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Bestseller
Bestseller
Holidays

Sweden Arctic Family Adventure

Sweden
8 reviews
Available Departures: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec

6 days from

US$1,845

Adult

US$1,300

Child
without flights
Multi Activity
Family
LEISURELY LEISURELY

A family winter activity holiday in Sweden, centre based at the outstanding Camp Ripan, north of the Arctic Circle

Trip Code: FSW
Minimum child age: 6
Child discount up to and including age: 12
Holiday Grades
          

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

 1 - 3 LEISURELY
1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

View leisurely holidays
4 - 6 MODERATE
4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

View moderate holidays
7 - 9 CHALLENGING
7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

View challenging holidays
10 - 12 TOUGH
10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

View Tough holidays

Sweden Arctic Family Adventure

6+

Age

Husky Sled Rides

Snowshoeing

Cross Country Skiing

Highlights
  • Try husky dog-sledding and take your family to the spectacular Icehotel
  • Go snowshoeing and enjoy the heated outdoor hot tub
  • Ride a snowmobile on a frozen lake and see the northern lights
  • Stay in cosy cabins, enjoy the spa with its pools and the restaurant
  • Spend a magical Christmas or a celebratory New Year Eve's in this special place

At a Glance
  • Group Size 2 to 15
  • 5 days multi-activity and sightseeing
  • Join In Kiruna

Accommodation & Meals
  • All meals included
  • 5 nights Hotel
Overview

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 and husky dog-sledding. 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 cosy cabins that work well for families. Camp Ripan has an excellent set-up, with a great restaurant, a northern lights lounge and a welcoming spa with heated outdoor pool. Situated within a spectacular landscape of 'taiga' forest, this is the perfect place for a winter family break and provides us with easy access to most of the classic winter activities.


We start out with a snowmobile tour which takes us on forest trails and across frozen lakes where we may be able to take part in some ice fishing. Over the next couple of days, you and your family will also travel by husky dog-sled, take a snowshoe hike and have a go at cross-country skiing on prepared trails. And, whenever the weather is clear, this is one of the best places on Earth to see the amazing northern lights. We also take an excursion to the nearby and world-famous Icehotel, where many of the rooms have been designed and sculpted by artists from around the world - an unmissable attraction. With all meals and activities included, this is an unforgettable family holiday in a veritable winter wonderland.

Is this holiday for you?

Suitable for children from 6 years old.

Providing cosy and comfortable accommodation and great food, our resort base at Camp Ripan allows us the flexibility to make this unique family adventure holiday work for most families. All the activities are in the reach of active children. When snowmobiling, children under 12 years of age will be towed in a covered sledge trail …

Suitable for children from 6 years old.

Providing cosy and comfortable accommodation and great food, our resort base at Camp Ripan allows us the flexibility to make this unique family adventure holiday work for most families. All the activities are in the reach of active children. When snowmobiling, children under 12 years of age will be towed in a covered sledge trailed behind the snowmobiles. Under 16yr olds are not allowed to drive the snowmobiles. Please note that the order of the itinerary (ie you may visit the icehotel on Monday rather than Sunday) is subject to change without notice. Additional warm and appropriate clothing is provided for the snowmobiling and husky sled ride. You do however need to provide your own warm clothing for the other activities, for evenings and for spontaneous playing in the snow! This is an ideal family holiday for Christmas, February half term and Easter. The KE Team loves this holiday!

Why KE?

NOW INCLUDING FREE SNOW SHOES AND CROSS-COUNTRY SKI HIRE 

 

With all activities and meals included, this holiday is good value. Camp Ripan is an award-winning eco-friendly hotel which strives to capture the spirit of Kiruna. The core values revolve around sustainability which is at the heart of this beautiful place. Even the Father Christmas visit is done with style, creating magic for all children (big or small).

 

Kit, Product Manager at the KE office, travelled with his family on this holiday – please feel free to call him for a chat.

