11 days – Small Group Tour To Norway And Finland With Southbound Norwegian Coastal Havila Voyage / Publisher FiftyDegreesNorth

Details

Transportation

Coastal ferry Havila, bus, train and transfers.

Please see the cabin description here.

Here is the Ship Deck plan.

Included

• All accommodation in shared double rooms with private facilities

• Experienced Tour Leader for the entire journey

• 3 nights in an Aurora Cabin at Aurora Village Ivalo

• 1 night in a Gamme Cabin at the Kirkenes Snowhotel

• 5 nights of cruise accommodation in an outside cabin on the Norwegian coastal voyage

• 1 night at the Bergen Børs Hotel

• Meals in total: Daily breakfasts, 7 lunches, 10 dinners and 2 activity snacks & hot drinks (incl. all meals during the Norwegian Coastal voyage)

• Winter or Autumn (before proper snow cover) activities depending on the season:WINTER ACTIVITIES (Dec- Mar): Reindeer Farm Visit, Snowmobile Safari, Husky Safari, Crafting and Aurora hunting by car

  AUTUMN ACTIVITIES (Sep-Nov): Husky wagon ride, Reindeer feeding, Panorama sauna & jacuzzi, Floating wood sauna experience, BBQ workshop and Aurora hunting by car

  ALL SEASONS: King Crab SafariPlease note that the arrival of snow is hard to predict but for a rough idea, autumn activities would be expected to run at least until Mid-November.

• Outdoor clothing for winter activities/safaris (woolen socks, boots, tube bandana, gloves, thermal overall, balaclava) at the Aurora Cabins

• Sparkling piccolo bottle (non-alcoholic), tea, coffee and sweets as complimentary arrival treats in your room at Aurora Cabins

• Toboggans, sleds, sliders, ice-skates, cross-country skis, kick-sledges and outdoor games are available complimentary at the Aurora Glass Cabin.

• Lunch and a guided visit to cultural site dedicated to Sámi heritage in Inari

• Havila Voyage from Kirkenes to Bergen, 5 nights in unspecified outside cabin (15m2) with window, TV, sofa, coffee machine, refrigerator, toilet & shower, full board (Pre-booked cabin upgrades available on request subject to availability).

• English-speaking local guide for city tour in Bergen

• Transfers: Ivalo Airport to Aurora Village and Aurora Village to Kirkenes

• 24-hour emergency service

• Taxes and service fees

Not Included

• Meals not specified in the itinerary

• Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks

• Luggage handling

• Gratuities and items of personal nature

• Travel insurance, visas

• International and domestic flights

• Norwegian coastal voyage optional excursions

• Airport departure transfer in Bergen

FURTHER NOTES:

Portage is not included – you will be responsible for carrying all your luggage. However, Havila which has porter service included. The Snowhotel and Aurora Village provide portage to your accommodation so you don’t need to carry your bags over the snow at any stage.

Itinerary

Important Information

PLEASE NOTE:

Winter departures feature unspecified outside cabins with windows on the Norwegian coastal voyage. Cabin upgrades to superior or suite categories are available upon request.

Activities vary when travelling in autumn (before the snow arrives). Autumn activities in Ivalo include a husky wagon ride, a traditional wood sauna experience, and Aurora hunting by car.

We recommend arriving in Helsinki a day or two before the tour begins to enjoy the city and adjust to the time zone. The first few days of the tour are quite busy, and avoiding jet lag will help you fully enjoy the activities.

Norwegian Coastal Voyage Excursions:

For your convenience and flexibility, all excursions are booked directly on board the ship. The onboard Expedition Team will help you choose excursions that best suit your interests. Booking on board allows you to consider current weather conditions, as many experiences are weather-dependent. You can also cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the excursion.

MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION:

All travellers must be in good physical health to fully participate in this trip. Please read the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy group travel. During winter, roads and footpaths can be icy, so please pack light—you’ll be responsible for carrying your own luggage on outdoor paths. Portage services are limited in Scandinavia, and tour escorts can only assist within reasonable limits.

Scandinavia is generally accessible for travellers with restricted mobility or other disabilities and is continuously improving in this regard. However, our group tours may not be suitable for those with limited mobility due to the pace and included activities. 50 Degrees North is committed to making travel accessible and can tailor independent itineraries to suit individual needs. Please contact us for more information.

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:

Several of your accommodations on this itinerary are Nordic Choice hotels, who we support due to their outstanding sustainability policies.

This group of hotels are ISO 14001 certified (which is given to enterprises that have a high-quality environmental managing system), has launched plastic free initiatives in partnership with WWF, where possible is powered by renewable energy and are taking great strides to reduce water consumption and reduce the use of chemicals.

Even though access to water is not an issue in Nordic countries compared to other parts of the world, this hotel is conscious of the energy consumed for heating, and chemicals required for purification, so reduction makes up part of their overall environmental policy.

In addition to this they provide sustainable, organic, fair-trade food, and only use sustainably produced palm oil. Your hosts also encourage guests to eat less meat and substitute this for plant-based alternatives.

Your glass igloo hosts in Ivalo were the first accommodation in Northern Lapland to receive the Green Key award, the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry.

This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their premises adhere to the strict criteria set by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

Some examples of how they carry this out include offering recycling facilities in all cabins and no longer offering plastic bottles in accommodations, along with protecting the diversity of the surrounding nature, i.e., bird house and insect hotels.

Hiking, biking, and skiing tracks are direct from the hotel and as such they encourage low carbon activities such as snowshoeing and toboggans.

Your journey along the iconic Norwegian coastline comprises a large element of this tour. Traditionally the company Hurtigruten had exclusive access to this route, but in 2017 the Norwegian government ended their 130-year monopoly by granting Havila access and allowing them to also take travellers along the coastline.

With this change comes innovation; traditionally the ships on this route are powered by fossil fuels however the Havila ships are fitted with batteries and can partly run on renewable hydroelectric power.

Not only will the lack of noise and emissions improve the tourist experience and disruption to the environment, but the approach is essential to meet the strict zero emissions regulations for the fjord region to be introduced by the Norwegian government later this decade.

We are proud to partner with Havila for this journey, and welcome their newer, greener ships.

ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY:

At 50 Degrees North, animal welfare is a top priority during all our tours and packages. We carefully select suppliers who adhere to strict animal welfare standards, ensuring that wildlife interactions are respectful and comply with local, national, and international regulations.

We avoid offering excursions that involve captive wildlife, except where they are properly regulated, and all activities are designed to minimise disturbance to natural ecosystems.

Our travellers are educated on responsible, including responsible animal interactions, through our ‘Responsible Travel Tips’ for travellers, and our guides are trained to lead by example, promoting ethical conduct towards both wild and domesticated animals.

By prioritising animal welfare in every aspect of our tours, we ensure that your travel experience is both enjoyable and ethically sound. Read our article on Animal Welfare to learn more.

Please note this tour is not suitable for children under the age of 14.