Make An Enquiry
VISITING: Finland BROCHURE CODE: 2005
All prices include: flights, transfers, accommodation, meals, guided activities and cold weather clothing; all as listed.
This three-night break to Harriniva offers an exceptional way to welcome in the New Year. From dog sledding and snowmobiling to dedicated Northern Lights hunts and memorable celebrations, this is an amazing way to start your year.

What's included?

ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES LISTED BELOW ARE INCLUDED IN THE HOLIDAY PRICe

  • Flights: return flights from London Heathrow to Kittilä (via Helsinki). Flight route subject to change
  • Transfers: return transfers are provided
  • Accommodation: 3 nights’ accommodation in a Wilderness Plus room at Harriniva with the option to upgrade to a suite
  • Meals: 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners
  • The following activities and equipment are included: snowmobile safari, husky safari, Northern Lights workshop, New Year celebrations, a visit to a reindeer farm, ice restaurant, Arctic Elements Sauna World and Northern Lights snowshoeing (order subject to change)
  • 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 mobile app until approximately 1am

Our New Year Northern Lights Quest is sure to provide a highly memorable way to welcome in the New Year.

This holiday is based at Harriniva Wilderness Hotel, which has an extremely impressive Northern Lights record and is one of our most popular destinations. The hotel is owned by the Pietikäinen family who we have been working with for over ten years and it is renowned for its exciting activities and enthusiastic guides.

Your days will be filled with activities as you try out some of the Arctic's most famous experiences. These include a snowmobile safari, which is not only thrilling but will help you to grasp the scale of the wilderness. Another highlight of the trip is the husky safari which is an incomparable way to travel across the snow. Furthermore, you will enjoy a visit to a reindeer farm which provides a glimpse into times gone by before enjoying a sleigh ride.

Harriniva sits at the heart of the Aurora Zone, and, with minimal light pollution, you don't necessarily have to go very far should the Northern Lights prospects be high, as with any luck you will see a spectacular display from close to the hotel. To increase your chances further, though, we have included some dedicated hunts using snowmobiles and snowshoes. 

We love the idea of welcoming in the New Year in such a remarkable place and Harriniva hosts some excellent celebrations. If the Northern Lights grace the party then there can surely be no better way to start the next 12 months.

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.


Image credits: Manny Alsina, Antti Pietikainen

Thank you for your interest in this Aurora Zone experience.

We have found that this holiday is better tailored exactly to your requirements, so please email our Travel Experts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact us on 01670 785 012 to discuss the various options available to you.

Our Travel Experts have been to all the destinations we feature and love to share their experiences and insight. We want to match you with your perfect trip, so if you have any questions please get in touch; we will be happy to talk through the destinations and itineraries with you.

VIEW ALL HOLIDAYS

  • Upon arrival at Kittilä Airport, you will be transferred to Harriniva to check into your cosy rooms and enjoy a delicious dinner.

    You'll need a good night's sleep tonight prior to activities commencing tomorrow, however, you must remember to keep an eye on the skies in case the Northern Lights appear overhead; this is prime Aurora territory.

    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.

    Included Meals:  Dinner
  • Today, your first arctic adventure will be via snowmobiles to explore the wilderness, navigating the landscape to get a sense of the scale of the vast Arctic wilds.

    Full instruction and tuition will be provided before you set off, crossing frozen lakes and winding through forest trails. The safari will cover approximately 30km and you will travel two people per snowmobile with the chance to swap drivers (providing you both have a full driving licence and are over 18 years old).

    After lunch, you will head to the husky kennels where you will have a guided tour and hopefully meet some of the husky puppies! You will then have a full safety briefing before enjoying a 15km safari through the wilderness surrounding the hotel. You will travel 2 per sledge with 1 person driving and the other sitting and normally just marvelling at this once in a lifetime experience.  You will then have a chance to swap roughly halfway before returning to the husky farm.

    It is all go on this exciting short break and after your husky safari, the group will participate in the Northern Lights workshop with an expert guide. You will get a brief scientific overview of the Aurora and some details of the myths and legends that this natural phenomenon has inspired over the centuries. Some photographic hints and tips will be offered in order to help you capture the Aurora on camera.

    Tonight, you will celebrate at the hotel, enjoying a delicious meal before some additional festivities to mark the end of the year! We suggest keeping an eye on the sky as the Northern Lights might be there to add to the party.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Today, after breakfast, you will visit the Torassieppi Reindeer Farm. This is one of the best places in Lapland to gain an insightful understanding of the connection between reindeer and this remote region, in particular, their connection to the indigenous Sámi population.

