HUNT FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS

The Arctic Experience & Northern Lights Hunting Trip
Nobody in their right mind would go to Arctic region from the last week of October till the first week of April. Except You. Cos you’re Badass.

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Click to Read Experiences from Aurora Trips

Northern lights trip features on every person’s Bucket list and for good reason. It is nature’s most beautiful phenomenon and looking at the lights leaves you filled with awe. So thinking Iceland? Think again. Because we’re headed to a small corner of the Arctic, Murmansk! This unheard-of town in the extreme north of Russia, close to the Norwegian and Finnish borders, enjoys over 40 days of uninterrupted night, making it one of the world’s premier destinations to view the Aurora Borealis. And with over 300,000 residents, you can enjoy all the cosmopolitan comforts amidst the serenity of the Arctic. It is literally the best of the both worlds, in one place.

Highlights of the Trip
* Glass Igloo Hotel Stay in Lapland
* ARCTIC FLOATING (Plunge)
* Hunting for Northern lights/ Aurora Borealis
* Learn about Sami Reindeer Settlement
* Explore 3 different cities – Moscow, St Petersburg & Murmansk
* Take the famous Speed Train Journey
* Pub-hopping in St. Petersburg
* 2 Arctic Flights

Other Activities Available:
*Reindeer sleigh ride
*Sami Chum Experience
*Play with Huskies

Trip Dates : 15th January to 23rd January

Detailed itinerary:
15th January: India to Moscow (Day 1)
Fly to Moscow from Delhi/Mumbai. After finishing the immigration, we shall proceed towards our hotel.
(The hotel will do your registration before you check-in and please remember that after you check-out of any hotel you need to carry the registration slip with you till the end of the trip. The registration fees for all the hotels is already included.)
Your genie will brief you about the tour program & he would take you to the bank so that you can exchange the currency & then to places where you can get the best pictures in Moscow. For those who wish to simply romance the charming streets of Moscow they need to make sure they are wearing shoes / boots which are not slippery as you can expect snow/ice on the streets.
Visit Nikolaskaya Street & Red Square by Night using the UNESCO heritage MOSCOW METRO

Overnight at the Hotel.

16th January : Moscow City Tour (6 hours)
Today you will cover all the major significant areas of the Russian capital:
• Visit Red square (Heart of the Capital)
• Walk along the Manezh square & Sky bridge
• Visit the Temple of Christ the Savior
• Back to hotel by soviet style metro
• Overnight at your hotel in Moscow

17th January : Fly to Murmansk (Adventure Begins from Today)
• Enjoy your first breakfast before you fly to the biggest Arctic city
• Transfer to the domestic airport
• Fly to Murmansk
• Transfer to your hotel in Murmansk
• In the evening, we will start our Northern lights hunting tour depending upon the conditions

Important Note:
• Your Aurora hunting tour may last for 4/5 hours so be prepared for the cold
• You will get vodka with during the tour
• Your vehicle would be heated enough to keep you warm
• Your first northern lights tour can happen on any night depending upon the conditions (2nd Aurora Hunting will be from your Glass igloo & this is not with the photographer)
• Food is an issue in Murmansk for Indians so be prepared with ready to eat packets
• You are in Murmansk for 5 Days so you have enough time for Aurora Hunting
• Your guide for Aurora hunting is also a photographer so that you get high resolution images

Guide to right clothing is available in our TRAVEL BLOG

18th January : Sami Reindeer Settlement & Murmansk City tour

• Meet the strong & friendly Sami people
• Get to know the story behind the Saami culture, customs, beliefs & the sacred stone
• Get acquainted with the reindeers – their lifestyle, breeding, habits & maybe try a selfie with them (you can also Feed them)
• You can also try the Sami traditional clothing if you want
• Play with the Husky Dogs
• Feed the reindeers to wrap it up

Murmansk City Tour is also included for today !

Note: If the road to the Teriberka is open on this day then this Saami village tour will be replaced by a visit to Teriberka village (The road to Teriberka is often shut but if it is open you’ll definitely go crazy)

Overnight stay at your Hotel

19th January: Arctic Floating & Glass Igloo Stay

• The legendary activity where you take a plunge in the Arctic
• Transfer to your Igloo hotel

Overnight stay in Igloo hotel & if you’re lucky you might as well enjoy Aurora from your glass igloo stay

20th January: Wooden Cottage Stay
• Post breakfast move to your wooden cottage
• Leisure time for optional tours
• Overnight stay in Wooden cottages

(Note : 18th / 19th / 20th November tours can be  interchanged depending on the conditions)

21st January: Murmansk – St Petersburg
• Post breakfast proceed to the airport for your flight to St Petersburg.
• Transfer from airport to the city centre
• Relax at your hotel-located in the heart of the city
• Expect the city to be full of colours as the Russians celebrate the winters here

In the evening you can attend a Russian Ballet theater or a concert if anything interesting is happening around the main town.(Optional Tour)

Overnight at your hotel in St Petersburg

22nd January: St Petersburg City Tour Full Day (6 hours)

• Peter & Paul Fortress
• Kazan Cathedral
•. Hermitage Museum photo stop
•. Use the night time for your party sharty

We will also stop for photo sessions at Church of the Savior on Blood, St Isaac Cathedral, etc.
And don’t forget that St Petersburg is possibly the best place to party in Russia!
Overnight at your Hotel or wherever you’re going after the party.

Note : You can fly back on 23rd January from St Petersburg as well if you are okay with an expensive air ticket (flights from Moscow to Moscow are cheaper)

23rd January: St.Petersburg to Moscow Train Experience
• Free time for shopping after check out
• Evening fast train from St Petersburg to Moscow (ticket is included)
• Reach moscow by 8pm
• Transfer to Airport in moscow for your return flight
• Grab each other’s phone and transfer your pictures before you say goodbye
• Last group hug

24th January : Fly from Moscow to India
(early morning flight at 3/4 am)- get in touch for timings

Trip Fees : INR 1,99,000 + 5% GST
(TCS is fully refundable & mandatory if applicable on your passport)

IMPORTANT TIP:
Current international airfare is as low as INR 57000 for the air tickets so if you are planning to book this trip then we would recommend you to book your international flights first. The airfare for the trip is not included because the group airfare is slightly expensive as compared to what you see on the internet.

Call or WhatsApp for a detailed itinerary with pricing details : +91 9818889638 or +91 76689 88861

NOTE:
• Attention! The Company is not responsible in case of an unsuccessful hunt for Northern Lights.
• Please carry ready to cook/eat from your country as the food in Russia can be a challenge not only for the vegetarians but also for the non-vegetarians.
• Non-payment of the remaining trip fee in due time would be considered as cancellation
• Insurance is not included but we highly recommend you to buy travel insurance
• Booking amount is non-refundable
• Genie / Trip leader from our team will be available for all the city tours & Aurora hunting tour (not for your leisure days)
• Group size :Around 22 PAX
• Tips to the local guides/drivers is already included in your trip fees

Optional Tours : If there is anything extra that you wish to do apart from the set itinerary, then we can definitely assist you. The best optional tour in the Arctic is a day tour to Saami reindeer farm / Teriberka which is dependent on the road conditions & if the road conditions are good we can definitely recommend you this tour.