As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet, heading off in search of even darker skies and colder climes might be the last thing on your mind – unless you happen to be a skier or snowboarder, of course.
But there is a growing interest in wintry adventures beyond the slopes. Seeing the Northern Lights tops British travellers’ bucket lists, according to a recent poll by the Post Office. And Northumberland’s Dark Sky status has been estimated to add around £25m a year to the local economy. More active pursuits are also on the up.
“Our clients are looking for trips where they can enjoy a variety of winter experiences, not just traditional ones,” says Laura Greenman of tour operator Magnetic North Travel. “Things like dog-sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and, of course, the Northern Lights are all really popular. We are also seeing an uplift in budget flights direct to places such as Tromsø in Norway, and Rovaniemi in Finland, which has made it more feasible to travel to more off-the-beaten-track destinations.”
Meanwhile, Rachael Gavan of Wilderness Scotland says customers are seeking holidays that offer peace and quiet. “In our busy, noisy, pressured world, people are looking to reconnect with nature. There’s no better time to do that than in winter.”
Whether you’re contemplating the constellations, braving a cold-water dip or heading out on a snowmobile in search of the Northern Lights, here are 14 ideas for a dark sky adventure…
Watching wildlife SAS-style, Sutherland
Scotland is home to some of Britain’s rarest wild creatures – most of which prefer to come out at night. Connell Outdoor Pursuits, an adventure company based in Dornoch, uses thermal imaging scopes to enable you to watch wildlife in near-total darkness. With luck, you will see deer, foxes, hedgehogs and badgers, and perhaps more elusive Highlands residents such as pine martens and red squirrels.
Guided 4×4 dusk safaris cost £75pp for up to three, connelloutdoorpursuits.com. Dornoch can be accessed from Inverness, 45 miles south.
Dark sky cruise, Norway
Even in deepest winter, ships sail up and down Norway’s coast between Bergen and Kirkenes, stopping at remote ports of the Arctic Circle. There is zero light pollution, and you will be in with more than a sporting chance of seeing the Northern Lights (most cruise lines offer a Northern Lights guarantee, which give you a second trip if you don’t see the aurora).
The best-known operator is Hurtigruten, in business since 1893; Havila Voyages follows the same route. Trips are very flexible: you could travel port to port (say from Bergen to Tromsø) for a few days, or follow the week-long route either north or southbound, or opt for the full 12-day round-trip.
Short trips from Bergen to Tromsø start around £486pp excluding travel to Norway; full 12-day round-trips start from around £1,058pp. It is worth comparing cruise lines’ prices.
Sleigh rides and survival, Finland
Surrounded by the snowy landscapes of Lapland, the town of Rovaniemi has gone in to the Santa business in a big way. Most atmospheric are night-time sleigh rides through the frozen forest, followed by a visit to Santa’s grotto – a dream come true for children. With luck, you will catch the Northern Lights along the way.
For a slightly more grown-up experience, you could take an overnight expedition to learn Samí survival skills, drive your own husky team or pilot an e-snowmobile out into the wilds.
Night sleigh rides and aurora hunting trips from €105pp (£92) with operators including Aurora Horses (aurorahorses.com) and Arctic Nature (arcticnature.fi). Survival workshops, husky rides and snowmobile rides can be arranged through Bliss Adventure (from €189pp/£165pp, blissadventure.fi).
Night canoeing, Yorkshire Dales
At How Stean Gorge in Nidderdale, you can pilot a canoe trip across Scar House Reservoir with nothing but starlight, and maybe a head torch, to guide your way. Alternatively, if the weather is not ideal for canoeing, you can fuel up with pizza at the gorge’s cosy café, then tackle a hair-raising, heart-in-the-mouth clamber along the gorge’s Via Ferrata by floodlight.
Canoeing £42pp, Via Ferrata £34pp, howstean.co.uk. The gorge is 18 miles from Ripon and just under 35 miles from Leeds.
Night swimming, Lake District
Another Place has established itself as one of the best outdoors-focused hotels in the Lake District, with stand-up paddleboarding sessions, canoeing trips and guided hikes all on the activity roster. It is also popular for its wild swims on Ullswater, held several times each month and led by renowned open-water swimmer Colin Hill. If you time it right and are lucky enough that the skies are clear, you can even take a dip under a full moon.
One-hour swims cost £40, with wetsuits and tow floats included. Doubles from £250, another.place. The hotel is around seven miles south-west of Penrith.
Women-only wilderness retreat, Cairngorms
Experience the mystical side of the Highlands on a female-only adventure, which involves trekking to waterfalls, snow yoga, campfire cookouts and – for the brave – wild swims in an icy lochan, followed by a restorative session in the sauna. After dark, there is storytelling and stargazing, with tales of the Gaelic and Pictish goddesses who can be glimpsed in the night sky.
The four-night retreat costs £1,495pp full-board with activities, in February and March, wildernessscotland.com.
After-dark snorkelling, Oban
Nightime snorkelling or diving would seem a foolhardy pursuit were it not for Basking Shark Scotland’s pioneering floodlit tours. Guests swim with creatures such as octopus and catsharks (basking sharks will return next summer), while guided by a marine biologist. Cold-water reefs, kelp forests and seagrass meadows are among the other species to spot.
