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Ultimate Arctic Adventure














Visit: ALTA – KIRKENES - SAARISELKA – SINETTA - SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE – ROVANIEMI - – KEMI (Ice-breaker Cruise) -
8 Days & 7 Nights
Winter Guaranteed Departures 2019/2020
Experience this unique journey to Lapland and be amazed by a blend of first class travel, with the most fascinating and invigorating winter activities in the region. Begin you your journey in Alta and make your way to Kirkenes where you may choose to try one of the delicacies of the north on a king crab safari. You will stay in Saariselka with its dazzling white landscape as well as in Rovaniemi and Sinetta, with one night in the extraordinary arctic glass igloos. Weather permitting, you will see the breathtaking northern lights from your bed. Experience Santa Claus village and visit the home of Santa Claus in Rovaniemi. The highlight of this winter adventure is the ‘Sampo’ icebreaker safari* where you have a chance to take a swim in the fresh arctic waters of Kemi.
FEATURES
• Winter activities
• Visit to the award-winning Alta Museum & the Northern Lights
Cathedral in Alta
• King Crab Safari
• Reindeer farm visit with sleigh ride
• 1 night in a Glass Igloo
• Dinner in traditional Kota
• Husky Farm & Safari
• Rovaniemi and Santa Claus Village
• Kemi Snow Castle visit (no guarantee)
• Sampo Icebreaker cruise & ice swimming (not included in the
December departure)
* December 14th departure will visit the Ranua Wildlife Park
Instead of Sampo Icebreaker cruise
Arrival to Alta airport and transfer to the hotel on a regular transfer & check-in. Please consult the welcome letter, which you will receive upon check-in to your hotel, and kindly note where and when to meet your tour leader. A short welcome meeting will be held at 18:00, where you will receive information on the upcoming tour program.
OPTIONAL: SLEIGH RIDE UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Min 2 persons
DURATION: approximately 4 hours (20:00 – 24:00)
MEETING TIME: 19:45 at the hotel reception
INCLUDES: Transportation, traditional dinner including dried meat chips w/dip, reindeer meat, lingonberry sauce, homemade cinnamon rolls, bonfire-coffee and glogg
Dinner included
This tour offers you an evening of cozy adventure. You will be picked up in Alta and driven to a farm in the nearby countryside where you will climb aboard a sleigh and get bundled up in warm blankets. Your sleigh is then pulled by a Norwegian Fjord Horse through the forest and along the Alta River, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the peace and beauty all around you. Near the end of the ride, you will stop at a wilderness shelter where a light dinner will be served around a warm fire. Under the right conditions you might also be able to captures some beautiful images of the Northern Lights. REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING
Breakfast at the hotel before departing for the prestigious EMYA award-winning Alta museum. The museum is situated at the site of early settlement of Finnmark dating from around 11,000 years ago and presents exhibitions on local culture and historic industries. A must-see for anyone visiting the area. Afterwards we will pay a visit to the modern Northern Lights Cathedral located in the central part of town.
ALTA MUSEUM - INCLUDED
Experience the Northern Europe’s largest and richest rock carving site, inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Here you can walk on pathways arranged around the rock carving area while enjoying a fantastic view over the Alta Fjord. The 2000 to 6200 years old rock carvings show the life of hunters and fishermen. You will have a guided tour at the museum with some free time afterwards to walk around at your own pace.
NORTHERN LIGHTS CATHEDRAL - Included
The impressive Nordlyskatedralen is a result of an architectural competition launched in 2001. Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects in collaboration with architect Kolbjorn Jenssen of Link Arkitektur, the elegant and modern construction features concrete and wood with external cladding of titanium sheets. The central feature being the towering spiral with belfry. Inside the church you will find art work by Danish artist Peter Brandes.
OPTIONAL: NORTHERN LIGHTS TOUR & SORRISNIVA ICE HOTEL
DURATION: approximately 3 - 4 hours (20:00– 23:00/24:00)
MEETING TIME: 19.45 at the hotel reception
INCLUDES: transportation, guide, sweet snacks and soft drink
Min 6 persons
Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel for a 20 minute bus ride into the countryside. The family owned Sorrisniva adventure facility is perfectly located to maximize your chances of seeing the magnificent Aurora Borealis in the time between September and March. Experience the Igloo Hotel - the worlds northernmost ice hotel, built from ground every year with different themes. Get a break from your daily life and feel the serenity and silence the Igloo Hotel gives you. Wander among handcrafted ice sculptures or take an ice drink in our bar.
