Snow holidays with a difference

last updated 16 January 2018

Ice sculpting in Sweden

The annual unveiling of the fantastical new rooms at the Ice Hotel, which are sculpted afresh each year by teams of international artists, has become an event in its own right. But if you have always wanted to try ice sculpting yourself, there is yet another reason to visit the luxury hotel in the far north of Sweden. The hotel offers intensive classes for budding ice artists, led by the hotel's instructors who will help you carve a creation of your own from a crystal clear block of ice harvested from the nearby Torne River. The hotel also offers Northern Lights snowmobile safaris, sled dog rides, arctic yoga classes, wildlife photography courses and more, so there are plenty of reasons to visit the Ice Hotel this year.

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If taking to the slopes seems intimidating, this gentle form of exercise allows you to explore your snowy surrounds at your own pace, whether a relaxed stroll or tackling uphill terrain. As well as the relatively low cost, other benefits include the ability to stray away from the crowds and fully immerse yourself in nature. And if going off-piste doesn't appeal, a number of tour operators lead guided walks. Try a week-long excursion in Ecrins National Park in the Southern French Alps, organised through alpine expert Undiscovered Mountains, where you'll snowshoe through forests, around lakes and up summits, and might even happen across the area's majestic wildlife, including golden eagles, chamois, deer and wild boar.

In recent years, the use of fat bikes has been growing in popularity and it's easy to see why. The wider-than-usual tyres enable the rider to travel over ground not normally accessible by standard mountain bikes, including sand and, most importantly, snow. Take full advantage of this mode of transport by tackling the picturesque wilderness of Finland's Oulanka National Park as part of a five-day guided tour offered through Exodus Travels. Pre-prepared tracks allow for a slightly less taxing ride, leaving you to concentrate on the beautiful taiga, forests and frozen lakes as far as the eye can see.

Ethical tourism company Responsible Travel runs a number of tailored excursions that allow you to explore snow-filled landscapes while looking after your own team of huskies. This five-day tour of Spitsbergen in northern Norway provides a balance of longer and shorter dog-sled mushing adventures, as well as a mix of camping and hotel accommodation that allows you to connect with nature without forgoing all of your creature comforts.

Put your motoring skills to the test in dramatic style with an ice driving experience led by Jaguar. Available with three or four-day itineraries, as well as an advanced programme for return visitors, the course takes place on the vast frozen lakes that dominate Arjeplog in Lapland, a popular testing ground for the world's top car companies. Get behind the wheel of a Jaguar F-Type and F-Pace or test out the off-road capabilities of the Range Rover Sport and Velar in these extreme conditions.

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