Name: Aurora Nights
Address: Office 8 Empingham House, 1e Uppingham Gate, Ayston Road, Uppingham, Rutland
Rating: 4.88

“We travelled to Swedish Lapland and stayed at Abisko Mountain Lodge. The Lodge was fantastic, excellent food and superb activities. On the night we did the Wilderness Photography we saw and photographed the Northern Lights. We then travelled to Narvik and Tromso. It was an amazing trip. The organisation was excellent. I would highly recommend Aurora Nights. The staff are very professional and approachable. A once in a lifetime holiday. Teresa Gibson”

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Posted 5 years ago

“We had a very enjoyable holiday, it was well organised. The hotel was good, the food was first class, all the activities were very enjoyable. All the staff were very friendly, helpful, cheery, making our stay even better. The warm clothing that was provided was very comfortable. I'd recommend Abisko as a place to visit in pursuit of the Aurora.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Swapping the self drive option for collection from the airport and 3 days of South Coast Adventures superjeep tours was a brilliant solution - we went to places we could never have gone on our own, did really exciting things and enjoyed being with really interesting and knowledgeable guides (for 2 of the 3 trips ) The Ranga hotel was ok, although we found the food expensive for what it was. We liked the Silica Hotel, with its delightfully quiet small private lagoon.”

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Posted 5 years ago

Dear Margaret, Thank you for taking the time to give us a Review and I am delighted you had such a super time. Clearly the upgrade to transfers was a success for you ! I will pass on the feedback to local partners, including Ranga. Regards Abigail

Posted 5 years ago

“We loved our visit to Iceland the place was fabulous, everyone was very friendly and there was plenty to see and do while we were there. The high-lights of our trip (5 stars+) included; 1. The Super-jeep tour on day 3 up to the glaciers of Eyjafjallajökull. Our guide Einar Magnus was amazing! - watching how he handled the snowy slopes, he also shared with us stories of his life in Iceland, and while the snow was way too deep to get all the way to the volcano he took us to very picturesque places and was very sensitive and responsive to the way we wanted to spend our day. 2. The cabin was superb! - windows everywhere, great spaces for preparing meals, eating and relaxing and a sense of remoteness that is unlike anything we have experienced before. we enjoyed walking around the cabin and viewing it from the mountain! 3. The first meal prepared for us on arrival. Our guide did a fabulous job preparing our meal on the first night. It was beautifully served and very delicious. We enjoyed the leftovers in our lunches and the potato dish with our subsequent meals. Excellent plans that did not quite work as they should (3-4 stars) 1. The stocked fridge and menu was excellent, however there seem to be some coordination issues to be ironed out. Our menu did not match the ingredients in the fridge. This was really disappointing when we were looking forward to fish (a favourite) and got steak (we tolerate it) instead. The fresh lemon was there for fish, which we could not do anything with and there was no basil for the Caprese salad. I would expect an alternative and equally planned menu to be provided when foods have to be substituted. The 3 different desserts did not exist, nor the different potatoes. While the variety of the planned meals did not work as they should have we did love being able to prepare our own meals and there was plenty of food available. 2. Coordination for meeting the guides/pick-ups. We had a few mix ups with the directions for meeting our first guide on arrival, first our instruction sheet was incorrect leading us to believe that we should meet the guide at Ranga, this was corrected and emailed to us after we queried it. We were originally told to ring the guide as we pass Hella. Then we were told to ring when we left Blue Lagoon, we did this and we were then told we had to ring the guide directly from a town we could not pronounce, - when the guide asked where we were ringing from there was some confusion as I could not pronounce the town name. This would be a very simple thing to fix and keep consistent as it causes a bit of stress when first driving in Iceland. 3. Our Golden Circle Highlights trip on Day 2 was amazing however there were a couple of things that would have improved the experience. The pick-up time was mixed up - our guide was suppose to pick us up at 10am and the 4 accompanying guests at Ranga (over half an hour's drive away) at the same time. Fortunately we were ready early but in the unnecessary rush we forgot some of our camera accessories. Apparently no-one had our phone number to inform us of the earlier start and yet we had rung the office and the first guide on the first night (they would have the number) and we had given our contact details when we first booked. The itinerary was not as described we seemed to spend a very long time at a dairy farm (instead of the tomato farm) where we thoroughly enjoyed the ice-cream, and seeing the cows however we were then ready to move on. The trip took 9 hours instead of the 6 approximate hours in our itinerary and this messed up our plans for the afternoon. 3. We booked "Aurora Nights" however no-one really wanted to discuss the Northern Lights with us. This makes sense to us now as we realise that the solar activity is insufficient currently to get strong lights. This should have been explained to us however no one seemed to be accountable for this aspect of the tour. Because we had a different 'guide' for every aspect of the trip it was unclear who was to ring us if there was a possibility of seeing the lights. Overall we loved our trip. The information provided to us was clear and comprehensive and the overall plan was great even though there were some holes in the execution. We followed all the advice about booking the Blue Lagoon, what to take and other places to visit and this all worked out very well for us.”