Everything is made from pure snow and ice. After the visit in the company of a knowledgeable local guide you will take on the Northern Lights chase. Along the way you will have an excellent opportunity to learn more about the natural phenomenon as well as the local history of Alta. Your guide will also be very happy to help you catch some beautiful images with your own camera. REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING
Breakfast at the hotel followed by an early departure. You will travel the 465 km east to Kirkenes by coach, an approximately 9-hour journey taking you through the beautiful northern Lapland. Your eyes will feast on breathtaking nature as you sit back and watch the landscape unfold. You will make a stop along the way in Karasjok for a 3-course lunch (included). Arrive in Kirkenes and check-in at your hotel before dinner (not included).
Breakfast at the hotel. Check out at 08.30 and meet at the lobby at 08.45 for departure at 09.00 for the amazing experience of the “KING CRAB SAFARI”. Directly after the King Crab Safari you continue by coach towards Saariselka. Depart Kirkenes travelling south through the northern Lapland landscape to the centre of Sami world at Inari, the capital of Lapland. Here we visit the Sajos Sami Cultural Centre and parliament set in the heart of Sapmi in a unique natural landscape on the shore of Lake Inari, serving as a centre for Sami self-governance, culture, education and know-how. Modern conference premises, facilities and technology go hand in hand with authentic, living Sami culture. After the visit we continue onto the tiny village of Saariselka, the centre of Finland’s winter sports. Check-in to the hotel and the evening is at leisure.
KING CRAB SAFARI - INCLUDED
DURATION: approximately 3 hours (09:30-12:30)
MEETING TIME: 09:00 at the hotel reception
INCLUDED: transportation, thermal equipment, king crab lunch
“Rated one of the best 25 excursions in the World by National Geographic”
One of the highlights of Northern Norway with the chance to taste one of the local delicacies known worldwide. Heading out on the Kirkenes Fjord you will come face to face with this giant of the sea on the King Crab safari. The red king crab found in the Barents Sea can reach up to two meters from claw to claw and weigh up to 15 kilos. Depending on the weather and ice the trip might be by boat or snowmobile drawn sleigh. Once your king crab has been caught, you are transferred to a remote cabin where the crab will be prepared for a delicious lunch. All equipment and clothing will be provided.
In the morning after breakfast, the adventure continues as you make your way to Sinetta, located in the outskirts of Rovaniemi. Along the way, you will experience one of the highlights of the tour.
SAMI REINDEER FARM VISIT & SLEIGH RIDE - INCLUDED
DURATION : approximately 2 hours 30 minutes (11:30-14:00)
INCLUDED: a traditional 3-course lunch
Meet the traditional Sami farmers who will tell you about the reindeer, the Sami and teach you how to throw Suopunki (Sami lasso). Sitting in a two-person sleigh, pulled by your reindeer, you will experience a short ride in this traditional and peaceful way of moving through the white landscape where the only sound you will hear is the melody of reindeer bells. A typical three course lunch is included at the farm.
OVERNIGHT IN A GLASS IGLOO - INCLUDED
The journey continues south to Sinetta following the winding roads through the snowy forest and arriving at the unique Arctic Snow Hotel, where you will check-in to your private Glass Igloo. Enjoy the warmth of your Glass Igloo and weather permitting you will have the opportunity to marvel at the amazing Northern Lights (Aurora Boreal) and the millions of stars from the comforts of your bed. In the evening, you are invited for a traditional Lappish three course dinner in a magnificent wooden “Kota” where fresh salmon is slowly grilled over the fire on a huge fire pit in the center.
OPTIONAL: SNOW SAUNA & OUTDOOR JACUZZI
DURATION: 1 hour 30 minutes (22:00 – 23:30)
EXCLUSIVE FOR GUESTS
Even the most enthusiastic sauna bathers are deeply impressed by the snow sauna with its walls made of snow and ice. Only the sauna benches are made of wood! The sauna bathing experience is an astonishing combination of thick steam within intimate snow walls. Afterwards jump into the outdoor Jacuzzi and admire the Northern Lights or the spectacular starry night skies of Lapland. REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING
OPTIONAL: OVERNIGHT IN A SNOW SUITE with EVENING SAUNA & OUTDOOR JACUZZI EXPERIENCE
OVERNIGHT INCL. SNOW SAUNA & OUTDOOR JACUZZI 22:00 – 23:00
SAUNA & JACUZZI ARE SHARED WITH OTHER GUESTS
Each year the snow hotel is built with local artists designing and creating the ice and wall sculptures that decorate the hotel and Snow suites. Each Snow Suite is different each year and offers a unique arctic experience to spend the night as the Sami once did in a snow igloo. A mattress on an ice bed with special arctic sleeping bags keep you warm in the ambient temperature of 0 and-5 C. REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING
Breakfast at the hotel and depart late in the morning for the next step on the winter adventure. Heading towards Rovaniemi, you stop on the banks of the Kemi-joki river to enjoy one of the most idyllic Husky Safaris of the region.
