Northern Scandinavia in Winter
8 Days Starting in Rovaniemi, Finland and ending in Tromso, Norway
Visiting: Rovaniemi, Lulea, Abisko National Park, Tromso
Tour operator:
Tour code:
BMSL
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99
Interests:
Cultural, Northern Lights, Polar, Rail Tours, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an enchanting winter journey through Northern Scandinavia, exploring the snowy landscapes of Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Begin in Rovaniemi, the heart of Lapland, where you can visit Santa Claus Village and marvel at the Arctic Snowhotel. In Lulea, delve into Swedish folklore with a bread-baking workshop and a lantern-lit tour of the UNESCO-listed Gammelstad Church Town. Experience the rich culture of the Sami people in their village, and meet a local reindeer herder. The highlight awaits in Abisko National Park, one of the world's best spots to witness the mesmerizing Northern Lights. Conclude your adventure in Tromso, with its vibrant streets and a visit to the world's northernmost brewery. This tour offers a unique blend of cultural immersion, breathtaking natural beauty, and the magical allure of the Aurora Borealis.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Rovaniemi
Location: Rovaniemi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Tervetuloa! Welcome to Finland. Your adventure begins in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. This city is an urban oasis in the Arctic wilderness, full of culture and scenic hiking opportunities. If you arrive early, maybe explore the city at your own pace, visit Santa’s workshop, or go hiking among the rapids and aapa mires. After the meeting tonight, consider heading out with your leader and fellow travellers for an optional welcome dinner.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Rovaniemi
Location: Rovaniemi
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Head out on a leader-led orientation walk of Rovaniemi this morning. Almost totally destroyed during World War II, this modern city is known for being the ‘official’ hometown of Santa Claus, as well as a popular spot to see the Northern Lights. After your walk, you’ll take the bus to the Arctic Snowhotel – carved differently every year and with a temperature of 0 to -5 °C, the walls and furniture inside are all completely made from snow and ice! Explore the rooms, adorned with snow art and light installations and maybe stop at the ice bar for a drink. After, return to Rovaniemi and maybe visit Arktikum – a museum and science centre that explores the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland. You might like to spend the afternoon pedalling through the city on a bike, or on the Ounasvaara walking trail – here, you can wander through the forest, past a ski area to a wooden observation tower for views over the white expanse.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 3: Lulea
Location: Lulea
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Drive to Lulea – a coastal city in Swedish Lapland known for its cluster of well-preserved wooden houses and the stone Nederlulea Church, built in the 1400s. When you arrive, head to UNESCO World Heritage site of Gammelstadt Church Town. Learn about the history of the largest and most well preserved church in the glow of lanterns town in the world with your local guide and get to visit a church cottage. Afterwards, learn about the Swedish baking traditions of kladda bread, try the techniques out for ourself and hear about Swedish folklore beliefs (it's said that the number of folds on your bread will reveal how many suitors you’ll have!).
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 4: Abisko National Park
Location: Abisko National Park
Accommodation: Cabins
Accommodation Name: Cabins
Meals Included: Breakfast
Travel like the locals this morning and hop on a public bus (or train, depending on (vailability) from Lulea to Abisko National Park located in the heart of Swedish Lapland and known for it's majestic beauty and year around activities. Take a needed rest before, pack the most warm clothing and head out in the darkness to the incredibly scenic Abysko National Park to go hunting for the magic of the Northern Lights with a local guide. If you’re lucky, you might see the natural displays of colours – green, red and purple – light up the sky. Did you know that the Vikings believed the Northern Lights were Valkyries taking fallen soldiers to Valhalla?
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 5: Abisko National Park
Location: Abisko National Park
Accommodation: Cabins
Accommodation Name: Cabins
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today, you’ll head out on a daytrip to the Sami Village – the Sami are Europe’s only recognised Indigenous people. When you arrive in their homeland, you’ll meet with some of the locals and learn about traditional Sami culture, traditional knowledge and their relationship with nature. Meet with a local reindeer herder and hear stories about how reindeer are integral to their livelihoods. You’ll then sit down to enjoy a traditional lunch with the locals. After, head back to Abisko National Park for the night, where you’re free to find a good dinner spot or rug up and sit outside, in search of a sky lit up by colour.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Tromso
Location: Tromso
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today will be a bit of a long travel day as you head to Tromso. You’ll first take the train to Narvik, where you’ll have a couple of hours to stretch your legs and find some lunch. Narvik is an ice-free port, originally built to ship iron ore from the mines in Kiruna – Nazi Germany tried to gain control of this vital supply during World War II and the Allies tried to stop them. If you like, you can visit the war museum here and learn more about the town’s history. Then, take the bus to Tromso, a vibrant city in the Arctic nestled among beautiful mountains, fjords and islands.