    Reindeer are of vital importance to the area, economically and culturally, and the small museum here helps to provide an understanding of this. There will also be a tour of the farm and guests will have the chance to feed the reindeer and enjoy a short, 3km reindeer-pulled sleigh ride.

    Afterwards, you will enjoy a tour of Torassieppi Winter Village, followed by a special lunch in an ice restaurant, while you admire the ice sculptures that protrude elegantly from the crisp white walls. Please note, lunch in the ice restaurant is dependent on conditions. If it is not available, lunch will be served around the fire in a traditional kota (wooden tepee).

    After lunch, you will enjoy some well-earned relaxation in the Arctic Elements Sauna World at Jeris (one of Harriniva’s sister hotels). Visit the four saunas, each inspired by the four elements; fire, air, water and earth and named after Finnish gods. The facilities include a traditional smoke sauna and the very brave can also try a dip in the ice pool should they wish.

    Tonight, enjoy a hearty dinner in the hotel's restaurant ahead of your snowshoe Northern Lights hunt. Your snowshoes will allow you to cover areas of deep snow as you enjoy the eerie silence of the wilderness at night. During this activity, you will stop for hot drinks at a prime Aurora viewpoint and look out for the Aurora Borealis. Overall, the activity will last for around two and a half hours.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • You will be transferred to the airport for your return flights today with heads full of fantastic memories.

    Included Meals:  Breakfast

Included in price

Harriniva Wilderness Hotel

Nights: 1-3

Ideally located in the north-west corner of Finland, high above the Arctic Circle and in the very heart of the Aurora Zone, Harriniva Wilderness Hotel serves as a perfect base for your adventure holiday.

Owned and run by the Pietikäinen family, the hotel has developed a growing reputation for its warm ambience and a large range of enjoyable activities on offer.

Hotel facilities

The hotel has a range of facilities that have been designed to make your stay here as enjoyable as possible.

  • There is free Wi-Fi throughout the main building for guest use, in our experience, we have found it works best in the main reception and dining area
  • The hotel restaurant has a lively, buzzing atmosphere as people excitedly discuss the adventures they have taken part in that day. The meals are served in a buffet style with two or three choices for each course. The food here is hearty and wholesome
  • The hotel also has a pub serving a range of beers, wines and spirits - this is the perfect place to unwind and relax with your fellow guests in the evening
  • Tea and coffee are available free of charge throughout the day in the hotel restaurant / bar area.
  • In the main reception area of the hotel, you will find a small gift shop selling a range of postcards, soft toys and handcrafted products. There is also a selection of snacks that can be purchased
  • A sauna is available for guest use with separate facilities for men and women. This is free of charge and is heated every evening for around three hours
  • The hotel also has an Aurora Wellness Centre (situated a short walk away on the riverbank), where you can enjoy a range of therapies such as facials or massages. A real treat after a day of soaking up the pristine wilderness! During peak periods, we would strongly recommend booking therapies in advance through reception (all payable locally and we recommend booking in advance if possible)
  • Snowshoes and cross country skis are available to hire for a small charge and there are marked trails surrounding the hotel for those with some experience. For those interested in downhill skiing, reception will be able to arrange a taxi to the nearby ski resort of Olos (payable locally)

Room types

Wilderness plus rooms

Decorated in traditional Scandinavian style, these bedrooms were refurbished in 2018. The rooms include double/twin beds and an unfolding sofa suitable for 1 adult or 2 children. All rooms have an en-suite shower room and a hairdryer, as well as a small seating area.

Double/twin rooms

Harriniva has 64 guest bedrooms which consist of twin or double rooms. Triple rooms are also available on request. Decorated in traditional Scandinavian style, all rooms have an en-suite shower room and a hairdryer.

Wilderness Suite

Spacious wilderness style room, decorated in traditional Scandinavian style, these rooms were refurbished in 2018. Located on the ground floor, close to reception these rooms include double/twin beds and an unfolding sofa suitable for 1 adult or 2 children. All rooms have an en-suite shower room and a hairdryer, as well as a small seating area.

Safari House

For those travelling on our longer husky or snowmobile experiences, your nights at the hotel will be spent in shared accommodation in one of Harriniva's Safari Houses. Each has sleeping facilities, a shower room, toilet and a sauna. Some safari houses are on site, whereas others are located 3km from the hotel. If you are staying off-site, you will be transferred to and from the hotel for meals.


