Program: Photo Adventures >>KTAB06 These photos are taken in the evening of Russian National Women Day (8th of March 2012) and just in the lights of Monchegorsk city.

Aurora Borealis in Murmansk region with winter activities! Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is a unique natural phenomenon, the dancing fluorescent ribbons that light up the night sky. Living on the Kola Peninsula we have an opportunity to observe one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena more than 150 nights during a year. You can see this most impressive light show – lasting from a few minutes to several days.   The sunspots produce solar flares creating the northern lights when they hit the earth’s atmosphere. The Northern Lights start to be seen from middle of August and up till the end of April in the sky above the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions what makes the Northern Russia and especially the Kola Peninsula ideal location for observing it. We cannot create Aurora Borealis or to book it from The God ☺ as well as to guarantee the clear cloudless sky. You need fortune to catch the stroke of luck. It is like with real hunting – you never know if you come back with a trophy. We can do a broadcasting but not earlier than 1-2 days in front with probability of Northern Lights appearing of 90%. So, we offer our tours without reservation of our guide for Aurora Borealis watching. If you want to be more sure to see Northern Lights you can make preliminary reservation for Aurora Borealis Night watching accompanied with our guide. In this case if there is the good broadcasting for Northern Light in the sky for the coming night the guide comes to the hotel to collect you for the "hunting". The guide brings you to a place where the Northern Lights can appear in the sky with 90% probability.   The same days can be spend for more activities in the city and in suburb behind the Polar Circle depend on time of the year: excursions and museums, skiing and snowmobiling, snow fun, meeting Saami culture, watching Barents sea shore, delicious traditional food in local restaurants, and many other things. Ask us! .   The Solar Maximum happens about every 11 years. Do not miss this unique opportunity!

Day 1: Arrival in Murmansk airport at 11:05am by plane from St. Petersburg. Meeting by a guide with a car and drive to Murmansk city. Lunch in a restaurant. 3 hour city tour visiting places of interests, watching city life. The guide tells the history of the city and show a lot of specialties connected to events happened for past 100 years. One of highlights of the city is Second World War Memorial "ALESHA". The majestic monument for The Defenders of the Arctic was installed on a high hill above Murmansk in 1974 in memory of the War; a figure of a watchman with a rifle of a height of 34 meters, which is visible almost from any point of the city. The best place to make panoramic photos of the city and harbours. Visit the first nuclear icebreaker "Lenin". Transfer to Kirovsk city and check-in at a hotel. Overnight in the hotel.
If there is positive broadcasting for Aurora Borealis a guide comes to the hotel to pick you up and drive to the South or to the North depending on the most evident place for showing up Northern Lights. (L)

Day 2: Breakfast. Check-out. Call taxi to come to Snow village (7 km). It is a big construction with sculptures and labyrinths, being made entirely of ice and snow - natural and pure materials. Illuminated with coloured lights corridors, halls and rooms take us into a fantastic world of winter tale, where Santa Claus and Snow Maiden welcome guests. Snow shoes can be rented for hiking in the surrounding nature. At 14.00 take a snowmobile safari. After changing clothes and short introduction, start to drive to Khibiny mountains. We go from the Snow village via Maly Vudyavr valley and Kukisvumsk valley to a Rescue Centre in a heart of Khibiny mountains. There we will have shashlyk lunch and a glass of mulled wine. After that we go snowmobiling to the top point to see the valley from a bird eye. Then we drive back to the Snow village. Call taxi
to be back to the hotel. If there is positive broadcasting for Aurora Borealis a guide comes to the hotel to pick you up and drive to the South or to the North depending on the most evident place for showing up Northern Lights. Overnight in the hotel. (B,L)

Day 3: Breakfast. At 09.00 transfer back to Murmansk. On the way we are going to visit the Siberian Husky farm. Siberian Husky farm is located in Lovozero area – place of living Saami people in Kola Peninsula. From the 65th km of Lovozero road we are picked up by a sledge pulled by a snowmobile to reach the Husky farm. We are welcome with hot tea and traditional pies. We will learn the wonderful story of the race "Siberian Husky", can communicate with the charming and sweet dogs as well as to see reindeers and sledge behind them. After the detailed introduction how to manage a dog’s sledge you will start to move along the specially prepared forest route ruling the sledge by yourself. Later we will have lunch in traditional dwelling named CHUM (like wigwam) and listen stories about Northern nature and local traditions. After we go back the same way to the 65th km of the main road. We continue our drive to Murmansk and on the way we will visit the Saami settlement. The Saami settlement is located at a place of traditional reindeer grazing areas. Saami who live there have a way of life which almost has not changed over the last century. There are some traditional dwellings with floor covered by reindeer fur (Kuvaksa) standing at the place. Several beautiful reindeers are always in the settlement and they like to be stroked and fed by carrot and bred. Also there are foxes and polar foxes, hairs, falcon, and a big black raven. A reindeer man will tell us interesting stories about the past and the present days of Saami people, legends and songs. It will be offered to play some Saami traditional games and try your hand at throwing a lasso. Those who like may put on Saami clothes and make photos with reindeers. It is possible to buy reindeer fur, items made of reindeer horns, stones and wood, special northern souvenirs. Fish soup will be offered. After transfer to Murmansk airport. (B,L)
 

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