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Itinerary

Our holiday starts at the accommodation in Kiruna. We arrive at the compact airport at Kiruna, and are met and transferred the short 15 minutes to Camp Ripan, which lies on the outskirts of the town, close to the downhill ski slopes on the hill of Luossavaara. During the winter season, the town of Kiruna sits within a snow-bound landscape of undulating countryside covered in birch and pine forest and punctuated by frozen lakes. There are views across to the peaks of the Kebnekaise range of mountains. Pretty rows of red-painted cabins and reindeer grazing in their corrals (at some times of the season) makes this an unusual type of resort. You will quickly settle in to your cosy cabin, which has a twin/double bed, a room with a bunk bed, en-suite facilities, comfortable sitting area, tea and coffee making facilities, satellite TV and a clothes drying facility. The cabins work well for families. Larger families are accommodated over 2 cabins. Please note that for any of the activities during this holiday, you may be part of a larger group with people who have not necessarily booked through KE. This will not affect your enjoyment of this wonderful holiday. There are a number of local activity providers that Camp Ripan work with and sometimes the order in which the itinerary follows can change. On arrival, you will be given a programme with the timings of all the activities included in your KE holiday. Dinner is taken in the main building, where there is an excellent restaurant.

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Hotel

Meals

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After our buffet-style breakfast, you will meet your snowmobiling guide in reception. First is the gear and clothing check to ensure you have enough warm clothing for the day's adventure. A padded suit, snowboots, hat and gloves are amongst the items that will be provided if they are needed. Up in northern Sweden, the snowmobile is the most common form of transport out in the beautiful winter landscape. It is recommended that children under 12 years of age are towed in a covered trailer sledge behind the snowmobiles. We'll start at Camp Ripan and drive out into the low mountain areas close by, over frozen lakes into the wild forest land. If we are lucky we may come across moose and reindeer on our adventure. We have a break out on the ice and try our luck at some icefishing (sometimes this is not possible if it is too cold, around Christmas and New Year). We drill a hole in the ice whilst enjoying some traditional hot drinks and snacks. And if we are lucky we might catch some fish. After the break we head back out again on the snowmobiles and return to Camp Ripan for lunch. You even have the opportunity to drive your own snowmobile at an extra fee. In the afternoon, we can go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, sledging or simply play in the snow. Simple plastic sledges can be borrowed from the gear shop, and rental of snowshoes and skis are included in the holiday cost. Further exciting additional activities can be booked, see the end of this itinerary and in the spending money section for details. For April departures we travel further into the mountains (1.5hrs drive) for our snowmobiling trip and make a full day of it. We enjoy a cooked lunch and some icefishing.

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After breakfast, we will meet our Sami guide and make the short (20 minute) journey to Jukkasjarvi and the world-famous Icehotel. This is the world's largest ice structure, which includes an ice bar, an art gallery 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. The highlights are the many 'deluxe' rooms, each of which have been given the designer treatment by artists from around the world. Beautifully carved out of ice over a period of several weeks and with a wide variety of themes, these can be quite breathtaking. We then visit the towns' log timbered Sami Church dating from 1607. This small church has many special features and stories to discover. We end our tour at Cafe Sapmi, a large lavvu, traditional Sami teepee, with an open fire place in the centre surrounded by rustic benches. Here they serve classic sami dishes and we have a hot drink and one of their delicious berry pastries. We return to Camp Ripan for lunch. In the afternoon we have included a 2 hour visit to the Aurora Spa at Camp Ripan. This has an outdoor hot tub, an indoor pool with panoramic windows to the snowy landscape and a sauna. The whole atmosphere is very relaxing, combining the clean modern whites of the Swedish style and earthy stone and wood. The adults will get a sauna bucket 'Stavan' which includes a birch leaf scrub, foot salts with juniper berries lemon and sea salt, coffee scrub and a body oil made with regionally-grown rapeseed oil. A number of optional activities are available. Please see 'holiday information/spending money' for details. We enjoy our dinner in the Camp Ripan restaurant.

