After breakfast, join a guided tour of Helsinki, weaving through streets and squares to see the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Start your tour with a stop at Senate Square, home to four neoclassical icons of Helsinki: the Helsinki Cathedral, University of Helsinki main building, National Library of Finland and Government Palace.
Visit the Old Market Hall to sample local delicacies, from reindeer meat to rustic rye bread. Stroll through Esplanade Park and past the Helsinki Central Station (one of Helsinki’s main landmarks) before reaching the modern Kansalaistori Square.
Stop at the Temppeliaukio Church in the Töölö district, a Lutheran church opened in the 1960s and built directly into solid rock. Return to the city centre by tram, taking in panoramic views of south Helsinki’s art nouveau buildings and diplomatic districts.
After your explorations, spend the rest of your day at your leisure.
This morning, take an early transfer to Helsinki Central Station, where you’ll board the Santa Claus train to Rovaniemi in Finland’s north.
After a scenic journey, transfer to your hotel and settle in for an evening at your leisure.
Travel time: Train – approx. eight hours
After a hearty breakfast, travel to Santa Claus Village where the halls are always decked and you can even meet Santa Claus himself.
In the early evening, head to the Arctic SnowHotel for a guided tour of its unique ice-made accommodations, which are carved differently every year.
Indulge in dinner at the Ice Restaurant, where you can savour hot Lappish delicacies like creamy forest mushroom soup, roast elk with carrot puree and raspberry-vanilla bavarois served on an ice platter.
Prepare to embrace the wild today as you journey to Inari – regarded as the capital of Finland’s indigenous Sámi culture.
Visit the award-winning Siida Sami Museum and enjoy a guided tour. Originally an outdoor museum in the 1960s, it now combines a large building with open-air spaces designed by Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa. As one of Northern Lapland’s most popular destinations, the centre offers an immersive look into the rich culture and heritage of the Sámi peoples.
After an engaging afternoon, you’ll check in at your boutique igloo stay in the wilderness. Each night, look out for the Northern Lights through the skylight above your bed as you fall asleep.
Tonight, enjoy dinner at the hotel with your fellow travellers.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 3.5 hours
Aurora igloo stay
Over the next two days, experience Lapland with a host of included once in a lifetime experiences; a snowmobile safari, visit a reindeer farm for a sleigh ride experience, try snowshoeing, and a husky safari for dog-sledding enthusiasts.
In the evenings, set out on aurora borealis expeditions at carefully selected camps or take a thrilling snowmobile ride under the starry sky. Cosy up next to an open fire with warm drinks while waiting for nature’s spectacle, the Northern Lights. With the Arctic world at your feet, you’ll have ample time to enjoy all these spectacular adventures.
Aurora igloo stay
Spend another full day in Lapland enjoying the host of included activities.
From a dog-sled ride and safari pulled by huskies to a trip to visit some friendly reindeer in the wild, you’ll experience the very best of Inari.
Aurora igloo stay
After breakfast, gather your energy for a coach journey crossing into Norway, heading towards the town of Kirkenes.
Venture into the fjords for a chance to catch Norway’s Arctic King Crab on this snowmobile tour. It begins with a briefing from your guide, followed by a sled ride across the frozen fjord to locate the crab traps. Weather permitting, your guide will haul up cages heavy with King Crabs.
As you prepare your catch for lunch, your guide will share fascinating facts about these giants of the sea. Return to the Snowhotel restaurant where you’ll learn how to cook the crabs before relaxing with coffee or tea while they steam. The crab legs are served northern Norwegian style – with bread, butter, mayonnaise and lemon – and you’ll learn how to crack them.
Later, settle into your cabin designed like a traditional fishing hut. Enjoy a dinner of traditional dishes made from locally sourced ingredients to warm up from the cold. Before retiring, meet the resident reindeer and keep watch for another opportunity to witness the northern lights.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
Northern Lights cabin stay
After breakfast, transfer to Kirkenes Port and bid farewell to your tour leader as you board your Havila Voyages cruise. Sailing south along Norway’s legendary postal route, you’ll experience the authentic rhythm of fjordland life with frequent port calls at charming communities along the way.
With all meals included, you’re free to focus on the stunning scenery unfolding around you. The main restaurant’s rotating menu highlights specialties from the coastal regions you sail through, with upscale, table-service dining that feels more like a fine neighborhood restaurant than a typical cruise experience. Plus, you’ll enjoy a NOK1,000 per person onboard credit to spend as you please (see Fine Print for details).
Today’s journey takes you west and south, with a stop at Vardo – Norway’s easternmost port. For those preferring indoor activities, consider an onboard presentation about shorebirds along the Nordic coast. As you cruise past the Varanger Peninsula, glimpse the village of Berlevag, known for its renowned men’s choir and fishing heritage.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
During the night, your ship docks at Mehamn, where you might like to join an optional snowmobile excursion through snowy, starlit valleys (at your own cost).
Back on board, enjoy cruising along the coast, with stops at various ports to admire the northern scenery.
Sailing south, you’ll call at the heritage trading post of Skjervøy before arriving in Tromsø for the evening. Here, you can wander beneath the gleaming moon or Northern Lights and discover why this city earned its nickname as ‘The Paris of the North’.
Today, pause at small settlements to deliver supplies and mail before continuing to the Lofoten archipelago, renowned for its dramatic mountains, abundant wildlife and picturesque fishing villages dotted along the coast – all surrounded by impossibly blue waters you wouldn’t expect this far north of the Arctic Circle.
Here, you’ll have time to join optional excursions (at own expense): visit a local brewery to taste what Lofoten’s pristine water creates when combined with malt, hops and yeast; take a Polarnight walk in Storvagen; or join a horseback riding adventure, the choice is yours.
If the weather permits, the ship will enter the narrow Trollfjord.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
Crossing the Arctic Circle once again as you travel south, cruise along the Helgeland Coast, passing granite-walled islets covered in farmland. Cruise past the distinctive mountain of Torghatten, famous for its natural hole tunneling straight through its centre.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
This morning, you’ll have time to explore Trondheim at your leisure. Consider joining an optional excursion through the stunning old town, with its colorful 17th-century wooden houses and magnificent Nidaros Cathedral (at own expense).
Later, you’ll visit Kristiansund to see the fishing and maritime industries, with the renowned Atlantic Road offering a journey across eight bridges and numerous islands.
As you continue aboard your Havila Voyage, enjoy views of the Romsdal Alps while sailing towards Molde.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
On your final day, sail past Torvik, Måløy and Florø through Norway’s stunning coastal landscape of rocky mountains, great fjords and vast glaciers, winding through intricate waterways dotted with islands before reaching Bergen.
While your tour concludes upon disembarkation at 2:45pm, this quintessential Nordic town is worth exploring. Wander the Old Town’s maze of colourful wooden houses and grab a cinnamon bun or smoked salmon roll from a local cafe. It’s worth taking the gondola (or hike) to the mountaintop for spectacular views and a chance to meet the resident goats.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise