7 Days Family Winter Week on Horseback in Kiruna, Sweden

Facilities

Day 1

After your transfer to the farm, start with an introduction in the afternoon to get familiar with the horses. Eat a three-course dinner together after. Outside the window, you will probably see moose and maybe some northern lights.

Day 2

Go up the mountains by snowmobile, two persons are allowed on each snowmobile. You'll learn how to drive a snowmobile this day and have outdoor lunch prepared over an open fire. In the evening, have a riding tour in the dark looking for northern lights and spend the evening in the goahti (Sami hut), around the fire while eating dinner.

Day 3

The next day, have a reindeer sledding tour including lunch where two persons will be sharing a sled; that's the old way of transportation for Sami people in this area. In the afternoon, visit the famous Icehotel, have dinner at the restaurant, and in the evening, come back to the farm.

Day 4

Have a riding class about riding Icelandic horses and for non-riders, you can go on a cross country skiing/snowshoeing tour. In the afternoon, visit the town of Kiruna and the Sami Museum.

Day 5

Ride in the forest, probably seeing moose. Non-riders can go on an arctic wildlife safari tour with a snowmobile. In the afternoon, you will have a sauna, from where you'll have a beautiful view of the river and mountains.

Day 6

Ride in the forest and in the afternoon, have a riding lesson. Non-riders can go by car to the small village of Nikkaluokta, it is a nice scenery to drive to and you will also have chances to photograph. The afternoon is free for you, you can maybe read a book, try kick sledding, or have a walk.

Day 7

On the last day, Ofelas Islandshästar will bring you back to the airport in Kiruna.

Important Information

Most of the activities, you will do from the farm but to some of them, you'll go by car and the activities are probably done in another order than in this program and you always have to respect the winter weather.

Activities

• Day 1: Arrival and riding lesson
• Day 2: Snowmobile with outdoor lunch and northern lights tour on horseback
• Day 3: Reindeer sledding, Sami culture, and Icehotel
• Day 4: Riders - Forest/road riding and visit Kiruna | Non-Riders - Cross country skiing/snowshoeing tour and visit Kiruna
• Day 5: Riders - Moose safari on horseback and sauna | Non-Riders - Arctic wildlife safari with snowmobile and sauna
• Day 6: Riders - Forest and oval track riding | Non-Riders - Visit Nikkaluokta with photo opportunities (with a car) and free afternoon
• Day 7: Departure

Riding experience

Riding experience is required, you can ride in faster gaits than walk.

Ofelas Islandshästar is located 25 kilometers west of Kiruna in the direction of Nikkaluokta with a fantastic view of the mountains and Kalix river. In wintertime, they have the northern lights and during summer, the midnight sun.

Puoltsa

The farm is located in a small village called Puoltsa (Buolža in Sami). It is between Kiruna and Nikkaluokta, next to the riverbank of the Kalix river. Ofelas Islandshästar has had the business since 1997.

Distances

• Kiruna, 25 kilometers

During this trip, daily breakfast, lunch, and two or three-course dinner are included; you will be served with local specialties like game and fish. Reindeer and moose meats are an important ingredient in Sámi cuisine, usually smoked to last longer when you are out in the mountains for many weeks. Other local specialties in this area are fish from the river or mountain lakes.

Berries and herbs are also important ingredients, like cloudberries, blueberries, lingonberries, Angelica, meadowsweet, etc. Ofelas Islandshästar provides any special diet if you require like no lactose, gluten-free, or vegetarian, just remember to inform them in advance. Traditional food in Sámi is meat and fish supplemented with herbs and berries. Salt and flour were bought so you could bake bread.

Fish and meat were eaten either fresh, salted, smoked, dried, or conserved in a different way. The Sami cuisine still looks the same but with new dishes and outside influences. Reindeer and moose meat, Arctic char, Whitefish, cloudberries, blueberries, lingonberries, Angelica, and Mountain Sorrel are common in the Sami cuisine. Coffee cheese was made from reindeer milk, later, also from goat and cow milk. Lots of new exciting things are happening with the development of Sami cooking today.

• Dog sledding tour with lunch for two people: 2400 SEK
• Extra riding tours, snowmobile tours, night Icehotel.

• Use of a horse with equipment
• All riding and winter activities in the program
• 6 nights accommodation
• Daily full board meals (From dinner on Day 1 until breakfast on Day 7)
• Engish and Swedish-speaking guide
• Warm outdoor clothes
• Helmet use
• All transfers needed within Kiruna

• Airport transfers
• Airfare
• Personal expenses
• Accommodation upgrades
• Additional activities
• Extra meals and drinks
• Alcohol (Sweden has strict rules for buying and serving alcohol so Ofelas Islandshästar can't serve alcohol. You can bring alcohol with you there.)

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 7 days before arrival.