STAY IN THE BREATHTAKING Icehotel
Sleep on an ice bed in Sweden’s Icehotel and visit the Aurora Sky Station, the perfect place to see the mesmerising Northern Lights, on this three-night winter break
Wake up in a unique ‘frozen’ bedroom that’s been carved entirely out of ice on this wonderful once-in-a-lifetime break. In the incredible Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, a peaceful village in Swedish Lapland, you’ll sleep in a cosy thermal sleeping bag on top of Arctic reindeer skins covering an ornate ice bed. Strange as it sounds, many guests say they experience one of their best sleeps in these stunningly beautiful rooms, which reach a minimum temperature of -5°C. You’ll also be mesmerised by the hotel’s ice chandeliers, which contain a staggering 1,000 hand-cut ice crystals in total.
On this three-night trip to Swedish lapland, 200km north of the Arctic Circle, you’ll spend one night in one of the Icehotel’s classic Ice Rooms, one in its fully heated hotel or chalet-style accommodation and one in Abisko National Park – rated by Lonely Planet as the best place in the world for experiencing the Northern Lights.
In Abisko, you’ll stay at the Abisko Mountain Station, where prevailing winds push cloud away so the skies are clear, and there’s virtually no light pollution. That means, if conditions are right, you’re almost guaranteed a fantastic sighting of the Northern Lights every night between November and March.
You’ll also enjoy a four-course traditional Swedish dinner, worth £79pp, at the Aurora Sky Station while (hopefully) watching the supernatural light show. Plus, you’ll fly to Kiruna direct, in just 3½ hours, instead of up to a nine-hour trip via Stockholm, and have more time to take in the pristine frozen lakes, fir trees and tranquil landscapes. Optional Arctic activities such as husky-sledding and snowmobiling are also available.