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5 days - Family 'Frozen' adventure in Alta and the Snowhotel
Do you want to stay somewhere out of the ordinary, in a winter forest, high above the Arctic Circle, Norway? This family adventure includes a night at the SNOWHOTEL of Alta with plenty of winter sporting action. As well as a night at the SNOWHOTEL, stay for three nights in a beautiful, boutique, family run lodge nestled in the forest, just outside of Alta.
There are good adventure trails straight from the cottage door, for hiking, biking and skiing. Kids will love the dog yard with 60 Alaska huskies, not far from the lodge. Imagine a dog sledding trip in the forest, on the mountain plateau or on the river ice. Experience the wonderful light during the Polar Night or fingers crossed, the Northern Lights.
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.
International flight tickets, meals other than described, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, travel insurance, visas, gratitudes and any items of personal nature.
Arrive and shared transfer to Trasti & Trine. This intimate, family run lodge includes a terrace and plenty of room outside for children to play. Settle into your glass walled 'Radderud', a unique wooden built house with 2 floors and windows from the floor to the roof. On the first floor there is a hall, small kitchen bench with sink and kettle, one bathroom with shower and toilet and two bedrooms with one double bed. On the second floor there are one sofa that can turn into a comfort double bed, a sitting group with table and chairs.
Enjoy dinner this evening, where local and homemade, organic food is a big focus, with a top chef as one of the owners.
There is dog yard with 60 Alaskan huskies, not far from the cottage. Families are welcome to go into the kennel and say hello.
After breakfast, after a brief and precise introduction about how to operate the sled, your family will go into the dog yard, where you will be greeted by many happy Alaskan huskies. They are used to being visited by guests of all ages, and have been handled ever since they were young puppies. Every dog has its own kennel with its name on it. You will be given a card with the name of the dogs that are going on the trip. Then it’s time to get started. The harness is hanging in its rightful place and it’s time to find the right dogs. In this way, you are involved in preparing the dog team. You will use a big sled together. There is also a special children’s sled, which older children can drive if they prefer.
When everything is ready, the dogs will be eager to set off. Open the gate and set off into the forest. Enjoy the peace and tranquillity, the enthusiastic dogs and the majestic nature.
During this trip, drive in the forest, open landscape and beside Alta River or on frozen sections. Two people ride per sled; one musher and one who sits on the sled, then stop and swap places en route.
After a while you return to the kennel. The dogs need to be returned to their respective kennels, and you help with this. Then it’s time to relax around an open fire with a hot drink and home baking to eat. Your guides on this trip have trained the dogs all autumn and winter and also competed in some sled dog races, from shorter races right up to the world’s longest sled dog race.
This morning, enjoy a snowshoe hike with the huskies coming along for company. There is possibly the option (minimum of 2 people) to join the chef, with preparing the lunch today, in a private cooking class. Ask us if you are interested.
After breakfast, say good bye to your favourite huskies and transfer to the Sorrisniva Snowhotel. Your 'Frozen' stay is beautifully decorated with intricate ice sculptures that capture the spirits of the famous and beloved Norwegian folk heroes. Be surprised by how warm a stay is here - snuggle up on reindeer skins in thick and comfy sleeping bags. Interconnecting family rooms.
This afternoon, you will meet the reindeers and learn about the Sami Culture. Join a reindeer sled tour, 2.5 -3 km along prepared trail. During the tour you will have good time for conversation about Sami cultural experiences. You will be dressed in warm clothing if needed. The Sami guide and reindeer herder will guide you along through unforgettable events that highlight their past and present culture.
During the sled tour, you will warm up by the open fire in a traditional Sami tent, or “lavvo”, and enjoy hot coffee, tasty cake and other small snacks. You will sit on your back on the ground like the Sami in the old days. There is reindeer skin on the ground to keep you warm.
This evening, on returning to the Snowhotel, you will be served a 3-course dinner based on local ingredients, cultivated, gathered and harvested in the region.
After breakfast, private transfer to the airport. If you have time, you can do an optional snowmobile safari.
Price per person, twin share. Family triple and quad share are for 2 adults + 2 children under age 12.
Please note this itinerary is not available during Christmas 23-25 DEC 2024 and 2025.
Early indicative price for winter 2025-2026.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:
Your hosts in Alta are passionate about sustainability and are certified by Ecotourism Norway. This national certification is awarded to businesses and operators that hold a high international level in ecotourism. Over 100 strict criteria on environmental performance, host-role, local community integration, and purchasing must be met and often improved. Food is of great importance, and organic ingredients are sourced locally, and often grown onsite in their community garden, along with their own bakery for making fresh daily bread - greatly reducing the demand to import food. Guests are welcome to take part in enjoying this element of the site, and cooking lessons are available so that the hosts can share their passion for sustainable cooking.
The activities are also selected for their sensitivity to nature, with trekking and skiing available on your doorstep. The huskies that live on site each have their own kennel and welfare is of an incredibly high standard. The dogs also take part in races, including the Finnmarksløpet (Europe's longest dog race) so the quality of food and care needs to be the best possible to keep them happy and healthy.
The Snowhotel is also a champion of sustainability. The electricity is run 100% on renewable energy (hydro or wind), they are blessed with their own source of water (which is filtered to ensure it meets appropriate health standards) and they have a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. The igloo hotel is created with naturally formed ice, and the snow which is created with renewable electricity. The only carbon footprint is the transport used in construction, but they aim to make this fleet electric in line with their carbon neutral goal.
The accommodation in Alta is family run, and the owners had a vision of creating a simple boutique experience which celebrates Northern Norway and gives their guests an insight into Finnish culture and how to live simply enjoying the local forests. They have strong ties with the local community and host autumn and spring markets, along with a cafe that is open during the summer. The owner Johnny has over 30 year’s experience cooking professionally, and is keen to share his love of local produce and how to appreciate the forest with this guests.
The Snowhotel is also family run and exclusively hires local residents who are considered part of the family and provided with attractive employment benefits. They also try to ensure that any contractors on site are, where possible, local, thus ensuring as much revenue is kept within the community that they are proud to be a part of.
50 Degrees North wins 'Norway's Leading Tour Operator' at the World Travel Awards for the fourth year running. “We are very pleased with this award following the challenging year for the travel and tourism industry”, said Tietse Stelma, 50 Degrees North’s Norwegian founder and CEO.
Norway is well known as a 'Northern Lights' hotspot and there is good reason. Above the Arctic Circle, many cities in Norway offer terrific chances to see the lights between mid-September to early April.
Our recommendations for private and secluded boutique hotels and lodges with personalised service and authentic experiences in remote, natural locations. Contact us for a personalised, tailor-made itinerary that includes one or several of these properties.
