Going to the Nordic countries to see the Northern Lights seems to be a natural thing for everyone who wants to explore the aurora, but it would be a pity if you only go to the Nordic countries to see the Northern Lights, because there are too many fun activities in the Nordic countries, such as glacier trekking, hot springs, snowmobiling, riding reindeer sleds, fishing for king crabs, and so on.
Sleigh ride
There are many places in the Nordic countries where you can experience “riding a sled”.
As a traditional means of transportation for locals, it is a must-try when you come to the Nordic countries. Generally, you can choose between a husky sled or a reindeer sled.
Riding a husky sled, you can enjoy the scenery passing by, and groups of huskies running in the snow, speeding through the forest. Although you are in a world of ice and snow, the enthusiastic huskies seem to warm your heart!
Reindeer sleigh riding is a completely different experience. Because the speed is very slow, you can even pull the reins yourself, follow Santa’s mount, and walk through the snow forest and quietly enjoy the snowy scenery.
The docile reindeer move forward slowly, and the cloven hooves of the deer glide through the snowy forest leave their mark in the snow, adding a dreamy touch to the magical experience.
Snowmobile
In winter, the Nordic skies are full of snow and snow: snow hiking, snowmobiling and even snow tanks.
In the snowy wilderness, you can hike with your guide, breathe pure air, and collide with nature; You can also take a snowmobile adventure with speed and fury.
There are snow projects all over Northern Europe, Iceland’s vast glaciers are the biggest stage, and riding a snowmobile in a pure white world to feel the speed of life, breathing the free air, will make you feel like conquering the world.
In Sweden, Finland and Norway, too, you can follow your guide on an adventure on a motorbike, or you can chase the Northern Lights and drive around the world.
Finland | Ice Fishing
Ice fishing on a frozen lake is a traditional winter activity in the Nordic countries. Locals will drill a hole in the ice, put in bait, and then sit quietly next to it waiting for a fish to bite.
Fishing tests one’s patience, but the waiting process is the most wonderful part. If you can have a cup of hot coffee, sitting there all day is not a big problem.
The beauty of ice fishing lies in its simplicity. With just a chair and a fishing rod, you can sit quietly for an afternoon.
Finns love this pure form of idleness and enjoy the infinite silence it brings, which is the spirit of the Finnish people. Although the surface may be frozen, there is vitality under the ice. I think this is the charm of ice fishing.
Finland | Icebreaker, Ice Floating
The northern part of Finland is covered with ice for up to half a year, and icebreakers are needed to crush the ice and open up shipping lanes.
The icebreakers here are famous, with the “Sampo” in Kemi, located in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, being the most well-known and the only icebreaker that allows tourists to experience it.
The “Sampo” can break through 8 meters of ice, causing the ice to shatter and hearing the cracking sound of the ice. The broken ice hits the hull, and the “sea giant” begins its ice-breaking journey.
To better serve Chinese tourists, the ship also has professional Chinese-speaking tour guides who lead tourists to learn about the icebreaker and understand the overview, history, and ice-breaking principles of the Sampo.
Tourists even have the opportunity to watch the crew at work in the control room. Afterwards, the guide will take everyone into the ship’s hold to experience the enormous power and power generation system of the “Sampo” up close.
After breaking the ice, you can experience the wonderful “floating on ice”, put on the orange-red special waterproof warm suit, jump into the frozen sea, lie on the sea and float freely, like a clumsy “lobster”.
After the trip, the captain will also find a way to break the ice, don’t give up this good time to take pictures~
Finland | Snow Castle
In Kemi, you’ll not only meet icebreakers, but you’ll also meet the world’s largest ice castle. Every winter, artists and designers from all over the world build the castle out of plain ice blocks, and the exterior and ice sculpture exhibition of the ice castle change every year according to the theme, like a fairy tale that disappears in spring.
The castle features an igloo hotel, a traditional Finnish sauna, a restaurant, a bar and a snow church.
During the opening of the Ice Castle, the organizers also host concerts and cultural competitions such as ice skating, ice fishing, boxing, ice painting, etc., making it not only the art of ice and snow, but also a window into Finnish culture.
Finland | Visit Santa Claus
Located northeast of Kemi, Rovaniemi is the home of the legendary Santa Claus, and Santa Claus Village is located on the Arctic Circle, 8 km north of Rovaniemi, which is full of fairy tale atmosphere, and every day is like Christmas!
Just like in the storybook, you can chat with Santa, take a picture, stamp Santa’s postmark, and send a postcard to a distant friend or future self.
Crossing the Arctic Circle is also a must do in Santa Claus Village, because the Arctic Circle just passes through the village, which is a very ceremonial thing, and your friends cross the Arctic Circle in your most special way and leave a precious group photo~
Finland|sauna
In the Finnish mind, there is nothing that cannot be solved by one sauna, and if there is, then twice. Finns love saunas too much, but Finns with “social fear” can meet strangers honestly in the sauna, is this a contrast between the Finnish people?
Finns use saunas in a variety of ways, and the Savusauna is the most traditional sauna in Finland.
First of all, it is heated with firewood, and when it is heated to the desired temperature, it begins to exhaust smoke and scrub the bench, and after cleaning the carbon ash, you can enjoy the traditional smoke sauna.
In the process of sauna, some people will also pat their bodies with “Vihta” made of birch branches, which emits a faint fragrance and makes people refreshed~
Finns are serious and creative when it comes to sauna bathing. In Helsinki, there is a Ferris wheel called the sauna Ferris wheel.
Not only can you take in the modern Finnish city and the Baltic Sea, but you can also take a sauna. Burger King also opened its first sauna store, as well as bus saunas, cable car saunas, tent saunas… When you come to Finland, try at least Finnish saunas!
