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9-Nights Northern Lights of Scandinavia - Small Group

Scandinavia
9-Nights Northern Lights of Scandinavia - Small Group
Scandinavia
Insight Vacations
Vacation Offer ID 1503972
Reference this number when contacting our travel specialist.
Overview

Insight Vacations

Northern Lights Of Scandinavia - Small Group, Winter
See the Northern Lights from Scandinavia's breathtaking mountain tops on this 10-day tour of Helsinki, Alta and Oslo. Journey through Finnish Lapland-250km above the Arctic Circle to Ivalo, the Gateway to the North. From the comfort of your cozy cabin in Aurora Village, gaze out through the glass roof as the lights of the aurora borealis dance above. Cross the Finnish-Norwegian border to North Cape and sample caviar in Europe’s northernmost point, before a once in lifetime visit to a working husky farm. Here you will meet the Arctic dog sled racing Alta huskies-a world famous champion dog sledding team, before a stop in Tromsø where the Indigenous Sami community invite you to help feed their reindeer herd. The vacation draws to a close on the scenic, and once Viking, shores of the Oslofjord.


Dining Summary
  • 9 Breakfast (B)
  • 2 Dinner with Wine (DW)
  • 3 Dinner (D)
  • 1 Lunch (L)
Additional Included Highlights
  • : Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
  • : Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
  • : We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
  • : From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
  • : Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
  • : If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Authentic Dining
  • Ivalo: Your delicious Welcome Dinner will be served at the boutique Aurora Village hotel.
  • North Cape: There is no better way to search for the Northern Lights than by toasting to your adventure with bubbles and caviar at North Cape, the most special place on earth.
  • Alta: Head for drinks at a local ice bar, where you'll get the chance to catch up with your fellow travelers.
  • Alta: Savor a delicious oven-baked lunch of local seasonal specialties of fresh salmon or the local's favorite, reindeer, served with fresh salads and wine.
  • Tromso: Dine on traditional food, served with hot drinks with the fascinating Sami people, as you hear tales of Scandinavia from its indigenous people.
  • Oslo: Scandinavian hospitality is matched with fine food and a glass of wine at your Celebration Dinner.
Insight Experiences
  • Alta: Meet the Lyrek family and their huskies. Hear tales about their marathon Arctic dog sled races while enjoying a hearty lunch.
Make Travel Matter
  • Tromso: Delve into the fascinating history of Scandinavia in Tromsø. Norway has recognized its Sami population as Indigenous and has special rules for the protection of Sami cultural heritage. A Sami family welcomes you into their reindeer camp to share their traditions, culture and history, and to enjoy an evening of dinner and games.The camp safeguards traditional practices that are significant to the Sami tribe. Visitors are educated about the sustainability and resiliency of their community. The Sami Camp advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities.
Top Rated Highlights
  • Honningsvag: During your orientation with your Travel Director hear about the past and present of this small fishing community.
  • Alta: Enjoy an orientation of Alta, where the world’s first Northern Lights observatory was built at the end of the 19th century. With increasing tourism the city is going through quick development offering a wide range of activities.
  • Tromso: Enjoy your orientation of Tromsø, Northern Norway’s largest city located on the island of Tromsøya.
  • Oslo: On your orientation of Oslo city, see the Oslo Opera House and the new Deichmann Librabry in the contemporary Bjørvika district.
Well-being
  • : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
  • : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Featured Destinations

Oslo

Oslo

Oslo, Norway’s capital and largest city, is encircled by wooded hills and snowcapped peaks. The city displays a mixture of several architectural styles. A full range of activities includes art galleries, museums, restaurants, theaters and nightclubs. Other points of interest include Royal Palace; Frogner Park, known for its famous Vigeland sculptures; Holmenkollen, where international skiing events take place; imposing Åkershus Castle; and Bygdøy Peninsula, home to some of Oslo’s most important museums. Many attractions can be explored on foot. Oslo's City Hall ranks as the most distinctive part of Oslo’s waterfront. The art portrays the country's different historical and domestic phases. Munch Museum, which is dedicated to the life work of Norway’s famous painter, contains more than 5,000 drawings and paintings. National Gallery has the nation’s largest collection of Norwegian art and some of Munch’s best-known works. Åkershus Fortress & Castle, transformed into a Renaissance palace in the 17th century, houses Norway’s Resistance Museum.
Destination Guide
Tromso

