Day 1. Arrival Rovaniemi, Finland
Meeting at Rovaniemi airport with your private guide and hotel accommodation.
A trip to Santa Claus Village – meet Santa Claus even during summertime! Rovaniemi is the Official Hometown of Santa Claus, and the city’s most famous resident can be visited every day of the year in Santa Claus Village right on the Arctic Circle, an attraction that draws more than 500 000 annual visitors from all around the world.
Optional: Arktikum science center and a museum about Arctic cultures and the history of Lapland; husky therapy – visit the local husky kennel.
Night in Rovaniemi.
Day 2 (340 km): IceHotel, Sweden
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure from Rovaniemi to Swedish town of Kiruna (6h).
Visiting year-round IceHotel 365. It is a specially designed 2100 square meter ice art hall, which houses Art and Deluxe Suites made of ice, an Ice bar and an experience room where you can learn about Icehotel's history through images, art and a short video presentation.
An optional visit to Márkanbáiki which is an open-air museum in Jukkasjärvi village with a focus on Sámi culture. Discover Sápmis history and find out how they once lived according to their eight seasons, and through customs, work and traditions survived a nomadic life in the arctic.
We shouldn’t also miss visiting Jukkasjärvi church which is a timber-framed, red-colored Sami church located next to the IceHotel and the oldest church in the region of Lapland.
One of the dominant features of the city is Kiruna Church. It was inaugurated in 1912 and built in the form of a Sámi hut. Kiruna Church was named one of Sweden’s most beautiful buildings in 2001 with the name “The best building of all time, built before 1950” in Sweden and it was also voted by the Swedish people as Sweden’s most popular building.
Night in Kiruna.
Day 3 (200 km): Abisko national park and Narvik
Breakfast at the hotel.
Departure from Kiruna to Abisko national park (1,5h).
A classic region in the heart of Lapland’s alpine world. Majestic mountains frame the beautiful Abiskodalen valley with its flowering alpine meadows, picturesque rapids and Scandinavia’s largest alpine lake. During the summer you can experience light day and night and see the midnight sun here.
For a more varied trip, swap your car for a train! Jump on the Ofoten railway “Arctic Train” from Abisko to Narvik for an optional 1,5-hour trip. The Ofoten Railway is Northern Norway's hidden gem! The journey takes you through a historic, beautiful and wild landscape.
Give yourself the opportunity to take the train in a unique landscape from mountains to fjords, with a breathtaking view. Ofotbanen is by some referred to as one of the most spectacular railway lines in the world.
After arriving in Narvik it is a good idea to take a look to the area from Narvik cable car. The cable car takes you up to the Narvikfjellet Restaurant 656 masl. From the upper cable car station you get a panoramic view of deep fjords, high mountains, the historic ore harbor and Narvik city, which makes the cable car ride an experience in itself. Optional experience.
In the spring of 1940, Nazi Germany suffered its first defeat in Narvik. The War Museum tells the full story of the Battles of Narvik.
Night in Narvik.
Day 4 (220 km): Lofoten islands
Breakfast at the hotel.
Lofoten islands is our destination for today and it will take us about 5 hours to get from Narvik to Svolvær. We’ll cross the 1km-long Tjeldsunbrua bridge between the mainland and the island of Hinnøya, and also make a stop at Austnesfjorden viewpoint, where a wooden walkway has been constructed to protect the terrain, hovering over the landscape and leading to the top of Austneset promontory. From the walkway a panoramic view opens to the coastal alpine landscape and the chapel on the Sildpollneset headland.
Night in Svolvaer.
Day 5: Svolvaer
Breakfast at the hotel.
Free day in Svolvær.
With its 5,000 inhabitants, Svolvær is a small village. Nevertheless, the cozy fishing village has many restaurants with local specialties and perhaps Norway’s largest activity menu.
The hiking opportunities in Svolvær are many. Go up the Sherpa stairs towards Fløya or Djevelporten, explore the countryside or maybe you want to try to climb Svolværgeita with a guide. From the harbor in the center, several different boats go towards the sea and the Trollfjord, where you also get close to sea eagles and life in the sea. If you would rather try your luck at fishing, Svolvær is also a great place to start.
