Aurora Highlights tour

Details

Transportation

Hurtigruten coastal port-to-port voyage and transfers

Included

• All hotel accommodation in shared double/twin room with private facilities, single supplement available
• Norwegian Coastal Voyage: 2 nights twin outside cabin with private facilities aboard Hurtigruten ship port to port Tromsø to Kirkenes, breakfast and dinner included. Please note, it can be dififcult to guarantee this short port-to-port voyage - you may need to fly up to Kirkenes or take the South Bound version of this tour.
• Excursion to The North Cape
• 2 nights in an Aurora Glass Cabin, breakfast and dinner included
• Kirkenes Stay: Gamme cabins or a snow room option available 20DEC to 20APR, dinner included
• Daily breakfast
• Bus transfers between Kirkenes and Ivalo
• Included Activities: Arctic city walk Tromsø, Arctic King Crab Safari, Husky safari (2 hrs), Hurtigruten excursion to the North Cape and Aurora Hunting by snowmobile
• 24-hour emergency service
• Taxes and service fees

Not Included

Flights, meals other than specified, winter clothing (thermal overall & boots) for the entire stay, items of personal nature, beverages, additional activities such as icefishing, horse riding or overnight safaris.

Please note that additional nights can be added either in Tromsø, Kirkenes or Ivalo.

If you would prefer a private transfer between Kirkenes and Ivalo, we can do this for an additional cost.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Tromsø, the capital of Arctic

Tromsø is a city packed with culture, polar history and fresh locally sourced food in its numerous restaurants. Tromsø is often called "Paris of the North" and "City of Lights", and it is rare to have such a lively town located so far past the Arctic Circle. Mountains, fjords and islands surround it, making it a great base for exploring the winter landscape.

Accommodation

Day 2 - Explore the town and its surroundings. Depart with Hurtigruten Voyage to Kirkenes

This morning, enjoy a guided city walk of Tromsø and then you are free to either try many of the winter activities available in its vicinity or head to the lovely cafes & pubs by the water. Ask us for information about additional dog sledding through the beautiful winter landscape, guided northern light tours and other possible activities.

Or if it is a clear day, experience Tromsø’s best view! On the outskirts of Tromsø (it is a very small town) a cable car runs from Solliveien in Tromsdalen up to the mountain ledge Storsteinen (421 m above sea level) in just four minutes. From the viewing platform at the upper station, you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Tromsø and the surrounding islands, mountains and fjords. At the fully licensed Fjellstua restaurant, you can enjoy a delicious dinner based on local produce or select light meals from the café menu, while you take pleasure in the view. In winter, it's an ideal place for hunting the magical Northern Lights.

At 16.30, embark your coastal ferry for a short northbound Hurtigruten journey. In winter the Captain invites guests to taste stockfish on deck. The ship now sails into the area along the coast where you have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights between September and March, and we gather on deck to search for this breathtaking phenomenon.

Meals

Accommodation

Restaurants

Optional Add Ons

Day 3 - Honningsvåg and the North Cape

Ports visited today: Øksfjord, Hammerfest, Havøysund, Honningsvåg, Kjøllefjord, Mehamn, Berlevåg.

Following the scenic sailing through Magerøysund and after an early stop in Hammerfest, you arrive in Honningsvåg. This small port is the gateway to the wonders of the spectacular North Cape which rises 300m from the ocean, and at 71° 10’ 21” north it puts you a mere 2,000 kilometres from the Geographical North Pole.

Included in this holiday is the chance to stand atop the North Cape Plateau where you’ll get the eerie feeling of being at the end of the world. The area is also known for its birdlife, and Gjesværstappan, a bird sanctuary with up to 250,000 seabirds, is home to some High Arctic species that can only be observed here on the Norwegian mainland, including the ever cute puffins. In summer, you might see herds of reindeer and campsites belonging to the indigenous Sami people. In winter, experience the snow-clad valleys, the fresh winter air and your best chances to see the mesmerizing Northern Lights.

During winter and spring, if you are lucky, local fishermen from the village of Kjøllefjord visit us to share their catch of the day (King Crab & cod).

This evening, as you approach Kjøllefjord, you pass a rock formation that is sacred to the indigenous Sámi people, Finnkjerka.

Optional Excursions depend on the season: Birdwatching Safari, A Taste of Lapland, Sami Autumn and Snowmobile trip in Lapland.

Meals

Optional Add Ons

Day 4 - Arrive into Kirkenes port, transfer to the Snowhotel with a Arctic King Crab Safari

Disembark in Kirkenes and transfer to the snow hotel. Today you will join an Arctic King Crab Safari - a very popular highlight for our travellers north.

The Arctic King Crab is a sought after delicacy and you will learn how to catch, prepare and eat them. Your guide takes you out and you can lend a hand in sawing through the ice before your guide attempts to land you a few of these massive crustaceans. Enjoy the day's catch for lunch seated by a cosy fire in a small local farmhouse by the lake. You will travel to the lake by snowmobile sleigh.

This evening, you can either stay in one of the warm Gamme cabins or sleep in one of the cold snow rooms at the Snowhotel.

Every room in Kirkenes Snowhotel is like a small treasure. The rooms are equipped with everything needed for a comfortable night in the somewhat extreme conditions. The pictures look like you are sleeping on ice, but that would be too cold and too hard for your back. The beds are framed with ice blocks and the beds have comfortable mattresses with thermal insulation on top. You sleep inside a sleeping bag graded for -35 degrees celcius. However, snow is a very good insulator, so even when it's -35 degrees outside, the Snowhotel remains a stable -4 degrees.

Upon entering the gates of the Snowhotel, you will receive a welcome drink at the snowbar, made from berries collected from surrounding hills. It will then be time to make the ‘coolest’ hotel check-in around!

Meals

Accommodation

Day 5 - Transfer to Aurora Village Resort and settle into your Aurora Glass Cabin

Transfer by shuttle bus door to door from Kirkenes to Ivalo (3.4 - 4 hrs). Check in to your Aurora Glass Cabin where you will be spending the next two nights!

Dinner at the hotel then get ready for your night in under the stars - and hopefully the Northern Lights.

Finnish Aurora Glass Cabins provides 'one-of-a kind' opportunities to admire the Northern Lights and millions of stars in the crystal clear sky while enjoying a comfortable room temperature. Built with a massive special thermal glass window facing sky wards, the temperature inside the cabin always stays at a normal level. It also prevents the glass from not getting white frosted, hence keeping the view clear even when the temperature outside drops to under -30°C.

Meals

Day 6 - Husky Safari and then Aurora Hunting by snowmobile in the evening

After breakfast, get ready for today's husky safari - an unforgettable journey through breathtaking winter scenery.

On arrival to the husky farm we will provide you with a warm outer thermal suit, gloves and hat and then we will present your very own husky team. You will be given a lesson on how to drive the sledge and how to observe important hand signals given by your leader.

Each team consists of about six dogs, you, the driver, and your passenger, who is comfortably seated in the wooden sledge. The driver and the passenger can change places during the safari.

This afternoon is free to relax before your evening aurora hunting by snowmobile.

Meals

Accommodation

Day 7 - Depart to Ivalo airport for your flight onwards

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Ivalo airport.

Meals

Important Information

Please note that this tour can also be run in reserve, starting in Ivalo.