Wilderness Hotel Nellim – Half-Term Aurora Adventure
- Details
Details
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
Upon arrival into Ivalo Airport, you will be transferred* to your accommodation.
After checking into your chosen accommodation, this evening you will enjoy a meal in the hotel’s restaurant. You’ll also be provided with your cold weather clothing, so feel free to take a walk outside and search for the Aurora on your first night in Lapland!
Please note that the order of activities within your itinerary is subject to change and the agenda below should be used as a guide only. The exact order of your agenda will be confirmed upon arrival at the hotel.
*Transfers are based on a scheduled group shuttle that sometimes stops at a few nearby hotels. If you would prefer to upgrade to a private taxi transfer please ask our Travel Experts for a quotation
Included Meals: Dinner
You will awake this morning to your stunning new surroundings and have your first real glimpse of the winter wonderland around the hotel.
After enjoying a hearty breakfast in the restaurant, it is time to get down to the all-important business of exploring! For your first Arctic foray, you will head off for a day in the wilderness – the perfect introduction to this remarkable landscape!
Activities today may include the likes of fire building, igloo construction and ice fishing across the vast, white wilderness. Lunch will be cooked on an open fire, giving you a real sense of the outdoor lifestyle that you will be enjoying here. You will be out for around four hours.
Back at the hotel your guide will take you through some of the basic science of the Aurora and provide some hints and tips for budding Aurora photographers! Your local guides are real Northern Lights addicts and they will share with you some of their experiences and insights into this phenomenon.
After your workshop, you will be fully ready for your inaugural Aurora hunt. Travelling in a snowmobile-pulled sled, you will be led to an Aurora Camp. These camps are local Aurora hotspots which the guides have handpicked for their views of the night sky. A warming fire and hot drinks will sustain you as you await a potential display. You will be out for approximately two and a half hours.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
One of the first things that children in Lapland are taught (once they have mastered walking) is how to cross-country ski. Today it is your turn to take to the trails and get the hang of this sport. With some expert tuition from your guide, you should soon be able to glide along the trails around the hotel. You will be out for approximately two hours.
After lunch, it is time for a real activity highlight as the group heads to the kennels in preparation for this afternoon’s dog sled safari. Following a full introduction and a safety briefing, you will set off on your sled with an eager husky team leading the way (two adults will travel per team). Children will travel in a larger sled pulled by the guide’s team of dogs. The route you take will vary depending on the weather conditions, but this is sure to be a real highlight for all. Having travelled for around one and a half hours you’ll return to the kennels where there will be lots of opportunities to take photos and make a fuss of the dogs before heading back to the hotel. In total, you will be out for approximately two hours.
Following dinner this evening, you will head out in a minibus or car to see if you can track down an Aurora display. Your guides will come prepared with the latest weather and Aurora forecasts in order to optimise your chances and you will hopefully be rewarded with a spectacular Northern Lights display. One of the most successful spots is Paatsjoki Bridge, where you can look out at the flowing river below. You will be out for approximately three hours.
One of the most exciting ways to navigate this vast landscape is via snowmobile, whizzing across frozen lakes and navigating the snow-covered forest trails. Snowmobiles are fun, they’re thrilling and they give the chance to explore deeper into the wilds.
Adults travel with two people per snowmobile (you can take it in turns to drive, providing you are both in possession of a full licence and over the age of 18) whilst children will travel in a sled pulled by the guide’s snowmobile. Your tour will last approximately two hours and there will be a chance to stop along the way to enjoy the scenery.
Your evening has been left free for you to relax and unwind after your long day navigating the wilds. Should the forecast be good, we would suggest taking a walk down to the small lake behind the hotel, or Lake Inari and keeping watch on the skies in the hope of a dazzling display.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Although snowshoeing may not sound quite as exciting as some of the other activities you will enjoy on this trip, it is always very popular. You may have worked out by now that if you walk off the trails you can end up waist deep in snow; snowshoes make life much easier. Exploring on foot gives you the chance to see the flora and fauna up close and your guide will point out any animal prints as you go. You will be out for approximately two hours.
Your afternoon and evening have been left free for you to relax or enjoy activities at your own pace. Snowshoes and cross-country skis are available to hire from the hotel, meaning you can take advantage of the numerous trails which surround the hotel and neighbouring forest land if you want to explore independently. Many families take to a sledging slope and then simply enjoy time around one of the lakeside campfires watching the skies.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A trip to Lapland wouldn’t be complete without the chance to meet some reindeer. These gentle creatures vastly outnumber the residents of Lapland and reindeer herding is of great importance to the region. The traditions and knowledge of this occupation date back centuries and herding has had a huge impact on the culture here.
This morning you will visit these gentle animals. Here you will have the chance to feed the reindeer and talk to the guide about a traditional herder’s livelihood. This is a wonderful opportunity to get up close with these gentle creatures and gain an understanding of the history of this region and its unique cultural identity.
This activity lasts approximately two hours.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After an action-packed few days, we have left your final day free for you to tailor your time. You may opt to relax and refresh before you return home tomorrow, or you could explore the local area further by hiring snowshoes or cross-country skis. Additional activities can also be arranged (please speak to one of our Travel Experts for further information).
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will bid farewell to Nellim as you are transferred to the airport for your return flights home.
Included Meals: Breakfast
What's included?
- Return flights from London to Ivalo (either direct or via Helsinki). Flight routes subject to change.
- Return airport transfers
- 7 nights hotel accommodation in double/twin room
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
- Snowmobile safari
- Cross-country skiing
- Husky safari
- Northern Lights workshop
- Aurora Camp
- Wilderness day
- Minibus/car Northern Lights hunt
- Snowshoeing
- Reindeer visit
- Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
- Fully qualified wilderness guides and instructor
- 24/7 assistance from our UK based operations team and in destination support from our local partners
Our Expert Opinion
Nellim presents families with an endless Arctic playground for activities such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling, husky sledding and more. Its remote location also ensures minimal light pollution, making it an excellent place to hopefully witness a spectacular Aurora display. One of my favourite things to do during a free evening here is to sit around the lakeside campfire and enjoy hot berry juice with my kids as we keep watch for the Northern Lights – a simple yet memorable family experience.
Accommodation
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Wilderness Hotel Nellim is owned by our good friends Jouko and Mari Lappalainen. Nellim was their first hotel (they now also own the delights of Nangu, Muotka and Wilderness Hotel Inari) and is now renowned as an Aurora destination. It will always hold a special place in our hearts for being the first place many of us saw the Northern Lights. The hotel has been upgraded over the years and now has a wide range of accommodation options including rooms, suites, log cabins and unforgettable Aurora Cabins and Bubbles (see the ‘Personalise’ section for details) which are all within a short walk of the main reception and restaurant building. A tiny village, Nellim is a remote spot close to the shores of Lake Inari and surrounded by incredible wilderness, providing perfectly dark skies, ideal for Aurora viewing. 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
