Testimonials

Everything went like clockwork. We were blown away by Iceland. Such scenery and so quiet.

Thank you for our wonderful Northern lights trip to Norway and Finland.

Jodie and her son enjoyed the sun and the aurora's on their small group tour this March.

Jeff and Leandra's March 2023 trip to Finland (Aurora Village) and Norway (Kirkenes Snow hotel, cruise and Tromso) was the trip of a lifetime!

Ok so Finland i.e. Narnia was awesome!

Jean and Haydn's honeymoon to the Aurora Village, Inari have memories that will stay with them forever.

Tara and her family visited Loen, Bergen, Trondheim and Copenhagen this summer on our Bergen to Trondheim self-drive tour.

"We have recently returned from the Lapland Circle Tour which we began on the 9th March 2020. We were fortunate to be able to complete most of the tour (thanks to great work from Satu in Norway). The only issue was in Norway where we arrived to...

Reviewed by Susanne, July 2019

"I just wanted to write my thanks for a couple of aspects of our recent trip to Norway, booked through you.

I particularly want to thank you for organising our two night stay at 29/2 Aurland. For me the location and atmosphere of this boutique "hotel" and the communal dinners...

Review by John and Family,

"Helsinki was quite lovely at Xmas. It snowed overnight when we arrived so we woke to a white city and the kids had snowball fights for the first time. We went to the Xmas market in the Capital Square which was lovely and we went to...

Review by the Partridge Family, January 2019 who joined our Christmas Wilderness Hideaway in Finland.

• Lodge beautifully finished with floors warm and practical for ice and water to murals in the walls, many individual seating areas, rooms spacious and comfortable.
• Even power points above the bedside table for phone charging.
• All rooms are...

Dear Anna,

I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful the trip was! It was everything I had hoped for and more. And I am sure that is because you are such a good listener and understood what I needed to feel that I could do this trip.

My private...

Kamchatka tour review, Scott 2019

We invited a New Zealand travel journalist, Tim Warrington along on one of our July 2018 'Beautiful Norway' departures, with the hop-on, hop-off minibus which travels to areas away from the main well-trodden tourist route of Norway. The group was made up of three different nationalities, singles and couples who...

Manshausen was sublime. We would go back in a heartbeat. People were super friendly and kind and the chef was fantastic.

This new tour was the highlight of our overall trip!

Russian, Nordic Capitals and Baltic States tour, Reviewed by Tony, May 2018.

Iceland Summer self drive tour, Reykjavik, Silfra, Vik, Husafell, reviewed by Laura, June 2018

"So, as you probably gathered from my updates, we had the best possible time and loved every minute of our trip. After years of independent travel I think that I’ve been totally spoilt by having everything organised for me....I could certainly get used to it.

Everything went like clockwork and there...

Dear Tiina

We are on the train heading back to Stockholm at the end of the part of our holiday you booked for us. I just wanted to thank you so much for putting this together.

Our stay in the cabin was memorable. It was such an idyllic location- so incredibly beautiful!...

WOW!!!!!! We have just returned from our holiday in Finland, Norway and Iceland and there are absolutely no words for it. The trip was exceptional in every way and we can not thank you enough.

The accommodation was outstanding in every place and we absolutely loved the activities organised...

"We had an incredible time on our trip to Tromsø and further north to Lyngen Lodge. Camilla, you did a great job. We loved our first-class accommodations in Tromsø . I had no idea what to expect there, we were not sure if we were interested the tour you had...

Thanks for organising our Northern Lights tour, which took in Tromso, two nights on the Hurtigruten, the snow hotel in Kirkenes and the arctic resort in Finland. Yes, we did get to see the Northern Lights on many occasions, including when we stayed in the glass igloo in Kakslauttanen, which...

We are back from our trip and wanted to let you know we had a fantastic time. Our time in Lapland was AMAZING and we were lucky enough to see the northern lights!!!

Dear Asko,

The trip went very well, thanks for all your planning and organising. The walking tour guides were all very good, we learnt and saw a lot with them.

The food tour in Stockholm was a lot of fun. We ate some things I would not otherwise have tried (boar salami,...

