting one later on.
The glacier/volcano super jeep trip was outstanding. Our driver, Íbí was excellent. She went above and beyond and gave us such an awesome experience. We were also super lucky with the weather the first two days and had great views across Iceland.
The ice cave tour was also incredible and the guides running it were excellent. The group size was much bigger than expected (especially after the more exclusive volcano super jeep tour), but it was broken down into smaller groups that were managed well, with plenty of time factored in for photographs. There were several unexplained delays getting to the cave during the tour that meant we weren’t able to ‘mini tour’ the rest of the South Coast afterwards, so if you plan to do the ice cave don’t overplan for the afternoon as you may not have much time. Not a huge disappointment for us as we got to experience the cave, but I imagine someone who planned a full itinerary afterwards might be frustrated by the estamiated timings not always being right and subject to change with the weather (which was wicked that day).
Driving around Reykjavik was a horrible experience as we arrived around rush hour and weren’t prepared for all the traffic, having only experienced quiet roads along the south coast. It was difficult finding a parking space, so be prepared to drive around a little when you arrive. If you haven’t driven on the right before and are not a confident driver this could leave you feeling stressed. Again, check out the roads into Reykjavik on Google maps to get a sense of what awaits if you aren’t used to self-driving.
We didn’t get to tour the golden circle because of road conditions/ice/road closures, so we spent the day in Reykjavik instead. This turned out okay for us as we did some of the attractions (Lava Centre and Fly Over Iceland – both hughly recommended), but it ended up being an extra expense and we missed out on the golden attractions. Again, not a big issue if you are aware this could happen. The weather is so changeable that having a plan B is a good approach.
Weekend a la Carte sent us a text warning us about the bad weather conditions, which we’d already seen on the Safe Iceland app, but we were grateful for anyway. It was good to know they were looking out for us!
All in all, a remarkable trip, with some unique experiences. If you book this in the knowledge that nature will have her own way, and you may not see everything you want (especially in winter), you will have a great time. Ranga is definitely the best place to maximise your chances of seeing the lights.
Sarah Brooks