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We gear up (we are provided with additional warm clothing) and transfer to the kennels to meet our mushers (sledge drivers) and their dogs. Depending on the number in the party, a decision will be made on the number of dogs required for each sledge, which will be driven by one of the mushers. The dogs are Alaskan huskies and there could be as many as 12 pulling a sledge with 4 passengers and the musher. Anyone who wants to can usually assist with the process of putting the dogs in their traces. We then get comfortable on the sledge, snuggling down into our winter gear on reindeer skins, as the dogs get more and more excited, yelping in their eagerness to be off. Off we go, our musher expertly guiding the dogs and sledge, and suddenly everything is quiet. The only thing you can hear is the sledge running on the snow and the panting of the dogs. The area is excellent dog-sledding terrain - undulating and forested and offering a real taste of Arctic travel by dog sled. We will take a break at a Sami-style teepee (Lavvo) and by the light of the open fire we will have a snack and a glass of lingonberry juice or a cup of coffee. There is a chance that we will see moose or reindeer along the trail or their tracks in the snow. We return to our accommodation at Camp Ripan in time for lunch in the restaurant. In the afternoon, we have a guided, snowshoeing hike in the forest surrounding Camp Ripan. Equipped with snowshoes we'll explore the wintery landscape, following the tracks of the hare or mountain ptarmigan over the blanket of snow. At the end of the walk, we can once again stop in a Sami teepee for a hot drink around the fire. Then, it's back to our cabins before dinner in the restaurant later.

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This morning you have a choice of optional activities. Cross-country skis (and footwear) are included, so you can venture out to the local trails to enjoy this. You are required to buy a pass locally (approx. SEK 50 pp). There is a sports field close by (so you can easily walk there) with a circuit of prepared cross-country tracks and several pisted trails lead off from this field. If you are feeling confident there is the option to complete a fun and undulating circuit through mixed forest terrain which takes us out towards the hill of Luossavaara. There are also shorter and easier ski tour options, depending on your standard. Again, given good weather, we will have views across to the peaks of the Kebnekaise Range. Returning to base we go for lunch in the restaurant. Alternatively you can go on the snowshoes or take part in an additional activity. A second visit to the Aurora Spa (2hrs, usually starting at 1400) is including for this afternoon, and otherwise the time is yours to enjoy another optional activity or go make use of the included sledges, snowshoes or cross-country ski's near the property. We have our last dinner at the accommodation.

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Our holiday ends after breakfast. A single transfer is provided to Kiruna Airport. Depending on your flight time, there may be time to visit some of the sights in Kiruna or have some more fun in the snow. Kiruna Church is worth a visit. Extraordinarily beautiful and built along the lines of a Lappish cottage, the Church was recently voted the finest building in Sweden. Additional activities (at extra cost) that you might be able to fit in a free morning, afternoon or evening include; a northern lights tour on horseback / a reindeer encounter meeting a Sami reindeer herder who takes us for a short sledge ride, we can pet and handle the reindeer / evening Northern Lights by snowmobile or dogsled / an evening kennel visit and packwalk / ice climbing at the indoor wall in Kiruna / further dogsled tour interaction for younger children / evening Northern lights photo tour. All these activities need to be booked in advance. Further information can be found in the 'spending money' section. CHRISTMAS DEPARTURES Christmas is special in this part of Sweden and Camp Ripan take extra care to ensure that it is as magical as could ever be. Departures which fall over the Christmas days have a slightly different format, and the itinerary will be in a different order to accommodate the celebrations. Swedish Christmas Dinner - the Smorgasbord In the evening of the 24th December the Swedish have their ‘Christmas Dinner’. This smorgasbord feast is a buffet selection of the finest herring, salmon, hams, smoked reindeer, lamb, deer, meatballs and much much more. There are plenty of options for the vegetarians! Meet Father Christmas Now it’s time for one of today’s highlights. Meet Father Christmas in the Sami tent, he offers mulled wine and gingerbread, he tells his tale of the eventful journey over the mountains through the snow storm. All children will receive a small Christmas gift. Christmas Day torchlight procession For those who can get up early on Christmas morning, there is the option to take part in a torchlight procession through the snow to the Kiruna Church. The early Christmas service, Julotta, is an old Swedish Christmas tradition. Even although many Swedes do not attend regular church services, they do take part on Christmas Day. The Kiruna Church, which beautiful and based on a large Sami hut, was honoured with the accolade of ‘Sweden’s Most Beautiful Building' in the year 2000. There is a small additional charge if you wish to take part, and you should book this on arrival. NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS On New Year's Eve there will be a welcome drink and canapés in the lobby, and then a three course dinners in the restaurant. At midnight there will be a celebration outside with a glass of bubbles. For families with children there will be a smaller celebration at 9pm.

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Airport Airport
Transfer

Essential Information

We've compiled some of our Frequently Asked Questions to help you learn more about this amazing trip.