Tromso

Enjoy the appealing frontier atmosphere at this ancient whaling capital and base for expeditions to the North Pole.
Destination Guide
Alta

Alta

The Rock carvings at Alta, dating from circa 4200 BC to 500 BC, are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In additon, the Komsa culture was named after the Komsa mountain in Alta municipality, where the first archeological remains were discovered. In World War II, the German battleship Tirpitz used Altafjord as a harbor, and was damaged here by attacking allied warplanes. Altasaken in 1979 made headlines for weeks, as many people (especially environmentalists) demonstrated and used civil disobedience to prevent the building of a dam in order to produce hydropower. The dam was built, however, and the river still offers good salmon fishing.
Honningsvag

Honningsvag

The world's northernmost village, Honningsvag, the gateway to the North Cape, is a completely modern fishing harbor set in a land of forests, fjord waters, and crashing waterfalls, everything bathed in summer by the eerie light of the midnight sun. Only the chapel withstood the German destruction of 1944. It's some 50 miles nearer to the North Pole than Hammerfest, on the Alta-Hammerfest bus route.
Destination Guide
Ivalo

Ivalo

Ivalo (590 mi/950 km north of Helsinki) has the primary airport for the far northern part of the country, but there's little to see in the town itself. Instead, visit the nearby town of Inari to see the open-air museum, explore the Siida Sami cultural center and take a cruise on Lake Inari. Plan to stay two nights.

The resort in Saariselka offers excellent hiking, fishing, hunting and, in winter, cross-country skiing. The Hotel Kakslauttanen and Igloo Village has glass igloos, open to the sky and perfect for viewing the northern lights on clear nights. It also manages the almost adjacent Santa's Resort, an enchanting reenactment of all things Christmas. Nearby Lemmenjoki National Park is a perfect place for gold panning, river rafting and exploring Sami culture.

Destination Guide
Helsinki

Helsinki

Often referred to as "Pearl of the Baltic," this neat city is known for impressive architecture, wide boulevards, and beautiful harbor. Grand Senate Square, dominated by exquisite Tuomio Church and onion domes of Russian Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral, is an example of neo-Classical, Empire-style impressive architecture. Visit the lively harborfront market and Temppeliaukioa Church (Rock Church), which was created in the 60's from man-made and natural materials. Finland’s musical heritage comes alive in great Finlandia Hall, designed by renowned architect Alvar Aalto. Finland’s beloved composer, Jean Sibelius, is remembered by a beautiful monument on Helsinki’s outskirts. Helsinki has good museums displaying everything from art to architectural design. Open-air Museum - the small wooded island of Seurasaari - has a collection of vernacular buildings assembled from all over Finland which provide insight into how country folk lived until recently. Suomenlinna Fortress is the largest in the world and often called Gibraltar of the North.
Destination Guide

View Full Itinerary

Valid Date Ranges

October 2024
10/23/2024 11/01/2024 $6,275 per person
January 2025
01/01/2025 01/10/2025 $6,250 per person
February 2025
02/12/2025 02/21/2025 $6,250 per person
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability and change without notice. Prices reflect land only accommodations, airfare is additional. Blackout dates/seasonal supplements may apply. Itinerary and map subject to change. Tour prices and dates are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Prices displayed reflect available discounted rates such Early Payment Discount or Red Hot Deal  (discounts are not combinable). Discounts may be withdrawn at anytime, book early to confirm space.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.