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    7 days - Aurora Glass Cabin | Snow Hotel | Northern Lights | Tromsø | Coastal Voyage | North Cape

    Visit one of the northernmost inhabited areas in the world and experience a unique Sami culture, amazing scenery and exhilarating winter activities with this short highlights tour. Spend a night in the magical Kirkenes Snow Hotel, cruise along the famous fjords around the North Cape and try your hand at dog-sledding, arctic king crab fishing and reindeer sledding. If conditions are right — be dazzled by the northern lights, preferably on the night you are sleeping in an Aurora Glass Cabin in Northern Finland.

    This tour can also be done in reverse, starting in Tromsø.

    Highlights include

    • Sail on the Norwegian coastal ferry
    • Catch some Arctic King Crab and sit with others to enjoy the feast afterwards by the fire
    • Dress warmly and go Aurora Borealis hunting by Reindeer Sled
    • Stay in two unique Northern hotels, Aurora Village and the Gamme Cabins or a snow room in Kirkenes
    • Opportunity for spotting the Northern Lights
    • Small group sizes from just 8 to 18
    • Genuinely inclusive, no additional tour costs
    • Hand selected, small hotels
    • No unnecessary bus driving
    • 'Down Time' guaranteed
    Day 1
    Arrive Ivalo and transfer to your Aurora Glass Cabin
    Day 2
    Reindeer Safari & Snowmobile Safari
    Day 3
    Husky Safari through the forests and then meet Santa
    Day 4
    Transfer to Kirkenes and explore the Snowhotel
    Day 5
    King Crab Safari and then board the Norwegian Coastal Ship
    Day 6
    Enjoy the last of the North - Hammerfest and Tromsø
    Day 7
    Departure Day
    Start Place
    Inari, Finland
    End Place
    Tromsø, Norway
    Destinations Visited
    Finland
    Norway
    Duration
    7 Days
    Group Size
    6 - 18
    Suitability
    Easy independent holiday suitable for singles, couples & families
    Carbon Footprint
    276Kg of CO₂e Average carbon footprint per person?
    Code
    50DN0070

    Please note that all our itineraries, inclusions, dates and prices displayed on this website may change at any time. If you book an itinerary today and have this confirmed it will be the itinerary that is delivered to you. However, the online itinerary on our website may change in the meantime.

    Details

    Transportation

    Norwegian Coastal Voyage and bus transfers

    Included
    • All hotel accommodation in shared double room with private facilities, single supplement available
    • English speaking Tour Escort, who is an expert in the destination
    • Norwegian Coastal Voyage: 1 night double outside cabin with private facilities aboard coastal ship port to port Kirkenes to Tromsø, breakfast and dinner included.
    • 3 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
    • MEAL SUMMARY: 6 Breakfasts, 3 lunches and 6 dinners included
    • Bus transfers between Kirkenes and Ivalo
    • Winter or Autumn activities depending on the season: King Crab Safari, WINTER ACTIVITIES: Reindeer Farm Visit, Snowmobile Safari and Husky Safari, AUTUMN ACTIVITIES: Husky wagon ride, Finnish Smoke sauna experience and Aurora hunting by car. (Please note that the coastal voyage optional activities are not included.)
    • Outdoor clothing for winter activities/safaris (winter boots, balaclavas, woolen socks, mittens, overalls, tube scarf) at the Aurora Cabins
    • Lunch and a guided visit to cultural museum Sami Siida, Inari
    • Santa Visit
    • Sparkling piccolo bottle, water bottle, tea, coffee and sweets as complimentary arrival treats in your room at Aurora Cabins
    • Toboggans, sleds, sliders, ice-skates, cross-country skis, kick-sledges and outdoor games are available complimentary at the Aurora Glass Cabin.
    • 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.

    Portage is not included - you will be responsible for carrying all your luggage.

    Itinerary

    Day 1 - Arrive Ivalo and transfer to your Aurora Glass Cabin

    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.

    Upon arrival, check in and get ready for your night under the stars - and hopefully the Northern Lights. A 3-course buffet dinner at Loimu restaurant is included this evening.

    The glass cabin has a floor space of 28 square meters including a bathroom, shower, a seating area and a bedroom area. There is a heated glass roof on top of the bedroom area towards the Northern sky. Room amenities include: a kettle, capsule coffee maker, tap water, hair dryer, mini fridge, tea bags, coffee capsules, sugar, creamer and free wifi.

    Your escort will meet you this evening in the hotel lobby at 5pm and then enjoy a welcome dinner with your group. Dinner at the restaurant.

    Meals
    1 Dinner
    Accommodation
    Aurora Double Cabin

    Day 2 - Reindeer Safari & Snowmobile Safari

    After breakfast, meet the reindeers. In the old days people used reindeer for transportation. Today you will meet the local reindeers at work, Manu, Pelokas and Papu. Papu will take you for a short reindeer sleigh ride. In a traditional Kota-tent you will have tea, coffee and a small snack by the open fire while our Sámi-reindeer herder tells you stories about reindeer. You can also try your skills at throwing lasso!

    In the afternoon, join an exciting snowmobile safari. Two persons share one snowmobile and there will be an opportunity to change drivers during the safari.

    Afterwards, if the skies are clear, head out for a walk to look for the northern lights! Dinner at the restaurant.

    Meals
    1 Breakfast
    1 Dinner
    Accommodation
    Aurora Village or similar

    Day 3 - Husky Safari through the forests and then meet Santa

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

    On arrival at 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.

    In the afternoon, in small groups, you will have a special meeting with Santa! Take photos and chat to Santa before enjoying a hot berry juice in the yurt style (kota) building.

