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

“Our third trip with Weekend a la Carte, excellent. Mina gave a warm welcome at Abisko Mountain Lodge. Cosy fishermans cabin at Svolvaer. Fabulous food. The special meal by the lake cooked by Roger a magical evening, including aurora reflecting in water. Chad was a superb guide, his enthusiasm for Abisko, Lofoton and auroras was wonderful. The photo evening was memorable, we were lucky enough to see an amazing aurora. We had a fantastic trip, thank you all.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“My trip to sweden and norway was the best trip ever. The people I met were the greatest. We all had a lot of fun together. As a group we shared our comments on everything. Our group was from 4 different countrys. We all got along very,very, well together.And the best guide ever was Chad Blakley and the owners and staff at Abisko Mountain Lodge were the nicest people you ever want to meet. I made a lot of new friends and hope we can all do this again in the future. To all of you best wishes and safe travels. Bo Muzzi”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Bo Many thanks for the great feedback. I am delighted that the trip from Little Rock Arkansas to Abisko was worth it! It was a long way to come. Chad has already received your thanks and appreciation and I would like to thank you again for traveling with us. Regards Kevin

Posted 9 years ago

“A very well organised and professionally arranged trip. Everything lived up to expectations. Our guide, Chad was excellent, and we saw spectacular northern lights. The accommodation was top quality, and I found the hospitality of staff and quality of meals to be first rate. Mina, at Abisko Mountain Lodge, was especially welcoming. I would certainly recommend the trip to others, and hope to return myself at some future date. Andy B. (Chandler's Ford, Hampshire)”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Hi Andrew Many thanks for your review of the Autumn Northern lights trip to Abisko and Lofoten. I have passed on your review to the team in Lapland and your appreciation. Thanks for traveling with us and i hope we can be of service in the future. Regards Kevin

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Andrew Thank you for the positive review and I am delighted that the trip lived up to expectations. I understand you had two good evenings of Auroras! I have forwarded your feedback to the team on the ground and thanks again for traveling with us. Regards Kevin

Posted 9 years ago

“Hey Kevin, It was my best trip to Lapland, no question. Fantastic guide and programm, fantastic group and in the 2. night fantastic auroras. Happy really happy, always again. Thank you. Thomas Peterhans Roman Bader”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Thomas Many thanks for the review and I am delighted to hear that The Abisko and Lofoten islands trip was your best every trip to Lapland! i will let Chad know your feedback and i am thrilled you had 2 good showings of the Auroras in Abisko. All the best and i hope we can provide you with another journey sometime! Regards Kevin

Posted 9 years ago

“We're just back from a 3 night break and have had an amazing trip. Our 2 night stay at hotel Ranga was perfect from the hospitality of the staff and owner Frederick who was visible in the restaurant both nights to the food and wine which were outstanding . Our guide Valdi was extremely knowledgeable and made both our tours memorable . We drove the Golden Circle on a fabulous sunny day and even managed to squeeze a dip in the secret lagoon on Valdis recommendation. The staff at the blue lagoon were very helpful in changing our booking as we were slightly delayed going out. Many thanks Abigail for planning a fabulous trip for us. We will definitely be in touch for help planning our next adventure. Helen and Paul”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Very easy company to deal with - speedy, personal service from initial enquiry through to booking and delivery of package. All arrangements worked like a dream. Would recommend to others.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Carey, Thankyou for your kind review and rating. I am delighted all seemed to go so well throughout. As it should be ! Regards Abigail

Posted 9 years ago

“This trip to Iceland rates as the best week I have ever spent from the time we were collected at the airport by a lovely young man who couldn't do enough for us over the next four days. His patience with an oldie the information on every inch of our travels was amazing. Weekenda la carte had planned a brilliant itinerary that ran like clockwork. The cabin we stayed in was superb plenty of provisions had been left, and the meal we had cooked for us in situ was the best we had in Iceland. The highlights had to be the super jeep trip. The unforgiving dramatic landscape coupled with the skill of our driver as we drove in and our of the swollen glacial rivers made it an experience never to forget. Reykjavik was disappointing museums were good.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Doreen, thank you for your kind feedback and your star rating. We are delighted you had such a wonderful time and enjoyed the Holacot cabin so much - and clearly had such a wonderful time. They are a great local team so I am not surprised you were so well looked after ! Regards Abigail

