God dag! That’s good day in Norwegian and it’s definitely a good day for an Arctic adventure. We'll meet our Trip Manager and Contiki crew to say ‘Hei’ here in Tromso (AKA the Gateway of the Arctic). Expect stunning arctic scenery, a vibrant cultural scene. Plus a chance to see the Northern Lights!
Even though the sun doesn’t rise, you’ll need to be ready to rise and shine for some Arctic action this morning. You can choose to glide through the Arctic fjords (on a super cool hybrid-electric boat). Panoramic views. Playful seals. And if you're lucky, once-in-a-lifetime sightings of humpback whales and orcas! Yep. Norway is a feast for the eyes.
Wake up to fresh Arctic air and a free morning. For panoramic views of the city, we'll ride the cable car up to Mount Storsteinen. For the adventurous and energetic, afterwards you could try a polar plunge and a sauna for a true Arctic experience. Epic either way. It'll be hard to contain our excitement as we board the Hurtigruten ship in the late afternoon and set sail for the next couple of days, following the wild coastline towards Skjervøy in search of the beguiling Northern Lights. Dinner is up to you this evening but you’ll be able to choose from the onboard restaurants serving authentic produce, fresh from local communities.
Ahoy! We hope the ship rocked you soundly to sleep. This morning we sail through the Magerøysund sound and after an early stop in Hammerfest, we arrive in Honningsvåg. From here, you can join an excursion to the spectacular North Cape (subject to availability), the northernmost point of Europe, which is just 2000 km from the geographic North Pole. The ship continues northward along the coast of Lapland, passing by the Finnkjerka rock formation, the old sacrificial site of the Sami people. Don’t forget to look for the lights! While there’s no guarantee of seeing the elusive and mysterious Northern Lights we are definitely in the right place at the right time. The sky needs to be dark and clear of cloud and they will most likely show between 5pm and 2am, so grab yourself a coffee and keep your eyes peeled.
The last port on our voyage northward is Kirkenes. Located at 30°E, we’re now further east than Istanbul! The Russian border is close by, and all signs are written in both Norwegian and Russian. Here in Kirkenes, you'll have the unique opportunity to experience dogsledding with an expert musher and huskies. Afterwards, we'll end our day in the town that brought us the very first snow hotel (made completely of snow and ice).
By now you should be completely chilled. But pull on your mittens, we're headed to the airport and hopping aboard a flight to Tromso. Back in Tromso, a free afternoon awaits before getting the chance to immerse yourself in local culture with an optional MAKE TRAVEL MATTER™ Sámi Experience. Visit a Sámi camp, be welcomed into a lavvo-hut (Sámi tent) to warm up with a hot drink, get up close to the herd of reindeer at feeding time, and discover how the indigenous people of the Arctic live, with proceeds from the experience going back into the local community. All that's left to do is get a good night's sleep!
It’s cold outside but our hearts are full of warm and lasting memories as we say our goodbyes after breakfast. The Norwegians have an expression meaning ‘see you soon’ - ‘Sees!’