HUSKY FARM & SAFARI - INCLUDED
DURATION: approximately 2 hours (14:00-16:00)
INCLUDED: picnic in a Sami Kota
2 persons per sledge (self-driving)
The barking of enthusiastic dogs will welcome you to the most genuine Husky farm in Rovaniemi. The head musher will talk about the life and training of these Arctic animals and you will also have the chance to take some great photos. After brief instructions you embark, riding in pairs, on a run through the forest behind your pack of huskies (3 km). After the ride there is time to visit the farm and enjoy a traditional outdoor lunch of Lappish sausage grilled on the campfire followed by Lappish pancakes & coffee.
The day continues with a visit to the world-famous Santa Claus Village, built right on the Arctic Circle and home to Santa Claus. Stop by his busy post office where you can ask Santa to send a letter to your loved ones just before Christmas. Take a step into the magical world of Santa´s home and meet Santa himself. No words can describe the emotions of this fairy-tale-like moment.It is something you will always remember. An absolute must for any visit to Lapland. The rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure.
OPTIONAL: EXCURSION TO AURORA BOREALIS CAMP BY
SNOWMOBILE
DURATION: approximately 3 hours (21:00 – 24:00)
MEETING TIME: 20:30 at the hotel reception
INCLUDED: transportation, thermal outfit, guide
meal, hot beverage included
Drive through the wilderness and discover the phenomena of the northern sky at our Northern Lights base. Experience the Arctic night by driving through the snow-covered forest and on the frozen river to the Aurora Borealis camp. At the resort, you will find a theatre, presenting a film about the myths and facts of this natural phenomenon. You will also have time to roam around the resort, take a brisk sleigh ride or you can just lay back in the snow observatory by the open fire admiring the northern sky. With a little luck, the sky is clear and the Northern Lights may show up! Delicious reindeer burger will be served before your return back to the city. REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING
*Note: To drive a snow mobile in Finland you must have a valid driver’s license from a country of issue which has signed the Road Traffic Convention of Geneva. We cannot accept responsibility for licenses that are not accepted. Please consult if you have any doubts.
Breakfast at the hotel and meet up at 08:45 in the hotel. Time for a swim as you head to the town of Kemi for a full day of activities. First a visit to the Snow Castle* with its special snow slide. Enjoy the snow sculptures and complex. Later you will experience one of the highlights of your winter adventure as we board the Sampo Icebreaker and spend 4 hours on this unforgettable vessel breaking though the ice of the northern Gulf of Bothnia.
*Please note that the construction of the Snow Castle is dependent on the weather conditions and therefore not guaranteed to be open before the 19th of January
SAMPO ICE BREAKER & ICE SWIMMING - INCLUDED
DURATION: approximately 4 hours (13:00-17:00)
INCLUDED: guided tour of the ship, ice floating event, 3-course buffet
This extraordinary experience includes a guided tour of the ship with its massive engine room, communications room and bridge, ice swimming and a three-course meal at the on-board restaurant. In the middle of the largest ice field in Europe, you have the opportunity to jump in the sea and float! You will of course be fitted with a warm survival suit and those of you who dare will receive a certificate by the ship authorities to attest your courage. An unforgettable experience. Return to Rovaniemi with early evening arrival at your hotel.
* December 14th departure will include a visit to the Ranua Wildlife Park instead of Sampo Icebreaker cruise.
* January 18th and 25th departures will go on a 3 hour cruise from 14:00-17:00. Lunch will be included onshore in the Seaview Restaurant immediately prior to the cruise.
OPTIONAL: THE MAGIC OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
Exclusive for guests
Min 6 persons
DURATION: approximately 3 hours (19:30 – 22:30)
MEETING TIME: 19:15 at the hotel reception
INCLUDES: Private transfer, guide, typical 3-course dinner
Dinner included
You are invited to a perfect evening in Snowland, the first and only great Arctic construction in the capital of Lapland. Do not miss this unique opportunity to visit and dine in this idyllic igloo, which only opens its doors for special events. During this evening you will enjoy a dinner with local specialties and then sit on the white patio, around a bonfire, waiting for the Aurora Borealis. Snowland has been built in the vicinity of the city but with the purpose of offering the best conditions to appreciate the dance of the Aurora Borealis when it announces its arrival on the clear nights of Rovaniemi. REQUIRES PRE-BOOKING
*This optional will be operated on Thursday or Friday; the day will be advised at destination.
Breakfast and the rest of your day at leisure until your regular transfer to Rovaniemi airport in good time for your departure flight.