17 Day Norway Winter Premium Small Group Tour

Welcome to Scandinavia! Today is at your leisure to explore this quirky city. Please make your own way to the hotel. 

Tonight you will enjoy a welcome meeting and dinner to get to know our fellow travellers a little better. This meeting commences at approx 6pm.

Hotel Check in:
Passengers will be arriving at various times throughout the day. If arriving prior to standard check-in time, which is generally 3pm local time, you are welcome to leave your luggage with hotel reception and explore your surroundings until check-in becomes available. The hotel may grant early check-in, however this is strictly subject to availability and at the hotel’s discretion.

Transportation:
Train connection between Helsinki city centre and Helsinki Airport is carried out by local commuter trains which run every 10 minutes on peak hours. Travel time from Airport Train Station to Helsinki Central Station is about 30 minutes. Single ticket fare from Helsinki Airport to city centre is € 4.10 from the ticket machines located at the station. 

It's an early start today for an adventure to the Baltics and back. You will be transferred to a ferry and enjoy breakfast onboard as we cruise through a small stretch of the Baltic Sea, before arriving in the medieval city of Tallinn, Estonia. We will then enjoy a guided tour of Tallinn's magical Old Town. An exceptionally well-preserved district that dates back to the 13th century, the old town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Later, we return to Helsinki by ferry, where we’ll be transferred to the hotel.

This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the Temppeliaukio Church, known locally as the 'Rock Church'. Excavated directly into solid rock and completed in 1969, this is one of Helsinki's star attractions.

This afternoon, get ready to board the ‘Santa Claus Express’. This iconic overnight sleeper train will take us from Helsinki into the heart of Lapland and the ‘official’ home of Santa Claus. The modern train has private twin-share cabins, onboard dining and is the perfect way to travel up to the untouched north.

Early morning arrival to Kemi, where a morning visit and breakfast is served at the SnowCastle Resort. You will then have free time to explore the resort. 

In the afternoon, we’ll travel to the Ajos Pier located by the Bothnian Bay, where the sea freezes over during winter. It’s time to board the Sampo Icebreaker for an incredible adventure. Ploughing through the thick ice is not the only attraction for passengers onboard this powerful vessel: guests also have the unique opportunity to swim among the ice (in a full-body waterproof 'survival suit', of course). The boat has been in operation since the early 1960s, when it would break up the ice to allow trade vessels to pass through the otherwise frozen waters. Today, Sampo is like a moving museum, retaining its old-fashioned charm.

After an unforgettable day, we continue the journey north to Rovaniemi, the home of Santa Claus.

Today, visit Santa Claus’ Village for a couple of hours of Christmas magic. Here, you’ll cross the Arctic Circle and receive a certificate to commemorate this. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the village’s many charms and fun activities, like meeting Santa’s reindeer, perusing the souvenirs or exploring Snowman World. You can even send a postcard home from the post office, staffed by Santa’s postal elves – it will have a special Arctic Circle postmark not available anywhere else. And of course, you can meet Santa.

This morning we travel further north through the winter landscape, stopping at Sodankyla, where a quick outside visit to the old church is included.

Later, you’ll arrive at a husky farm to take part in your Inspiring Sight, a Husky Safari, where these friendly dogs will bark an enthusiastic welcome for you. Before departing on the 10km safari, you will be given instruction on how to control the sleds. Upon your return to the farm, enjoy some hot berry juice by an open fire and chat away with the head musher about these amazing animals.

Later in the afternoon, we leave Rovaniemi and continue our journey into Saariselkä for an Inspiring Stay. Tonight we are bedding down in an incredible 21st-century igloo. The glass-roofed structures let you sleep right beneath the starry skies, and hopefully the Northern Lights. Each igloo is extremely well-insulated to ensure guests are not bothered by the cold in even the coolest of temperatures.

