Sweden : Lapland New Year Adventure

This special New Year trip includes a variety of experiences to see 2011 out on style, and begin the new year with an incredible opportunity to try and see the Northern Lights. Begin your adventure with a night in the famous Icehotel, take a tour around this amazing hotel made entirely of snow and ice with each of the art suites designed by internationally renowned artists. Don’t forget to try one of the colourful cocktails in the Icebar.

The following day, take your final glimpses of this awe inspiring structure before heading off to Camp Ripan, just a 20 minute transfer from the Icehotel. The location of this hotel could not be better being on natures doorstep and close to ski, snowmobile and husky sledge trails but also within a 10 minute walk to the shops and restaurants, it is easy to visit the town of Kiruna. You can fill your day with skiing, snow shoeing, snowmobiling, husky sledging, horse riding, reindeer sledging or perhaps join in on a moose safari. Come New Year's eve, you will be treated to a 5 course dinner, with a champagne toast at midnight under the Arctic skies, and perhaps a glimpse of  the Northern lights above you.

Enjoy a relaxing or active New Years Day, whatever you prefer, there are plenty of options during your stay at Camp Ripan, the cosy accommodation offers a perfect retreat after a day of snow activities.

After a morning at leisure, check out of Camp Ripan and begin your journey to the Abisko Mountain Station, located in the beautiful Abisko National Park, overlooking Lake Tornetrask, a convenient walking distance from the chairlift up to the Aurora Sky Station. The Mountain Station is the only hotel within the national park and is not to be mistaken for the Abisko Mountain Lodge, set in Abisko village. At the Abisko Mountain Station you can enjoy peace and quiet and more importantly no light pollution to hinder your northern lights viewing.

The dramatic and unique views over the Lake Tornetrask and the surrounding mountains are the perfect stage for the light show above. The Aurora Sky Station at the summit offers unique and excellent northern lights viewing from a large outside deck area, and inside you can relax and warm up by a log fire at the inviting cafe/restaurant. And obviously, with such expanses of sky here and spectacular auroral appearances, the lights can be enjoyed from ground level too - from the scenic surrounds of the Mountain Station as well as from its cosy lounge areas which offer giant picture windows overlooking the lake - even the restaurant and bar have panoramic views.