The town of Kiruna, located 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, is our base for this exciting family adventure holiday, which includes most of the classic winter activities such as snowshoeing, snowmobiling, seeing moos and the icehotel. Close to the border between Sweden and Norway, this is the area historically known as Lapland and is home to the Sami people who still pursue a traditional way of life, grazing their herds of reindeer amongst the birch forest and open tundra.We fly in to Kiruna, the only town in this part of Sweden, and transfer to the nearby wilderness centre of Camp Ripan, which provides comfortable accommodation in twin bedroom cabins and allows us easy access to most of the classic winter activities. Situated within a spectacular landscape of lofty peaks, this is the perfect place for a winter family break. Additional warm clothing will be provided, as we set out by snowmobile on a tour which takes us towards Kebnekaise (2117m/6,944ft), Sweden's highest peak. Over the next couple of days, you and your family can learn the basics of ski-touring on prepared trails and take a night-time snowshoe hike to the summit of Luossavara, lit by our headtorches and the shimmering Northern Lights. The famous Icehotel, with its fantastic ice statues, is a simply unmissable attraction and tucked up amongst reindeer skins on sledges pulled by Alaskan huskies, makes this an unforgettable tour in this veritable winter wonderland. This is an excellent winter family adventure holiday.

Day 1: Arrive at Camp Ripan

We will meet our local guide at the airport and make the short transfer to Camp Ripan which lies within a snow-bound landscape of undulating countryside covered in birch and pine forest, with views across to the peaks of the Kebnekaise range of mountains. Pretty rows of red-painted cabins and reindeer grazing in their corrals makes this an unusual type of resort. On arrival, you will have time to settle in to your cabin, which provides twin room accommodation, with en-suite shower, comfortable sitting area, tea and coffee making facilities, satellite TV and a drying room. (Included meals: Dinner)

Day 2: Snowmobile

During breakfast, the local guide will brief the group on the activities of the next few days. He or she will also make sure you have adequate clothing for your stay at Ripan. Additional clothing will be provided for the activities. The first day's activity will start at approximately 10 a.m. when we board our minibus for the short drive to the village of Laukkuluspa. This is the starting place for our tour by snowmobile through the valley of the River Kalix and up into the majestic mountains. Please note that due to safety reasons it is recommended that children under 12yrs old are towed in a sledge behind the snowmobiles. We should be able to see elk and reindeer along the way and, if the weather is clear, we will also have views extending to Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise (2117m / 6945ft). We also pass areas where moose are likely to herd, so there is a high possibility of seeing these enormous animals as well. We stop at a kata, a traditional Sami hut, and if the weather is good we will be able to eat lunch outside around the open fire. Weather dependant we will also be able to try some to catch some fish through a hole in the ice (most likely in the Easter departure). The tour will come to an end on our return to Laukkuluspa and we will drive back to Camp Ripan and our cosy cabins. We will be able to warm up in the sauna, before sitting down to dinner in the restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Tour by dog-sledge & snowshoe hiking

Our tour by dog-sledge will begin straight from Ripan and will once again be checked out by our guide to make sure that we have sufficient warm clothing for this activity. The dogs are Alaskan huskies and there are usually 4 or 5 of them per sledge. As we get comfortable the sledge, snuggling down amongst reindeer skins, the dogs get more and more exited, yelping in their eagerness to be off. Off we go, and suddenly everything is quiet. The only thing you can hear is the sled running on the snow and the breathing of the dogs. We will take a break at a Sami-style tepee and by the light of the open fire we will have a cup of coffee with some home made bread and local specialities. There is a chance that we will see wild animals along the trail, or their tracks in the snow. We will return to our accommodation at Ripan. After our dinner at Ripan we will have the option to take a guided, night-time hike to the summit of the low hill of Luossavara which overlooks Kiruna and Ripan. For this exciting 3-hour hike we will be equipped with snowshoes and head-torches/head-lamps. Weather dependent, this should be an excellent opportunity to spot the awesome northern lights or aurora borealis. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Icehotel and Jukkasjavi Reindeers

We will make the short transfer to Jukkasjarvi after breakfast to see the world famous Icehotel. The name Jukkasjarvi means 'meeting place' and this small settlement on the River Torne has been an important focal point for local herders and hunters for centuries. Today, it is home to the world’s largest ice structure the Icehotel, which includes an ice bar, an art gallery, a cinema and even an Ice church which is consecrated for weddings and christenings. We take time to explore this unusual 'building,' which is reconstructed every year with varying themes - each year bigger and better. There is free time at Jukkasjarvi where we can see the reindeer herds, before we return to Camp Ripan for lunch. In the afternoon we have some time to relax in the sauna and Jacuzzi before having an informative, interactive presentation on the modern Sami reindeer-herders, providing us with information on the history and culture of this hardy people and a chance to get to know a bit more about the Sami way of life. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Ski touring on prepared tracks

After breakfast, the guide will make sure that everyone is equipped with appropriate skis and boots. Our cross-country skiing adventure starts out directly from Ripan. There are various prepared trails at Ripan and we will aim to complete a circuit through mixed forest terrain, which does not have a lot of up and down. There are shorter and easier ski tour options if necessary and we will also have the flexibility to pick up tired skiers using a snowmobile. Again, given good weather, we will have views across to the peaks of the Kebnekaise Range. On our return to our accommodation we have lunch, the sauna will be at our disposal. The afternoon we have free to choose from optional activities including further snowshoeing or cross country skiing (prices from SEK 150, approx £10 for afternoon rental), or we can just play out in the snow with the sleds. We return to the accommodation for our last dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Depart Kiruna

After breakfast, there is time to visit the centre for Sami handicraft at Mattarahkka, a great place to buy a souvenir of the trip. The Kiruna Church is also worth a visit. Extraordinarily beautiful and built along the lines of a Lappish cottage, the Church was recently voted the finest building in Sweden. Late morning, we will transfer to the airport. (B)

For the specifics on this tour operator, please contact AdventureLink directly.