What Activities Abroad does

Activities Abroad, trading as The Aurora Zone, is a UK-based specialist tour operator founded in 2005 (per company filings; firmographic data references 2002) and headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne. The company designs and sells packaged Northern Lights holidays to consumers in the UK and US, with destinations across Finland (Saariselkä, Levi, Ivalo, Pyhä, Inari, Menesjärvi), Norway (Tromsø), Sweden (Luleå Archipelago), and Iceland. It operates as a brand under the Artisan Travel Company parent group, which provides shared booking infrastructure and operational support.

The product portfolio centers on the proprietary Northern Lights Village concept — glass-roofed Aurora Cabins with in-cabin alert systems — across four Finnish locations, complemented by Wilderness Hotel properties, remote dark-sky hotels, and partner accommodations. Packages are priced per person from approximately £695 to £2,465, typically bundling flights, accommodation, meals, activities (husky safaris, snowmobiling, reindeer sleigh rides), and Aurora hunting excursions. The company claims an 85% Northern Lights sighting success rate, a 4.9/5 Feefo customer review score, and 30,000+ customers served over its operating history.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: bookings are taken via the company website, UK and US phone lines, and email enquiries, with no third-party reseller distribution. Customer segments span families seeking Lapland Christmas experiences, couples and honeymooners, solo travelers, and adventure seekers. Pricing is unit-based per person with no subscription or recurring revenue mechanics. The company holds ATOL and ABTA financial protection certifications and won "Best Travel Company to Northern Europe" at the British Travel Awards in 2023.

Name

Activities Abroad

Legal name

Activities Abroad

Website

https://activitiesabroad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Activities Abroad, trading as The Aurora Zone, is a UK-based specialist tour operator selling packaged Northern Lights holidays to consumers across Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, with proprietary Aurora Cabin accommodations and bundled flight-inclusive packages priced £695-£2,465 per person.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Package Holidays: The company generates revenue by selling complete holiday packages that include flights (on many trips), accommodation, activities, meals, and Aurora hunting excursions. Customers pay per person (pp) for these bundled packages, with prices ranging from approximately £695 to £2,465 per person depending on destination, duration, and included activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Activities Abroad, trading as The Aurora Zone, is a specialist tour operator selling packaged Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) holidays to individual travelers. Packages bundle flights, accommodation, meals, ground transfers, Aurora hunting excursions, and winter activities such as husky safaris, snowmobiling, and reindeer sleigh rides, delivered through partnerships with Northern Lights Village resorts, Wilderness Hotels, and other Arctic properties across Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.