Posted 9 years ago

“We thoroughly enjoyed this well organised trip. The food was of a high standard, varied and tasty and the staff at the hotels were attentive and very hospitable. The highlight of the trip was the husky sledding and the tepee lunch of a salmon casserole was delicious. We became familiar with the dogs beforehand and helped harness them which enhanced our experience enormously. We also enjoyed the opportunity to play with some husky puppies after. We were delighted to see the aurora on our trip to Abisko Sky Station, as the cloud cleared literally as our chair lift arrived and revealed the lights which danced across the sky for the next 2 hours.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“This was a fantastic trip ! It way exceeded our expectations and was indeed magical. The folk at the Mattarahkla lodge made our stay as they did everything for us. The food and trips were well planned and we has such a good time. We even got to see the lights on our first or second night but these were the bonus on top of every other wonderful experience. Huge thanks to Kevin for such a wonderful trip Gary & Peter”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Enjoyed every minute of it! Would highly recommend to anyone looking for the 'Northern Lights' with zero stress. We met great people, stayed in great locations, ate great food, and had altogether, a great time. We feel very lucky and spoiled as we had 7 amazing nights of viewing the lights, some of them being quite spectacular. We would like to thank the staff at Weekend A La Carte - Aurora Nights - for their wonderful service and help to make this an amazing experience possible, especially our guides and the photographers on the sites - Fredrick and Oliver whom we spent time with. Without the assistance from them with our camera, we would not have been able to capture the wonderful photos that we took. Thanks also to Kevin for his polite and prompt correspondence and help in organising our trip. I definitely recommend Weekend A La Carte to anyone planning a trip to Sweden.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Thank you. We had a great trip. Both hotels were excellent with everything we wanted. The super jeep tour was fantastic. The weather prevented us from going up the volcano but the Thorsmork tour was the perfect alternative. Our knowledgeable guide Smori took us to places we would not have found or have been able to reach by ourselves. We followed the suggested itinerary to Vik where we experienced first hand the famous Icelandic changeable weather! Warm sunshine one minute and a raging blizzard the next. We had hoped to go earlier in the season but it turned out that we picked the perfect time. Hours of daylight in which to see the stunning scenery and enough darkness for a chance of seeing the lights, which we did.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Helen, Thank you for your feedback and I am delighted you had such a great time in Iceland. Its a shame you didn't get up the Volcano due to the weather, but as you say the Thorsmork alternative is great fun as well, and the guides always try extra hard if it is not your first choice tour so I am pleased you still enjoyed it. Regards Abigail

Posted 9 years ago

“I was absolutely delighted with the service offered: friendly, efficient, professional, knowledgable and unbiased. Even managed my concerns and frequent calls to double check particulars in a supportive manner. Would highly recommend Weekend a la carte. Thank you all, especially Abigale.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Hi Izzy, Thank you for your lovely feedback on your Northern Lights holiday. I am glad to hear you had a good time and we answered all your questions. I hope you will consider us again when looking at your next break. Happy Easter! Kind regards Hannah

