Asgard Northern Lights holidays in Lapland (3 Nights)
Highlights
- We hand picked every single thing about this northern lights holiday ourselves entirely from an aurora chasers perspective
- It is 100% dedicated to Northern Lights and about maximising the chances of seeing them.
- We go chasing the lights to some of the most beautiful and northern locations in Finland such as Utsjoki and Nuorgam.
- We tap into our knowledge from running the aurora information service, and use all the tools we use for that (and many others we have at our disposal) to help get you under the Northern Lights.
Overview
Asgard is our original dedicated northern lights chasing holiday. We have been running our tours here since 2014. Over the years we have been able to expand the site with new cottages. So now it consists of 10 cottages, which is split into two sites, 5 cottages in each. Site A is our awesome original 5 cottages which have served us excellently over the years and site B is 5 newer cottages.
Both sites run mostly independently of each other, so each site has their own guide and their own minibus, so there is absolutely no cramming loads of people onto a big bus like other tour companies do. Splitting our sites up keeps the group sizes very small, around 10 people per week in each site! It’s very personable, very peaceful and very relaxed.
Our Asgard and Midgard tours being at almost 70° North and surrounded by official wilderness areas means we have absolutely pristine clear skies with zero light pollution. Once you get this far north combined with being in these wilderness areas, your chances of seeing Northern Lights sky rocket. This is statistically the best place in Finland (and the best place in the EU!) for Northern Lights.
At the time of writing, we have 100% record for the current aurora season. Meaning every week since our tours started, we have seen northern lights. Yes some weeks it has been touch and go whether we would keep that record, it hasn’t all been plain sailing, but with a slice of luck (and sometimes you need that) we have got an aurora show even right up to the last night. Some weeks we have epic northern lights every night of the week!
Our responsibility for you seeing northern lights is not just when we are driving round in the evening trying to find them. Our responsibility of helping you see Northern Lights begins when you step off the plane, until when you step back on it! So even if we are not with you at the time, we want to maximise your chances of seeing the lights! For this reason, we have chosen not to put you in a hotel, instead we have personally selected some cottages that you will be staying in that hugely maximise your chances of seeing the lights, even if we aren’t with you at the time. If we aren’t with you when the aurora kicks off, no worries, we have put a tablet in each cottage and we’ll send you an alert. You can also use the tablet to chat with your guide if you have a problem or need anything. All of our tour locations are in contact with each other, so if one location has clear skies and aurora, we’ll pile in the bus and make a beeline there.
So you will have 3 nights accommodation in your own cottage situated a stones throw from the banks of the famous river Tenojoki. You can watch the Northern Lights all night from your cottage, from the kota (wooden teepee with fire inside – super warm!) or from our Massive Watch Tower! Both our Asgard sites have access to the watchtower (it’s inbetween both sites), you can wander up there as much as you like.
- Day 1 - Aurora Holiday Tour
The 3 night aurora holiday is Friday to Monday. On the Friday afternoon when you arrive, we’ll pick you up from Ivalo airport (all the details on which airport to fly to, which flights to get and lots of other useful information is here). Depending on the road conditions, it is about a two hour drive back to your cottage through beautiful snow capped pine forests and past frozen lakes.
Before we get to your cottage, we’ll stop at the supermarket so you can get some groceries etc for the weekend (remember your cottage is self catering). The supermarket is pretty big and it has everything you need for breakfast, lunch and dinner all weekend. It also has beer/cider. Your cottage is only 3km from the main village so you are always within reasonable distance should you need anything.
Once at your cottage you’ll be shown around, instructed how to use the sauna etc. The cottages are nestled in a small pine wooded area which helps shelter you from the arctic wind. There are 2 kota’s (fire huts) in the grounds of our cottages where you and the other aurora service guests can warm up on cold nights and you can stay out watching northern lights for as long as you like. Your cottage also has a terrace you can sit on and watch the lights from, or you can even sit inside the cottage and watch the auroras from the window. It’s entirely up to you.
It will be around 5.00 pm by the time we get you to the cottage and you will have been travelling non-stop all day, so we’ll leave you to settle in to your cottage and have an evening relaxing after a hard day’s travelling. We’ll just show you the kota and watchtower, where you can watch the Northern Lights from on your first night. The aurora chasing begins on Saturday evening. It’s important you relax the first night so you are fresh for the rest of the weekend, because we will be out chasing the light for a couple of nights straight, and depending on the the aurora show, we could be out quite late each night, well into the early hours.
You have the daytime to yourself. Whether you want to go for walks, take up some of the activities we offer or just relax at your cottage reading a book. You can do anything you like, at your own pace. It’s especially good if you’re a photographer you can use the daytime to work on your previous nights aurora footage.
On Saturday and Sunday at 7.30 pm each evening (purposefully just after dinner time so your not chasing the lights on an empty stomach), our aurora chasing tours begin. We will come and collect you from your cottage and go out chasing the lights for 4-5 hours or more (depends how good the show is) each night. When we get back to the cottage, you can put some wood in the kota/fireplace and carry on watching the northern lights into the early hours at your own leisure, with a beer or a glass of wine in your hand.
On the Monday morning we’ll come and collect you at 9.00 am and take you back on the beautiful 2 hour drive to Ivalo airport.
- 3 nights accommodation in your own cottage with your own sauna.
- 2 nights aurora chasing 4-5 hours.
- Free collection to and from Ivalo airport.
- Free hot drinks and snacks while out aurora chasing.
- Free snow suits, snow boots, hats and gloves.
- Free help and advice with your own camera.
- Free aurora pics and video on a free pen drive we give you that we have taken on our pro cameras.
- Free firewood for both your cottage fire and the fireplace outside.
- Personal Expenses
- Flights are not included.
- Travel insurance is not included. Due to the nature of our holiday, travel insurance is a requirement.
- Meals are not included. Your cottage has a fully equipped kitchen so you can eat what you want, when you want (we visit a supermarket on the way up from airport).