Lapland Highlights tour: what this journey is actually like
Tom Hardisty has recommended the Lapland Highlights tour to clients for years. In March 2026, he finally took it himself.
10 days | Premium small group tour | Dec–Mar | Kiruna to Kittilä
Premium small group Arctic journey across Sweden, Norway and Finland, featuring ICEHOTEL, boutique wilderness stays and glass-accommodation.
Limited to just 12 travellers, this elevated winter itinerary begins with an overnight stay in an original ice room at Sweden’s world-famous ICEHOTEL before crossing into Arctic Norway and Finnish Lapland. Highlights include a boutique wilderness stay at Cahkal Hotel – recently featured in Luxury Travel Mag by award-winning travel writer Matt Brace (who was travelling with 50 Degrees North) – as well as three nights in a glass accommodation.
Reindeer encounters, husky sledding, snowshoeing and snowmobiling are paired with private transfers and expert local guiding throughout. Designed with a considered pace and distinctive accommodation at every stage, this journey offers a more intimate and refined way to experience Lapland.

As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this itinerary using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
Through our Climate Action Plan, we measure our carbon emissions each year and set goals to reduce them. But our responsibility does not end when the journey does. A share of our annual profits goes to our Impact Fund, supporting conservation, restoration and the communities we work in.
Portage is not included - you will be responsible for carrying all your luggage.
Arrive into the small airport of Kiruna and transfer to your accommodation.
You will settle into your ice room for the night. Sleep in thermal sleeping bags laid out on reindeer skins on a special bed made of snow and ice. Inside ICEHOTEL, the temperature is never colder than -5 °C to -8 °C, regardless of how cold it may be outside. Dress in warm thermal underwear, put on a hat and slip into the cozy sleeping bag.
This evening you will meet your tour leader and enjoy a welcome dinner with the group.
Today, you will try ice sculpting, led by local artists who will guide you into this magical world of art and design. The class starts with the instructor talking about the crystal clear ice, which is harvested from the Torne River. After that, you get an introduction on how to use the tools, your own ice block and can let the creativity flow and ice take shape.
This evening you will stay in a warm room, i.e. a normal hotel room and enjoy a good long sleep.
After breakfast, board your minibus and travel to Tromsø via the express boat from Harstad. Tromsø is located in the middle of the Aurora Borealis zone, and following the planet’s rotation, Tromsø moves into the aurora zone from 6pm to midnight.
After breakfast, you are met by our guide at the hotel and will leave for a historical and cultural walking tour through Tromsø, the arctic city. During this walk you will also visit the Polar Museum with your guide. This museum contains the history of the Arctic hunter and explorers like Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen.
Later, board the minibus and travel to Kilpisjärvi, located in the far north-western corner of Finland near the Norwegian border. Here you will stay at boutique hotel Cahkal for the next 3 nights.
This evening, enjoy a group dinner at the accommodation restaurant, Aika.
After breakfast you will go on a snowshoe adventure. It's an easy way to get into the beautiful surrounding snowy landscape.
With a local guide, you will gain deep knowledge about the unique surrounding nature and its rich history. During the trip enjoy homemade snacks and a hot drink, and admire the stunning views. Then, after the tour, we will treat you to a delicious 2-course lunch to complete your experience.
Before dinner, it is time to experience the famous Finnish sauna. The large window of the steam room lets you admire the astonishing Saana mountain. Cool off on the terrace and enjoy the view while listening to the calming sound of the Cahkal River.
Begin your day with a leisurely breakfast, followed by a free morning to unwind and absorb the tranquil beauty of the Arctic landscape.
For those eager to explore deeper into the wilderness, an optional snowmobile sleigh ride offers a thrilling adventure through snowy trails—available to book and pay locally.
After a delightful two-course lunch, treat yourself to a rejuvenating one-hour private sauna session, the perfect way to relax and recharge.
After dinner, head into the snowy wilderness on a Northern Lights hunt. Ride through the winter landscape in a sleigh pulled by a snowmobile and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
At a scenic stop, warm up with hot local berry juice and snacks while enjoying the silence of the Arctic night. If conditions are right, you may even witness the Northern Lights and a sky full of stars above you.
2026–2027 Season
Travel to Levi and check in to your Glass Igloo for the next three nights.
Featuring a kitchenette, private bathroom with shower, heated panoramic windows, and a flexible double/twin bed.
2027–2028 Season
Travel to Muonio and check in to your Premium Glass Kota for the next three nights.
Offering 30 m² of space, a double bed, private bathroom with shower, bathrobes, minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
This evening, enjoy a group dinner at the accommodation restaurant.
Premium Glass Kota 2027-2028 Season
2026–2027 Season
After breakfast, explore the Arctic wilderness by snowmobile, travelling through snowy forests to a frozen river for a traditional ice-fishing experience. After trying your luck on the ice, enjoy a warm soup lunch at a cosy family-run restaurant before returning to Levi by snowmobile.
Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure, exploring Levi's cafés, restaurants and local shops.
2027–2028 Season
After breakfast, meet Nivunki Village’s reindeer and experience a traditional journey through the Lapland wilderness. Glide through the snowy landscape as your guide shares stories about reindeer herding and its importance to Arctic life.
Later, explore the forests and frozen lakes of Nivunkijärvi on a beginner-friendly snowmobile safari, with a stop at a traditional kota for hot drinks and local treats.
This evening, enjoy a group dinner at Nivunki restaurant.
Premium Glass Kota 2027-2028 Season
2026–2027 Season
Experience two of Lapland's most iconic adventures, starting with a peaceful reindeer sleigh ride through the snowy wilderness, followed by an exhilarating husky safari across frozen lakes and forest trails. Enjoy a warming soup lunch before gathering for a farewell dinner with the group this evening.
This evening, a farewell dinner with the group will take place in the restaurant.
2027–2028 Season
Enjoy an unforgettable half-day husky safari through the Arctic wilderness. After a safety briefing, set off with your own team of eager huskies and travel through snowy forests and frozen landscapes. Along the way, stop at a traditional kota for salmon soup and hot drinks while learning more about these remarkable Arctic dogs.
This evening, a farewell dinner with the group will take place in the restaurant.
Premium Glass Kota 2027-2028 Season
After breakfast, transfer to Kittila Airport for your departure.
Please note all prices are per person in double/twin share.
NOTE: Twin rooms can be requested but not guaranteed except Tromsø, double only
2027–28 Season Change: Days 7–10 will be spent in a Premium Glass Kota at Nivunki Village (3 nights).
2027–28 Season Change: Days 7–10 will be spent in a Premium Glass Kota at Nivunki Village (3 nights).
Activities are subject to change due to updated schedules and weather.
Read about staying overnight at the ICEHOTEL here. This tour price includes a night in an ice room in the original hotel. If you would like to upgrade to an ART SUITE in the original ICEHOTEL or a Deluxe Suite 365 in the new 365 section of the ICEHOTEL, please let us know at the time of booking, subject to availability. The Deluxe Suite 365, exclusively designed and made of snow and ice, holds its own private bathroom in warm room temperature, always including a shower and a toilet.
MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION:
All travellers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy group travel. During winter, roads and footpaths can be icey so please consider carefully how much luggage you bring as you will be responsible for carrying all the luggage on these outside paths. There is limited portage service in Scandinavia and your tour escorts cannot help you, beyond reason.
Scandinavia is a fairly accessible destination for people with restricted mobility and other disabilities and is actively working to be more accessible every day. However, please note that our group tours are often not suitable for persons with limited accessibility due to inclusions and pace. 50 Degrees North is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability and we can tailor-make independent itineraries for travellers when needed. Please contact us for further details.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:
Our premium mini-coach tours are one way in which we are looking at how we can reduce carbon emissions over all styles of travel that we offer, not just on our group tours which by their nature have shared transport, but also on our private options. This tour is a private tour however the transport 'mini-coach' between destinations is shared (but exclusive to our travellers, max 12 pax), therefore reducing the overall carbon footprint for each traveller.
Light pollution affects the ecosystem and among other things, it disrupts the ability of birds to navigate by moonlight and starlight, and the ability of nocturnal animals to hide from predators. As such they utilize as much natural light as possible, and only keep the lights on when they are needed. Customers are encouraged to do the same – this way marvelling the northern sky becomes easier.
The original and famous ICEHOTEL was one of the first accommodations in Kiruna to become ‘Sustainable Arctic Destination’ certified and the hotel’s connection with the environmental cycle is core to everything it does. The hotel is located on the Torne River and ice is harvested every winter to make the hotel, and in the summer, when the hotel is melting, the water returns to its origin. As such waste and emissions are kept to an absolute minimum.
Please note this tour is not suitable for children under the age of 14.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Weather conditions may occasionally affect certain activities, and as a result, the schedule may be adjusted to ensure the best possible experience for all guests. For multi-activity stays, often the order of the activities will be confirmed locally on arrival. Activities might vary slightly in their duration or location due to the weather and local conditions. Any activities that are unable to be re-scheduled due to weather conditions, will be refunded as a general practice, as determined by the activity provider.
Tom Hardisty has recommended the Lapland Highlights tour to clients for years. In March 2026, he finally took it himself.
Packing for Lapland is less about bringing more and more about bringing the right things. This guide shares practical advice on winter travel, luggage and cold-weather comfort, alongside links to detailed snow clothing checklists.
The Sámi are the only indigenous people of the European Union, with communities across northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. Meeting them, and learning about a culture that is contemporary rather than frozen in the past, offers a way of understanding the north that landscape alone cannot. Here are some suggestions for where and how to do that, on terms that respect it.