Wilderness Hotel Nangu – Northern Lights Adventure
- Details
Details
This week-long itinerary includes all the Arctic highlights and is set on the idyllic shores of Lake Inari, Finland. Four Aurora activities, a husky safari, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling are just some of the fantastic activities on offer.
Visiting Wilderness Hotel Nangu is like escaping to a winter destination that you thought you could only dream of. The crisp white landscape, the snow-covered log buildings, and the warm glow that emanates from the windows create a destination that oozes cosy charm and peace.
The hotel's position on the southern shores of Lake Inari creates a stunning backdrop as well as providing excellent Aurora-spotting potential. The mass of open space above the lake is the perfect canvas for the Northern Lights and so, of course, we have made sure that the Aurora activities included are plentiful.
You will hunt for the lights in several ways, including on snowshoes, by snowmobile, and by snowmobile-pulled sleigh. Your expert guides will take you away from any light pollution and towards Northern Lights' viewpoints which have been chosen based on the most recent Aurora activity, cloud cover and weather conditions.
By day, you will experience everything that Northern Finland has to offer, including its wildlife and its incredible landscape. You will crank up the action with cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, a reindeer farm visit, a husky-pulled sleigh ride and snowshoeing, as you explore the landscape in a host of ways and enjoy the glistening, snow-carpeted surroundings.
Over winter, the hotel is only open for guests over the age of 16, meaning extra peace and quiet in your free time.
Please note: If you are staying over Christmas or New Year, you will enjoy a festive dinner and celebrations on the 24th or the 31st of December (traditionally in Finland, Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve).
Photo Credits: Wilderness Hotel Nangu, Matt Robinson
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
After landing at Ivalo Airport, you will be greeted by your driver who will take you to Wilderness Hotel Nangu (around 30 minutes away)*.
You’ll know you have arrived at Nangu when you come across a group of charming, snow-covered log buildings, with a warming and welcoming glow emanating from the windows.
Use tonight to settle in and relax, enjoy a meal in the hotel restaurant. You will then receive your cold weather clothing (this will be done tomorrow morning if you arrive on a later flight). Take this chance to venture outside to take advantage of the vast, expansive views from the lake which offer fantastic Northern Lights-spotting potential. You might begin your week by witnessing a dazzling display of glistening colours and awe-inspiring formations across the sky.
Please note that the order of activities listed in this agenda is provided for guidance only, your final itinerary will be provided on arrival at your accommodation.
* 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.
Included Meals: Dinner
Your first morning will begin with a thrilling snowmobiling lesson. After a safety briefing and full tuition, you will take control and head out on a short safari using some of the nearby trails to gently ease you into the activity. Two people will share a snowmobile and you must hold a valid driving licence and be 18 years or older in order to drive. You will be out for around two hours.
You will return to the hotel for a warming lunch and there will be some free time for you to relax this afternoon. The sauna can be reserved for guests to enjoy and the lounge area is an ideal place in which to unwind and relax with a book.
This evening, you will head out on your first Aurora hunt. You will strap on snowshoes and head out on foot with your guide leading the way. With head torches illuminating the landscape you will journey along the snow-covered trails to a prime Aurora viewpoint. Here you will enjoy warm drinks as you wait and watch for the Northern Lights to hopefully appear. This activity will last for around two and a half hours in total.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you will experience one of the most popular winter activities, dog sledding. After breakfast, you will be transferred to a husky farm.
Your guide will lead you to meet the huskies who will make their eagerness for the trail acutely obvious through excited barks and howls. They must, however, wait until you have been given a full safety briefing and instructions on how to control the sled. Then, finally, it will be time to set out on the trails, gliding over the expanse of snow-carpeted land. You will enjoy the safari in pairs, with the opportunity to swap driver and passenger if you wish to do so.
Once the ride is over, the dogs will be far calmer, offering the perfect moment to pet them and take photos.
After lunch at the hotel, you’ll be taken to a reindeer farm, where you will meet a local reindeer herd and his animals. You’ll learn about Sámi culture and the life of the reindeer and you will also have the chance to meet and feed the reindeer.