Aurora Nights 4 star review on 23rd March 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

Dear Donna Thank you for your very detailed feedback and for taking the time to do so. I am very pleased that you had a good time and enjoyed your tours. I need to investigate what went wrong with the food ingredients as that should not have happened for which I am sorry. I'm sorry that the Golden Circle was not delivered as usual, and I will also follow up on this and revert to you. However I do need to push back on the comment that it is not a good time to see the Northern Lights, which I'm afraid is just not true. The forecast for this Saturday past for the Aurora's was a 7 - which is extremely high. We have only seen this very high level a couple of times in 15 years ! Obviously if it is cloudy then then the Aurora's cannot be seen even if they are out. I will revert on the detail once I have had a response off line. Regards Abigail

Posted 5 years ago

“Weekend a la carte did a terrific job of arranging a truly memorable, stress-free bucket list trip for us. All the outings were fun and led by great guides, and the trip included an ideal balance of activities and down time. The Abisko Mountain Lodge was delightful, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and the dinners were gourmet and delicious. The highlight for us was the Wilderness Aurora Photo evening in the National Park with Chris as our guide. We were fortunate to see amazing northern lights that night. My only suggestion would be to have more logical return time options for the Aurora Sky Station visit; we had to choose between a 22:45 return, allowing hardly any time there, or 0:30, a really late option for us. I would definitely recommend Weekend a la carte and the trip to friends.”

Aurora Nights 5 star review on 22nd March 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

“My husband and I have just returned from an amazing trip to the Ice Hotel in Sweden. Everything was so well organized by Weekend a la carte. The people who looked after us for our activities in Sweden were so welcoming and knowledgeable. From start to finish we were so happy with the service. We would highly recommend Weekend a la carte and are delighted we chose them for this trip.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“While we initially found the accommodation very basic, it was comfortable, clean and had all we really needed. The staff were very lovely and always willing to help out with questions and a happy smile. The food was very good for the evening meals, although breakfast and lunch were very simple but again, sufficient for the day. The activities were all fabulous and the team of people who lead them were very professional, welcoming and friendly. We had a great time on our visit - got to see the lights on one night and so all in all would recommend the Weekend a la carte Aurora Nights experience.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“The expertise of the team ensured our 4-night break in Iceland delivered everything we could have wished for - and more! We welcomed the flexibility our own car afforded us, and suggested itineraries with timings ensured we had stress-free motoring. The recommended hotels were perfect for our needs, the Hotel Ranga away from any light pollution positioned to give us optimum chance of seeing the Lights. We took the highly-recommended guided tour to a nearby beach which made the experience even more magical. The following day we had a breath-taking super jeep drive up a glacier to give us an unforgettable view of the coast, again highly recommended. Our 2 days in Reykjavik offered a stay in another excellent, centrally located hotel and the 2 suggested itineraries ensured we didn't miss anything. All was superbly organised throughout - all we essentially had to do was turn up! Timely information given from enquiry to trip and any questions dealt with promptly. Thank you to everyone there!”

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Posted 5 years ago

Dear Sue I'm so delighted you had such a wonderful time as i know this was a special occasion for you both. Thank you for taking the time give us some feedback and i have of course passed onto our local partners. Regards Abigail

Posted 5 years ago

“So much packed into 6 days, it's taken us time to recover from our trip to Sweden. All the arrangements worked very smoothly and we were delighted with our drivers. Thomas was a mine of information on the way between Lulea and Harads and in Kiruna, Petri took us on an adventure across the frozen river. The Hotel Rival in Stockholm was very well situated for walking to see the sights, staff were friendly and helpful, rooms very clean but much too warm for us. We really loved the Tree Hotel. We had 2 nights in the Cabin and watched sunsets and dawns from our bed. Staff were delightful and food excellent. Our Husky trip with Kim was an great experience. What a nice guy! The Ice hotel was not what we expected. It was so big and commercial. Although it was well organised, it didn't have the personal touch we experienced elsewhere. The ice structure and sculptures are, of course, amazing and the sleeping bags did their job, but the warm accommodation had little character. We much preferred the atmosphere at the Lodge when we went snowmobiling and felt that that would have been a better place to stay. All in all a great trip. We'll be back”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Our Weekend a la carte Aurora Night adventure was a rousing success. We were thrilled by all aspects of our journey from the flight to Kiruna to our return to Stockholm. The accommodations at both lodges were spectacular with great comfort and staff that was always nearby to care for our every need. The guides were well - trained, personable, and shared very interesting information about the area and the way of life in Lapland. The food was delicious and plentiful. I especially enjoyed the dog sledding driving and meeting their wonderful trainer, Ilva. Bjorn was a wonderful guide at Mattarahka. Our Sami experience was a terrific night of learning about the life of the reindeer herders in that area. In Abisko, all transportation was handled with supreme efficiency. The lights, being our main focus, did not disappoint. Thank you to all our hosts and guides, and expecially to Weekend a la Carte for such a well - planned, seamless program to make our adventure of a lifetime a great success!”