    Relax with free use of toboggans, sleds, sliders, ice-skates, cross-country skis, kick-sledges and outdoor games this afternoon.

    If you enjoy pampering, be sure to book an optional jacuzzi and sauna package or a wood-fired sauna and ice swimming experience!

    Meals
    1 Breakfast
    1 Dinner
    Accommodation
    Aurora Double Cabin

    Day 4 - Transfer to Kirkenes and explore the Snowhotel

    Transfer by shuttle bus door to door from Ivalo to Kirkenes (3.4 - 4 hrs). Along the way, stop in Inari for lunch and a guided tour at Sami Siida Museum - the national museum of the Sámi and a national special museum in Finland. The guide will help you to have an in-depth view of Siida’s permanent exhibitions. Siida’s exhibition tours cover the permanent exhibitions of the house.

    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!

    Your evening will then progress to a delicious 3 course dinner. The food served is charmingly traditional and locally sourced. Your guide will be available to help you prepare for the evening ahead, making sure you are as comfortable as possible. After dinner you will have the opportunity to walk around the snowhotel and say hello to our resident reindeers, and with any luck, catch a glimpse of the northern lights.

    There are two options for your accommodation - either a snowroom or a gamme cabin.

    Meals
    1 Breakfast
    1 Lunch
    1 Dinner
    Transportation
    Transfer by mini-coach
    Accommodation
    Gamme Cabins Kirkenes
    Kirkenes Snow Hotel

    Day 5 - King Crab Safari and then board the Norwegian Coastal Ship

    Today you will join an Arctic King Crab Safari - a very popular highlight for our travellers north. *Note - this tour can be either Day 3 or Day 4 depending on availability.

    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.

    Board the Norwegian Coastal Ship to start your voyage down the Norwegian Coast. In the afternoon, the ship again docks at Vardø, Norway’s easternmost port. Continuing south, we cruise along the Varanger peninsula to Båtsfjord, before reaching Berlevåg in the evening.

    Meals
    1 Breakfast
    1 Lunch
    1 Dinner
    Accommodation
    Norwegian Coastal Boat

    Day 6 - Enjoy the last of the North - Hammerfest and Tromsø

    In the middle of the night we dock at Mehamn- a small fishing village that had the biggest whaling statin in all of Finnmark in the past.

    Next stop is Hammerfest which was a settlement dating back to the Stone Age and is still playing an important role as a fishing port. Founded in 1789 to develop trade with Russia, Hammerfest reconfirmed its position as Norway's Polar capital of its time, acting as a base for hunting expeditions in the High Arctic.

    Make sure you visit the The Meridian Column, erected in 1854- now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As early as 1891, wave energy provided power to the first electric street lighting in Northern Europe and energy innovation is still a signature for Hammerfest with its large Liquid Gas Plant just outside town.

    As you continue south from Øksfjord after crossing open water we have a quick stop at Skjervøy before sailing through Lyngenfjord- surrounded by the gorgeous Lyngen Alps.

    From here we head to Tromsø. The Arctic Cathedral Midnight in Ishavskatedralen is a wonderful experience not to be missed. Depart your ship and transfer to your hotel late this evening.

    Meals
    1 Breakfast
    1 Lunch
    1 Dinner
    Accommodation
    Clarion Hotel The Edge

    Day 7 - Departure Day

    After breakfast, independent transfer to the local airport. For those with afternoon flights, spend today exploring Tromsø, Norway's Arctic Capital. Many of the epic Arctic expeditions used Tromsø as a starting point- the famous explorer Roald Amundsen sourced both crew and suppliers here. With the presence of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the city has cemented its position as the Polar Capital of Norway.

    Meals
    1 Breakfast
    Dates & Prices

    Price per person, two people sharing one room.

    Dates
    Valid From
    Valid To
    From Price
    Status
    Accommodation
    13 Oct 2023
    19 Oct 2023
    13 Oct 2023
    19 Oct 2023
    NZD 6,169
    Fully booked
    Standard
    13 Oct 2023
    19 Oct 2023
    13 Oct 2023
    19 Oct 2023
    NZD 2,705
    Fully booked
    Extra for Single
    15 Nov 2023
    21 Nov 2023
    15 Nov 2023
    21 Nov 2023
    NZD 6,571
    Fully booked
    Standard
    15 Nov 2023
    21 Nov 2023
    15 Nov 2023
    21 Nov 2023
    NZD 2,543
    Fully booked
    Extra for Single

    Important Information

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

    Other travellers will join at various points along the way as this tour is a shorter section of a longer small group journey. The group size will never extend beyond it's maximum numbers.

    MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION:

    All travellers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy group travel. During winter, roads and footpaths can be icey so please consider carefully how much luggage you bring as you will be responsible for carrying all the luggage on these outside paths. There is no portage service in Scandinavia and your tour escorts cannot help you, beyond reason.

    Scandinavia is a fairly accessible destination for people with restricted mobility and other disabilities and is actively working to be more accessible every day. However, please note that our group tours are often not suitable for persons with limited accessibility due to inclusions and pace. 50 Degrees North is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability and we can tailor-make independent itineraries for travellers when needed. Please contact us for further details.

    SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:

    Your glass igloo hosts in Ivalo were the first accommodation in Northern Lapland to receive the Green Key award, the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their premises adhere to the strict criteria set by the Foundation for Environmental Education. Some examples of how they carry this out include offering recycling facilities in all cabins and no longer offering plastic bottles in accommodations, along with protecting the diversity of the surrounding nature, i.e., bird house and insect hotels. Hiking, biking, and skiing tracks are direct from the hotel and as such they encourage low carbon activities such as snowshoeing and toboggans.

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