Kiruna – Sami Culture and Wellness under the Northern Lights
- Details
Details
This four-night immersive journey takes you into the heart of Sami culture in Swedish Lapland, discovering the rich cultural tapestry of the Sami people while surrounded by the dramatic landscapes of Kiruna. During your stay you will get to engage in traditional Sami cooking, search for the Northern Lights by reindeer-pulled sleigh and enjoy an authentic spa treatment celebrating Sami culture in traditional fashion.
Highlights of this trip include a unique insight into the culinary delights of Sami cooking as you prepare traditional dishes over the open fire and learn more about the indigenous people of Swedish Lapland. You will also venture out one evening into Abisko National Park, where you will get to feast on a three-course dinner.
During your time away, we recommend you use your free time with an evening of relaxation at the Aurora Spa at Camp Ripan. Here you can indulge in organic treatments such as birch leaf scrubs and locally sourced rapeseed oil massages. The Stavan Spa Ritual included in your package, a holistic spa journey combining ancient traditions and organic treatments.
Image credits: Camp Ripan
Important Information
Itinerary
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
After landing at Kiruna airport you will take the 15-minute transfer to Camp Ripan, in the town of Kiruna.
Following check in, the rest of the day has been left free for you to explore your new surroundings.
Dinner tonight will be your first opportunity to enjoy the wonderful food of Camp Ripan, where the food is prepared with care according to old recipes that are revived with new thinking and influences from different parts of the world.
Included Meals: Dinner
A unique opportunity for food and culture enthusiasts, your journey into Sami tradition begins this morning with a pick-up in Kiruna, transporting you westward to the mountains for an authentic Sami culinary experience, crafting traditional Sápmi dishes in the natural beauty of Puoltsa. Learn to bake gáhkku (traditional bread) over an open fire in the goahti (a traditional Sami hut), create special coffee cheese, and cook local meats. You will learn about Sami food, culture and their relationship with nature and animals.
In the evening, your package includes the Aurora Spa’s most traditional spa experience – the Stavan Spa ritual. Set your own pace with self-administered treatments, featuring a birch leaf scrub, juniper-infused foot salts, a rejuvenating coffee scrub, and a locally sourced rapeseed oil body massage. This activity includes two-hour spa access, with use of towels and bath robes included.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today has been left free for you to relax or you may wish to add an additional activity such as exploring the city of Kiruna or Nordic Skiing – please see the personalise section for full details.
This evening you will seek out the Northern Lights (or as the Sami people would call it, the Guovssahasat meaning ‘the light you can hear’) at a local reindeer camp.
This adventure begins with a pickup in Kiruna, heading out via snowmobile-pulled sleigh to the reindeer camp. Upon arrival at the camp, you will learn about the Sami way of life and their reindeer herd, and you will also have the chance to feed the reindeer and enjoy a short reindeer-pulled sleigh ride. You’ll spend the evening searching the skies for the Northern Lights, and you will also enjoy a light dinner of local specialties by the fireside in a Sami hut, discovering more about animals, nature, and Sami culture.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today, you have free time up until 17:00 to explore as you please. We recommend guests either take the opportunity to maximise your Sami cultural experience by taking part in activities such as ‘become a Sami survivor’ or the ‘Sami wellness day tour’ or use your free time to combine the traditional with the modern and jump on a snowmobile and go ice fishing; the choice is yours.
This evening, you will embark on a journey to Abisko National Park. Following a 1.5-hour car trip, enjoy a three-course traditional dinner in a restaurant situated in Abisko village. A local guide will share insights into nature, Sami culture, and Northern Lights mythology. Weather permitting, you will then get the chance to head outside and hopefully view the Northern Lights. Guides, who are also skilled photographers will assist you in capturing the idyllic scenery.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
After enjoying an unforgettable holiday, unfortunately, it’s time to head home and after breakfast you will be transferred to the airport
Included Meals: Breakfast
What's included?
- Accommodation: 4 nights in a chalet/cabin Kiruna with double bed OR chalet/cabin Riekko with 2 single beds in 2 separate rooms
- Transfers: return group airport transfers from/to Kiruna Airport
- Meals: 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners (including 1 light dinner)
- Traditional Sami cooking
- 1 x Spa Access including the Stavan Spa Ritual
- Sami Reindeer Camp Northern Lights Tour
- Aurora tour with dinner in Abisko
- Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
- Fully qualified guides and instructors during activities
- 24/7 assistance from our UK based operations team and in destination support from our local partners
Accommodation
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Personalise This Tour
The world-famous ICEHOTEL is only a short journey from Kiruna, in the nearby village of Jukkasjärvi. You will be transferred to the ICEHOTEL where you will have free time to explore the various rooms and sculptures on your own before enjoying a tour of the oldest part of Jukkasjärvi where you will learn more about the surrounding area and Sami culture. You will visit the old church and also meet a small herd of reindeer at a local farm and museum.
Duration: 3 hours
During this activity, you will seek out the Northern Lights (or as the Sami people would call it, the Guovssahasat, meaning 'the light you can hear') on horseback.
The adventure begins with a short transfer to the horse farm. Together with your guides, you will prepare the horses for an evening riding tour through ancient forest against a mountain backdrop. With hopes of witnessing the mesmerising Northern Lights and starry skies, you may even encounter moose on your journey. Upon your return, you will enjoy a dinner of local specialties by the fireside in a Sami hut, discovering more about animals, nature, and Sami culture.
Please note: this tour requires no riding experience but good physical health is necessary. Maximum rider weight is 90kg.
This tour starts with a short transfer to the nearby kennels where you will meet your guide and team of huskies. Your expert guide will drive the sled as you sit and enjoy the stunning winter scenery. Winding through the snow-covered forest, you will arrive at a traditional Sami-style tipi, where warm drinks and snacks will be served around an open fire. The sleds can fit up to four passengers and the tour will last for approximately 2.5 hours, including transfers and breaks.
For those wanting to take part in a truly authentic side of Sami culture we recommend this Sami survival activity. You will embark on a foraging walk, searching for the right wood to kindle a vital fire. Mastering the art of dressing for warmth, finding edible sustenance beneath the snow, identifying animal tracks, and moving adeptly through the forest are also crucial skills that you will learn. You will absorb the Sami philosophy; knowing when to act, what to avoid, and embrace survival essentials. Your guide will show you how to make a fire and you will enjoy hot drinks and a snack.
Duration: 4 hours
| Tour Loaction: | Abisko,Sweden |
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| Tour Loaction: | Kiruna,Sweden |
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| Tour Loaction: | Kiruna,Sweden |
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Tour Map
Additional Info
Price is based on 2 persons travelling
Tour terms, click here
Booking conditions click here
Snow coverage in early December
If you are travelling early in the winter season and there is not enough snowfall, then some activities may be adapted by the local team, or alternatives provided, to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort. For more information on this, please see section 11 of our booking terms and conditions.
Key Facts
For your best chance to see the Northern Lights, contact the UK’s only Aurora specialists