  • A professional English-speaking Swedish guide for all activities
  • Kiruna Airport transfers (on day 1 and day 6)
  • All land transport and activities as described
  • All specialist winter activity equipment
  • Additional warm clothing for the snowmobiling and husky sled ride activities
  • 5 nights accommodation at Camp Ripan
  • 2 visits to the Aurora Spa
  • All meals included
  • FREE Snow shoe and cross-country ski hire

  • Travel insurance
  • Additional activities other than those described
  • Tips for local staff
  • Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc

The group will meet at the accommodation in Kiruna.

Airport transfers are provided for all clients.

Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation.

All meals are included from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 6.

Breakfast is an all you can eat buffet, with most breakfast items available. Cereals, bread, toast, yoghurt, spreads, omelette, scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, fruit juices, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Most lunches are also taken at Camp Ripan and this is a single course meal, meat or fish with vegetables. Water and bread is also provided. Dinner is a 2-course meal served in the excellent restaurant. Much of the produce is harvested locally from the region and the chefs prioritise traditional Sami dishes, such as moose meatballs, reindeer, beef, salmon, Arctic char and lingon berry dessert. Dinner can be either a starter and a main course or main course and dessert. Every dish has its own story and the waiters will take pains to explain to you what you are eating. There is not usually a choice with the main dish. Simple dishes for children are also available. On some days, we may eat a snack lunch during our activity.

During this trip the group will spend 5 nights at Camp Ripan on the outskirts of the modern town of Kiruna. This unusual resort hotel is comprised of several rows of wooden cabins which have twin rooms, en-suite facilities, satellite TV, tea and coffee making facilities, comfortable sitting area and drying room.

The family cabins (Room Giron) have 4 beds and can accommodate a 5th extra bed if required for children under 10yrs old. However it is more comfortable if you opt for two cabins for a family of 5 or 6 - and you can do this for no additional cost. These cabins will be next to each other. Families of 3 (2 adults and 1 child) will be in a 4 bed cabin. Families of 2 will be in a twin cabin - Room Rievssat.

The hotel reception has a bar, and a restaurant with a reputation for good local food. The proprietor of Camp Ripan is a chef and the cuisine is a priority for her. There are three 'Padel Tennis' courts, a Golf Simulator and a basic gym. Pre-booking is highly recommended for the Padel and can be done 10 days in advance. There is also a spa and two visits during your trip are included. The spa has an indoor and outdoor pool. If you are lucky you can enjoy the warmth whilst watching the Northern Lights flash through the windows.

The group will be accompanied during each of the activities by English-speaking Swedish guides. The guides are specialist instructors in each field (i.e. husky sledding, snowmobiling or snowshoeing) and will vary with the days' activity and the itinerary.

Approximately £200 for the average family should be sufficient to cover miscellaneous expenses, drinks and souvenir purchases. We recommend you take debit/credit cards to use whilst in Sweden, as it is almost a cashless economy. A beer in the restaurant at Camp Ripan costs around £8. Additional activities should be pre-booked and paid for on arrival.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY COSTS

Activities are usually taken with other guests at Camp Ripan and are at set times and days. Depending on the dates of your travel only certain activities will be available. Note that all days except for one, you already have an activity included in the holiday price, these options are just if you are keen to do more! All additional activities should be pre-booked to avoid disappointment. You can book and pay for these through KE. Please contact us for the full list and further details. All activities and prices are subject to change without prior notice.

  • Cross-country ski trail pass: 50 SEK per person. Cross-country skis are provided free of charge. Passes can be bought locally and the trails are in walking distance

  • Raidu - Encounter the Reindeer (afternoon, 4.5hrs): From 2900 SEK adult, from 1450 child (0-12yrs)

  • Dogsled Tour for children and families (afternoon, 4hrs): 7500 SEK for 2 adults and 2 children (2-15yrs)

  • Aurora Hunting Tour with Reindeer Sledding (evening, 6 hrs, finishing around midnight): 2495 SEK adult, 1895 SEK child (6-12yrs)

  • Aurora Hunt by Dogsled (evenings 2.5hrs): 1550 SEK adult, 800 child (4-12yrs)

  • Northern Lights Hunt by Snowmobile (evening, 2.5hrs): 1585 SEK adult, 795 SEK child (4-12yrs)

  • Northern Lights Tour on Horseback (late afternoon, 3.5hrs, Min age 12 yrs, max weight 90kg): 2195 SEK

