As experts in Special Occasion Travel we are often asked by clients for more exclusive experiences. With our depth of contacts in Swedish Lapland we can arrange many exclusive Northern Lights Holiday itineraries if you are looking to take a group of friends or family away for a Birthday or wedding anniversary celebration.
Exclusive Aurora Breaks in Sweden
Sweden has a number of unique lodges and cabins with only a limited number of rooms so are perfect for a private retreat! Combine this with private Sled Dog, Snowmobile or other experience with some of the best guides in the region and you have a holiday experience that will live in the memory for years to come!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a different question? We are always happy to help.
What's our recommendation?
It all depends on the size of your group as to what we might recommend to you but so you can plan here is an outline based on the size of your party.
We work with some of the best guides in Swedish Lapland and can ensure that your group is well looked after. We can also add in little extras like birthday cakes or private dinners.
With the Northern Lights season running from September – April you have a big window of time to aim at for an exclusive northern lights holiday. Both the autumn and winter seasons have their attractions, whether it be the fall colours or the snow covered pines and frozen rivers and lakes in winter.
It is essential to book early (often a year in advance) to be able to guarantee exclusive use of any of the lodges we offer.
2 - 4 travellers
For a small group looking for a more intimate experiences then our top choices would be combining a deluxe Art Suite at the ICEHOTEL with either the Arctic Gourmet wilderness cabins or the luxury suite at Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge.
The Arctic Gourmet cabins run by Johan and Malin offer two cabins in a remote river location adjacent to Sweden’s smallest restaurant where Johan, a trained chef, prepares and serves his guests gourmet meals. There is a sauna and hot tub on site which can be used for relaxing in and enjoy the open air theatre of an aurora display
This can be combined with a stay at the ICEHOTEL and driving your own husky sled experience with our good friend Ylva Forsen, whose kennel is around 20 minutes further down the river valley.
Take a look at our ICEHOTEL, wilderness cabin and Husky Northern Lights break for further ideas.
Our ICEHOTEL deluxe and private tour combines staying in a deluxe en suite Art suite at the ICEHOTEL with Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge’s end room with its commanding views over a vast expanse of artic wilderness and private hot tub. With private guided transfers and private husky and snowmobile tours this break is perfect as an exclusive special occasion travel experience.
A final option is to take the suite at Pine Bay Lodge and if its just 2 people travelling spend an unusual night beneath the aurora in the luxury wilderness yurt.
See our Pine Bay lodge Wilderness Escape & Aurora Yurt Northern Lights Holiday
4 - 8 travellers
This opens up a number of options for clients seeking a more private and exclusive northern lights holiday.
We have over the years put several birthday groups into Pine Bay Lodge in the Lulea Archipelago in Sweden. This cosy lodge is the perfect retreat for a private birthday group of 7-16 people. Take over the whole lodge for 3 nights and enjoy some amazing private experiences. The pack ice snowmobile tour, husky sled driving and the wilderness dinner on ice make this an ever popular choice for a Birthday celebration
Take a look at our Pine Bay Lodge Special Occasion Exclusive hideaway
For Northern Lights junkies 8 people can take out the annexe at Abisko Mountain Lodge, situated in one of the top locations on earth for seeing the northern lights. These deluxe rooms combined with the fabulous cuisine at the lodge and the action packed Complete Abisko break makes for a special northern lights holiday getaway.
For an authentic getaway and to experience Sami life then for 8 people an exclusive use of Sapmi Nature camp is worthy of consideration. This luxury Tepee camp is set in the beautiful Lapponia national park and appeals to nature lovers too.
8 - 14 travellers
Besides having Pine Bay lodge for exclusive use as mentioned above we are able to offer a real ‘ home away from home’ northern lights holiday at Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge. This 7 bed lodge with its commanding views is the perfect base for an adventurous group of family or friends who want to relax, take the shoes off and sit by the fire indulging in a glass of wine when not out experiencing the amazing activities available. Snowmobiling and Husky tours in pristine wilderness, Sami Introduction days with Reindeer Sleds, hot tubs, ICE HOTEL visit, aurora photography and cross country skiing can all be part of a break here.
Take a look at our Complete Arctic winter experience break for an itinerary that can be adapted alongside exclusive use of the lodge for a birthday group.
For a group of clients wishing to combine luxury with the authenticity of log cabins and a beautiful setting then exclusive use of the magnificent Arctic Retreat is a definite must. These 4 high specification log cabins are set in an idyllic river valley amongst towering pine trees. With attentive hosts and 2 of our favourite guides, Love Rynback and Richard Karlsson nearby you are guaranteed a VIP experience.
Take a look at our Arctic Heaven break for a suggested itinerary.
The TREE HOTEL also becomes an option for groups of 14. With just 7 rooms, exclusive use of the this iconic property for a birthday celebration would rank as one of the most unique and special ways to celebrate a key life milestone!
If you are not content with just staying in one place we can knit together a number of dual centre northern lights holidays for small exclusive groups. Combine Pine Bay lodge with the Aurora Retreat or see both sides of Swedish Lapland by combining these with either the Annexe at Abisko Mountain Lodge or Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge.
See what our clients say
What a fantastic trip! I booked this for myself and my husband to celebrate my 40th birthday and it didn’t disappoint! Booking was simple and we were kept up to date with all the details from the office team in the UK.
From the moment we arrived at Kiruna airport all the staff we encountered were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. We opted for the upgraded room at the Abisko Mountain Lodge which I would highly recommend. The cold weather clothing which was supplied was fantastic and kept us really warm in the sub-zero temperatures. The dog sledging, snowmobiling and the Northern Lights photography were all superb and the staff leading the trips were really friendly and so knowledgeable. Even though we weren’t able to do the sky station trip because of the weather, there was a lovely alternative evening organised for us which included a traditional dinner and a walk to the lake where we were able to see the lights. The food at the lodge was also exceptional and showcased some lovely traditional dishes using Moose and Reindeer which were wonderful to try.