 Image credits Emmi Kähkönen - Harriniva Hotels & Safaris

Other options

Harriniva Riverside Cabins

Set in a picturesque, riverside location and ranging from 39m² to 47m², Harriniva’s Riverside Cabins are ideal for larger groups, or those wanting a little more space and privacy during their trip. Each cabin sleeps five people in total, with a main bedroom for two people, a lower ceilinged loft area (accessible by a steep ladder) sleeping a further two people and a pull out sofa bed in the lounge. Fully-equipped with kitchen facilities, including a stove, dishwasher and fridge, and with a cosy living room, you can relax and enjoy your own space in complete comfort. Each cabin even has its own private sauna, perfect for keeping warm after a long day out in the cold.


Credit: Antti Pietikainen

Jeris and Torassieppi Aurora Huts

Supplements from: £159pp

The unique Aurora Huts at Jeris and Torassieppi offer a rather different overnight experience for guests. These huts have pleasant, cosy décor, with floor to ceiling windows on one wall, allowing you to gaze at the night sky in search of the Northern Lights. The Aurora huts at Torassieppi are located close to the lakeshore, whereas the huts at Jeris are located in the woods. The exact location of your dome will be confirmed upon check-in at your hotel.

Traveller Reviews

A truly memorable holiday 30 December 2018 by Francis & Joanna Wells

A truly memorable holiday, great place and great people and just the right amount of activities.

We loved it, and it was even better than described 30 December 2018 by Susan Jenkins & Kathryn Lennard

We loved it, and it was even better than described. Good tips for what to take including the travel kettle.

Action-packed, amazing fun. 30 December 2018 by Anna-Marie Lee & Paul Moody

The best holiday I have ever had, just amazing. Can't thank everyone enough, from Katrina making sure we were ok, the hotel staff looking after us, to Scotty our guide the man is a legend and made our holiday. Our cabin was cosy, the equipment was fantastic and New Year's eve was a blast. Action-packed, amazing fun.

The whole trip was memorable 30 December 2018 by Frank & Joanna Wells

The whole trip was memorable. A great place with great people and just the right amount of activities. Husky sledding, snow mobiles and snow shoeing amongst others, and a very special New Years Eve. Our guide Scotty was excellent and all the staff were friendly and helpful. The information provided beforehand is spot on. Follow this and you can't go wrong with equipment and clothing etc. It was
Read more
refreshing to see how the hotel actively supports the environment and conservation and educates guests.
Read less

an excellent way to bring in the New Year. 07 January 2018 by Ruth Jacques

Our guide was absolutely brilliant, very friendly and easy going, made the activities all the more fun. The New Years event was brilliant as well, very well thought out and an excellent way to bring in the New Year.

Can't fault the whole experience. 05 January 2018 by Rosemary and Nicholas King

Alan the local guide was incredible in all aspects. Fantastic. Cabins were super, food lovely, activities with equipment and advice excellent - can't fault the whole experience. All activities were well organised but New Year's Eve with the Northern Lights was out of this world. Right on cue - good mix and right order to experience.

All excellent... 28 December 2015 by Leonard Brayford

All excellent; really loved reindeer sledge ride and huskies and snowmobiles - oh all of it!

The activities were all fantastic. 28 December 2015 by Susan Snowball

Our local guide, Scotty, was OUTSTANDING. So interesting, and couldn't do enough for us. He really made the holiday in fact – so, so good. The activities were all fantastic. The snowmobiling was the first to come to mind, especially the night safari as it was so pretty and memorable. But the dog-sledding and their 'village' afterwards was also very memorable. Really hard to pick one because when
Read more
you start to think about them they were all great.
Read less

A perfect end to a perfect holiday 06 January 2013 by Richard Staincliffe

Hi all. We just wanted to let you know that we have just spent an amazing week in Harriniva where we saw the Northern Lights twice on our 2012-13 New Year holiday. This picture is from Friday night just after we got engaged! Many thanks for the superb organisation and programme, brilliant activities and helpful staff, in particular your rep Cary who helped me organise the special event! Best
Read more
regards, Richard and Jazmin
Read less



Others who viewed this holiday also viewed

  • Specialist

    Aurora knowledge and experience

    Unique holidays, in the very best destinations

    Expert guides – exceptional local knowledge

    Advice and guidance every step of the way

  • Comprehensive

    We include more in our holidays than any other Aurora operator

    Price Comparison guarantee

    No ‘from’ prices, everything you see is included in the price

    No hidden extras

  • Independent

    Proudly Independent

    The original and still the only dedicated UK Northern Lights tour operator

    Personal, hands-on service

    Fair and sustainable work ethos

  • Trusted

    ATOL and ABTA Financial protection available

    Over 20 years’ experience

    Our customers rate us 4.9/5 stars

    Award-Winning: Best Travel Company to Northern Europe 2023