  • Moose Safari on Horseback (all day 0900-1500 Min age 12yrs. Max weight 90kg): 2195 SEK per person

  • Ice Climbing in Kiruna (afternoon, 2.5hrs, Min age 13yrs): 1295 SEK per person

  • Northern Light Photo Tour (evening, 4hrs, min 10 yrs): 1690 SEK adult, 1050 SEK child (10-15yrs)

  • Wildlife and Nature Photo Tour (morning, 4hrs): 1690 SEK adult, 1050 child (8-15yrs)

  • Kiruna City Tour - a city on the move (morning or afternoon, 3hrs): 650 SEK adult, 200 SEK child (under 12yrs)

  • Sami Cooking Tour (all day, 5.5 hrs): 1995 SEK per person

  • Become a Sami Survivor (morning, 4 hrs): 1690 SEK adult, 990 SEK child (6-15yrs)

  • There are also three ‘Padel Tennis’ courts and a Golf Simulator at Camp Ripan. Pre-booking is highly recommended for the Padel and can be done 10 days in advance.

You are under no pressure to tip the guides during this holiday. Tipping is the accepted way of saying thank you to your activity provider and is entirely voluntary.

For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage and a daypack. Luggage with wheels is useful for this holiday. For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline.

For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in the ‘Dates and Prices’ table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements.

Europe

Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:

  • less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)

  • valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

For the latest details on visiting countries within the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA), please check the UK Government website

The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Vaccinations

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations.

GHIC / Medical cover

UK residents should carry a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment when you're visiting an EU country or Switzerland. This is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is vital when travelling overseas.

The unit of currency in Sweden is the Swedish Krona.

We are running this Arctic Sweden adventure at Christmas and also in February and the Easter holidays. There will be a noticeable difference in the climatic conditions that we can expect to encounter during these three periods. During the Christmas departures, the dominating influence will be the fact that the sun does not come above the horizon at all and there is only about 4 hours or so of good daylight. This is the season when the Northern Lights are most active. At this time of year, the temperature can be as cold as minus 25°C, but is more likely to be minus 10 to minus 15°C . However, because the air is so dry here, it does not seem so cold. The sun first puts in an appearance in early January and by mid February, there is lots of daylight (the sun rises at 0800 and sets at 1600 approx) and the temperatures start to improve. The ambient temperatures are still low, several degrees below freezing during the day and -10°C or colder at night. Thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream it is actually warmer here than its Arctic Circle location would suggest. The early spring season is a great time to visit the Swedish Arctic. During the day the sun warms the snow, causing a little softening and then at night it re-freezes to form a crust which is perfect for snowmobiles, dog-sledges or for skiing. In February and even more so at Easter, long, sunny days are quite usual.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

We welcome all family dynamics and we will try to accommodate you in the roomings of your choice. The only stipulation for joining a family group holiday is that 1 party member is 17yrs or under, and they are accompanied by an adult. An average group size is around 10 members in total. Further general information and FAQ's are available here: KE Family Adventure Holidays general information.

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

You should bring the following items

  • Warm and waterproof snow boots
  • Trainers or similar (for casual wear)
  • Warm/Ski socks (2 or 3 pairs)
  • Underwear
  • Thermal baselayers - tops and leggings
  • Waterproof padded ski salopettes OR waterproof overtrousers with warm/thermal leggings
  • Casual clothes for evening wear and travel
  • Fleece jacket and/or jumper
  • Warm ski jacket or down jacket
  • Warm hat
  • Scarf
  • Ski goggles and good quality sunglasses
  • Warm fleece gloves
  • Warm and windproof overgloves or mittens
  • Daypack 20 to 30 litres (depending on how much of the kids' stuff you need to carry)
  • Headtorch and spare batteries
  • Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)
  • Water bottles 2x 1 Litre (quart) (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)
  • Selection of dry bags (to keep daypack contents dry)
  • Washbag and toiletries
  • Antibacterial handwash
  • Basic First Aid Kit including: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters, blister treatment, antihistamine cream and tablets, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite).

