SWEDEN: DOGSLEDDING TO THE ICEHOTEL TRIP HIGHLIGHTS • Drive your own team of huskies on a sledding expedition through Sweden’s Lapland wilderness. • Relax in cabins ideally situated for the chance to view one of nature’s most dazzling displays: the aurora borealis, or northern lights. • Spend time with Sami herders and try your hand at driving a reindeer sled. • Stay at the famed ICEHOTEL, with the option of sleeping in one of its sculpted ice rooms.
I T I N E R A RY
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DAYS 1 AND 2
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| 9 DAYS
DAYS 5 AND 6
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Meet your team of Alaskan huskies and learn the basics of harnesses, lines, and mushing. Then experience the thrill of driving your own team through snow-clad forests and across frozen lakes and rivers, keeping an eye out for wildlife. At Sevuvuoma Lodge, unwind in the sauna and enjoy a hearty dinner. Head off the next morning on a trail where few travelers have set foot, arriving back at Väkkärä Wilderness Lodge. Meet a renowned reindeer herder, who will prepare a traditional Sami meal.
Arrive in Stockholm and gather for a welcome dinner. The next day, explore the city. At the Vasa Museum, examine a 17th-century royal warship that was much celebrated until it sank in front of crowds of onlookers on its maiden voyage. Then stroll the city’s charming streets where regal architecture mixes with a vibrant contemporary culture. FIRST HOTEL REISEN
DAYS 3 AND 4 I KIRUNA/ÖVRE SOPPERO/LAKE VÄKKÄRÄ Fly to Sweden’s northernmost city, Kiruna, and explore this outpost in the heart of the Lapland region—a vast wilderness of soaring peaks, ancient forests, and pristine lakes and rivers. Get outfitted for our sledding adventure before heading to Övre Soppero, where we discover the reindeer-herding culture of Lapland’s indigenous people, the Sami. Embark on a sled ride to a nearby lavu, or traditional Sami tepee. Try your hand at ice fishing, and enjoy lunch by a fire. Later, settle into our cabins at Väkkärä Wilderness Lodge. ÖVRE SOPPERO HOMESTEAD; VÄKKÄRÄ WILDERNESS LODGE
Day 4: 6 miles reindeer sledding (2–3 hours)
LAKE VÄKKÄRÄ/ SEVUVUOMA
INFORMATION Activity Level
Moderate / Strenuous
SEVUVUOMA LODGE; VÄKKÄRÄ WILDERNESS LODGE Day 5: 18 miles dogsledding (5–6 hours); Day 6: 18 miles dogsledding (5–6 hours)
DATES
DAYS 7, 8, AND 9 I LAKE VÄKKÄRÄ/ JUKKAS JÄRVI/STOCKHOLM
COST
After a final morning of mushing, transfer to Jukkasjärvi and check into the ICEHOTEL, the world’s largest hotel made solely of snow and ice. Enjoy a farewell dinner and a drink in the famous Icebar. Tonight, sleep in a heated room, or opt for one of the hotel’s ice or snow rooms, where you are outfitted in a thermal sleeping bag. Return to Kiruna and fly back to Stockholm. Depart the following morning. ICEHOTEL; FIRST HOTEL REISEN Day 7: 9–10 miles dogsledding (4–5 hours)
While on the dogsledding expedition, we will be mushing for 4–6 hours per day (15–18 miles) on moderate to steep grades. No previous experience is necessary, although you should have good balance and the stamina to endure full days in the snow, and be willing to participate in feeding and harnessing the dogs.
2018: Mar. 2–10 • Mar. 9–17 • Mar. 16–24 Mar. 23–31
$8,795
Price is per person, double occupancy. For a single room (available only in Stockholm and at the ICEHOTEL), add $950. Airfare to/from Stockholm and within Sweden is not included in the cost. The group fl ight within Sweden is $800 (subject to change). Upgrade to an Ice Suite at the ICEHOTEL for an additional fee. All meals are included between group arrival and departure, with the exception of dinner on Day 8.
Maximum group size: 15
ACCOMMODATIONS We will stay 4 nights in rustic homesteads and wilderness cabins, 3 nights in comfortable hotels, and 1 night at the ICEHOTEL in the hotel’s warm rooms. Guests may upgrade to an Art Suite cold room for an additional fee.
Above: A team of huskies leads a sled through Sweden’s Lapland.
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CALL 1-888-689-2557 OR VISIT NATGEOEXPEDITIONS.COM/ACTIVE
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6/6/17 6:14 PM