SAS have announced new direct flights to Luleå, Sweden from the UK, which means that our winter trips to Luleå are now even easier to reach.

The Aurora Zone have been operating Northern Lights trips and winter holidays to Luleå for many years, but with new direct flights which will be available from December 2020, visitors can now fly directly to Luleå from London Stanstead. Working in conjunction with SAS and Visit Sweden, the new route makes this pristine corner of Swedish Lapland much more accessible, and is considered greener, too!

Swedish Lapland; directly this way

As the original Northern Lights Holiday specialists, we have been researching and visiting prime Aurora destinations for many, many years. Based on our experience, we know that in order to witness Mother Nature’s greatest display, it’s best to get off-the-beaten-track and into darker skies.

Travelling to these remote regions has not always been easy. However, alongside our local partners who are passionate about showing you their home, we are continuously working to offer better routes to these stunning wilderness areas. What’s more, with responsible travel at the forefront of our minds, it is our priority to find greener alternatives wherever possible. 

That’s why we’re proud to have worked alongside both SAS and Visit Sweden to champion a new CO2-reducing direct flight from London Stansted to Luleå in Swedish Lapland - a renowned Northern Lights destination and a simply stunning corner of the world. 

That means that this winter season, it will actually be possible to reduce your carbon footprint on your Northern Lights hunting holiday.

Scroll to learn more about this wonderful new route. 

"A Night at the Theatre", art suite designed by Jonathan Green and Marnie Green 

When the first plans for ICEHOTEL® 2019 were revealed in September, we couldn’t wait to see the finished Art Suites. We are pleased to say that thankfully the wait is officially over!

Sweden’s reputation for innovative design just keeps growing, and the newest addition to its list of spectacular accommodation doesn’t disappoint.

Arctic Bath in Swedish Lapland is a wellness hotel with an innovative touch. Built to float on the stunning Lule River during the summer and freeze in place throughout the winter, the hotel offers the ultimate peaceful retreat year-round.

Connected by floating walkways, the circular Arctic Bath features three saunas, a spa treatment room, a hot bath, outdoor and indoor showers and two dressing rooms.

As per Nordic tradition, there is also a cold-water bath for guests to take an icy plunge and add to their wellbeing experience.

Guests can choose to stay in one of the six floating cabins or land-based cabins.

On land, you can make use of the huge glass windows to search the skies for the Auroras and in the floating cabins, you can enjoy a brilliant view from your wooden deck outside.

Learn more on our accommodation page here or scroll to find out more about this innovative design.

"A Night at the Theatre", art suite created by Jonathan Green and Marnie Green 

Summer may be over but there is plenty to get excited about as winter gets ever nearer. Not only has the Northern Lights season officially started but equally as exciting is the fact that Sweden’s world-famous ICEHOTEL® has released its plans for what this year’s hotel has to offer as they celebrate their 30^th birthday!

Forest holidays have been getting a lot of airtime recently, becoming a trending travel search term on Google and go-to way to describe leafy dwellings. In essence, a forest holiday is an escape away from the hustle and bustle of your hectic lifestyle and lands you in the wilderness to help you reconnect with yourself whilst enjoying some fresh air and much-needed quiet time!

Valentine’s Day is all about showing your special someone exactly how much they mean to you and celebrating your time together. Make Valentine’s Day truly remarkable this year and go in search of the most romantic of natural wonders; the spectacular Aurora Borealis!

From unbelievable locations to once-in-a-lifetime Northern Lights experiences, here’s how to have an unforgettable Valentine’s searching for the Aurora Borealis:

When the first plans for the ICEHOTEL® 2018 were revealed in August, we couldn’t wait to see the finished suites. Now, the wait is over and the ICEHOTEL® is officially open!

This is the 29^th annual rendition of the hotel which saw 34 artists from 13 countries help to create the structure made completely of snow and ice. Nature is the inspiration behind many of the suites this year and we’re excited to show you the photos from the grand reveal.  

If you are like us, then you will probably know the feeling of watching as the excitement builds and builds towards the 25^th December before it crashes down again on the 26^th- that is of course until the 31^st December!

Now, we love a New Year’s party as much as the next person and some of the fireworks displays on offer can be wonderful. However, if you really want to celebrate in style and enjoy a light show like no other then there really is only one thing to do – book yourself a New Year Northern Lights escape!

"Haven", art suite created by Jonas Johansson, Jordi Claramunt and, Lukas Petko 

Summer may be drawing to a close but there is plenty to get excited about as winter approaches, not least because Sweden’s world-famous ICEHOTEL® has provided a teaser of what this year’s hotel has to offer for ICEHOTEL® number 29!