Hello Asko, Sam and I are just back from our wonderful holiday. We were thrilled with all bookings you made on our behalf from the minute we arrived in Stockholm until we stepped foot in Tallinn.

We especially enjoyed Hotel Rival and the wonderful Sodermalm area of Stockholm, and Hotel in...

"We just returned to the US after eight great days in Norway! Thanks for all your help, it all went forward without a hitch. Even the weather was fantastic last week. The Fretheim Hotel in Flam is excellent, as was the Zodiac tour, a real highlight. Bergen was lovely as...

"Dear Camilla, Hamad and I returned to Riyadh after a superb tour of Scandinavia and St. Petersburg a few days ago. We wish to thank you personally, as well as all the staff at 50 Degrees North, for your efforts at designing, organizing, and fine-tuning our program. Once again, Hamad...

"Hi Anna, We just returned from a fantastic trip to Scandinavia. Everything was wonderful and I wanted to thank you for the great planning and arrangements that you made for us. We loved all the hotels that you selected in each of the five locations. Your instructions were precise and...

"Hi Camilla, The trip was wonderful! Norway is certainly beautiful and the people are warm and friendly. Thanks for all of the arrangements! In trying to think of highlights, it is difficult because each aspect of the trip was interesting and fun in its special way. I can’t really give...

"Hi Mari, Thank you for your welcome home note! The Hurtigruten voyages were definitely the highlights....fantastic!!!! Would recommend them to anyone. We learned so much, and saw sights that took our breath away and will remember forever. Our accommodation overall was excellent, convenient and more luxurious than we would have...

"Hi Tietse, On behalf of Barb and me (or should that read "I") it would remiss of us not to drop a short note of thanks for organizing such an exciting and enjoyable itinerary. From the time we arrived at Copenhagen till we left the Faroe Islands every day brought...

"Hi to the team at 50 Degrees North. Thought you’d like some feedback from our holiday in Norway and Copenhagen. We LOVED everything about Norway … the efficiency and ease of getting around Oslo by public transport, the hotels we stayed in (the breakfast buffet at Oslo's hotel was a...

Hi Alice, We know it has been about 7 months but we thought we would finally sit down and give you some feedback/review of our trip to Scandinavia last year. WOW big trip. And it really was amazing. Only a few things we would change here or there - probably...

"Hi Mari and Henna. Well, what a trip! The itinerary worked like a well oiled machine and we easily managed plane, train and bus connections. Excursions were also confirmed. In Iceland for one excursion there was only the 2 of us, so we had a relaxed, personalised time visiting waterfalls...

"Thank you Alice, I would just like to say that it has been an absolute pleasure working with you and 50 degrees north. You personally have been so helpful in helping to organise our trip and the suggested itinerary was perfect. With regards to missing out on some of the...

Hi Asko, We are back to reality from our most fantastic holiday!! We have to thank you as it was perfectly organised and everything went like clockwork. We loved every country we went to but Norway and Bergen was just the most beautiful city & country I have been to....

"Dear Tietse, I have been meaning well before this to thank you for the great trip you arranged for us. I think I came back with information overload and my brain hasn’t been properly engaged since. It was a great adventure and enormously interesting. We learnt so much about an...

"Hi Asko, We had a wonderful trip, thanks in a large part to your exemplary organisation. You have been efficient, helpful and a source of excellent advice since our first contact via our Travel Agent who recommended your company. The itinerary you provided was detailed, clear and a source of...

"50 Degrees North did an awesome job with our month-long trip to Norway. I was very impressed with the fine balance struck between respecting our initial plans and steering us toward activities and logistics that were truly worth the time and cost. Our final vacation plans included a tremendous variety...

Hi Asko, Overall, the itinerary was great. Thank you for putting it together for us. We really enjoyed taking trains and ferries (as opposed to flying). It seems that airports are best avoided, unless absolutely necessary. The fact that English was widely-spoken everywhere we went (except for Russia) made it...

"Dear Alice I am writing to thank you and Fifty Degrees North for organising our wonderful visit to Norway in July. After Norway we spent time in UK and only returned here a few weeks ago. The whole trip was superb. It must be over forty years since I was...

