ARM OF FINLAND & NORWAY - 6 DAYS

Welcome to Tromsø! 

Transfer to your accommodation by the fjords. Tromsø has played a big part in many polar expeditions, and still does. Learn about the role of Tromsø as Arctic gateway and starting point for polar expeditions while strolling through the town with an experienced local guide. Your will stop at the statue of Roald Amundsen and other historical places in Tromsø town. The tour will end at the Polar Museum where you can see a photo collection of Roald Amundsens life and work in the polar regions. The museum have also exhibited some items from his famous expeditions. Tickets to the Polar museum with guide is included. 
 

Level of difficulty: easy/family. Children and wheelchair users are welcome
Duration: Approx 3 hours

WILDLIFE, CULTURE AND SCENERY 
This tour is recommended for nature photographers, bird watchers and people who love the rural coastal landscape. Join us on a tour with North norwegian charm to learn about the local culture.

We pick you up in Tromsø by Rib boat and drive to our local community Kvaløyvågen. This is a great opportunity to see our local village which has survived on fishing and farming for several generations and hear about the coastal culture. Our small community with 270 inhabitants has a local fish factory that is 100 years old, and the fish racks and the small fishing boats will give you an insight into how the people have lived their lives here. Midway through our tour we will go ashore on the small island; Gåsvær, a small island with a white traditional church that was founded and built by the local community. We have been allowed access inside, and you will be able to see for yourself what a traditional church of these parts looks like. We will also enjoy a warm cup of coffee or tea on the church steps while telling you about the culture and history of the island and surrounding area.
This tour is recommended for nature photographers, bird watchers and people that love to see the rural coastal landscape and we want you to keep your eyes open for all the wildlife that can be found in the area; such as: white-tailed eagles, golden eagles, king eider, shags, guillemots and little auks. We also have a big population of seals in our area and from time to time we see them pop their heads out from the water to look at us.

You will be provided with an extra layer of clothing and survival suits before the tour.

Dress warmly and wear good warm shoes.
 

SELF-DRIVE DOG SLEDDING

Try your hand as a musher and  lead a team of sled dogs on an arctic adventure

Are you looking for fun, excitement, and a challenge? Try your hand as a musher and lead a team of sled dogs on an arctic adventure!

After a drive from Tromsø city, you will arrive at our center. Here we will fit you with thermal overalls and boots to keep you warm and cozy in the polar temperatures.
In the beginning, one of our experienced guides will teach you the basics of dog sledding and then we set off into the wilderness! You will share the sled with another guest; one driving, one riding it as the passenger and at the halfway point you will switch.
After this unforgettable experience, you can meet and cuddle our 200 Alaskan huskies and their puppies during a guided tour of our dog yard. Learn all about dog sled racing, the Alaskan Husky breed and animal welfare!
Delicious Bidos -a traditional Sami reindeer stew, something hot to drink and a piece of our signature chocolate cake will await you in our Gamme-hut (vegetarian options available upon prior request).
After saying goodbye to the dogs, we make our way back to Tromsø.

Please note: To participate in this tour, you must be 16 years or older. This restriction is also applicable for guests that do not intend to drive the sled themselves. E.g. if a parent wants to do the driving and have their child as a passenger, it is not possible unless the child is over 16.
Driving a sled also demands good physical fitness, including, but not limited to, the ability to jog uphill through snow, a good balance (also on one foot) and a tight grip.

JOURNEY FROM NORWAY TO FINLAND

Drive to Finland via Skibotn leaving behind more dramatic fjord and Lyngen alps landscape. We cross border to Finnish Lapland and "arm of Finland" and drive to Kilpisjärvi, one of the most remote villages in the country with one grocery store and a few cafes. You are likely to see more reindeer here than people especially during summer months. 

Though only short distance from Norwegian coast the climate and topography is very different here. Gently sloping  fells with birch tree forests on lower slopes leaning south towards southern sun.  Snow usually melts in the region in June-July and trees and vegetation have only 3 months to blossom and reindeer to feast on freshest feed. 

Much of the region is gazetted national parks where only local Sami people who hold ancestral rights to the land are allowed hunt, graze cattle - that is reindeer and  conduct activities in the national parks wilderness. 

Our lodge and base for the next 2 nights will be cozy glass roofed igloos run by our Sami host and his wife, who are also reindeer herders. 

Enjoy best sauna and hot tub of the arm of Finland with fabulous views.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SAMI REINDEER HERDER

See Lapland trough our eyes – Reindeer herder experience

Your host Nils-Matti is Sámi reindeer herder in 12th generation. Only few Sámi people today are full-time reindeer herders, and Nils-Matti is one of those few. His way of life echoes the life his ancestors lived here for 500 years. 

Nils-Matti invites you to join him on a rare and exclusive journey which takes you out on the vast, frozen tundra of his home region, the Käsivarsi Wilderness Area of Northwestern Lapland. 

The excursion starts with a car transfer from the Village of Kilpisjärvi to Vasara Reindeer Ranch at Lake Peera. There are no roads in the wilderness and therefore there will be a change of vehicles at the Ranch, and the trip continues on snowmobile sledge. 

We will provide you warm snowmobiling gear and blankets for your journey out to the tundra. The route is not predefined and Nils-Matti will contact your driver-guide to provide instructions where to find him – and the herd. Nils-Matti spends most of his time out in the wilds, tending to his reindeer herd, but It’s the reindeer who determine the whereabouts, and reindeer are led by the wind.

Once at the meeting point, be it a half-hour or an hour away, you can observe Nils-Matti at his chores and help him feed his herd. Close-up encounters with the reindeer are on the agenda, just keep your camera ready! Nils-Matti will share with you stories of his work, his family and his way of life during lunch which is enjoyed out in the open.

This trip to the empire of the reindeer in the land of snow and ice is a fascinating and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not to be missed!

AVAILABILITY AND GOOD TO KNOW

• Available only between Dec 1 – April 30
• Reindeer are roaming freely and do not stay at the ranch during the summer
• This is experience is a VIP program for individuals or groups travelling together

DEPARTURE FROM TROMSO, NORWAY 

Transfer to Tromso 1,5-2hrs for your departure flight back home. 

If you wish to venture deeper into Finnish Lapland we can drive to Levi and spend a night at one of the luxury cabins and fly out next day from Kittilä airport or from Rovaniemi.