Night in Svolvær.
Optional: Trollfjord cruise, sea fishing, kayaking, hiking, local food tour, Skrova island evening cruise or Henningsvaer tasting cruise.
Too much to do? Add another day in Svolvær.
Day 6 (300 km): Lofoten islands tour
Breakfast at the hotel.
A full-day tour to the south of Lofoten islands from Svolvær to Å fishing village and back along Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten.
Lofoten Cathedral, or Vågan Church in Kabelvåg, built in 1898, rises up in competition with the mountain peaks, and is visible far out to sea. The 1200-seat Church is the largest church in northern Norway, one of Norway’s largest wooden churches and the largest wooden building in northern Norway.
Visit Lofoten Aquarium and see fish and fascinating sea creatures from the waters surrounding Lofoten. Get to know the life that moves beneath the surface and hides in the deep – from crustaceans to sea cucumbers and a special aquarium for Northeast arctic cod. Optional visit.
The picturesque town of Henningsvær, which is located 25 km from Svolvær, consists of several small islands that are connected by bridges like pearls on a string. Henningsvær has played a significant role in Lofoten’s fishing history and is still a fascinating destination with its many small craft shops, art gallery and pleasant atmosphere.
A short stop at Torvdalshalsen viewpoint, which is located on a hilltop south of Torvdalsvatnet lake and offer the best vantage point on Vestvågøy island. From here you can see rolling agricultural land as well as the Viking Museum at Borg. A long screen with benches catches the sunlight and provides shelter from the wind and rain, while also offering silence and comfort for travellers to enjoy a meal and the spectacular view.
Don’t miss the optional visit to the Lofotr Viking museum – the largest Viking longhouse ever found and excavated in the world of the Vikings. Feel the smell of tar and smoke, study the architecture and arts and crafts. Archaeological exhibition with unique finds. Viking feast (booking required) every evening.
A stop at Rambergstranda white-sand beach. With its green grass, azure sea and the majestic peaks around it, Rambergstranda beach is an experience not to be missed. A narrow walkway made of wooden sleepers leads to the beach.
Akkarvikodden viewpoint is located on the road leading to the south-west across Moskenesøy island. From here a panorama opens to the ocean in the southeast. The rest area is designed with horizontal planes, clear-cut lines and granite furniture.
Hamnøy is a small fishing village towards the end of the Lofoten Islands in Moskenes. It is surrounded by beautiful blue water and rugged mountains, and features typical red, wooden houses, rorbuer, in the foreground with Reinebringen in the background This is an iconic view, accessible to all!
Reine is an old spectacular fishing village located on Moskenesøya island where grand Lofoten peaks and the Arctic Ocean are close neighbors. It is a popular tourist destination for travelers, artists and climbers because of its remarkable scenery with red-colored fishing huts, fjord and mountain around.
Welcome to The Fishing Village of Å, a small village at the end of King Olav’s Road, the main road through the Lofoten Islands. Here, you’ll find one of the best-preserved old fishing villages in Norway, offering a variety of opportunities to experience life in the Lofoten fisheries through the last 250 years. While in Å, you can explore the several old buildings that make up the outdoor Norwegian Fishing Village Museum or, simply stop and take in the views.
Return to Svolvær and night in Svolvær.
Day 7 (220 km): Vesterolen archipelago and whale safari
Breakfast at the hotel.
We head north to Vesterålen – an archipelago of green islands, surrounded by whales, seals and seabirds and inhabited by coastal people. The small town Andenes (6 hours drive from Svolvær) lies at the windswept northern tip of Anydøya on Norway's Vesterålen islands.
On the way there is an optional stop at the Lofoten salmon farm, an adventure center for Norwegian aquaculture, where you can get a unique insight into the production of salmon in one of Norway's most beautiful regions. A RIB-boat ride to the fish farm, guided tour in the exhibition and tasting of smoked fish products, from the farm own production.