The following items are optional:

  • Karrimat or similar foam mat (for lunch stops)
  • 1 litre Thermos Flask
  • Swimwear (for spa)
  • Camera
  • Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

Equipment provided locally:

  • Additional warm clothing as required
  • Snowshoes
  • Ski touring equipment including boots

Notes:

Additional clothing and all equipment will be provided at Camp Ripan for all the activities. You should take the sort of warm clothing that you would use for a skiing trip. Warm outdoor clothing is available to hire at Camp Ripan for 175 SEK per person (pre-booking required), or 200 SEK on the spot.

Cotswold Outdoor Red PantonMany of the Equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive 12.5% discount voucher from Cotswold Outdoor and other retailers.
>> Find out more

Reviews

5 out of 5 from 8 reviews

Simply amazing ★★★★★

Can’t recommend this highly enough. An amazing experience from start to finish, packed with things to do and inclusive of sled, snow shoe and skis when not on an excursion. Superb food, helpful staff and brilliant trips. All round fun for the family! Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.

By Kevin from Banstead | 21 February 2022

Memorable ★★★★★

Thanks to KE and particularly Tom for help and support when traveling at a worrying time. Great holiday. Highly recommend it. Dog sledding through the snowy forest and on the frozen lake was magical. Fussy eaters beware that the menu is very limited but the food is of a high standard. Cabins clean and warm. Drying cupboards are fab and used every day. We travelled with our 11 year old. Guides friendly and accommodating. Anneta was the stand out for us, giving great insight into the life of the S ami people. Highly recommend the trip and KE. Will be booking our next trip soon.
By Sharon from Llanelli | 03 January 2022

Extraordinarily amazing introduction to the arctic circle!! ★★★★★

From start to finish a truly eye opening experience. Hotel, food, trips and most of all the people were truly wonderful. Food-Be ready for strong flavours with plenty on the plate, as a 6'2" yeti I struggled to finish my food a number of times. Our daughter loved everything from the Reindeer stew on day 1 through to the Arctic Char at the end of the trip without doubt. There was no choice on the food as the options were spread throughout the week. Kids may struggle if picky and if so t here is the option of burger or pasta but you will need to request this. Again our 11 year old loved the food and treated it as part of the new experience of the holiday. Rooms-Warm, clean and functional with the extremely useful drying/warming cupboard that came in handy, nice warm comfy hotel very close to town should you wish a wander in. All the guides without exception were kind, polite and extremely knowledgeable with the outstanding parts being the snowmobiling and most of all the dog sledding where we were fortunate to be on our own with Dana and 11 dogs which was the absolute highlight (being dog mad helped) and we are now planning to go back in a few years time to go on a full on dog sledding expedition.
By Neil from Penrith | 27 April 2019

Fun In the Cold North

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By Neil from Penrith | 27 April 2019

Sweden Winter Fun ★★★★★

We have never been a ‘sit on a beach’ sort of family, and that is why we chose to visit Sweden with KE Adventure - the trip was everything we could have asked for and more. Airport transport was effortless and we were always greeted with the biggest smiles that Sweden has to offer. Part of the beauty of booking with KE adventure (for us) is that activities were pre-arranged every day but with a suitable balance of ‘down time’ too. Although some may think this restrictive, KE set out the perfect mix of down-time, ‘free time’ and planned activities which all ran smoothly. All activities that we took part in were amazing, including snowmobiling, cross country skiing, dog sledding and snow shoe trekking . Our visit to the Ice Hotel was absolutely amazing too – you may find that you would prefer a little longer than the scheduled stop there and if you do then you can easily make your own way back to the hotel via taxi when you are ready. The quality of food in the hotel was genuinely incredible, compliments to the chef, we ate arctic char and reindeer – both were absolutely delicious. Breakfast was a self-serve buffet but we found the portions for lunch and dinner small, especially considering the amount of physical activity we were doing each day and especially as we have teenage kids and a ‘hungry’ husband!! Tip – ask reception for directions to the nearest supermarket which is only a short walk from the hotel (unfortunately for us, we only stumbled across this towards the end of our holiday) but you can buy pretty much anything there and the cabins have kitchenettes with a microwave to heat up extra food. All staff and guides were highly trained, spoke brilliant English and very knowledgeable and made every experience fun and informative making our KE Adventure trip to Sweden incredible, I would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone, there is a plethora of amazing experiences available for all ages. 5 stars - thank you KE for the memories.
By Louise from Cambridge | 17 February 2019

Traveller Reviews
5 out of 5 from 10 reviews

Simply amazing
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Can’t recommend this highly enough. An amazing experience from start to finish, packed with things to do and inclusive of sled, snow shoe and skis when not on an excursion. Superb food, helpful staff and brilliant trips. All round fun for the family! Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.

