The Arctic Experience & Northern Lights 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.
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
* Staying in the Aurora Igloo Glass Hotel
* Staying in the biggest Arctic city
* Small Group Size (15)
* Speeding the Arctic Ocean Coast on a Snow-mobile (subject to weather conditions)
* Playing with the Husky dogs
* Feeding the Reindeers farm
* Hunting for Northern lights / Aurora Borealis
* Drinking tea with a Sami Village Settlement
* Touching the Edge of ARCTIC in TERIBERKA
* Explore 3 different cities – Moscow, St Petersburg & Murmansk
* Pub-hopping in St. Petersburg
Detailed itinerary:
22nd December : Delhi/Mumbai/Dubai to Moscow (Day 1)
Fly to Moscow from your city. After finishing the immigration, we shall proceed towards our hotel.
MEETING TIME = 3pm at MOSCOW DME airport
(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. 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 on the streets.
Visit the bank to get your dollars changed into rubles & the SIM card with Internet is also available next to the bank
• Meet your co travellers in the evening for a small introductory session!
• Try the local vodka
• Get briefed about your program
Overnight at the Hotel.
23rd December: 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 metro
• Overnight at your hotel in Moscow
Note: You have to follow the timelines given by the local guides to cover all things on time as the local guides don’t work beyond a certain hour.
24th December : 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 (domestic flight not included. Book early to get low airfare)
• 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 hours so be prepared for the cold
• Your vehicle would be heated enough to keep you warm
• Your northern lights tour can happen on any night depending upon the conditions (2nd Hunting will be in the Aurora village)
• 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
• I phone is best for capturing Aurora images if you’re not into photography
Guide to right clothing is available in our TRAVEL BLOG
25th December : Murmansk City Tour
• Meet your local guide in Murmansk
• Get to know the story behind the never freezing harbour & Kola Peninsula
• Visit the monument of Alyosha
• Capture the famous spots of the biggest Arctic city
• We will make multiple stops today
Free time in the evening to explore the local pubs or you can even visit the Murmansk Mall.
Overnight at your hotel
26th December: Aurora Village (Igloo Stay)
• Check out post breakfast
• Afternoon transfer to your stay in Igloo hotel (3 or 4 people in one Igloo)
• Capture your igloo experience
• if you’re lucky you might as well enjoy Aurora from your glass igloo stay
SLEEPING is NOT RECOMMENDED here till 3 AM!
27th December: Saami Village & Reindeer Farm with Cottage Stay
• Meet the strong & friendly Sami people
• Get to know the story behind the sami 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)
• We will try the sami tea with local herbs & you can also try the Sami traditional clothing if you want
• Reindeer ride / Banana ride (snow dependent)
• Overnight stay in Cottages
Stay in cottages have been planned to increase your chances of Aurora viewing as these cottages are located in the wild (ideal for solo travellers)
Note : The cottage also offers you husky rides if you want to enjoy a husky ride. You can simply book the husky ride directly at the cottage
28th December : TERIBERKA (Optional Day Tour)
Visit the legendary village of Teriberka, located on the edge of the earth ( but earth is round. No? )
• Pass through the Arctic tundra region (a vast treeless area of Northern Russia, Canada, Greenland)
• Try the local food in the extreme conditions
• Visit graveyard of wooden ships aged 100 years old
• Visit the Dragon beach
Note: Optional day tour will cost you 6800 Rubles including the snowmobile ride . Please note that snowmobiling in this region depends on the snowfall & even the road conditions are dependent on the snow. This day tour is an amazing experience but it is totally nature dependent so cannot be included in your tour cost.
Overnight stay will be in Murmansk city!
29th December: 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
Overnight at your hotel in St Petersburg
30th December: St Petersburg City Tour (6 hours full day tour)
• Peter & Paul Fortress
• Hermitage Museum
• If you like shopping then it’s a nice city to spend your money but keep it for the next day
31st December: St Petersburg Leisure Day for Party sharty
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.
Also, during the day you can attend a Russian Ballet theater or a concert if anything interesting is happening around the main town.(Optional Tour)
1st January: St.Petersburg to India
• Airport drop after check out
• Grab each other’s phone and transfer your pictures before you say goodbye
• Last group hug
-Tour ends here-
Call or WhatsApp for your queries : +91 7668988861 / +91 9818889638
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.
• Indian food is not available in Murmansk so be prepared (carry your ready to eat packets)
• Non-payment of the remaining trip fee in due time would be considered as cancellation
• Booking amount is non-refundable
• Itinerary in the Arctic zone can change depending on the conditions as winters are harsh & unpredictable
• TCS is mandatory as per Indian government but it’s fully refundable as you get the input when you file your ITR
• flights are not included so we recommend you to book them in advance & if you find flights expensive while Coming back from Saint Petersburg then you can fly back from moscow but in this case you’ll need to take a train from Petersburg to Moscow and then you fly back on 2nd January early morning from Moscow
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IncludedAccommodation in highly rated properties (4 Star)Trip leader/ Genie from our team for all daysEnglish speaking translator for Guided toursDaily continental breakfast at the hotelTips for Drivers & GuidesRegistration fees in hotelsXE charges 3% (INR to USD to RUBLES)All entry tickets as per itineraryAll sightseeing with experienced driversMoscow city tourMoscow metro tourMurmansk city tourAurora hunting tourFull day St Petersburg city tourHermitage Museum Half day tour with ticketsPhotographer during Aurora Hunting tourGlass igloo hotel stay (first come first serve)Cottage stay experienceAll group airport transfers (6 in total)All group transfers to / fro railway station(2 in total)Visit the Reindeer Farm (Saami Village)Visit to TeriberkaAssistance with flight ticketsVisa Invitation letter feeVisa fees
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Not IncludedGST 5% & TCS if applicableInternational Airfare (INR 56000 depending on when you book)All Domestic Flights (INR 18500 depending on when you book)
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IKIGAI is a group tour company offering curated travel experiences to offbeat destinations for both boys & girls. Our small group tours are exclusive, fun, and totally safe!