Traditional Lapland New Year & Magical Aurora Chase

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the exclusive 7 room Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge run by Andreas Mikko. There, you will have a briefing on your New Year Northern Lights holiday and be kitted out with your arctic clothing.

Settle in and after dinner relax by the fire in the lodge and enjoy a drink from the bar.

Ylva Forssén is one of a select group of accomplished female husky guides, who runs a lovely kennel in one of our favourite valleys near Kiruna. She has a very unique relationship with her dogs and it is always a privilege to spend time with her.

Your journey from the lodge to the kennel follows a scenic road that leads to Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain. During the car ride there are great opportunities to see moose, as this is their wintering ground. Once you arrive at the kennels get acquainted with the dogs and receive detailed instructions about how to drive a team. Harness the dogs and feel their excitement as you attach the sled. Head out into the frozen river valley where you will have opportunities to take turns in driving the team whilst making stops to take photos. The location is outside the major tourist areas and we can almost promise that you will enjoy the arctic nature peacefully.

You will be out for around 2 hours before heading back to base for a warming lunch in the family home.

Over the years we have had many requests for guests to stay longer at the Kennels, interact with the dogs and do another trip out into the magnificent countryside. If you would like to make a day of it please see the option of extending below.

To make it more exclusive we only take a maximum of 8 guests at a time.

This evening, enjoy a leisurely dinner or alternatively choose the private Hot tub and Sauna evening at the lodge. This special addition includes an hour private use of the rooftop aurora hot tub.

After breakfast, Mikko, your snowmobile guide, will meet and transfer you to Máttárahkká Northern Lights Lodge for your adventure along one of his private snowmobile trails. The beauty of being based at Máttárahkká is that you can snowmobile straight from the front door!

Explore forests and frozen lakes where the chances of seeing reindeer and moose in their natural habitat are good. Continue your excursion up to Mount Eatnamvárri, a real vantage point from where you have spectacular views. Miles and miles of untouched wilderness stretch out before you on one side of the mountain and on the other side, Kiruna nestles between the Loussavaara and Kirunavaara mountains.

New Year Dinner

Enjoy a traditional 3-course dinner prepared with the finest local ingredients.

Northern Lights Chase on snowmobiles

After Dinner Mikko or one of his guides will take you out by snowmobile through the dark arctic night to a place where there is zero light pollution. You will be surrounded by mountains that are rising like mysterious shadows towards the night sky and drive the snowmobile through the snow-covered landscape with the stars above you. We will make several stops along the way, drink hot beverages and wait for the Northern Lights to show up and dance for us in the night sky. At the top of Mt. Ednavaara you have a 360-degree view over the mountain ranges around you. Toast the New Year in the arctic wilderness and below the magical Northern Lights.

After breakfast at the lodge transfer to the Sámi village of Rávttas, 20 minutes west of the lodge to meet with Nils Håkan Enoksson. Nils Håkan can trace back his family roots several hundred years and has interesting insights into how life has changed in this period.

This experience will give you a glimpse of the traditional lifestyle of the Sámi people and affords the opportunity to get up close with Lapland’s most iconic creature – the reindeer.

During the visit you will have an opportunity to feed the reindeer and absorb the magical relationship between the Sámi and their most prized resource. Your visit includes a ride on a traditional ‘Reindeer powered sled’, the means by which the Sami people traversed the Arctic for centuries.

To end the encounter Hakan will invite you into his traditional Sámi lavvu (teepee) where you will be served a traditional meal around an open fire.

Visit the original Icehotel

This afternoon visit the original Icehotel as well as the revolutionary Icehotel 365. Admire the spectacular individual Art Suites designed by leading artists from around the world, take a cocktail in the unique ice glasses at the sculptured Ice Bar and peep into the Ice Chapel to see if a wedding ceremony is taking place! This is the original Icehotel featured in many television programmes and is still the best.

Return to the lodge to relax.

After the New Year celebrations enjoy a leisurely start to the day and breakfast before a late morning transfer to the airport for your flight home.