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6 days - Independent Christmas tour, visiting Tromsø and new boutique Cahkal hotel in Finland
Join a special independent Christmas tour 400 kilometres above Arctic Circle in Kilpisjärvi. This is a relaxed luxurious Christmas holiday in a totally unique and pure arctic wilderness setting at the new boutique hotel Cahkal.
As well as snowmobiling, reindeer experience and a Northern Lights cruise, sit back in a traditional Finnish Sauna experience. Enjoy a traditional Finnish Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, before finishing the trip in the Arctic capital, Tromsø.
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Private transfers Tromsø - Kilpisjärvi - Tromsø
Portage is not included - you will be responsible for carrying all your luggage.
Arrive Tromsø and transfer to Kilpisjärvi. The place is located just over 2.5 hours, 160 km from Tromsø and is the very northwesternmost point of Finland, near the Arctic Ocean. Here you will stay at boutique hotel Cahkal for the next 3 nights.
Relax with the mountain views from your stylish room before enjoying a 3-course dinner at the accommodation restaurant, Aika.
After breakfast, experience the surrounding nature and views and learn to drive snowmobile while sightseeing the snowy mountains and lakes. The tour will introduce you to the sights around Kilpisjärvi village and takes you to a tundra lake surrounded by the mighty Saana and Jehkas mountains. The tour will make stop at the Three country cairn, at the border of Finland, Sweden and Norway. This visit is in top 3 on many visitors bucket list.
In the evening, celebrate Christmas with a traditional 3-course dinner.
After Breakfast, start the day by exploring the fishing nets a traditional fishing method in Kilpisjärvi. Join a local guide to check the nets travelling to the fishing spot on a sleigh pulled by a snowmobile. After checking the nets, enjoy a tasty lunch. If you are lucky and catch a fish it can be taken back to the hotel and prepared for dinner.
This afternoon you can choose to visit a local reindeer farm OR join a night adventure by snowshoes.
The reindeer farm is located next the Hotel. Meet the reindeer herder and learn about reindeer herding, a traditional local livelihood. You can also feed the reindeer and take photos with these beautiful arctic animals. For a finishing touch enjoy a short reindeer ride.
Kilpisjärvi village and the surrounding area is one of the best places to see the northern lights. The snowshoe adventure takes you through the forests where you can enjoy a hot beverage and snacks while looking out for the magical lights.
Finish the day with time in the sauna and a delicious dinner at AIKA Restaurant.
After breakfast, board your transfer and travel to Tromsø, 2.5 hours north across the Norwegian border. Tromsø is the gateway to the Arctic and one of the best and most cosmopolitan places to observe the spectacle that is called the Northern Lights.
Tromsø is located in the middle of the Aurora Borealis zone, and following the planet’s rotation, Tromsø moves into the aurora zone from 6pm to midnight.
After breakfast, you are met by our private guide at your hotel and brought outdoors on a historical and cultural city walk through Tromsø city. During this walk you visit the Polar Museum with your guide. This museum contains the history of the Arctic explorers Amundsen, Nansen and Scott. The walk ends at the Polaria aquarium and environmental centre.
The rest of the day is free to wander around in this Arctic capital - if it is a bit fresh outside, explore the lovely cafes & galleries.
In the evening, set off on an adventure into the total darkness of the Arctic fjords and Polar nights. Depart Tromsø and set sail for the direction where the clearest weather conditions for the night has been predicted. This can be north towards the areas of Kvaløyvågen or south to Ramfjorden or west along the southern part of Kvaløya island. The captain and crew will work together and keep their eyes out for clear skies or a gap in the cloud layer. While you wait for the northern lights to appear, you can stay warm and comfortable in our heated lounges. Grab a beverage and a snackcfrom the cafe.
Throughout the evening the guides will share their knowledge and personal stories of the Northern Lights. From mythical stories from around the world to the scientific explanation of the Northern Lights. Some nights she shines bright in the sky and dances with different colours, while on other nights she's a bit shy and is only faintly visible or not visible at all. The guides can help you take pictures during the tour.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart Tromsø.
Please note all prices are per person in double/twin share.
Activities are subject to change due to updated schedules and weather.
Snowmobile Experience: For driving the age limit is 18 years. Passenger age recommendation is min 10 years and minimum height 135cm. Smaller children can join in the sleigh (connected to the guide’s snowmobile) with a parent.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:
Light pollution affects the ecosystem and among other things, it disrupts the ability of birds to navigate by moonlight and starlight, and the ability of nocturnal animals to hide from predators. As such they utilize as much natural light as possible, and only keep the lights on when they are needed. Customers are encouraged to do the same – this way marvelling the northern sky becomes easier.
Cahkal Hotel uses geothermal heating and solar panels (make sense in summer when the sun does not set). It is totally built of wood, a sustainable material in Lapland. Cahkal Hotel’s AIKA restaurant uses local ingredients as much as possible, including white fish from the nearby lakes (fished by the local fisherman), reindeer meat from the local herder (the one you meet) and wild berries from the surrounding wilderness.
Finland is well known as a 'Northern Lights' travel destination. Above the Arctic Circle, small villages and resorts in the wilderness over unique chances to see the lights between mid-September to early April.
Shared experiences make lifelong memories and our multi-generational family holidays offer it all.
Get ready for travelling in the Nordic winter weather - ideas for travelling smoothly in the snow.
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