Product overview

The Aurora Zone is the UK's only dedicated Northern Lights holiday specialist, operating as a single unified tour operator brand rather than a modular software platform. The company offers curated Aurora-focused travel packages to four Nordic destinations: Finland (including Saariselkä, Levi, Ivalo, Pyhä, Inari, and Menesjärvi), Norway (Tromsø), Sweden (Luleå/Brändön Lodge), and Iceland. The product portfolio centers on the Northern Lights Village concept (glass-roofed Aurora Cabins with alert systems) across multiple properties, complemented by Wilderness Hotel properties (Nangu, Juutua, Inari) and third-party partner hotels. Key product lines include: Northern Lights Village Saariselkä, Northern Lights Village Levi, Northern Lights Village Ivalo (new 2025), Northern Lights Village Pyhä, Wilderness Hotels (Inari, Juutua, Nangu), Menesjärvi at Hotel Korpikartano, Brändön Lodge in Sweden, Tromsø City Breaks in Norway, and Iceland packages with spa experiences. Additional offerings include the premium Aarre Collection and specialized Glass Roofed Igloo/Aurora Cabin accommodations. Activities encompass Aurora hunting, husky safaris, snowmobiling, reindeer sleigh rides, and cultural experiences with Sámi people. The company positions itself as a pioneer with 85% Aurora sighting success rate and 4.9/5 Feefo score across over 30,000 travelers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Northern Lights Village Saariselkä Specialist Northern Lights holiday package at a glass-roofed Aurora Cabin resort in Saariselkä, Finnish Lapland, bundling accommodation, Aurora hunting excursions, and winter activities for families, couples, and solo travelers.
• Northern Lights Village Levi Glass-roofed Aurora Cabin resort in Levi, Finland, offering Festive Fun with Father Christmas packages and Aurora hunting experiences that combine winter wilderness activities with Northern Lights viewing for families.
• Northern Lights Village Ivalo – Aurora and Husky Retreat Boutique Northern Lights retreat newly opened in December 2025 in Ivalo, Finland, with six guest rooms, an Aurora Kota with glass roof, husky safaris, heated sleigh rides, snowmobile adventures, and ice fishing for travelers seeking a small-property Aurora experience.
• Northern Lights Village Pyhä Aurora-focused holiday package at Northern Lights Village Pyhä in Finnish Lapland, featuring Aurora Cabin accommodation, snowmobiling, husky safaris, reindeer sleigh rides, and guided Aurora hunting tours.
• Wilderness Hotel Inari Northern Lights holiday package at Wilderness Hotel Inari on the shores of Lake Inari, Finland, including Autumn Lights breaks and Aurora Camp excursions with expert local guides away from light pollution.
• Wilderness Hotel Juutua Adults-only Northern Lights short break package at Wilderness Hotel Juutua in Inari, Finland, including five-course dining at Restaurant Aanaar, snowmobile adventures, husky safaris, and Aurora Camp experiences.
• Wilderness Hotel Nangu Adults-only boutique Northern Lights short break package at Wilderness Hotel Nangu on the frozen shores of Lake Inari, featuring husky and reindeer days, snowmobiling, Aurora Camp excursions by snowmobile-pulled sleigh, and snowshoe Aurora hunts.
• Menesjärvi – Aurora Packages at Hotel Korpikartano Remote wilderness Northern Lights package at Hotel Korpikartano on the shores of Lake Menesjärvi, Finland, offering Autumn Aurora Ruska-season breaks, Festive Aurora Mini Breaks, and Aurora photography workshops in low-light-pollution conditions.
• Brändön Lodge – Swedish Lapland Coastal Swedish Lapland Northern Lights holiday package at Brändön Lodge on the Bay of Bothnia, including Aurora hiking, boat tours of the Luleå Archipelago, wilderness lunches, and cabin-based Northern Lights viewing.
• Tromsø City Break Combined city and nature Northern Lights break in Tromsø, Norway, including Aurora boat hunts through dark fjords, reindeer or husky camp visits with traditional evening meals, and optional dog sledding and wildlife cruises.
• Iceland – Northern Lights and Natural Spa Weekend Icelandic Northern Lights weekend combining Aurora hunting and an Aurora Cruise with relaxation at Sky Lagoon and Hvammsvik geothermal spas, with optional Reykjavik and Golden Circle add-ons.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% success rate for Northern Lights sightings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Artisan Travel CompanycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerThe Aurora Zone is part of the Artisan Travel Company group, a parent company providing brand infrastructure, booking systems (Artisan Travel booking portal), and operational support. Artisan Travel Company offers year-round holidays to destinations including Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and the Mediterranean.
• Northern Lights Village PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnerships with Northern Lights Village resort properties in Saariselkä, Levi, Ivalo, and Pyhä, Finland. These include exclusive arrangements for Aurora Cabins with glass roofs and proprietary Aurora alert systems.
• Wilderness Hotels (Inari, Juutua, Nangu)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Wilderness Hotel collection including Wilderness Hotel Inari (featured on BBC's Amazing Hotels), Wilderness Hotel Juutua, and Wilderness Hotel Nangu (adults-only property).
• Hotel KorpikartanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Hotel Korpikartano in Menesjärvi, a former boarding school turned rustic hotel on the shores of Lake Menesjärvi with minimal light pollution for Aurora viewing.
• Brändön LodgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Brändön Lodge in Swedish Lapland, offering Aurora viewing on the shores of the Bay of Bothnia with access to the Luleå Archipelago.
• FeefominorOthersFeefo is the independent customer review platform used by The Aurora Zone, displaying verified customer reviews with a 4.9/5 star rating.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/activity_travel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/activities-abroad-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Activities Abroad