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.
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
* Husky Farm Visit
* Visiting a Reindeer farm & feeding them
* Hunting for Northern lights / Aurora Borealis
* Drinking tea & soup with a Sami Village Settlement
* Touching the Edge of Russia in TERIBERKA
* Exploring 3 different cities – Moscow, St Petersburg & Murmansk
* Taking the famous Speed Train Journey
* Pub-hopping in St. Petersburg
Complimentary activities included :
*Snowmobile ride
*Sami Games in Sami Village
Detailed itinerary:
22nd February: 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.
23rd February: 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
24th February : 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)
• 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 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
• 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
25th February: Kola Sami Settlement – Reindeer Farm & City tour
• 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
• We will also try their local soup (veg option is also available here)
• Play with the Husky Dogs
• Do a small reindeer ride to wrap it up
Murmansk City Tour is also included for today !
Overnight stay at your hotel
26th February: Arctic Ocean -Teriberka- Igloo Stay (8 hours 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: snowmobiling in this region depends on snowfall
Overnight stay in Igloo hotel (4 pax in one Igloo) & if you’re lucky you might as well enjoy Aurora from your glass igloo stay
27th February : Husky Farm Visit
• Post breakfast visit the husky farm and click pictures with them
• Husky ride needs to be pre-booked and if you wish to do it then you can inform us
• Leisure time can be used to buy souvenirs from the Murmansk Mall or you can maybe try a local mall / pub or a cafe
• Overnight stay at your hotel in Murmansk
(Note : 26th / 27th February tours can be i interchanged depending on the road conditions)
28th February : 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
1st March : St Petersburg City Tour Full Day (6 hours)
• Peter & Paul Fortress
• Kazan Cathedral
•. Hermitage Museum
•
•. 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.
2nd March : St Petersburg City Leisure Day
Note : You can fly back on 3rd March from St Petersburg as well if you are okay with an expensive air ticket (flights from Moscow to Moscow are cheaper)
3rd March : 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 9pm
• 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
4th March : Fly from Moscow to India
(early morning flight at 3/4 am)- get in touch for timings
IMPORTANT TIP:
Current airfare is as low as INR 55000 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
• Domestic flights can be booked only if your card allows you
• Genie / Trip leader from our team will be available for all the city tours & Aurora hunting tour (not for your leisure days)
• Group size :28 pax (as we have to book all the igloos in advance)
• Tips to the local guides/drivers is already included in your trip fees
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!
: +91 98188 89638
: Mayur Vihar Phase 1 Pocket 1, Ganga Market
110091 New Delhi
: Mon – Sat 8.00 – 18.00 Sunday CLOSED