"Hi Camilla, Thank you so much for putting together our trip itinerary for Norway. We're had an absolutely wonderful time. We even had the opportunity to add a few more excursions as the ship updated their schedule. Your responsiveness and check in gave us confidence and enabled us to have...

"Dear Alice, We arrived home safely last week, and have now fully recovered from any jet lag. Do hope that you had a good holiday. Our trip went very smoothly, thanks largely to your excellent organisation and arrangements. The quality of all hotels etc was very good, and great locations....

"Hi Satu, I just wanted to thank you for the awesome trip to Norway. What a way to end - The flam railway was breathtaking just like everything else here. Next time I am more ready for rain all day and to do the activities in the rain if needed....

"We loved our tour guides especially Anna who was the guide for our Scandinavian tour. She was attentive to each person on the group and did an exceptional job of creating a memorable trip. There were 31x people on the Scandinavia tour with mostly North Americans and Australians. The huge...

"Dear Alice, We are at the airport in Oslo, sadly having to leave beautiful Norway! Thank you for organizing our trip. Everything went really smoothly, the scenery was amazing and the weather was perfect (26 degrees most days!) We particularly enjoyed the scenery on the rail trip from Myrdal to...

"Fifty Degrees North, a travel company based in Melbourne with an office in Norway, acted on behalf of WEA in making all local arrangements in the four countries visited. From my first contact with the owner and manager, Tietse Stelma, in designing the tour, all requests for information were answered...

"I was a passenger on your recent Norway in Spring & Hurtigruten Escorted tour in May. Firstly, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this trip. The whole trip was fantastic from beginning to end. I have travelled to over 100 countries with many different tour companies, but...

" Hi Mari, Dana and I will never forget what a wonderful time we had in Norway and we give you all the credit for filling our 12 days there with interesting information, amazing sights, historic background, good exercise (!), and most of all, great fun and stimulating conversation! Thank...

"What a sensational trip and experience! The planning was perfect. The time that we spent in each country and city was just right and the activities that were organised were different and memorable. Scandinavia in winter is spectacular. The scenery is simply breathtaking and the winter activities enjoyable. The “winter...

"What a truly amazing journey we had with our fantastic tour guide Minna (GM) while "hunting the northern lights". The experiences ranged from seeing the lights on the ship and shore (truly unbelievable) to Arctic Crabbing, Snowmobiling, Husky sledding, and just enjoying SNOW that resembled the purest icing sugar day...

Hi Asko, We have just returned from overseas, although we completed our Scandinavian sector in November. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The hotels in Oslo, Bergen, Helsinki and Copenhagen were great. The stop at Fleischer’s was interesting and worth it even though it was an older hotel. We enjoyed...

"Hi Alice, Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed this trip. Each hotel was unique and different and just right for that part of the trip. The timing was perfect and the experiences from the camp, tree house to the train journeys (as well as everything else)...

"Hi Alice, We returned from our trip to Scandinavia on Monday. The trip was arranged through you with your expert advice, as we had never been there. We very much appreciate all your time, effort and help in putting together such a fabulous trip for us. Everything flowed smoothly as...

“Hi Alice, Shelley and I have been home for a week now and slowly recovering from our fantastic Scandinavian trip. The rocking sensation from all the boat travel has finally ceased. Your meticulous organisation meant that all aspects of our trip went smoothly and without problems with one small exception,...

"Dear Tietse, This is a short note to thank you in particular for the professional manner and friendship displayed on our recent tour and your wonderful staff (especially Asko and Sofie) for ensuring that we did, as Lennon/McCartney so succinctly "put it", - "Roll up (satisfaction guaranteed) roll up for...

"Dear Asko, I must apologise for taking so long to contact you after our return. My husband and I had a fabulous trip whether it be the Hurtigruten ship, sightseeing in the cities, countryside, enjoying the nature or our guided St Petersburg travels. Everything went without a hitch and perfectly...

"We returned to Perth last week after 5 wonderful weeks in the Baltic and Scandinavia. Thank you very much for arranging a significant part of the experience. Everything went to plan, there were no hitches or concerns and people were very helpful and friendly in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. And...