Norway | Fishing for king crab
King crab fishing is a thrilling activity, and the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is incomparable. Hilcones, Norway is a famous king crab production area, which can be caught all year round, but it is fatter in winter.
You can take part in a snowmobile + king crab fishing activity with a professional guide taking you on a motorbike to the fishing spot, and then follow the fishermen deep into the fjord to catch fish.
The washbasin-sized king crab is quickly cooked after being caught, and the locals cook it in a particularly simple way, boiling it directly in seawater, and it is said that this way you can taste the true taste of king crab.
King crab legs are available in unlimited quantities here, and tasting the king crabs that you have personally participated in the salvage is a feast for the palate, the ultimate goal of foodies!
Sweden|Stay at the Ice Hotel
Like the Nordic countries, Sweden has plenty to do in winter: reindeer, dog sledding, aurora chasing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, but Sweden’s ice hotels are unique.
Founded in 1989, the Ice Hotel invites a team of architects and artists from all over the world to design and build a new Ice Hotel every year, each room has a different style, the igloo is not just a hotel, but more like a work of art.
Do you dare to challenge yourself to sleep in a room at minus 5°C for one night?
There is also an ice church next to the Ice Hotel, where couples from all over the world come to hold their weddings and let the snow and aurora witness their love!
Explore the Blue Ice Cave in Iceland
The Blue Ice Cave is Iceland’s “winter only”, and from November to March every year, the glacial meltwater undercurrent, after day and night, to form a natural blue ice cave, hidden on the edge of the glacier.
If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you might have imagined that such a dazzling blue was hidden under the glacier that had been sealed for thousands of years.
In many science fiction movies, Iceland is synonymous with alien planets, and the mysterious Blue Ice Cave is one of the proofs.
The shape of the ice cave is affected by the temperature, and through the refraction of light, the blue ice cave changes every moment, so every trip to the blue ice cave is unique~
Iceland|Hot springs
Blue Lagoon Hot Springs
Features: great reputation, perfect supporting services, beautiful scenery, high price, many people Blue Lake is located in the most frequent underground magmatic activity area on the earth, this special geographical location makes the Blue Lake hot spring water temperature to maintain about 40 °C, and the water body is rich in minerals, soaking in the Blue Lake hot spring can help treat some skin diseases and bone diseases, such as psoriasis, rheumatism, arthritis, etc., so it is also the world’s top health sanctuary Oh~
The Blue Lagoon is Iceland’s most famous and largest hot spring, famous for its beautiful scenery, the blue hot springs resemble the tears of the earth, and the steaming water mist reflects the surrounding mountains, adding to the hazy beauty.
The high fame is accompanied by an endless stream of people, and the price of the main hot spring area is naturally rising, and if you want to seek a quiet bathing environment, you have to spend more money on private bathing pools, which is also a regrettable.
Location: About 39 km from the capital Reykjavik
How to get there: Rent a car or take the shuttle bus from the capital, or you can choose to take a bus from Iceland International Airport
Ticket Price: Free for ages 2-13, from ISK 14 for those over 6990 years old
Additional Information: Advance booking is required
Lake Myvatsu Onsen
Features: Few people, cheap price, sulfur smell of hot spring water Lake
Myvatn Hot Spring is the second largest hot spring in Iceland, second only to the Blue Lagoon, and the spring water here is also light blue, also known as the miniature version of the Blue Lake.
In contrast to the Blue Lagoon, Lake Myvatn is located in the north of Iceland, far from the capital Reykjavik, so there are relatively few people and the price is much cheaper than the Blue Lagoon.
The scenery of Yonaho Onsen is also beautiful, and it is more possible to relax with fewer people, which can be said to be an “affordable alternative” to Blue Lake Onsen. The only fly in the ointment may be that the hot spring water smells of sulfur (rotten eggs), so be prepared
Location: Lake Mín region, north of Iceland
How to get there: Drive or join a tour of Iceland (from the capital or Akureyri)
Ticket price: 16 years old and older: ISK 5 from May to September, ISK 9 from October to April; 5000 to 10 years: ISK 4 from May to September and ISK 4500 from October to April; Free for ages 13 to 15.
Additional information: It is best to book in advance
Secret hot spring
Features: Located in a rural town, the facilities are simple but also retain the original sense of simplicity.
The secret hot spring is located in a small town along the Golden Circle, where the facilities are relatively simple and not as famous as the Blue Lake and Lake Mi, but it has its own unique sense of simplicity.
If you like the small-town atmosphere of the countryside, the pursuit of pristine nature, and the environmental requirements are relatively simple, then the secret hot spring is a perfect place to relax.
Location: Hvammsvegur – 845 Flúðir, close to the famous Golden Circle
How to get there: Car hire a car, buy tickets with round-trip transportation to the capital or join a day trip to the Golden Circle and Secret Hot Springs
Ticket price: ISK 15 for 3000 years old and above, free for 0 to 14 years old
Additional information: Tickets must be purchased in advance
Fontana Springs
Features: has a good healing effect, suitable for relaxation
Fontana Spa is also located in the Golden Circle, the hot spring is not very large, but it is more cozy, adjacent to Laugarvatn lake, the view is very beautiful.
Locals have discovered that geothermal steam here has good healing effects more than a century ago, and in addition to the hot spring pools, there are multiple saunas here, which are perfect for relaxation~
Location: South coast of Iceland, close to the famous Golden Circle between Wong Singvellir National Park and geysers
How to get there: Rent a car or join a day trip to Golden Circle + Fontana Hot Springs
Ticket price: ISK 17 for adults 3400 years and older, ISK 13 for ages 16-1700, free for children 12 years and younger.
Additional information: It is recommended to book tickets in advance