Tour Standards
At 50 Degrees North, every journey follows the same philosophy: thoughtful routes, trusted local partners and experiences that reveal the true character of the Nordic region.
Our tour standards simply reflect different levels of accommodation, comfort and personalisation. Whether you prefer well-designed journeys focused on exploration or fully private luxury travel, each tour is crafted with the same Nordic expertise and care.
Four ways to travel with 50 Degrees North
ORIGINAL - authentic Nordic journeys with distinctive stays
Where our story began
50 Degrees North began in 2010 from Tietse Stelma’s love and longing for his homeland in Norway.
Living in Melbourne and working in global adventure travel, Tietse saw how often the Nordic region was simplified, packaged and misunderstood. Together with wife and co-founder Jayde Kincaid, he set out to create something different, authentic, high-quality journeys shaped by people who truly knew the north, and by a deep respect for the landscapes, cultures and communities that define life above the 50th parallel.
The first itineraries were built by hand from their home in Melbourne, drawing on personal networks across Norway and the wider Nordic region, and on years of local trust. They were not designed to rush from highlight to highlight, but to follow the natural rhythm of place, season and light.
Original journeys still carry that beginning.
Accommodation is typically in 3–4-star boutique properties, handpicked for their character and sense of place. Each experience is carefully chosen because it adds meaning to the story of a destination. Every route reflects how travel unfolds when it is guided by local knowledge rather than templates. And every journey balances the places travellers dream of seeing with the quieter moments that reveal the true character of the north.
Original remains the heart of 50 Degrees North, and the way our story continues to be told.
PREMIUM - elevated Nordic journeys with exceptional stays
Our story, refined through experience
Over time, our relationships across the Nordic region have deepened even further. Doors have opened to exceptional properties, inspiring hosts and more distinctive ways of staying close to nature, culture and community.
Premium journeys reflect this natural evolution of the 50 Degrees North story.
They offer more space to slow down, more comfort along the way and carefully chosen standout stays, with accommodation typically in distinctive 4–5 star properties ranging from elegant heritage properties to architecturally exceptional stays. Experiences are layered with greater care and a softer rhythm, allowing travellers to absorb the region more fully.
Premium is not a new direction. It is our long-held philosophy, shaped by experience and expressed with greater refinement and ease.
Discover our Premium journeys.
LUXURY/BESPOKE - fully personalised Nordic travel
The most personal expression of our journey
Bespoke and Luxury travel has always been part of the 50 Degrees North story.
From the very beginning, our journeys were created one by one, shaped around individual travellers and built in close collaboration with local partners across the Nordic region. This way of working shaped who we became as a company, and it still defines how we design our most personal journeys today.
These journeys draw on nearly two decades of deep relationships with local partners, guides and communities. They allow us to open doors to remote landscapes, distinctive architectural lodges and experiences that are rarely available or known through conventional travel design.
Accommodation is tailored entirely to the traveller, often featuring exceptional boutique, design-led and luxury properties, paired with private guides and seamless logistics.
Each journey is fully private and carefully tailored around personal interests, pace and values, supported by local expertise on the ground.
Luxury at 50 Degrees North is not defined by excess. It is defined by access, privacy, design and the freedom to experience the Nordic region in a way that feels genuinely personal and deeply connected to place.
Design your Nordic Luxury/Bespoke journey.
CLASSIC - destination-focused Nordic journeys
Opening our story to more travellers
As 50 Degrees North has grown from a small home office into an international Nordic travel specialist with ~80 staff in three continents, one question has guided our next chapter: how can more people experience the region we love, without changing the way we design travel?
Classic journeys are our answer.
They offer the same thoughtful route design, local partnerships and carefully paced experiences that define 50 Degrees North. Accommodation is centred on comfortable, well-located 3-star hotels, allowing the overall journey design to remain focused on experiences, routing and time spent in the destination.
Classic journeys invite travellers to experience the Nordic region through the same design philosophy that defines 50 Degrees North, with carefully crafted routes, trusted local partners and experiences chosen for meaning and connection to place.
Explore our Classic journeys.