During my years at The Aurora Zone, I have been fortunate enough to stay at several snow and ice hotels across Scandinavia and I've always really enjoyed the experience.

Prior to travelling to the IceHotel, it was difficult to know what to expect, for not in my wildest imagination could I envisage a hotel made from blocks of Ice and decorated with magical sculptures. I had seen photographs of both the IceHotel and the IceHotel365 but once again nothing could prepare me for the reality of actually witnessing them for myself.

After arriving, I dressed into my warm overalls and left the bus behind. We met our guide in the reception area before she led us down snowy paths towards the hotel. As we entered into a courtyard I gazed upon the hotel for the first time and was instantly mesmerised. The structure before me was bathed in enchanting colours of white and blue and it was difficult for me to comprehend that it was rebuilt each year.

The Treehotel has expanded their unique portfolio of impressive contemporary accommodation to bring you the brand new, magical ‘7th Room’, created with Northern Lights lovers in mind!

If you haven’t heard of the Treehotel, where have you been!? Located in pine forests by the Lule River in Swedish Lapland it is one of the most architecturally impressive collection of rooms. Set up by Kent Lindvall and his wife Britta in 2010, the portfolio of rooms consists of The Cabin, The UFO, The Mirrorcube, The Blue Cone, The Bird’s Nest and The Dragonfly, each with their own unique character.

Sweden’s famous Treehotel has commissioned a new room to add to its vast contemporary and individual boutique accommodation - this time, to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights!

The Northern Lights – An otherworldly experience
Way back in 1958, an absolutely massive solar flare resulted in the Northern Lights being visible as far south as Mexico City. By all accounts, the emergency services were inundated with panicky calls from residents who thought the dancing lights in the sky heralded an extraterrestrial invasion!!

You have to see the Northern Lights up close and personal to understand why the good people of Mexico City reacted in the way they did.

Stand on a frozen Arctic lake and watch curtains of ethereal light shimmering and billowing overhead. It soon becomes apparent why Stone Age or Iron Age man might have believed Mother Nature's hypnotic light show to be the spirits of the departed or celestial warriors engaged in combat of the immortals.

Most people when they visit Swedish Lapland head to the far North to Abisko and Kiruna or spend time around the Lulea Archipelago in the south. In doing so they miss the secret that is Tärendö and the Forest Hotel. Location wise you have to look closely at a map. Tärendö is located on the Tärendö river which is a tributary of the larger Tornio rover. Follow this river north and you will pass the Ice Hotel at Jukkasjarvi. The village has a population of 208 people so befriending every inhabitant on Facebook is not going to exceed your ‘friends’ quota. The town, however, does boast one Olympic Gold medallist in Cross-Country skiing!

I was travelling as part of my 50th birthday when I visited Tarendo.

We are very excited to announce our newest northern light adventure: Abisko Autumn Aurora Adventure photography trip.

For the first time ever, you will have the chance to join us in Abisko National Park during the warmest time of the aurora season.

This once in a lifetime trip will allow you to experience the northern lights in the relative warmth of Autumn and will provide you with an opportunity to photograph the auroras reflecting in the beautiful rivers, lakes and streams of the Arctic.

Cloud cover is the Aurora chaser’s worst enemy.

If the sky is cloudy you won’t see the Northern Lights, simple as that. However, this is also one of the reasons that Abisko in Swedish Lapland is one of the very best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis.

In terms of topography and meteorology, Abisko is blessed by a happy combination of favourable winds and cloud-dispersing mountains which work in tandem to create some of Northern Scandinavia’s most cloud-free skies.

I work for a Tour Operator called The Aurora Zone and one of the best aspects of my job is searching for the Northern Lights.

Image: Markku Inkila

It may seem slightly strange but here at The Aurora Zone, we can’t wait for the end of summer.Yes, summer is lovely with warm, sunny days and long hours of daylight but therein lies our problem....daylight, there is simply too much of it.

Heading up the Product and Operations Department, Jono helps to create new and exciting holidays for The Aurora Zone, as well as managing existing ones. Jono's most memorable travel experience is a snowy morning in December, in the heart of the Norwegian fjords.

Now retired Ali was the man who started it all, He founded the UK's first-ever Northern Lights holiday brand. Behind his self-promoting braggadocio is a genuine pride that The Aurora Zone has been responsible for helping thousands of people tick the Northern Lights off their bucket list.  He may technically be retired but Ali will always remain a part of the Aurora Zone family!