Posted 9 years ago

“From first contact with Kevin, until writing the review, the whole experience has been very positive & memorable. Flight times were excellent throughout, and little time was wasted. Thomas was the perfect 'meeter& greeter' at Lulea Airport. He was welcoming, friendly & conversational...the perfect introduction to any holiday...and much appreciated! Food & accommodation at Pine Bay Lodge was first class...so too the setting & the staff. Goran was the perfect guide for our hovercraft trip across the frozen sea...great company! The dog-sledding was certainly an adrenaline rush and not for the faint-hearted...eight dogs and a tree trunk/low branch infested course to negotiate...no easy introduction. Special thanks to Camilla for producing a beautiful meal for two on our last night! The train journey north to Abisko was magical...huge vistas of snow & forest opened up...the views got more expansive...the landscape rose as we travelled northward...and the trees shrank accordingly. Another great 'meet-and-greet' at Abisko...and wonderful accommodation in the new block. Meals were excellent!...and loads of hot drinks available throughout the day. The trip to Narvik was spectacular...helped along by Chad, our convivial guide/driver and the company of amiable fellow travellers!...followed by...an evening of aurora 'waiting', again with Chad...who spread himself evenly amongst all the group, photographers or not. The chance to be shown how to use good cameras and take aurora shots, and come away with a camera card of your efforts, was a real plus! There is not a lot to be done in Abisko National Park, if not signed up for activities. Walking outdoors in winter is not an option. Only snowmobile tracks provide firm trails...and Swedish signage on trails leaves a lot to be desired...and...the Park Centre doesn't open until 2pm! Probably best to sign up for an activity at the Lodge or Park rather than waste 1/2 day - 1 day. The trip to the Sky-Station was sensational...from the ski lift to get you there, to the exceptionally good meal and the outstanding aurora show that night...just brilliant! Lack of TV in rooms is a welcome development...it prompts travellers to meet up, mix and talk. Unfortunately, widespread Broadband allows some fellow-guests to remain self-absorbed in their own worlds and uncommunicative. Whilst Abisko was memorable for the quality of good company...Pine Bay Lodge was not...the downside of "social media". A few days in Stockholm was the perfect way to round-off a unique and memorable trip. Thanks for all the hard work Kevin, much appreciated! Chris & Sue”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Hi Christopher, Thank you for your detailed feedback - it sounds like you had a great time. I hope you will consider us again when looking at your next break. Kind regards Hannah

Posted 9 years ago

“We just returned from a 4-night Weekend a la Carte Aurora Nights trip. It was one of our best trips ever! We do not normally book tours, but this suited us perfectly, because the groups were very small (many times just my husband and me and our friends travelling with us), and everything was arranged so we did not have to figure out what to do and how to get there. I believe we would have missed out on much if we had tried to go this trip on our own. The Abisko Mountain Lodge was very comfortable and the food was great. We were housed in one of the 4 "deluxe rooms" that have been built in the former meeting center. The room was large, comfortable, and well-equipped. Bring soap and shampoo, though! All of our activities were great. We spent two evenings with Chad and his team from Lights Over Lapland, enjoyed a dogsledding adventure with Lina from Abisko Dogsled (wonderful!), a night snowshoe walk with Tim of Abisko Guide with a wonderful Aurora viewing, a visit to a Sami reindeer farm and a chance to learn about the lives of modern-day Sami reindeer herders, dinner at the Abisko Sky Station during a snow storm, a visit to the Ice Hotel with lunch, and a trip to Narvik in Norway. All went well. If we'd had more time, I would have liked to take a daytime snowshoe walk with Tim. Our main purpose in taking the trip was to view the Aurora. We had only faint viewings our two photography nights, and our night at the Sky Station was a total white-out snow storm (other-worldly coming down on the chair lift with no visibility!). We were glad to have a good Aurora viewing before and during our snow shoe adventure with Tim on our last night. However, the trip would have been wonderful even without that last night's viewing. Thank you, Kevin, and Weekend a la Carte! I highly recommend this trip.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Hi Rebecca, Thank you for your lovely feedback. It sounds like you had a great time. I hope you will consider us again when looking at your next break. Happy Easter! Kind regards Hannah