I would like to send a massive thank you to all the staff at The Abisko Mountain Lodge as well as the guides we used for our guided walks, dog sledging and snowmobiling. I’d highly recommend the trip, it was our first visit to Sweden and we would definitely return. Thanks again to everyone (including the huskies) who made it so memorable!
Brilliant short break. Hotel Ranga was lovely, excellent food. Managed to see the Northern Lights as well! Iceland on the whole was quite expensive but a lovely place to visit, the people were very friendly.
An excellent holiday which was enjoyed by all. The super jeep ride on the second day to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was memorable and thanks to our driver Margaret who proved to be a really good guide. We thoroughly enjoyed the facilities in the hotel Ranga. The staff were very helpful and we managed to see the Northern Lights. The Hotel Reykjavik Centrum was very nice with amazingly helpful staff. All in all, the whole holiday was brilliant.
1. Gourmet Cabins was excellent and Johan was a friendly and knowledgeable host. The food, cabins, hot tub and sauna were brilliant.
2. Dog sledge was a fantastic experience and we were given the opportunity to drive our own sledge
3. Snow Mobile – really got off the beaten track and into the spectacular mountains
4. Saw the Northern Lights twice in two days. There is no description that can really do them justice
We had a fantastic 4 nights that included glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, the aurora borealis and more! Lovely hotels, especially Hotel Ranga. We filled every moment and felt thoroughly invigorated on our return.
Hotel Ranga was perfect, with amazing food. It is in the middle of nowhere, very quiet and with the weather being bad there wasn’t the possibility of leaving the hotel in the evening so mightn’t suit all for that reason. Super Jeep tour we thoroughly enjoyed with 2 lovely guides.
Hotel Borg was in the perfect location. For us, one night in Reykjavik would be ample.
Blue Lagoon was a wonderful experience only heightened by the appearance of the northern lights on our walk home from dinner. All in all we had the best holiday and we plan to return to Iceland hopefully sooner rather than later.
We did the aurora nights break and had a great time overall. Everything related to flights, hire car, and hotels ran smoothly. There were a few issues largely relating to the weather and driving conditions (we travelled in mid March), but what we did manage to do was amazing.
The blue lagoon was easy to access from the airport and was a brilliant experience. We booked the standard package and it came with a free drink and face mask. Facilities were clean and organised with free toiletries in the shower rooms, which helps if you’ve gone there straight from the airport.
The drive to Hotel Ranga afterwards was long but fine (check out the road on google streetview to know what to expect). The hotel and staff were great. We were limited to one option as vegetarians on the bar and a la carte menus, but the food was lovely and if you are a meat eater you will see options of unusual dishes like puffin and reindeer.
Our northern lights super jeep trip was cancelled on both nights due to a poor forecast, but we were lucky enough to get an aurora wake up call from Hotel Ranga the first night. We couldn’t use the hottubs as there are only a few and they were always taken in the limited time we spent at the hotel, so don’t go expecting to get lots of time in one and you won’t be disappointed. View them as an add on if you can time it right. We were travelling with an 11 year old, so we didn’t stay up really late. If you are a couple you probably have a better chance of getting one later on.
The glacier/volcano super jeep trip was outstanding. Our driver, Íbí was excellent. She went above and beyond and gave us such an awesome experience. We were also super lucky with the weather the first two days and had great views across Iceland.
The ice cave tour was also incredible and the guides running it were excellent. The group size was much bigger than expected (especially after the more exclusive volcano super jeep tour), but it was broken down into smaller groups that were managed well, with plenty of time factored in for photographs. There were several unexplained delays getting to the cave during the tour that meant we weren’t able to ‘mini tour’ the rest of the South Coast afterwards, so if you plan to do the ice cave don’t overplan for the afternoon as you may not have much time. Not a huge disappointment for us as we got to experience the cave, but I imagine someone who planned a full itinerary afterwards might be frustrated by the estamiated timings not always being right and subject to change with the weather (which was wicked that day).
Driving around Reykjavik was a horrible experience as we arrived around rush hour and weren’t prepared for all the traffic, having only experienced quiet roads along the south coast. It was difficult finding a parking space, so be prepared to drive around a little when you arrive. If you haven’t driven on the right before and are not a confident driver this could leave you feeling stressed. Again, check out the roads into Reykjavik on Google maps to get a sense of what awaits if you aren’t used to self-driving.
We didn’t get to tour the golden circle because of road conditions/ice/road closures, so we spent the day in Reykjavik instead. This turned out okay for us as we did some of the attractions (Lava Centre and Fly Over Iceland – both hughly recommended), but it ended up being an extra expense and we missed out on the golden attractions. Again, not a big issue if you are aware this could happen. The weather is so changeable that having a plan B is a good approach.
Weekend a la Carte sent us a text warning us about the bad weather conditions, which we’d already seen on the Safe Iceland app, but we were grateful for anyway. It was good to know they were looking out for us!
All in all, a remarkable trip, with some unique experiences. If you book this in the knowledge that nature will have her own way, and you may not see everything you want (especially in winter), you will have a great time. Ranga is definitely the best place to maximise your chances of seeing the lights.
An amazing trip and excellent service provided by all involved. Great value for money too. Food was excellent. Accommodation was wonderful and the trips booked were outstanding. An amazing trip
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We are experts in providing once in a lifetime northern lights holidays to Swedish Lapland, Iceland, Norway and Finland.