"Hi Asko, We have recently returned from our trip and want to say thankyou for the bookings you did. We had a wonderful time and found our connections went very well. The train journey was marvellous and I think we had the best seats in the whole train. The cruise...

"Hi Minna, Trevor, Jan and I have finally returned after our 8 week trip. I would like to thank you very much for all your help with the arrangements. Everything went like clockwork, the hotels were in an excellent location and very good hotels. We particularly enjoyed the boat, bus...

"Paul and I flew from Russia yesterday, having enjoyed a week of wonderful exploration, history lessons and culture. Thank you to you and all the team for the planning and implementation of a fantastic tour itinerary. Our tour guides, Alesey and Ada, were beyond excellent. We enjoyed not only their...

"Hi Alice, We returned from our Scandinavian adventure on Saturday and wanted to thank you for organising such a wonderful trip. Everything went without a hitch and considering all of the transport, hotels and excursions involved we were very impressed. The Scandinavians certainly run on time. We enjoyed every part...

"Hi Alice, We are finally sitting in Oslo waiting to board the plane home to Brisbane. On behalf of my family and myself I just wanted to express my satisfaction with the quality of our travels in Norway. We simply had a stunning and awesome 10 days. We are very...

"Hi Tietse Helen and I would like to thank you very much indeed for the excellent advice and service that you provided for us in respect of our month in Scandinavia. Your local knowledge was invaluable and meant that we got to places that we would never have found on...

"Hi Alice, Our trip went very well, particularly the arrangements you put together for us. We found it a great time to visit the region from both the activities we were able to do and the look of the place at that time of the year. The mix of places...

“Dear Alice We would like to thank you whole heartedly for the wonderful trip you arranged to Scandinavia for us in April. It was the first trip abroad for the kids aged 7,6 and 4 and you were very helpful allowing me to build an Easter school holiday trip around...

"My family and I arrived in Lapland and I really thought I was in another world. The landscape was so pure white and the cold was just so cold! Santa's Village was very magical and it was great to meet the real Santa, he was a lot bigger and older...

Hi Tietse and Alice, We have recently returned from having the most wonderful experience of joining your Hidden Powers and Northern Lights, Tromso, Hurtigruten and Kirkenes and Ice, Igloos and the Arctic Circle tours in March. We wanted to have a snowy holiday plus experiencing dog sledding, snowmobiling, reindeer sledding...

Dear Minna, We returned to Sydney on Saturday after 7 weeks away and after having a wonderful trip. We saw the Northern Lights on 4 nights so we were very fortunate and we were assured that the light show on our first night in Abisko was the best they had...

"Hello Asko, I have returned home safe and sound due to all your good work, sorting everything out for me and putting it all together so well. Thank you. Everything fell in to place without any problems. I really enjoyed going down to Flam and loved Bergan. The trip on...

"Wanted to let you know the trip was perfect. Every aspect organised by your company went according to plan. No delays,hitches or glitches. Norway in a Nutshell went smoothly, my luggage was waiting for me when I arrived and the hotel easy to find. I enjoyed the lovely hotel you...

"There were many highlights of our trip – in a nutshell, it was wonderful. Your response to my communication r.e. city and country experience was responded to with imagination and knowledge. We managed all the practicalities of the travel thanks to your expert and clear guidance r.e. transport and accommodation....

"I would like to congratulate you guys for organising a successful and awesome family holiday for me and my Family. The Helsinki hotel was a superb choice, it was very comfortable, and located in a great spot close enough to the centre of town. We were very fortunate to stay...

"I wanted firstly to thank you all for the amazing trip you put together for the 3 of us. We had an incredible holiday that was made even better by the ease of getting from "A to B". We were lucky enough to see the "Northern Lights" on our last...

"We're back! :-) And wanted to express our sincerest and warmest thanks to you, Taru and the extended team at 50 Degrees North for the outstanding service you provided us through your expert advice and support which made it possible for us to enjoy the very best Scandinavian Adventure we...