By Kevin from Banstead | 21 February 2022

Memorable
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Thanks to KE and particularly Tom for help and support when traveling at a worrying time. Great holiday. Highly recommend it. Dog sledding through the snowy forest and on the frozen lake was magical. Fussy eaters beware that the menu is very limited but the food is of a high standard. Cabins clean and warm. Drying cupboards are fab and used every day. We travelled with our 11 year old. Guides friendly and accommodating. Anneta was the stand out for us, giving great insight into the life of the S ami people. Highly recommend the trip and KE. Will be booking our next trip soon.
By Sharon from Llanelli | 03 January 2022

Extraordinarily amazing introduction to the arctic circle!!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
From start to finish a truly eye opening experience. Hotel, food, trips and most of all the people were truly wonderful. Food-Be ready for strong flavours with plenty on the plate, as a 6'2" yeti I struggled to finish my food a number of times. Our daughter loved everything from the Reindeer stew on day 1 through to the Arctic Char at the end of the trip without doubt. There was no choice on the food as the options were spread throughout the week. Kids may struggle if picky and if so t here is the option of burger or pasta but you will need to request this. Again our 11 year old loved the food and treated it as part of the new experience of the holiday. Rooms-Warm, clean and functional with the extremely useful drying/warming cupboard that came in handy, nice warm comfy hotel very close to town should you wish a wander in. All the guides without exception were kind, polite and extremely knowledgeable with the outstanding parts being the snowmobiling and most of all the dog sledding where we were fortunate to be on our own with Dana and 11 dogs which was the absolute highlight (being dog mad helped) and we are now planning to go back in a few years time to go on a full on dog sledding expedition.
By Neil from Penrith | 27 April 2019

Fun In the Cold North

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By Neil from Penrith | 27 April 2019

Sweden Winter Fun
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We have never been a ‘sit on a beach’ sort of family, and that is why we chose to visit Sweden with KE Adventure - the trip was everything we could have asked for and more. Airport transport was effortless and we were always greeted with the biggest smiles that Sweden has to offer. Part of the beauty of booking with KE adventure (for us) is that activities were pre-arranged every day but with a suitable balance of ‘down time’ too. Although some may think this restrictive, KE set out the perfect mix of down-time, ‘free time’ and planned activities which all ran smoothly. All activities that we took part in were amazing, including snowmobiling, cross country skiing, dog sledding and snow shoe trekking . Our visit to the Ice Hotel was absolutely amazing too – you may find that you would prefer a little longer than the scheduled stop there and if you do then you can easily make your own way back to the hotel via taxi when you are ready. The quality of food in the hotel was genuinely incredible, compliments to the chef, we ate arctic char and reindeer – both were absolutely delicious. Breakfast was a self-serve buffet but we found the portions for lunch and dinner small, especially considering the amount of physical activity we were doing each day and especially as we have teenage kids and a ‘hungry’ husband!! Tip – ask reception for directions to the nearest supermarket which is only a short walk from the hotel (unfortunately for us, we only stumbled across this towards the end of our holiday) but you can buy pretty much anything there and the cabins have kitchenettes with a microwave to heat up extra food. All staff and guides were highly trained, spoke brilliant English and very knowledgeable and made every experience fun and informative making our KE Adventure trip to Sweden incredible, I would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone, there is a plethora of amazing experiences available for all ages. 5 stars - thank you KE for the memories.
By Louise from Cambridge | 17 February 2019

Brilliant family snow adventure
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

We had a mother, daughter, grandma adventure. Excellent hotel, the food was terrific for all meals and reception couldn't have been more helpful. Snowmobiling and husky dog sledging were the very exciting and we also did the horse riding add on and saw a couple of mouse. All very memorable. We went at Easter with the advantage of it being a bit warmer and longer days but the disadvantage of it being the end of the season to see the Northern Lights.

