Swedish Lapland - Northern Lights & Winter Wildlife

A thick blanket of pristine snow carpets the ground and bends the branches of trees under its weight, creating a white, other-worldly landscape. Standing in the midst of it all on a frozen lake, we sip hot chocolate and stare skyward as the Aurora Borealis dances silently overhead. This is Swedish Lapland, home of the Sami people, a choice selection of special wildlife and stunning winter scenery.

We begin our winter holiday with a flight via Stockholm, Sweden’s capital city, to the small coastal town of Luleå in the north of the country. From here we drive for approximately two hours further north to the outpost town of Jokkmokk, located just inside the Arctic Circle, where we will stay for three nights in a comfortable hotel. Here the subarctic climate is very cold — the lowest temperature on record is a bitter minus 46°C — though around minus 10 to minus 15°C is more typical at this time of year. Importantly, the weather around Jokkmokk is fairly stable, often dry, cold and clear, resulting in excellent conditions for viewing the Aurora Borealis, the wonderful natural light show also known as the Northern Lights.

On our first morning in Lapland we will explore the frozen countryside by the most practical means available … a husky safari! We will greet the dogs and help to prepare them for the expedition, before taking off across the snowy landscape. We expect to be out exploring for around three hours in total, stopping for lunch over a roaring camp fire — allowing us to warm up and the dogs to cool down — before we set off back to Jokkmokk. In the afternoon we will meet up with a Sami Reindeer herder, joining her for an evening meal in her ‘lávvu’ (traditional tent) in order to learn more about Sami way of life and try some traditional homemade dishes. Each evening in Jokkmokk we will check the skies overhead. If clear, we will head out after dinner in search of the Aurora, hoping to marvel at the dancing curtains of green and red light illuminating the skies overhead.

The following day, we will drive through a nearby valley in search of herds of Reindeer, as well as some of Europe’s largest Eurasian Elk (Moose). We will take our time, and if the weather is fine we will stop for an al fresco lunch on the shores of Lake Saggat. We will also visit one of the best bird feeding stations in Lapland, where we could see Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Crested Tit and Willow Tit, and perhaps Red Squirrel too. Elsewhere the forests are usually quiet in the winter, but we have a reasonable chance of seeing Dipper, Willow Ptarmigan, Black Grouse, Capercaillie and Raven during our daily excursions.

After three nights, we will leave Jokkmokk behind and travel further north still, spending our final night ‘glamping’ in a tented camp deep in the forest. In the afternoon we will explore the woods and frozen lake surrounding the camp, either on Nordic skis or using snowshoes. We will search for animal tracks and learn about the different types of snow, listening out for birds in the trees and enjoying the stunning landscapes all around. Anyone who would prefer to stay behind and enjoy the delightful camp, however, will be very welcome to do so! Later in the evening we will enjoy dinner by the fireplace in a small wooden cabin, or outdoors if the weather permits, and then take it in turns to check for the Aurora. The illuminated tents provide an ideal foreground for night sky photography and, if the skies are clear, the sheer number of stars overhead and the sweeping arc of the Milky Way will be spellbinding.

After a final morning enjoying our camp and surrounds, we must say our goodbyes to wild northern Sweden and make our way back towards civilisation. We spend our final night in the coastal town of Luleå, where it is worth taking a stroll to the south harbour to enjoy the sight of the frozen sea! There may be a little time for exploration the following morning, before we must return to Luleå Airport to board our flight to Stockholm and ultimately home.

Please note that you will need to be very well equipped for the cold weather on this tour. For more information on this, and all other aspects of the tour, please download the detailed tour itinerary.