Aurora Nights 5 star review on 18th March 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

“The Abisko mountain lodge is perfectly located with literally a couple of hundred metre walk to get a good viewing spot for the lights, which we saw three nights out of four. The food is top class fine dining. The staff very friendly, informative and helpful. The room is as described, basic but functional. The organised trips are amazing, it all runs very smoothly. The clothing provided is the best and essential for staying out for hours aurora watching. The information provided by weekend a la carte is invaluable and accurate, we were VERY well prepared. No hesitation whatsoever in recommending Weekend a la carte and the package we took.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Fantastic - once in a lifetime experience Local staff absolutely amazing - Mikko, Ellen etc really went the extra mile Never had personal service so good Ice hotel brilliant Mattarraka amazing Everything went like clockwork, heavy snow at Kiruna Airport meant we missed our connection at Stockholm and had to stay an extra night but we didn’t min about that!”

Aurora Nights 5 star review on 15th March 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

“Mattarahkka is a homely, intimate place, where the staff are interested in you and very friendly. Abisko Mountain Lodge is a bit bigger and a little less personal, nevertheless the staff where very helpful. I did have some concerns about the menu, as there was not a choice, but all food was good. Excursions were all well organised and offered what was promised, we didn't get the most spectacular of aurora shows, but we did see it. Thank you for organising a great, packed and interesting few days.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“The short break was better than we expected, the first Hotel Ranga , you could not wish for a better location , the hotel facilities were excellent along with all the staff we came in to contact with , everyone was pleased to help in any way they could . The location for our two nights in Reykjavik was also fantastic , if we would have changed anything it would have been to stay an extra night at Ranga as there was a lot more activities we could have done on the third day . The Blue Lagoon is a must visit . The two trips which were organised for us again the staff were great and very knowledgeable, unfortunately we did not see the northern lights but this means we will have to do it all again . Recommend when driving hire a GPS this is about €5 per day . Sign of a good tour company was that they contacted us by email when they saw the report of bad weather coming in to check all was ok with us .”

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Posted 5 years ago

Dear Neil Thank you for your kind review and I am so delighted you clearly had such a wonderful time - despite the weather !. I have of course passed on your feedback to the local team. Regards Abigail

Posted 5 years ago

“The most memorable, enjoyable and expertly organised trip we have ever experienced. Weekend a la Carte are an exceptional company with the expertise to tailor make fabulous holidays. Highly recommend Northern Lights Iceland trip, especially in winter. Fantastic!”

Aurora Nights 5 star review on 11th March 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

Thank you Kerry for such kind words - I am so thrilled you had such a superb time in Iceland. It certainly is a magical country. Regards Abigail

Posted 5 years ago

“A very special holiday for a special occasion - all aspects of the trip met our expectations apart from the Abisko Sky Station, even the Aurora appeared on several occasions!”

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Posted 5 years ago

“Fantastic holiday. Very well organised with welcoming hosts and activities. Due to weather was unable to go to Sky Station but was prepared that there would be no refund in event of weather conditions , so it surprised as others were. We were lucky enough to see Aurora. First class trip. Only scary bit was getting from one terminal to another fir connecting flight especially as first flight delayed. Thankfully found out there was a bus to take us to connecting Terminal. Thanks for everything .”

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Posted 5 years ago

“A really good trip. Activities well organised and just right. Hotel basic but friendly helpful staff. The rooms and public areas could have been warmer. Everything went to plan and of the nights we were there, we certainly chose the best night for the photographic evening.”

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Posted 5 years ago

“This was our first ever 'winter' holiday and was booked to celebrate a very special occasion in our lives. Our 4 days away were great with the organised events really well executed (Even though they were all on different days from our published itinerary). The hostel staff and guides had lots of knowledge which they were only too glad to share with us. We will certainly remember our planned experiences on this trip with very fond memories all topped off with seeing the fantastic Aurora My only criticism is that I do feel Weekend A La Carte could be more open about the level of accommodation when booking. Customers need to be aware that it is very basic Hostel accommodation with single beds, not necessarily next to each other, and no hanging space for clothing so that you have to live out of your suitcase. We were shocked and disappointed at the level of our room, thankfully the great staff and events made up for this What makes a good company a great company is going that little bit further for their customer. I would have thought that by asking the reason for your trip when booking it would have meant that something may have been said/done e.g. celebratory glass of wine!”

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Posted 5 years ago

Dear Michael Thank you for the feedback and I take note of your comments. Firstly I am delighted that you got to see the Aurora and the activities were enjoyable. Abisko is world class on both these fronts. I hope you don't feel we overplayed the description of Abisko Mountain Lodge's bedrooms. We do give clients the ability to upgrade to superior rooms at the time of booking for guaranteed double beds and extra comfort. The standard rooms are 3 star, the deluxe rooms 4 star and the hospitality and food is 5 star. Your thoughts on a welcome drink or equivalent if you are celebrating a special occasion is a point well made and will be acted upon. Thank you for traveling with us and best wishes Kevin Collins Managing Director

Posted 5 years ago

“A brilliant 8 day adventure in Stockholm, Kiruna and Abisko. Everyone at the hotels were friendly and helpful. The scenery was beautiful. I had a great time.”

Aurora Nights 5 star review on 4th March 2019

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Posted 5 years ago

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
On-time Delivery	Greater than 94%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.9 out of 5

Aurora Nights Reviews