By Marion from Manly Vale | 10 October 2017

Amazing Kiruna, recommended
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Myself and my family (wife and two kids 13 & 11) Just got back from 5 nights in Kiruna, right at the top of Sweden, what an amazing trip! From the first enquire to KE they were everything you want from a tour company, so helpful and very patient with a nervous traveller, the best customer service I have come across in a very long time. Everything on the trip went to plan, cross country skiing, dog sled, Ice Hotel, Snow shoeing and of course Snowmobiles. Sufficient time set a side to reco ver, a very good balance. The hotel is excellent, amazing (posh) food, great service. A few things worth knowing, the town centre of Kiruna is bleak and not worth a visit, wine and beer prices are off the scale and the lodges could do with a lot more storage. Book this trip now, you will not be disappointed, recommended...
By Mark from SUNBURY-ON-THAMES | 23 February 2017

Kiruna, wonderland

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By Mark from SUNBURY-ON-THAMES | 23 February 2017

Fantastic trip to Lapland
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
We had a great time in the North of Sweden and loved all the activities. There is no KE guide so we did feel a little at sea at first but everything ran pretty smoothly. Highlights were the huskies and the snow mobiling. We spent a whole day with our snow mobile guide Goran driving out into the wilds, seeing moose and snow mobiling on a frozen lake before going back to his house for refreshments. The accommodation is very warm and cosy and the meals were delicious. Finally we need to mention the spa which was an ideal way to relax after a day in the snow.
By Alison from LONDON | 22 February 2016

A delightful family adventure with all the winter sports and Lapland experiences
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

We loved Camp Ripan, and throughly enjoyed KE's programme of activities. The hotel provided sledges, and all around the outskirts are lit marked trails, so in any spare time we could still have fun in the snow. The meals were excellent, and the staff were friendly and helpful, the cabins were comfortable. The guides were genuine and enthusiastic, and we particularly enjoyed the husky sled ride and the snow-shoeing. To conclude, a great way for a family to sample the delights of the frozen north!

By Hazel from CORSHAM | 28 December 2015

DATES & PRICES

Private Departure?

Gather a few friends, family or club and take over your own departure.

2024

Dates

Prices From

Deposit

Status

More Information

  • Sweden Arctic Family Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: FSW /04/24/
  • This trip begins on Mon 23 Dec and ends on Sat 28 Dec
  • This departure is available and departs within 41 days. Secure your place today with full payment
  • Download Trip Notes

More Information

  • Sweden Arctic Family Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: FSW /05/24/
  • This trip begins on Sat 28 Dec and ends on Thu 2 Jan
  • This departure is available and departs within 46 days. Secure your place today with full payment
  • Download Trip Notes

2025

Dates

Prices From

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Status

More Information

  • Sweden Arctic Family Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: FSW /01/25/
  • This trip begins on Sun 9 Feb and ends on Fri 14 Feb
  • This departure is guaranteed. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$350
  • Download Trip Notes

More Information

  • Sweden Arctic Family Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: FSW /1A/25/
  • This trip begins on Mon 17 Feb and ends on Sat 22 Feb
  • This departure is guaranteed. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$350
  • Download Trip Notes

More Information

  • Sweden Arctic Family Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: FSW /02/25/
  • This trip begins on Thu 27 Mar and ends on Tue 1 Apr
  • This departure is guaranteed. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$350
  • Download Trip Notes

More Information

  • Sweden Arctic Family Adventure
    Without Flights
  • Departure Reference: FSW /03/25/
  • This trip begins on Tue 1 Apr and ends on Sun 6 Apr
  • This departure is guaranteed. Secure your place today with a deposit of US$350
  • Download Trip Notes

Land Only Information

The LAND ONLY dates and prices are for the itinerary, joining at the accommodation Kiruna. A single transfer is included from/to Kiruna Airport.

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Private Family Groups

If you've found the perfect adventure for your family but want to travel on dates that suit you, then please contact our friendly Family Adventure Team who will be happy to discuss the possibility of arranging a private departure for you and your family.

BOOK WITH KE CONFIDENCE - No surcharge guarantee

The price of our holidays can change depending on a variety of factors but unlike some other tour operators, KE have undertaken to guarantee the Land Only price of your holiday will not change after you have booked. The price when you book is the price you will pay, whether you are booking for this year or the next. Book early to avoid any tour price increases, get the best flight prices and take advantage of our 'No Surcharge Guarantee'.

KE Adventure is a fully bonded tour operator. We hold an ATOL license (No: 2808) and are bonded with ABTA (Membership No: W4341)


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