Northern Lights Explorer

Chasing Aurora Borealis and exploring Russia's most northern city

3000 km rail journey connecting the stunning metropoles Moscow, St Petersburg and Murmansk at the White Sea

Besides exploring the famous metropoles Moscow and St Petersburg, discover the Far North of Russia on board a private charter train for chasing Aurora Borealis. Our train offers a choice of 2 accommodation categories, either with private toilet and shower in your cabin (Gold) or shared facilities (Standard Plus). Also a restaurant, a bar and a conference area for lectures are at your disposal on the private train. The train is the most comfortable, safe and reliable way to travel to the north during winter months. Flights often may be delayed by days for bad weather reasons.

There are restaurant cars on the train which serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner as part of the full board service to all passengers of the Northern Lights Explorer. During sightseeing tours in the cities local meals are served in the specially selected restaurants.

In the lecture area, part of the lounge or a restaurant car, your tour escorts hold lectures about the history, geography, economy, and daily life of the regions visited. On some evenings we show films about Russia. Also, your tour escorts offer a language course introducing the Russian language to you.

In order to realize optimal timings on the heavily used railway lines, our private train on some sections will be attached to regular scheduled trains, on some other sections will be hauled by its own locomotive.

Gold sleeping cars offer the most spacious and comfortable type of accommodation on our private train. Gold cabins have a private toilet, wash basin and a spacious shower cabin en suite. Each cabin offers 1 lower and 1 upper bed, a table at the window, a chair opposite the beds, a small wardrobe and storage space. Euro-Sockets for 220 V are in each cabin, capable for razors, loading mobile phones, cameras, and notebooks. The cars are air conditioned (individual control). The air condition operates only during the time the train is moving.

Gold sleeping cars have only 5 cabins each and may be booked for double or single use.

Deluxe Gold cabin dimensions:

Cabin 2,00 x 3,50 m = 7,0 sqm

Lower bed 120 x 185 cm

Upper bed 80 x 185 cm

Standard Plus are the most popular type of accommodation on our private train. Standard Plus cabins are equipped with 2 lower beds and 2 upper beds. While only the two lower beds are used for sleeping, the two upper beds can be used as additional storage for luggage – or they simply can be folded away. Toilets and wash basins for common use are situated at both ends of each Standard Plus sleeping car. The sleeping cars are air conditioned (central control). The air condition operates only during the time the train is moving. Sockets for 220 V are available in each cabin, capable for razors, loading mobile phones, cameras and notebooks. Standard Plus cars offer 9 cabins each and may be booked for double or single use.

Standard Plus cabin dimensions:

Cabin 2,00 x 2,00 m = 4,0 sqm

Beds 65 x 185 cm

Tour #                           Tour Date

NL1 (2023)                  10.02.2023 

NL2 (2023)                  17.02.2023 

Meals: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Day 1 (Friday) - Moscow                    D

Arrival in Moscow. You will be met at Moscow airport and transferred to your hotel. Check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day free at leisure in Moscow to recharge and take a breather. Most shops are open in Moscow even on weekends and usually up to 22:00 – you have lots of opportunities to chase souvenirs and gifts for your friends.

Accommodation in Moscow.

Day 2 (Saturday) - Moscow              B, L, D

A full day city sightseeing tour shows you the “heart of Russia”, the Kremlin and the impressive orthodox cathedrals on Kremlin ground. On the east side of the Kremlin you walk over the famous Red Square and explore the amazing GUM department store. The panoramic bus tour further takes you to see the Bolshoi Theatre, the Parliament Building (Duma), continuing along Moscow River to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Arbat Street, Sparrow Hills with the mighty Lomonossov University, one of 7 Stalin-era skyscrapers, Victory Park and Novodevichy Convent. Around midnight you board the Northern Lights Express for its almost 2000 km journey to the north.

Accommodation on board the Northern Lights Express.

Day 3 (Sunday) - Onboard the Northern Lights Express         B, L, D

A full day on the train, you get a feeling for the huge dimensions of Russia which stretches more than 10.000 km from east to west and more than 5.000 km from south to north. While you watch a fully snow covered land with outside temperatures well below 0° C, you enjoy a warm environment in your cabin and in the restaurants and bar-lounge. Our tour escorts today give you lectures with a deep insight view into history and culture of Russia. After dinner a taste of various sorts of the famous Vodka will be celebrated.

Accommodation on board the Northern Lights Express.

