15 Days – Small Group Tour To Norway And Finland With Northbound Havila Norwegian Coastal 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

• 2 nights at the Clarion Hotel Oslo

• 1 night at the Fretheim Hotel in Flåm

• 1 night at the Bergen Børs Hotel

• 6 nights of cruise accommodation Voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes with Havila, in unspecified outside cabin (15m2) with window, fridge, sofa, desk, TV with international channels, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities, toilet & shower. (Pre-booked cabin upgrades available on request subject to availability)

• 1 night in a Gamme Cabin at the Kirkenes Snowhotel

• 3 nights in a glass roofed Aurora Cabin at Aurora Village Ivalo

• Meals in total: Daily breakfasts, 7 lunches, 11 dinners and 2 activity snacks & hot drinks. This included all meals on the Norwegian Coastal voyage.

• English-speaking local guide for city tours in Oslo & Bergen

• Train: Oslo to Flåm via Myrdal

• Fjord cruise: Flåm to Gudvangen

• A guided visit to a site dedicated to Sámi heritage in Inari

• 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 the arrival of snow is hard to predict but for a rough idea, autumn activities would be expected to run at least until November but subject to change.

• Aurora alert at Aurora Village

• 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

• Transfers: Gudvangen to Bergen, Kirkenes to Ivalo, Aurora Village to Ivalo Airport

• 24-hour emergency service

• Taxes and service fees

Not Included

• Meals not specified in the itinerary

• Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks

• Gratuities and items of personal nature

• Travel insurance

• Norwegian coastal voyage optional excursions

• Any airport taxes

• International and domestic flights

• 

FURTHER NOTES:

Portage is not included – you will be responsible for carrying all your luggage. The section where you will need to carry your luggage is between the Oslo hotel and the station (200 metres), transferring across the platform to board the Flåm train, Flåm station to Fretheim Hotel (300 metres on straight asphalt), then Fretheim Hotel to the Fjord Cruise to Bus (300 metres each). Once you have arrived in Bergen, it is a transfer to 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.

Arrival transfer in Oslo is not included. There is a very convenient and fast airport train.

Booking your flight from Ivalo to Helsinki with Finnair in combination with your international flight is a more affordable option.

We can add a Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia independent extension after this tour finishes. Flights from Ivalo to Helsinki, 2 nights in Helsinki and a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia.

Itinerary

Important Information

PLEASE NOTE: All departures have unspecified superior outside cabins with windows on the Norwegian coastal voyage, we are able to upgrade cabins on request, but subject to availability.

Activities differ when travelling in Autumn (before the snow arrives). Autumn Activities in Ivalo will be a husky wagon ride, Wood sauna experience, BBQ workshop and Aurora hunting by car.

We recommend arriving into Oslo a day or so before the tour starts and enjoying this city. The first few days on tour is very busy and not being affected by jet-lag will help you enjoy the activities. We also offer an extension tour to Helsinki and Tallinn after your tour.

Norwegian Coastal Voyage Excursions:

For your convenience and flexibility, any excursions you wish to take part in are booked directly on board the ship. The onboard Expedition Team will advise you on the most suitable excursions for your interests.

Booking onboard means you can factor in the weather at the time of booking as many of these experiences are weather-dependent. Booking on board also gives you the option of cancelling free of charge up to 24 hours before the excursion.

MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION:

All travellers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy group travel.

During winter, roads and footpaths can be icey so please consider carefully how much luggage you bring as you will be responsible for carrying all the luggage on these outside paths. There is limited portage service in Scandinavia and your tour escorts cannot help you, beyond reason.

Scandinavia is a fairly accessible destination for people with restricted mobility and other disabilities and is actively working to be more accessible every day.

However, please note that our group tours are often not suitable for persons with limited accessibility due to inclusions and pace.

50 Degrees North is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability and we can tailor-make independent itineraries for travellers when needed. Please contact us for further details.

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.

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