There is also the possibility of catching bioluminescence – light emitted by organisms as a result of chemical reactions. When at the surface, the rural setting also offers night-sky views free of light pollution. Tours start from £110pp.
Stargazing, Northumberland
According to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, Northumberland has the most pristine dark skies in the UK – and, as home to the country’s first International Dark Sky Park, it is, not surprisingly, superb for stargazing.
The Kielder Observatory, 55 miles north-west of Newcastle, was opened in 2008 by Astronomer Royal Sir Arnold Wolfendale. It runs stargazing tours throughout the winter, with professional astronomers offering tutored sessions exploring the Moon, planets, constellations and even dark matter. Book well ahead. Three-hour tours cost £26 per adult; £24 per child, kielderobservatory.org.
The Twice Brewed Inn near Haltwhistle makes a handy base and runs its own stargazing stays. Doubles with breakfast from £130, twicebrewedinn.co.uk. Haltwhistle can be reached by rail from Newcastle in 50 minutes.
Tracking wild wolves, Sweden
Sweden’s sprawling boreal forests are one of the few places in Europe where it is possible to see wolves in the wild. Several operators and backcountry lodges arrange wolf-tracking adventures. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, but you’ll almost certainly hear them. In winter, you will be doing a lot of snowshoeing, so you will need a reasonable level of fitness.
Overnight wilderness wolf tracking expeditions in the Malingsbo-Kloten Nature Reserve cost from Skr2,600pp (£195) between January and March (nordicdiscovery.se/wolf-tracking-tour).
From December to March, Wild Sweden offers week-long trips in Swedish Lapland, staying at lodges and wild camps, from around Skr£2,400, wildsweden.com.
Night tobogganing, Innsbruck
Hurtling down a mountainside strapped to a sledge is thrilling enough by day – but it takes on a whole new level of terror after dark. Innsbruck, Austria’s winter sports capital, has groomed runs that offer floodlit tobogganing until around midnight, including Oberperfuss, Rinner Alm, Bergeralm and Axamer Lizum. If you are there in December, you could combine your tobogganing with the city’s Christmas markets, with a glass of Glühwein and some Apfelstrudel to warm you up.
Night tobogganing sessions are held several times week throughout the winter. Toboggan hire is offered from local outlets and costs from €22 (£19) for adults and €13 (£11.35) for children under 15, innsbruck.info.
Torchlit walks and twilight e-biking, Dolomites
The Dolomites in northern Italy are fabulous for winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, winter hiking and ice-climbing – but there are more sedate ways to appreciate the mountain skies.
At Val Gardena, take an evening e-bike tour across the snow, ending up at a mountain refuge for a slap-up dinner. Alternatively, join a torchlight walk to visit local woodcarvers, and perhaps pick up a souvenir along the way. E-bike tour €65 (£57), torchlit walk €25 (£22), valgardena-active.com.
The nearest airports are in Salzburg and Venice, with onward trains to Bolzano. Local shuttle buses serve the main ski destinations.
Igloo fondue, France
You don’t have to travel to the Arctic to experience a night in an Inuit-style ice house. In the ski resort of Megève, you can strap on some snowshoes and hike across the twilight slopes to your own pre-built igloo, complete with an open fire and a bubbling pot of fondue. Thermal sleeping bags and mattresses will keep you toasty overnight and sunrise promises to be spectacular.
Via Montagnes leads overnight igloo adventures (€125pp/£109pp, iamontagnes.com). AAV Chamonix offers three-hour evening trips (€350/£305 for groups of up to five, aavchamonix.com). Geneva is the nearest airport, 90km north-west. Trains run to Sallanches, from where buses travel up to the Megève resorts.
Snowmobiling, Svalbard
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Snowbound Svalbard is the ultimate winter getaway. Way up in the Arctic Circle above Norway, this frozen island is about as near as most people can get to the North Pole – and the only place in Europe where it is possible to see polar bears in the wild. Leaving from the main settlement of Longyearbyen, you will drive your own snowmobile across the frozen landscape to the base at Spitsbergen Expedition Lodge, followed by three days of snowmobiling, snowshoeing, bear spotting – and, thanks to seemingly endless polar nights – plenty of opportunity for stargazing
Five-day Svalbard safari from £2,475pp, with flights from London via Oslo or Tromsø (wildfoottravel.com).
Snowshoeing, Romania
The Carpathians are Europe’s last great wilderness. They are bewitchingly beautiful in winter, with plentiful snow, dense forest and ample opportunity for wildlife watching eagle owls, lynx, grey wolves and even brown bears (or at least their tracks) can be seen.
Snowshoes are the most practical way of getting around. And, of course, you can’t come to Transylvania without visiting the Dracula sights: the count supposedly lived at Bran Castle, while his real-life inspiration, Vlad Tepes, is thought to have been born in the medieval town of Sighisoara.
Exodus Adventure Travels offers seven nights’ B&B in Transylvania including snowshoe walks, wildlife watching and a visit to Bran Castle from £1,449pp, excluding travel to Romania.