Posted 9 years ago

“I have just returned from a 3 night Abisko Aurora Nights break booked through Weekend A La Carte. Kevin was extremely helpful at the booking process ensuring that we booked the right trip for ourselves and it really couldn't have been any better. The booking pack contained all of the information that we could have wanted on our itinerary, contact details and what to pack. We had a fabulous room at the Abisko Mountain Lodge (we had a cabin opposite the main building) which was clean, modern and very warm. The food at the Abisko Mountain Lodge was fantastic - high end restaurant standard and included local arctic char, reindeer and moose! The surrounding area is breathtakingly beautiful and you can walk directly into the mountains or across the frozen lake from the Lodge, both of which are highly recommended. The husky dog sledding was great fun and was run by a young and friendly young couple who obviously cared greatly for their dogs. We were able to unharness the dogs and feed them ourselves after our ride. Our trip to Narvik with Chad was 'chadtastic!!' What an enthusiastic, passionate and knowledgeable guide! The scenery was stunning and we were lucky enough to spot a harbour porpoise as we picnicked and paddled on the shore of the arctic ocean at Narvik in the spring sunshine. The photo evening with Chad was again excellent as was our trip to the Sky Station where we were lucky enough to have a fabulous aurora display. I would thoroughly recommend a break to Abisko - the beauty and tranquillity of the place are beyond words. It is food for the soul! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making our trip such a memorable one.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Hi Samantha, Thank you for your wonderful feedback from your Northern Lights holiday. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. I hope you will think of us again when looking at your next trip! Kind regards Hannah

Posted 9 years ago

“The short break we went on to Sweden was initially disrupted by an airline strike but the sterling efforts of Kevin and the staff at Weekend A La Carte meant the we still made it to the arctic circle for what can only be described as a fabulous holiday. The lodges we stayed at were fabulous, the guides for the various events were genuninely nice people and made the experiences a fantastic way to see the region and take part in snowmobiling, husky dog sledging and many other events. To top it all off we got some fantastic displays of the northern lights and captured some amazing pictures thanks to the excellent camera course arranged as part of the tour. Would I go again? - Most definitely. Would I go again with Weekend A La Carte? - Not a moments hestiation in saying yes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

“Fabulous 4 days. The hotel was really good and comfortable and lovely spot. Our view from bedroom window was spectacular. Watching the Northern Lights (sadly only white variety!) as I fell asleep and then a beautiful sunrise next morning - could not be bettered. All travel arrangemnets worked well apart from an unfortunate delay on our way home from Heathrow to Glasgow. Thanks to Vladi for or jeep trip. Snowstorm/white out when driving back from Gullfoss was exciting!(?) Plus a beautiful morning for the eclipse. Spectacular”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Christine, thankyou for taking the time to write and give us your feedback and am delighted that you enjoyed Hotel Ion and the SuperJeep tour whilst on your Iceland Holiday. It certainly is a special place ! Regards Abigail

Posted 9 years ago

“We had a great trip - planned for my mother's 73rd birthday. The accommodation was fine and all of the activities were excellent. The Sami and Reindeer experience was perhaps our favourite, although it was hard to choose between them. We were so lucky in that we had a fantastic Aurora display during our photography experience. Thank you so much for such a memorable trip”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Sue Thanks for the feedback and so pleased that your Mother's birthday surprise fulfilled its promise and you had a great time on your northern lights holiday. Thank you for traveling with us Regards Kevin