"We had a wonderful time even though we were unsuccessful in our two evening attempts to see the northern lights. We really enjoyed Finland, the landscape and the people. The flights went well. Our accommodation at Saariselka in the Nilikuru cabin was great. Minna, thank you for recommending the Glo...

"Jane and I wanted to thank you very much for all your advice and assistance to plan and book our July visit to Iceland and Greenland. We had a wonderful and unforgettable time. Iceland and Greenland are so very different - we are really pleased that we decided to add...

"Thanks for organising a great holiday for Denise and myself. We experienced the great precision of the Norway in a Nutshell operation. In addition to those activities you organised we took a "rib boat" ride at Flam and also took the tour bus at Eidfjord to the National History Museum,...

"Just a note to let you know I am home safe and well after my sojourn in the Nordic countries and the cruise on the Volga Dream. It was a great experience, I enjoyed all the Scandinavian countries, swimming at night in the fiords, good hotels, great food. All the...

"We would like to thank you for the fantastic itinerary you prepared for us for our fabulous holiday for entire month of July in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia.We had really good flights, excellent hotels that were well located and really great advice for things to see and do...

"Hi Asko, First of all, thank you so much for a great itinerary and all your help. We arrived back home last Sunday after 7 weeks .This is the first time I have had to sit down and let you know how the holiday all went. Yes we did get...

"We are now in Stockholm and have, sadly, finished our Arctic Adventure, which you organised for us. We just want to let you know that all your organisation was perfect. All the hotels, activities, transport connections and tickets were as you had arranged. Given all we have done, that is...

"Just got back from a trip to Russia, Finland, Estonia & Latvia through 50 degrees. It was wonderful. Great accommodation and fantastic guides who gave us such an insight into their country - both historically and present day. Everything went extremely smoothly and people could not have been more helpful...

"It was a most wonderful experience to visit Russia for the first time - exceptionally well organised by Fifty Degrees North in Melbourne. Firstly Moscow which was fantastic....the large ornate buildings, Kremlin, wide streets. Fast train to St Petersburg excellent and what a beautiful city! Awesome and full of surprises....

Hello 50 Degrees North, Just a note to say Thankyou for booking our recent trip to Finland, Norway and Denmark. We had a great time. We particularly enjoyed our timing as we arrived in Helsinki 1 April ( i.e Spring time), but flew to Ivalo where it was still winter...

"We loved the trip and were very happy with the smooth running of all connections and the quality of travel. An absolutely fabulous travel experience. We loved the St. Petersburg hotel, excellent location, quiet, very good breakfast, nice room and well appointed bathroom. Good restaurant and friendly staff. Would have...

"Everything went well and we are very, very happy with all the arrangements. Oslo to Bergen, Norway in a Nutshell: excellent trip by train, ship. The winter scenery was stunning. All connections – Oslo-Myrdal-Fram-Bergen worked well and went very smoothly. Recommend using the porterage service Oslo to Bergen, not cheap...

"Starting on the great day of 28th September from Oban to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal. The weather was amazing and followed us along the Canal allowing us to sit on the top deck on the sunbeds in "our" favourite position. We shared this cruise with, as always, lovely people...

"We had a wonderful week on the boat with Skipper Iain, Gavin, Stephen and Steven. They could not have been kinder, more caring or more determined we would have the time of our lives. We felt as though everything was planned and executed to meet our needs and keep us...

"Dear Tietse and 50 Degrees staff, I just wanted to write a quick note on behalf of myself and my friends. We had an amazing time in Norway. We did an 8 day tour covering Tromso, Nord Capp and Kirkenes. Everything on our tour was perfect and the people were...

"Chris & I returned from our Winter Odyssey on Saturday & we just wanted to say thanks for organising such a great trip for us. Although the weather wasn’t great (only 3 sunny days), we did manage to see the Northern Lights three times, including a wonderful display at the...

"Just a note to thank you again for all your organisation. Our holiday was fabulous....thanks to your company's attention to detail. Everything ran smoothly which makes for a stress free experience. Seeing the Northern Lights was a highlight but other exceptional experiences were : staying at Lyngen Lodge, the Ice...