Don’t miss the opportunity to look out for the Northern Lights tonight, as you never know when they may decide to grace you with their presence.
After a very busy day yesterday, we have left the daytime free for you today. You can snuggle up with a good book, explore independently, or speak to the hotel about any additional activities you may want to include. Your meals, of course, will be served at Nangu.
After dinner tonight, your guide will take you out into the dark night to hunt for the Aurora Borealis. In a sledge pulled by your guide’s snowmobile, you will head to a prime viewpoint, increasing your chances of seeing the Aurora as you become truly immersed in darkness. You will be out for approximately two and a half hours.
While you wait for a potential appearance, you will sit around a campfire and keep warm, enjoying hot drinks and listening to your guide tell you all about the Aurora.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Fill up on breakfast this morning as you prepare for an active couple of hours gliding over the snow on cross-country skis.
This is one of Finland’s most popular activities and you need no prior experience of any form of skiing to enjoy this sport. A full lesson and briefing will be given beforehand, and before you know it you’ll be gliding along the trails like the best of them.
Once your guide feels that the group are ready, he/she will lead a short ski trip in the surrounding area, usually heading out across Lake Inari. The activity will last around two hours in total.
After lunch at the hotel this afternoon, you will have some time to relax, resting after an active morning and preparing for a thrilling Aurora excursion tonight.
Following dinner, you will meet with your guide to prepare for your snowmobile Aurora hunt. A full lesson and safety briefing will be given before you set off on the trails once again.
Riding two people per snowmobile, you will make your way into the darkness on a hunt for the Aurora (approximately two and a half hours). You will have the chance to swap driver and passenger during the ride, but please note that you must hold a valid driving licence and be 18 years or older in order to drive a snowmobile.
With any luck, the Northern Lights will appear, and you can all hit the brakes and stare in awe at a mystical show of light moving across the sky.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a rather active and fast-paced day yesterday, we have taken everything down a notch, with a snowshoeing excursion. Although snowshoeing can be physical, it is a slow-paced and peaceful activity, ideal for exploring the surroundings in a tranquil and gentle manner.
Snowshoes will be provided, and your guide will help you fit them to your boots in preparation for the walk. Your guide will take you through the landscape, pointing out any animal footprints that you may come across, and discussing the surrounding nature with you as you take your time touring the snow-laden forests. It is a great chance for photography (just keep your camera and batteries warm).
The activity will last for around four hours in total, including time for lunch around an open fire and warm drinks.
After dinner this evening you can head down to the lake for your own Aurora stake out.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today has been left free for you to tailor your time. You could use this opportunity to take a break, enjoying your cosy accommodation and curling up with a book by the fire. You could head outside the hotel for some independent exploration of the area and to enjoy the peaceful environment surrounding this very special spot.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served in the restaurant, as usual, today, followed by an Aurora Camp excursion tonight. For the final time, you will head out to a camp in a snug snowmobile-pulled sleigh, keeping warm and relaxing as you go. Remember to keep your eyes on the sky, as you never know when the elusive lights are going to make an appearance.
Once you arrive at the camp, you can reminisce about the fantastic memories that you have made during your trip, while the campfire crackles and flickers in the background. As you sip on a hot drink and peer at the sky, you will hopefully catch sight of the awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis tonight. This activity lasts for around two and a half hours.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you must depart, as you take your transfer to Ivalo Airport in time for your flight home. If you are on an early flight, a packed breakfast will be provided. If you depart on a later flight, you will have breakfast in the restaurant.
Included Meals: Breakfast
What's included?
- Return from London to Ivalo (either direct or via Helsinki). Flight routes are subject to change.
- Return scheduled shuttle airport transfers
- 7 nights in a standard twin/double hotel room
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
- 2-hour snowmobile safari
- Aurora snowshoeing
- 2 x Aurora camps
- Husky and Reindeer Day
- Cross-country skiing
- Aurora snowmobile safari
- Snowshoeing
- 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
- Aurora Alert for the duration of your stay
Accommodation
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Wilderness Hotel Nangu is an adult-only (16+), boutique hotel tucked away in a secluded spot close to the shores of Lake Inari in North East Finnish Lapland. This is the ideal place for those wanting to escape to a real haven of peace and quiet which just oozes rustic style, charm and comfort. Think handmade wooden furniture, sheepskins, stunning log architecture, comfy chairs and roaring fires; all with a view over snow-laden trees and a vast frozen lake beyond.