Today, continue North, stopping in Inari, where a visit to the SIIDA Museum is included before crossing the border to breathtaking Norway, and a little later arrival to Karasjok.

Note: for 08 March departure, overnight will be at Lakselv Hotell located in Lakselv, a little futher north of Karasjok.

Leaving Karasjok we continue our Arctic adventures to Norway's northern tip – the vast North Cape/Nordkapp.

Upon arrival you’ll be presented with a certificate to prove you've been to Europe's most northerly point. Here, you’ll also enjoy an Inspiring Taste of sparkling wine and caviar.

Leaving the North Cape region today we begin our journey south, down the coast of Norway to Alta. Here we'll explore the Alta Museum and its World Heritage Rock Art Centre.

Tonight we go on an evening drive around Alta to hunt for the Northern Lights again from a different perspective.

Today we leave Alta and continue south to Tromsø. Located 350km north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is the largest city in Northern Norway. The city is known for its lively nightlife, with many local pubs and a wide range of restaurants specialising in the fresh ingredients of the Arctic. En route, we travel via the Lyngen Alps. This mountain range dominates the landscape, bordered by the Lyngen Fjord to the east, and Ullsfjorden to the west.

On arrival, enjoy some time at leisure in this so-called Gateway to the Arctic.

Today is yours to enjoy at leisure. You'll have the opportunity to visit one of the many museums within walking distance of your hotel, or alternatively, why not join one of the optional tours on offer.

After breakfast we leave Tromsø and make our way to Narvik, which sits on the doorstep of the beautiful Lofoten Islands. On arrival, we visit the Red Cross War Memorial Museum. In the spring of 1940 Nazi Germany suffered its first defeat in Narvik at the hands of Norwegian, British, French and Polish forces. The Red Cross War Memorial Museum tells the full story of the epic Battles of Narvik.

Leaving Narvik, we make our way to the town of Svolvær, within the famous Lofoten archipelago. The setting surrounding the town is sublime with a backdrop of high mountains and iconic red wooden houses. Svolvær is the perfect base to explore the magical Lofoten Islands.

Today, we explore the stunning Lofoten Islands and their natural beauty, including a stop in the small village of Henningsvær. Set among a group of tiny islands seemingly dropped into the ocean at the foot of the imposing Vågakallen mountain, Henningsvær is one of Lofoten‘s best-known fishing villages. The stunning setting and mix of traditional wooden architecture and modern art galleries make this island village one of a kind.

After checking out of the hotel we head by bus to Evenes, where we'll board a flight to the captivating Norwegian capital of Oslo. After a short flight we arrive in Oslo where we'll be transferred to our central hotel. Oslo is known for its green open spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy Peninsula, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy the rest of your day or evening at leisure, exploring this pedestrian-friendly city.

Today we enjoy a guided city tour of Oslo, enjoy a scenic drive through Oslo, passing such national landmarks as the Parliament building, with its two imposing lion statues at the main entrance, the National Theatre and the magnificent Royal Palace, official residence of the present Norwegian Monarch.

For departures falling on a Saturday or Sunday:
Next stop is the Arkershus Castle and Fortress, a medieval fortress built by King Hakon V in the 14th century. Today, the fortress is known as a national symbol for Norwegians.

For departures falling on a weekday:
We will enjoy a visit to the Historisk Museum. A part of the Museum of Cultural History and the University of Oslo, the Historisk Museum is home to exhibitions about Norewegian history from the Stone Age, the Viking Age and the Middle Ages.

Today marks the end of your magnificent and unforgettable tour through Northern Scandinavia. We hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your inspiring Winter Wonderland experience. At the appropriate time please make your way to the airport for your onward journey.

There are various options to reach Oslo airport. The Flytoget Express train is convenient and efficent. Trains get to Oslo Central Station 6 times/hour (weekday, 3 times/hour during weekends) every 20 minutes more or less. Adult single ticket cost is NOK 198 (Approx. AUD $30pp)