Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Lulea - Harads
100% customisable for you
Set your alarms bright and early, as your ultimate February half term Swedish Lapland adventure begins today. There may be early-morning moans of protest from the youngsters, but the promise of a winter wonderland just two short flights away should quickly turn those frowns upside down. The first is a two-and-a-half-hour journey to Stockholm before an hour-and-a-half flight on up to Lulea, a port town next to the frozen Baltic Sea. Your home for the next two nights is just as picturesque – a charming lodge in a nearby forest where your room is a cosy timber cabin overlooking the frozen sea.
After checking into your cabin and being kitted out with proper polar gear (everything from overalls to gloves, boots and trapper-style hats), wrap up in your woolliest jumpers and prepare to jump straight into the Lapland action. It will be dark by the time you arrive, so tonight is your first opportunity to hunt for the Northern Lights. The lodge’s expert guide will answer any curious questions (in case parents feel underqualified to explain exactly the phenomenon of the aurora borealis) and allow you to snap photos of the spectacle. And don’t worry about missing out. If you and your crew are tucked up in bed, the lodge can arrange to send you a message in the night should any of the staff see the Northern Lights so you can get dressed and see them for yourselves.
Dog lovers will hardly be able to contain their excitement for today’s first activity – dog sledding through the Arctic wilderness. After meeting, petting and playing with the happy huskies, learn how to take the reins and mush your team (smaller children can sit in the sleigh) along a beautiful trail through snow-clad forests and across frozen lakes. Along the way, your guide will make stops to teach you about the life of a husky musher, and the dogs themselves.
Winter doesn’t stop the Swedes from devoting themselves to fishing, and it won’t stop you and your family either. This afternoon, embark on an unforgettable fishing trip on a frozen lake. Watch the experts, learn how to dig a hole and patiently (one can but dream) wait to catch a fish. All that’s left to do is relax on a reindeer fur rug, sip hot chocolate and wait for each family member to pluck an Arctic char from the water (the biggest wins, of course).
Reward today’s efforts with a candle-lit dinner at a portable cabin restaurant on sleds out in the archipelago. Bundle the family into a snowmobile and transfer across the ice out to the restaurant, where the adults will be welcomed with wine or beer and the younger ones with a hot lingonberry juice. Steamy soup follows, before a delicious main course prepared on the outdoor fire. With snowshoes available, head outside and soak in the night’s sky – the cherry on top of a magically memorable meal (and another chance to try and spot the Northern Lights).
As seen during the Winter Olympics, you and your family will enjoy a less competitive version of cross-country skiing today. This popular Nordic sport will see you stepping and sliding through a snowy forest – something you’ll quickly realise is more difficult than it looks.
This afternoon, immerse yourself in the traditions and culture of the Sami people, the last indigenous population in Europe. While talking with the welcoming local herder, your youngsters won’t even realise they’re learning – especially not when you head to the reindeer enclosure. Reindeer herding provides the Sami with their main source of income, and your guide will teach you all about it while you feed the reindeer tree lichen, otherwise known as ‘reindeer candy floss’.
The day’s not quite over yet – pack your bags and hop into a private transfer, as you’re headed one-hour north-west to a treehouse hotel where, as the name suggests, you'll spend the next two nights in your very own elevated hideaway. As impressive as it is, pull your children away for the day’s final adventure - another dinner in a traditional laavu, a Sami teepee on a frozen lake. The food is guaranteed to impress, and with some luck, so will the Northern Lights.
It’s your penultimate day in Swedish Lapland, and there’s no time to waste. After waking up with coffee or hot chocolate, strap on snowshoes and head out into the white wilderness for a guided walk. The guide will keep an eye out for arctic wildlife such as reindeer, arctic hares and mighty moose as you walk silently (in theory) through the woods. The destination? A hearty lunch prepared on a campfire by a frozen lake. The afternoon is yours to spend as you please, but we recommend a wholehearted snowman making session or snowball fight.
The final day of your family getaway has rolled around, but don’t despair. One last hurrah awaits – a thrilling toboggan ride. Hop on board and let adrenaline take over as a snowmobile pulls you to the top of a hill, releases you and sends you whizzing back down. Meanwhile your guide will be sparking up a campfire and preparing one last Lapland lunch.
With tummies full, it’s time to retrace your steps. First, it's back to Lulea, where you’ll board a flight back to Stockholm. From there, bid farewell to Sweden and board the second flight back to the UK, landing in the late afternoon. The last five days of half-term may have flown by, but brand-new, fond family memories are sure to last a lifetime.
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