The central log-built restaurant and reception building is a spectacular spot in which to dine and unwind and the elegant wooden buildings which contain the bedrooms are around 20-50 metres away.
The hotel was transformed in 2017 by our longstanding friends and partners Jouko and Mari and they have really put their heart and soul into making Wilderness Hotel Nangu the grown-up retreat that it is.
In prime Aurora territory and just a minute’s walk from the shores of Lake Inari, this is really an incredible place in which to hunt the Northern Lights.
This is one of Wilderness Hotel’s smaller destinations and there is a real exclusivity about this place and we would really recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.
Hotel Facilities
- The wonderful main log building contains the reception, dining area and lounge where a roaring log fire and tasteful décor makes for a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere
- We think the food at Nangu is delicious and the setting for your meals could not be more delightful. Breakfasts and lunches are both ‘help yourself’ buffets with local and international flavours. Evening meals consist of three courses: starters and desserts are self-service buffet style and your main course will be served to you at your table (except for Christmas and New Year’s Eve). Guests are provided with two or three choices each evening
- There is a sauna situated in one of the bedroom buildings and this is available for guests to reserve during their stay. The ideal way to relax after a day of activities
- Free Wi-Fi is available in the public areas at Nangu, but really, other than checking the Aurora forecasts, we recommend that you just switch off from the outside world
Double Room
All rooms at Nangu are comfortable and elegantly decorated with a cosy and rustic, wooden interior, offering a traditional yet stylish Finnish ambience. The standard rooms accommodate two people, have a large window, an en-suite shower and toilet with a hairdryer. They also include tea and coffee making facilities. Single rooms are also available which are slightly smaller and accommodate solo travellers.
Superior room with view
These rooms provide extra space and are all equipped with double beds. They each have their own private entrance and a large panoramic window offering views towards Lake Inari. This means that it might even be possible to witness the Aurora from your room (although the views are much better outside!). All rooms are en-suite and equipped with a shower and toilet, a hairdryer and tea and coffee making facilities.
Aurora Log Cabin
There’s nothing cosier than staying in a log cabin during a winter escape to the Finnish wilderness. With an Aurora Log Cabin, you get the same cosy feeling but with the added benefit of a panoramic window for clear views of the night sky as you lay in bed. This is Northern Lights hunting in ultimate style and comfort. Equipped with a double bed, shower and toilet, you’ll have everything you need inside your peaceful cabin.
Panorama Log Cabin
These luxurious log cabins are the perfect place to come back to after a day in the wilderness. Warm-up by the fireplace or stare out of the huge panoramic windows facing Lake Inari, a spot where you could quite comfortably search for the Northern Lights. There’s also the chance to relax as the Finns do in your private sauna, or in the outdoor Jacuzzi on the terrace. The cabins also come with a fully equipped kitchenette and en-suite (shower and toilet).
Personalise This Tour
Snowmobiling is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the wilderness. Join your guide for an adventure through forests, frozen lakes, and pristine natural areas. You’ll take a break for a camp lunch and warm drinks by an open fire.
If you wish to drive your own snowmobile please ask our Travel Experts for a quotation.
Please note: the driver must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid driving licence
Duration: 4 hours
Join your guide for a relaxing day trip in a snowmobile sleigh, where you’ll experience ice fishing amid breathtaking scenery. You will be led to prime fishing spots, and throughout the day, you’ll enjoy warm drinks and a lunch cooked over an open fire. With luck, your meal may include freshly caught fish.
If you want to unwind and embrace the local way of life, this is the perfect outing for you.
Duration: approximately 4 hours including lunch
| Tour Loaction: | Inari,Finland |
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| Tour Loaction: | Inari,Finland |
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Tour Map
Additional Info
Price is based on 2 persons travelling
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
