Wilderness Hotel Muotka – Northern Lights Adventure
- Details
Details
Our Northern Lights Adventure packs a real activity punch in just four days and you will spend a great deal of time exploring the wilds of Lapland, both during the day and at night.
On this trip, you will travel across the snow-covered landscape in a variety of ways. From the much-loved Finnish pastime of cross-country skiing to the exhilaration of snowmobiling and the thrill of driving a team of huskies across the wilderness.
Your nocturnal activities will be dedicated to seeking out Northern Light displays and with the guide's local knowledge, and a wide variety of vantage points to choose from, your chances couldn't be higher. You will search for the lights by minibus, using snowshoes and in a sleigh pulled by a snowmobile.
Your base at Muotkan Maja Wilderness Hotel can be found amongst the forested-fells in North-East Finland. Muotka's secluded setting provides guests with an idyllic retreat.
The welcoming hotel is decorated in typical Scandinavian décor and offers cosy accommodation and excellent hospitality.
Muotka also has another attraction up its sleeve; the exceptional Aurora Kotas. The Kotas offer guests the chance to spend the night under the Arctic sky and guests can spend their entire stay in a Kota should they wish. Details of these unforgettable options can be found in the 'Accommodation' section of the holiday page.
It's hard to narrow down the reasons why we love Muotka; whether it's the wonderful welcome, the fabulous Aurora prospects, the array of activities or the spectacular location. We recommend that you simply go and see for yourself.
Please note if you are travelling over Christmas (celebrated on 24th December throughout Scandinavia) or New Year, you will enjoy a festive dinner and celebrations on the respective dates.
Important Information
The order of activities listed in this agenda is provided for guidance only. Your final and detailed itinerary will be provided either with your final travel documents (which will be emailed to you around a week prior to departure), or upon arrival.
Itinerary
You will be greeted at the airport before being transferred* the 40km to the Muotkan Maja Wilderness Hotel ready to begin your exciting adventure.
Your schedule will be keeping you pretty busy for the next few days, so you may wish to get an early night once you have finished your evening meal. However, you should also keep an eye on the sky. The remoteness of the hotel means you don’t have to go far to witness the Northern Lights should a display begin.
The Aurora Kotas here at Muotka are an exceptional upgrade option and provide very comfortable Aurora accommodation either for one night or your whole stay. Details of these options can be found in the ‘Accommodation’ section of the holiday page.
* Transfers are based on a scheduled group shuttle that sometimes stops at a few nearby hotels. If you would prefer to upgrade to private taxi transfers please ask our Travel Experts for a quotation.
Following breakfast this morning, you will be out exploring the beautiful wilderness traversing the landscape with cross-country skis (approximately two hours), navigating the trails which surround the hotel. Cross-country skiing is something of a national obsession in this part of the world and an activity we think that everyone should try at least once. It can be addictive and so, if you would like to explore independently later on in the week, you can hire the equipment at the hotel. Lunch will be served at the hotel.
In the late afternoon, your guide will talk through the phenomenon of the Northern Lights in detail and describe some of the science and legends behind them. As photographing the Aurora has become increasingly popular they will also aim to discuss the optimal camera settings that will help you capture a potential image.
Tonight you will head out on your first of three nocturnal excursions in search of the Northern Lights. The guides here are all local experts and their knowledge and enthusiasm for the Aurora are unsurpassed. Tonight your guide will lead you in a sled pulled by their snowmobile to the Aurora Camp, where you will sit around a campfire, listen to stories your guide has to tell and watch the skies for a potential Northern Lights display. You will be out for around two and a half hours.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Snowmobiling is one of the most thrilling ways to explore the Arctic, allowing you to cover a lot of ground and gain a sense of the scale of the wilderness. Full instruction and a safety briefing will be given before you set off, travelling two people per snowmobile. Providing you both have a full driving licence and are over 18, you will have the chance to take it in turns to either drive or be the passenger.
Your destination is a reindeer farm around 20km away, where you will meet with the local herder and his reindeer. Here you will gain an understanding of the history of herding and the importance of the reindeer to the region.
There will be time to enjoy a short sleigh ride and take some pictures of these gentle animals before embarking on your snowmobiles for the return trip to Muotka. You will be out for around four to five hours in total and a soup lunch is included.
Following dinner this evening, you will strap on your snowshoes for a hike with your guide. Snowshoeing at night is a different experience to doing so in the day, and the scenery will look very different by torchlight. It is a wonderful experience and with any luck, the Northern Lights will help guide your path. This activity will last for approximately two and a half hours.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Your last day in this remote corner of the world is sure to be a memorable one as you experience a husky safari across the fells. The dogs here love nothing more than to pull a sled and their enthusiasm is a joy to witness. You will travel two people per sled with a team of four to six dogs. Once the dogs’ initial excited barking has abated, they will pull you enthusiastically across the snow and the experience becomes an altogether tranquil one. The peacefulness of the activity will allow you to really appreciate the awe-inspiring wilderness that provides the backdrop to the experience.
The distance travelled will be determined by the conditions on the trail but you will be driving for around one hour with the dogs. This activity last around two hours and you will take lunch back at the hotel.
After your final dinner with the group at Muotka tonight, you will be travelling in a minibus and on the hunt for the Aurora one last time. Utilising the mobility, your guide will locate the best viewpoint and the Northern Lights will hopefully come to bid you farewell. You will be out for around two and a half hours.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will bid farewell to Muotka as you are transferred to the airport for your flights home. If you are departing on an early flight, you will be provided with a breakfast box.
We can arrange for you to extend your stay in Finland and enjoy the sights and sounds of Helsinki on your way home.
What's included?
- Return from London to Ivalo (either direct or via Helsinki). Flight routes are subject to change
- Return scheduled group shuttle airport transfers
- 4 nights’ accommodation in twin/double hotel rooms
- 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
- Aurora workshop
- Cross-country skiing
- Aurora camp
- Snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm
- Aurora snowshoe hike
- Husky safari
- Aurora hunt by minibus
- Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
- 24/7 assistance from our UK based operations team and in destination support from our local partners
Accommodation
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Wilderness Hotel Muotka resides around 40km from the main town of Ivalo, tucked away in the corner of North-East Finland. Recently renovated and restored it is owned and run by the same couple as the popular Nellim Wilderness Hotel, Mari and Jouko Lappalainen. They run the hotel with the same hard-working ethos and it exudes the same warmth and charm for its much-welcomed guests. The hotel boasts some wonderful scenery, tucked away in the forested-fells with roaming reindeer frequently seen amongst the trees. It consists of two main accommodation buildings, one with the majority of the bedrooms and another with hosts additional bedrooms, the main restaurant and the reception area. Hotel facilities
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Tour Map
Additional Info
Price is based on 2 persons travelling
Tour terms, click here
Booking conditions click here
Payment and Cancellation Terms:
Please note that the following cancellation terms supersede in part those mentioned in Section 7 of our general booking terms and conditions.
If you are travelling between, and including, the dates of 15.12-06.01, the following cancellation terms apply:
– Prior to 25.09 – Loss of deposit (including the full cost of the flights or other services where paid at the time of booking)
– 26.09 up until departure date – 100%
For all other travel dates, the following cancellation terms apply:
– Up to balance due date (this is normally 16 weeks prior to departure however some holidays differ. If this applies to your holiday you will be advised at the time of booking) – Loss of deposit (including the full cost of flights or other services where paid at the time of booking)
– Between balance due date and 43 days prior to departure – 60%
– 42 to 16 days prior to departure – 85%
– 15 or less days – 100%
Key Facts
For your best chance to see the Northern Lights, contact the UK’s only Aurora specialists