“Thank you for your arrangement for the trip of Norway and Iceland. We are enjoy very much. We had an experience to drive snow-automobile under -30C and staying snow hotel at -5C. We like Iceland very much. Iceland people are very friendly and honest and the Nature is so beautiful...

“Thank you again for all you have done, it has been an absolute pleasure dealing with you guys, we have been recommending you and telling everyone how great you have been, so hope it sends some business your way.”

"We had a really great time in Lapland. We were super impressed with our log cabin, it was spacious & cosy and toasty warm. It was lovely and relaxing. Just what we needed. The snowmobiling tour to a reindeer farm on our first day was really fun, we got some...

'Overall we had a fantastic time, saw the Northern Lights (three times) and really enjoyed Norway. You had arranged for Suzanna to be our city guide in Tromso. She was great. Very informative and knowledgeable and provided us with excellent insights into the history of Tromso and the surrounding area....

"We've returned from our amazing trip to Beijing, Mongolia and Russia. Everything went exactly as planned with excellent guides, drivers and accommodation. I particularly liked the ways you helped craft our city visits to meet our interests and the advice given beforehand which was accurate, detailed and practical. As we...

“I just wanted to thank you for arranging such a wonderful trip for my husband and myself to see the Northern Lights. We enjoyed the trip and the fact that the Northern Lights were so active was definitely wonderful. I must congratulate you on your expertise for all our connections....

“Our quick trip up north was absolutely wonderful and we were fortunate to witness very strong activity of the Northern Lights in Abisko. Unfortunately the temperatures were far too low to visit the Aurora Sky Station but we walked up behind the hotel for a couple of hours and saw...

"I have just completed a Photography tour with Ewen Bell to Lapland. It was the best trip I have done for many years. We had wonderful visual and active experiences in the snow: from the Aurora Safari Camp, to the Ice hotel and on to the cod fishing towns in...

"Just a short note to let you know that Helen and I had an excellent time. The hotels were great. The Hotel Clarion Mayfair in Copenhagen also included an evening buffet in its tariff! Would definitely stay in each of the hotels again.We had a glimpse of the Northern Lights...

I must complement you and your travel company. We recently returned from our Nordic Winter Odyssey that started on the 2/1/2013 everybody said to us before leaving that '"why would you want to go there in the middle of their winter". The answer after returning is simple what an experience...

"I wanted to thank you and 50 Degrees North for giving us the best 4 days my daughter and I had EVER!!! We fell in love with your country and its beauty took our breath away every time we went out. The hotel was absolutely fantastic, the food, the room,...

“Just a quick email to say a huge thank you for a great trip to Norway. Myself, my husband and parents absolutely loved it! Lyngen Lodge was fantastic. Mum and Dad are really keen to head back there in summer one day. Addicted now to chasing the northern lights- what...

Jane & I wanted to thank you for putting a great holiday itinerary together for us for our recent trip to Greenland. All the travel arrangements, accommodation, the Ferry and Fiord boat trips went well, and to schedule, and all to our satisfaction. We found Greenland extremely interesting and thoroughly...

“The wedding and all the stay in the Lofoten Islands were just fantastic. The scenery, weather, Northern lights, the snow, a snow storm, a lot of sun, the house, the church, the kindness of all the people we met were outstanding.”

“We have ticked all the boxes.!!!! The cream on the cake for me was a moonlight dogsled ride from Abisko lodge. We had only 3 sitting on a sled with a guide, bright full moon, clear sky ,perfect weather and a whole sky full of lights ,green,pink covering the sky....

“Thanks for your help in making the trip happen – we had a fabulous time. Iceland was sensational – the tour fitted our needs really well, and we got a really good feel for Iceland and the culture. The hotels were excellent and well-located and all the connections worked (except...

“I just want to let you know that the bookings you made for us in the Faroe Islands and in Iceland were absolutely hassle free. We had no problems what so ever. We thoroughly enjoyed both the Faroes and Iceland. The accommodation you booked for us was very comfortable. We...

“Hello Tietse, I should have thanked you a long time ago, for putting together the wonderful trip to Denmark, Greenland, Iceland and Norway. We enjoyed every minute of the trip. Especially the people they are so friendly and welcomed us to share their space and time. Loved it all.”