Optional Activities:
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Day 7: Tromso
Location: Tromso
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning after breakfast, head out on an orientation walk through Tromso’s colourful houses, backdropped by snowy peaks. With your leader, you’ll explore some of the sights of this gorgeous city, then you’re free to choose your own adventure. Maybe go on a show-shoeing mission to help the local Arctic owls, join whale watching or just soak in the sauna! In the afternoon, regroup with your fellow travellers and head over to MACK Brewery for guided visit. This is the most northernmost brewery in the world and was founded back in 1877. After the tour, enjoy a final evening in Tromso.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Tromso
Location: Tromso
Meals Included: Breakfast
With no further activities planned after breakfast, your trip comes to an end this morning. If you’d like to extend your stay in Tromso and increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time and organise additional accommodation.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (5 nights), Cabins (2 nights) -
Meals
7 breakfasts, 1 lunches -
Rovaniemi - Welcome meeting
Participate in a welcome meeting in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland.
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Rovaniemi – Rovaniemi Leader led orientation walk
Join a leader-led orientation walk in Rovaniemi to explore the city.
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Rovaniemi - Snow Hotel Entrance
Visit the Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi, where everything is made from snow and ice.
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Lulea - Gammelstadt Lantern Tour and Bread baking
Experience a lantern tour and bread baking session in Gammelstadt, Lulea.
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Kiruna - Orientation Walk
Take part in an orientation walk in Kiruna.
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Abysko NP - Northern Light Hunting Trip
Go on a Northern Light hunting trip in Abisko National Park.
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Lapland - Trip to Sami village with lunch
Visit a Sami village in Lapland and enjoy a traditional lunch.
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Tromso - Orientation Walk
Explore Tromso with an orientation walk.
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Tromso - MACK Brewery Guided Visit
Enjoy a guided visit to the MACK Brewery in Tromso.
What's Not Included
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Optional Activities
Optional activities such as visiting the Arktikum, dog sledding, and whale watching are not included.
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Personal Expenses
Personal expenses such as souvenirs and additional meals are not included.
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Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is not included and is recommended for all travelers.
Transport
OVERNIGHT TRAINFinnish overnight trains are a very comfortable way to travel long distances without losing valuable time to explore the destinations. Compartments usually consist of 3 or 4 berths (2 bottom bunks and 1 or 2 top bunks), lockable doors with key-card access, communal bathroom facilities at the end of each carriage (sink and toilet), and plenty of space for luggage. Blankets, pillows and linen are provided, and each berth has a reading light. The exact layout of the cabin depends on the carriage type the group are allocated to. All trains have heating, however please note that windows can't be opened.
Accommodation
OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATIONThe style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.TWIN SHARE BASISAccommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.CHECK-IN TIMEThroughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATIONIf you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.FACILITIESYour accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Important Information
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip, with the exception of Days 4 & 5 (Cabins). subject to availability at the time of booking. Please also note that due to the small properties we use in Europe there is only a limited amount of single supplements available per trip departure. If you would like to book a single supplement and enquire about availability please speak to your booking agent for further information.2. Nordic countries can be extremely cold at this time of year. Please bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions. Please see the Packing section in the Essential Trip Information document for what we recommend you should bring along.
Mode of Transport
Travel includes Finnish overnight trains, offering comfortable compartments with 3 or 4 berths, lockable doors, communal bathroom facilities, and heating. Blankets, pillows, and linen are provided, ensuring a restful journey while exploring destinations.
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour is primarily on a twin/multishare basis, with occasional alternative arrangements due to availability. Facilities may be shared, and rooms may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Check out our Q&As
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What unique cultural experiences are included in the tour?
The tour includes a visit to a Sami village where you will learn about the traditional Sami culture and meet a local reindeer herder. Additionally, there is a bread-baking workshop in Lulea where you can learn traditional Swedish baking techniques and folklore.
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Will I have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights during the tour?
Yes, the tour includes a Northern Lights hunting trip in Abisko National Park, which is one of the best places in the world to view the Aurora Borealis.
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What type of accommodation can I expect on this tour?
Accommodation is on a twin/multishare basis, and you may share facilities with other travelers. Occasionally, alternative accommodation may be used due to availability. The tour also includes stays in cabins during certain parts of the trip.
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How will we be traveling between destinations on the tour?
The tour includes travel by Finnish overnight trains, which are comfortable and allow you to travel long distances without losing exploration time. Public buses or trains are also used for certain segments, such as traveling from Lulea to Abisko National Park.
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What should I know about the weather conditions during the tour?
Nordic countries can be extremely cold during the winter season, so it is important to bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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