Northern Finland and Norway Trip

Include

• Transportation between your hotel/accommodation and the activities' locations.
• Guide in English (other languages available on request: Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese).
• Winter clothes (overall and winter boots).
• All the activities mentioned in the itinerary.
• 5 nights stay in Hotel Aakenus/ Scandic hotels or similiar (subject to availability).
• 1 night accommodation in a Holiday Club Saariselka or similar - subject to availability.
• 1 night stay at Aurora Nest Glass Eco Glass Igloo or similar.
• Breakfasts.
• Airport or train station pick up and drop off on the first day of arrival & last day of departure.

Excluded

• Flight tickets and Visa

• Departure point: Safari Office (Maakuntakatu 29, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland).
• End point: Safari Office (Maakuntakatu 29, 96200 Rovaniemi, Finland).
  
  

Day 1: Santa's Homeland - Rovaniemi

Your guide will pick you up from the airport or train station upon your arrival in Rovaniemi and bring you to our office in the city center to get you dressed up in winter clothes and boots. When we are ready to go, set off to Santa Claus Village, located in the Arctic Circle, where you can actually cross it yourself. Greet Santa Claus in his office, send a greeting postcard to your family and friends, and explore Santa Claus Village with a lot of Christmas and Lappish products to take back with you. At lunch time, you will try a traditional Finnish buffet. You will also be visiting the husky and reindeer farms in the Santa Claus village. Don't forget to take a selfie with these cute animals during your sleigh ride! After the visit at the Santa Calus Village, join a guided tour with our professional tour guide at the Arktikum Museum, to learn all about the northern nature, culture, and history up close. At night, head out for the first ever hunting experience of the northern lights with our professional photographers! You will receive pictures the next day of you and the northern lights together if we capture them!

Day 2: Amethyst Mine in Luosto & Saariselkä

After breakfast at your hotel, set off to the Amethyst mine, hopping on a snowcat, a large treaded snow vehicle, to reach the tophill. You will be provdied with the tools and guidance to dig out your very own rare, hidden amethyst! Our professional guide will explain the story behind it and A light lunch will be provided as well in the woods with campfire BBQ snacks. When you are warmed up and ready to continue the journey, we will drive you up to the further north - Saariselkä. Saariselkä village is one of the most popular locations among nature lovers and aurora hunters for hunting the Northern Lights. Let's see if we all get lucky tonight!

Day 3: Sami Culture - Inari & Gold Mining

Start your day with breakfast at the hotel and hop on the real husky adventure! We will arrive at a local farm and learn all about these fluffy animals from the farm staffs before we jump on the sleigh ride into the forest. After saying goodbye to our husky friends, let’s enjoy the gold rushers’ feeling of gold mining in the wilderness. The gate of Lapland’s gold fields is located directly at the road E75, 30 km south of Saariselkä and 230 km north of Rovaniemi. Gold prospectors have taught visitors to pan for gold for more than 40 years in Tankavaara. At lunch, try out the local dishes and see if you like them. Learn more about the Sami people and their unique culture in the Sami museum "Siida", and in Inari, the small and lively village on the edge of Inari Lake. Inari is considered as the center of Sami culture and Arctic nature.

Day 4: King Crab & Fjords & North Cape

Today is all about the King Crab Safari. Learn from the expert divers how to catch and cook the delicious king crab. On your way to North Cape, take a delight in inimitable landscapes and fjord-sightseeing. Later on, enjoy a breathtaking view of the North Cape and the Northern Lights above if the sky is clear enough.

Day 5: Alta

Alta is the most populated town in the county of Finmark, in northern Norway. It is home to more than 6,000 carvings on rocks, some of them dating as early as 4200 BC. Some areas have been turned into open-air museums, and we will have the chance to visit the main one! Afterward, we will visit the Northern Lights Church. Then we will taste a local delicatessen, for lunch. Alta also has an Ice Castle Hotel, where we will be amazed by the architecture and ice sculptures.

Day 6: Lakeside Sauna Relaxing Day

Today we will return to Finland. Sit back and relax to enjoy the stunning views and scenery along the way back to Rovaniemi. Afterward, put on a survival swimming suit and head to the Lappish lake to float in the water. There's no better way than stepping into the traditional Finnish Sauna after a long day jorney in the car. The best way to relax your muscles is to chill in the steaming sauna bath. Sauna is a strong part of the Finnish lifestyle, normally, Finns go to the sauna naked, and this is natural. Although in public mixed saunas, bathing suits are required. The sauna facility we provide is exclusive to you and your group only. Have a quick shower before going in. Sit for a moment to get used to the temperature of the room and throw water on the rocks—löyly (in Finnish we called it)—which will create steam and heat even more. When it gets too warm, remember to take breaks in between. You can go outside to cool down or try ice swimming if you want. Stay hydrated too, as you will be sweating a lot! And to end this perfect, relaxing day, enjoy the most cozy and comfortable stay in the arctic igloo—Aurora Nest Eco Glass Igloo by the frozen lake.

Day 7: Ranua Zoo & Departure Day

On our last day, we will visit Ranua´s Arctic Wildlife Zoo. A natural sanctuary for the Arctic animals, where we will meet more than 50 species of arctic animals, including, of course, the polar bear. After the visit, we will head to the forest for a light snack on the barbecue before heading back to Rovaniemi. This will be the last activity of the trip, you will be dropped off at the train station or airport for your return journey.

• Tour is operated by Nordic Unique Travels
• Please note that the northern lights are subject to weather conditions and solar activity. Therefore, they cannotbe 100% guaranteed.
• At least 4 people are required for this trip to take place and confirmed.
• Product may be canceled or rescheduled if the group size is smaller than 4 adults.
• Children under 14 must be accompanied by adults.
• Please be ready and wait in your hotel lobby at least 10 minutes prior to your scheduled pickup time.

Pick-up

Note: Pick-up starts 30 minute(s) before departure.

We offer pick-up to the following places for this experience:

• Custom pick up
• Apukka resort (50 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Arctic City Hotel (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Arctic Light Hotel (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Arctic TreeHouse Hotel (35 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Guesthouse Borealis (15 minutes before the tour starting time)
• HAAWE Boutique Apart Hotel
• Holiday House Lapland (30 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hostel Café Koti (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hostel Ibedcity (35 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hostel Rudolf (20 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hotel Aakenus (20 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hotel Santa Claus (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hotel Scandic Rovaniemi (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Hotelli Aakenus Kotareitti (25 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Lapland Hotel Ounasvaara Chalets (30 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Lapland Hotel Sky Ounasvaara (30 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Lomavekarit (35 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Lumimaa - Snowland
• Motelli Rovaniemi (40 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Napapiirin Saarituvat (35 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Nova Skyland Hotel (40 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Ounasvaara Lakituvat Chalets (30 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Rovaniemi Airport (30 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Santa Claus Holiday Village (40 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Santa's Hotel Santa Claus
• Santa's Igloos Arctic Circle (40 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Santa Sport (25 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Scandic Pohjanhovi (Meeting at the safari office 5 minutes before the tour starting time)
• Scandic Rovaniemi City
• Snowman World (40 minutes before the tour starting time)

We will charge a cancellation fee of 100% if booking is cancelled 28 days or less before the event.

We will charge a cancellation fee of 70% if booking is cancelled 365 days or less before the event.