Posted 9 years ago

“Five stars really isn't enough. We went on the Best of Lapland tour for our honeymoon and even though we had to wait nearly a year after our wedding to go at the best time of the year it was completely worth it. From the very beginning Weekend A La Carte and specifically Kevin were absolutely fantastic at helping us plan and sort out the holiday. We added on the extension of 2 nights in Stockholm before we travelled further up north and it was well worth it. The Rival Hotel is beautiful, the design is gorgeous, the food outstanding and the cocktails delicious. We ate at both the Bistro and the Cafe and the food at both was amazing although it is quite pricey it's definitely worth it. Next we flew to Lulea and were picked up by Thomas our private transfer to the Tree Hotel. Thomas was so helpful and gave us a bit of history about the area we were now in as well as answering our questions about Swedish culture and lifestyle. The Tree Hotel is truly spectacular, we stayed in the Blue Cone and the calm and simplicity of the surroundings were exactly what we needed after a hectic few days in Stockholm. We were treated to dinner on the frozen river in our own heated tepee. This was a truly magical experience and so romantic. After an early morning of watching the sunrise from the large window in the Blue Cone we headed off on our Sami day with our guide Penny, unfortunately there was a mix up with the arrangements and Lars wasn't available to do the tour. Penny however was brilliant about the situation and came up with an alternative plan for us. We were transferred early to the Aurora Safari Camp where we met up with Fredrik and his team. These guys were brilliant, they took us ice fishing (unfortunately we didn't catch anything!) and prepared a delicious lunch and later dinner for us. The camp itself is basic but comfortable, it's your responsibility to keep your fire going through the night (which we failed to do!) but it's a really great experience and you can go and sit down on the river to watch the northern lights or just look at the stars. After the Safari Camp we transferred by train up to Kiruna and the Ice Hotel. We had two nights here, one in a cold room and one in a warm cabin. The cold rooms are cold (a constant -5) but don't let that put you off. Once you're in your sleeping bag it's surprisingly warm and you can get a good night's sleep. The warm cabins are homely and comfortable, and after a night in the cold room you'll be glad for the warmth and soft beds. The food at the Ice Hotel is delicious, we ate at both the Ice Hotel restaurant and the Old Homestead, both are highly recommended. Breakfast is also extremely substantial, offering everything you could possibly want. Whilst staying at the Ice Hotel we had both a trip out on snow mobiles and a trip husky sledding. Both were so exhilarating! You shared a snow mobile or sleigh which meant you could take turns driving whilst the other could appreciate the view for a while. Both these activities are definitely recommended. We transferred up to the Abisko Mountain Lodge after the Ice Hotel, which is a cosy lodge where the staff (especially Ziss I believe that's how you spell it!) and guests are all friendly. We had one of the superior rooms outside which was really lovely and spacious. We had a dinner planned up at the Aurora Sky Station however a snow storm and high winds meant that this was cancelled, fortunately we manage to get this rebooked for another night. Kevin was a superstar at getting this sorted for us, so thank you to him! The tour to Narvik was a nice change of pace, doing a bit of sightseeing and appreciating the view was relaxing and what was needed after busy days of doing activities. We had the bonus of being able to see the eclipse as well, a special treat. In the evening we had the photography masterclass with the very talented Julian (who had also been our guide to Narvik). Words cannot fully describe how amazing this experience is. To begin with there wasn't much aurora showing but Julian kept us entertained with hot lingonberry juice, toasted marshmallows over the camp fire and a lesson on how the aurora works. Following this we had a bit of fun with the cameras taking photos in front of the tepee before the most spectacular explosion of lights occurred. Julian was brilliant at letting us stay out a tad later than we were supposed to due to the amazing display that was in front of us. He encouraged us to try different view points and angles, to move around to get a wide variety of shots and was always on hand to help. Our final morning in Abisko was spent doing a snow shoe walk, honestly, we would have been happy to have a lie in but out in the fresh air we were given a new lease of life and the sun was shining which helped. The snow shoes are super easy to walk in, you just have to walk normally and they help you along. You can take things at your own pace and just enjoy the surrounds and the beautiful views over the mountains and the village itself. Overall our honeymoon was magically, we are so happy with went with Weekend A La Carte and we cannot recommend them or the tour enough. We have some amazing memories and met some of the nicest people on our travels. Thank you to Kevin and the team for making us smile and giving us this fantastic experience.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Brent Thank you for the fantastically detailed feedback on your trip. I am delighted that you had such an amazing time but am sorry that you did not get to experience the Sami day at the TreeHotel. Your trip is definitely the flagship break we offer and its always a challenge when designing itineraries to get the balance right. I am delighted your belated honeymoon was a big success and wishing you both every success and happiness in the future. Regards Kevin

Posted 9 years ago

“All I can say about the break with a la Carte weekend is it was complete AMAZING is a word I used the whole of the trip, I can not fault a thing all the trips were beyond expectations all the tour guides very friendly and informative. The stay at the mount lodge truly a magical experience. I would not hesitate to book with a la Carte again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 9 years ago

Dear Andrew Thanks for the feedback on your northern lights holiday. I am delighted that all went well and i have forwarded your comments to the team in Lapland. Kind regards Kevin

Posted 9 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