Day 4 (Monday) - Kirovsk                B, L, D

In the morning you reach the station Apatity, from where a short transfer to the nearby city of Kirovsk. There you visit a unique Snow Village which consists of Igloo’s constructed from ice cubes. If weather permits, in the evening you have the opportunity for going outside the city and chasing Aurora Borealis. Snowmobiles will take you into the mountains where its best to chase the Northern Lights.

Accommodation in Kirovsk.

Day 5 (Tuesday) - Kirovsk-Murmansk            B, L, D

In the morning you continue the journey to the north by bus to a Sami village where you get an introduction into the culture and life of the local people who call themselves Sami. You see how they live and have the opportunity of a short sledge tour with reindeers. In the evening you reach Murmansk, the most northern point of the tour. The second opportunity for an Aurora Borealis Hunting will be after dinner. Experienced local Aurora specialists will take you to the places where there are the greatest chances to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Accommodation in Murmansk.

Day 6 (Wednesday) - Murmansk                      B, L, D

Murmansk was founded only little over 100 years ago, in 1915, on the shore of the Barents Sea. The harbor is ice-free in winter thanks to the gulf stream. Murmansk is the biggest city of the world north of the Arctic Circle. In the morning a panoramic tour takes you around the city to see the most important places. The afternoon is free at leisure. In the evening, there will be the third opportunity for an Aurora Borealis Hunting.

Today our experienced local Aurora experts are taking you to other places which might allow the best chances to catch sight of the Northern Lights – of course, as always, if weather is permitting.

Accommodation in Murmansk.

Day 7 (Thursday) - Onboard the Northern Lights Express              B, L, D

In the morning a transfer takes you back to the Northern Lights Express train which today takes you back south, to St Petersburg. While you relax, enjoy your meals with local specialities, listen to the lectures of our tour escorts, you will have the opportunity of watching the scenery of a white winter miracle.

Accommodation on board the Northern Lights Express.

Day 8 (Friday) - St Petersburg                          B, L, D

Before lunchtime you arrive in St Petersburg, Russia’s “window to Europe” on the Baltic Sea. The city was founded more than 300 years ago by Tsar Peter the Great who invited European architects to design the city. A panoramic bus tour in the afternoon takes you to the sights of the Winter Palace (Hermitage), St Isaac’s Cathedral, Church of Our Saviours on Spilled Blood, Peter & Paul Fortress, Nevsky Prospekt.

Accommodation in St Petersburg.

Day 9 (Saturday) - St Petersburg                    B, L, D

Today you visit to Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace) is a cultural highlights of the tour. The Winter Palace used to be the residence of the Tsars, today it is home of one of the finest art collections of the world. An excursion to St Catherine Palace with its remarkable Amber Chamber is another unforgettable highlight.

Accommodation in in St Petersburg.

Day 10 (Sunday) - St Petersburg                     B

Airport transfers are provided by our service team to connect with your flight departing St Petersburg.

Have a save flight back home!

Notes:

• The sequence of excursions, visits are subject to change without prior notice in the event of unforeseen circumstances (e.g. weather, construction work on roads or buildings, official events).

• Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is a natural phenomen and subject to weather conditions.

All rates are in EURO, per person

Services included in the tour price: 

Train: 3 night’s accommodation on board the private “Northern Lights Express” 

Hotels: 6 night’s accommodation (1 x Moscow, 1x Kirovsk, 2 x Murmansk, 2 x St Petersburg)

Meals: Full board 9 x breakfast, 8 x lunch, 9 x dinner

Local cuisine specialities: e.g. Russian Vodka & Pierogi Tastings, Russian Tea Ceremony 

Sightseeing: All sightseeing tours in Moscow, Kirovsk, Murmansk, St Petersburg 

Transfers: Arrival & Departure transfers airport-hotel or v.v. on day 1 and day 10 

Shower facilities:

Gold cabins have private toilets and showers

Standard cabins have shared bathroom facilities, no shower facilities

Lectures on board: Introduction to Russian culture, history, language, todays’ life

Tour escorts: English, Spanish speaking tour guides throughout the tour (other languages on request)

Tour Director: English speaking tour director throughout the tour

Optional (not included in the tour price): Cultural events (Concert in Moscow) and Ballet in  St Petersburg

Services NOT included in the tour price: 

- Flights to Moscow and from St Petersburg     

- Visa Russia

- Tipping (Guideline: EUR 100 or USD 120 tipping budget recommended)