Arctic Wilderness Lodge & Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

Begin your holiday with included UK airport lounge access before your flight to Alta in the heart of Arctic Norway. On arrival, you’ll be met for a private transfer to your luxury wilderness accommodation – the ever-so-stylish Arctic Wilderness Lodge. With just 24 ultra-contemporary rooms – all steel and floor-to-ceiling glass – it overlooks the beautiful Alta River, framed by sprawling boreal forest and distant, snow-dusted mountains. It’s a glorious setting for your upcoming adventure. Once you’ve checked in, enjoy some time to relax before heading to the Lavvu Restaurant for the first of your included dinners – a three-course feast based on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.

Set yourself up the day with a hearty breakfast at the lodge before heading out for what will be a superb introduction to life north of the Arctic Circle. It all begins as you meet your indigenous Sami guide who’ll introduce you to the resident reindeer and their special place in Sami culture. Expect joiking – traditional singing – and plenty of all-round fun as you head out on a sleigh ride through the snowy landscape. This afternoon, after lunch, you’ll have some time to relax, perhaps with a Jacuzzi or sauna or with a snowshoe and bonfire experience. The lodge's brand new spa offers some luxury pampering. But the excitement doesn’t end there as, after dinner, you’ll head out once more, this time driving a snowmobile to go in search of the magical Northern Lights.

Today you move firmly into bucket list territory as you travel out to a family-owned kennel home to 25 huskies. After some expert tuition on how to drive a sled, you’ll prepare your very own team before setting off for an unforgettable full-day adventure through the Finnmark wilderness. Sliding silently between snow-dusted woodland and open plateaus, you’ll keep an eye out for passing wildlife pausing, weather permitting, to view the Alta Canyon, and stopping off at an earthen cottage for a delicious lunch.

It’s then back to the lodge where you’ll be treated to a fine-dining experience at Maku. Watch on as a team of talented chefs prepare a menu that changes with the seasons, enjoying the likes of locally caught salmon, perfectly cooked reindeer steak and king crab from the nearby port of Honningsvåg.

A change of scene today as you move seamlessly to your overnight snowhotel experience, handily keeping your room at the lodge should you need it, and to shower the following morning. Once inside the Igloo Hotel, you’ll be enchanted by the unique designs – all lit to perfection – which change each and every year. Expect themes based the likes of Viking legend and Nordic mythology, all brought to life by spectacularly carved ice art which extends from the rooms to the ice chapel to the bar, where you’ll enjoy have the chance to enjoy a drink or two, served in an ice-carved glass, of course. Then, after a final three-course dinner at Lavvu Restaurant, it’s time to head for bed, settling down a warm reindeer pelts, wrapped up in a thermal sleeping bag.

Stay: Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

After a warming sauna and final delicious breakfast, head back to your room at Arctic Wilderness Lodge for a shower before checking out and transferring to the airport for your flight home.