On our way along the Norwegian Scenic Route Andøya, we'll see the construction site for Andøya's new spaceport. Did you know that the Norwegian government has approved the building of a new spaceport on Andøya? It will be built 30 miles south of the existing rocket launch site on Andøya where rockets can lift smallsats into orbit around the Earth.
At the Børhella promontory you see the rock formation of Bukkekjerka, which is an old Sami sacrificial site. From Kleivodden sheltered spot you can admire the vastness of the Arctic Ocean and gaze out towards the village of Bleik and the bird cliffs on Bleiksøya island.
Visit Andøya Space learning and experience center (optional). It supports sounding rocket and balloon operations both at Andøya and at Svalbard and is a host to a large array of ground based scientific instruments. Bring out your inner explorer at Andøya! You can join one of the virtual space missions, explore the northern lights, and learn more about space exploration at the visitor center.
Whale Museum and whale safari from Andenes (4,5–6,5 h)
Strategically located between the famous tourist destinations such as Lofoten and North Cape, you find Andenes and Whalesafari in Andenes. The most common sightings in summer are Sperm whales, who stay here the whole year-round. It is the largest toothed whale in the world, growing up to 20 m and 60 tons! Get your camera ready to take outstanding shots of the Sperm whale fluke before they dive!
The duration of our tours will depend on several factors such as weather and sea conditions, which boat you are traveling with, and not least, how far out at sea we need to travel in order to find whales. We can say that a trip normally has 3-5 hours duration. Guided tour in the whale museum is included in the whale safari ticket and usually performed before whale watching trip and has a duration of 45-60 minutes.
Night in Andenes.
Day 8 (160 km): Norwegian Scenic Route Senja
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning cruise from Andenes to Gryllefjord (1h and 40 min).
We step to a 102-km long Norwegian Scenic Route Senja. The drive along the west coast of Senja offers a journey through changing landscapes. The steep mountains plunging straight into the ocean are a breathtaking sight, and the most prominent feature on this route. The road twists and turns along deep fiords and through villages that cling to the narrow stripe between mountains and sea.
A stop at Hamn which became a trading station and fishing village in 1991 and turned into luxury in 1994 when the old buildings were renewed and converted into an intimate holiday resort.
Driving through idyllic islets and skerries in Bergsfjord we reach Bergsbotn viewing platform. Here from a 44-metre-long platform you can enjoy the grand vista of the Bergsfjord and the surrounding peaks.
The Tungeneset rest area lies on the tip of the promontory that separates the Steinsfjord and the Ersfjord. A walkway built in Siberian larch leads out over the rocks to provide a view to the Northern Sea in the west and the mountain Oksen with the sharp peaks in the north.
Ersfjordstranda beach lies in the inner reaches of the Ersfjord and offers white, fine-grained sand that brings other countries and beaches to mind. Surrounded by tall, craggy peaks, this is Norway at its most spectacular. The triangular, gold-plated service facility on the beach is an attraction in its own right.
At the end of a detour from the Scenic Route lies Mefjordvær: A historic fishing village well placed between the open sea and high mountains in the municipality of Senja. A walk out on the breakwater will give you a unique sense of closeness to the ocean.
On the way to Tromso, we take a cruise from Botnahamn to Brensholmen (45 min) to reach Tromso in 1,5 hour tour via Kvaloya island.
Night in Tromso.
Day 9: Departure from Tromso
Breakfast at the hotel.
Tromso sightseeing walking tour - embark on this discovery that will take you through the center of Tromsø. A charming blend of old and new, where modest wooden houses sit alongside the modern architecture of this university city. Our guide will give you a true sense of the city who carries the nickname “Paris of the North”.
Optional: Storsteinen Tromso cable car, Arctic Cathedral visit, beer brewery Macks Ølbryggeri, sea fishing, Troll museum.
Optional: Aurora Spirit Distillery visit under the majestic Lyngen Alps (6h) with possible overnight in the area and extra activities or trips.
Transfer to Tromso airport and departure from Tromso.
NOTromsø
