Hyvaa paivaa! Welcome to Helsinki!
Upon arrival, you’ll check in at your centrally located hotel and spend the afternoon at leisure. In the evening, join your fellow travellers and meet your tour leader at 6pm before heading to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner.
Arrival & Transfers:
Please book your flights to arrive at Helsinki Airport (HEL) by 3pm. Airport transfers are not included for your tour. The hotel is located approximately a 30-minute drive from Helsinki Airport (HEL). Check-in on Day 1 is at 3pm.
After breakfast, join a guided tour of Helsinki, starting from Vanhakaupunki, the city’s old town, and continuing through the antique shops and galleries of the Design District. Visit the unique Temppeliaukio Church carved from solid rock and explore the Eastern Orthodox architecture of Uspenski Cathedral. Discover the Oodi Library, known as one of the world’s most beautiful public libraries, and conclude with a stroll through Esplanadi to Kauppatori market square, where you can enjoy browsing food stalls.
Take the morning to explore Helsinki at your leisure. In the afternoon, transfer to Helsinki Central Station and board an upper-level sleeper carriage for an overnight journey with an ensuite bathroom to Rovaniemi in the north.
Travel time: Overnight train – approx. 8 hours
Upon early arrival in Rovaniemi this morning, transfer to your hotel to drop your bags and prepare for the day. Enjoy the freedom to explore the streets, join a guided village walk, or even meet Santa Claus himself.
In the evening, take a short transfer to Arctic SnowHotel for a guided tour of its unique ice-made accommodations, 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.
This morning, depart for Luosto and check in at Santa’s Hotel Aurora. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon at your own pace.
Tonight, participate in a northern lights workshop and take on a guided walk through the Arctic wilderness, where your guide will explain the science behind this natural phenomenon.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Northern Lights workshop
Today, mark your crossing into the Arctic Circle with a ceremony at a secluded hut in the forest.
Later, transfer to a unique glass-domed igloo at the hotel, offering a stunning view of the isolated mountain scenery. Spend the afternoon at your leisure, or opt for an ice fishing experience or snowshoe excursion in Pyha-Luosto National Park.
Glass igloo stay
Prepare to embrace the wild today as you transfer to Inari, regarded as the capital of Finland’s indigenous Sámi culture, and check in at your stay set among the wilderness.
The remainder of your day is yours to enjoy freely – whether you explore the snowy landscape or relax indoors with scenic views.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
Over the next two days, experience Lapland with a host of experiences. Enjoy activities included at your hotel, such as a snowmobile safari, visit to a reindeer farm to learn about Sámi culture, or 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. Relax back at your hotel, warming up with an Arctic sauna experience and watching the Juutua River flow by from a hot tub. With the Arctic world at your feet, you’ll have ample time to enjoy all these spectacular adventures.
Northern Lights spotting
After breakfast, gather your energy for a bus journey crossing into Norway, heading towards Kirkenes. Here, venture into the fjords for a chance to catch Norway’s Arctic king crab, freshly pulled from the depths for a later meal.
Next, hop on a snowmobile sled to reach a lakeside farmhouse, where a crackling log fire awaits along with your special dinner.
Later, settle into a hand-built snow hotel for a cosy evening in the far north, staying in a cedar 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 the Norwegian fjord postal route. With all meals included, this cruise promises stunning fjordland scenery.
Today’s journey takes you west and south, with a stop at Vardo – Norway’s easternmost port. For those preferring indoor activities, consider attending an onboard presentation about shorebirds along the Nordic coast. As you cruise past the Varanger Peninsula, glimpse Berlevag, known for its renowned men’s choir and fishing heritage.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
During the night, your ship will dock at Mehamn, offering the opportunity to join a snowmobile trip through snowy, starlit valleys.
Back on board, enjoy cruising along the coast, with stops at various ports to admire the northern scenery. In Hammerfest, consider visiting the world’s northernmost gas terminal (additional charges may apply) and seeing the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Meridian Column, commemorating the first precise geographic measurement of the globe over 170 years ago.
Continuing south, visit the historic trading post of Skjervoy before docking at Tromso tonight, where you can experience a concert at the Arctic Cathedral.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
Today, sail through the Risoyrenna channel, designed to provide an interior passage for the Hurtigruten. Pause at small settlements to deliver supplies and mail before continuing to the Lofoten archipelago, known for its mountains, wildlife and fishing villages dotted along the coast.
Heading south through Raftsund strait, weather permitting, you can opt to visit the Trollfjord’s slopes (additional charges may apply). Continuing past the Lofoten Wall, your ship will set course overnight for the mainland.
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. Look out for Torghatten, notable for its ice age-carved hole piercing through the mountain, spanning 160 meters.
Continue sailing past the peaks of the Seven Sisters, renowned in folklore as trolls turned to stone. Later today, arrive in Bronnoysund for the evening.
Havila Voyages fjord cruise
This morning, take the opportunity to explore Trondheim at your leisure. Later, rejoin the ship to navigate the Trondheimsfjord, plunging to depths exceeding 600 meters. In Kristiansund, 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
During the night, your vessel will sail to Alesund, Torvik, and Maloy, passing by the Nordfjord and the Jostedalsbreen glacier, the largest in continental Europe. Cruise along Norway’s longest fjord, Sognefjord and eventually dock in Bergen.
Your tour concludes upon disembarkation.
Departure & Transfers:
Disembarkation on your final day is at 3pm. Please book your flights to depart from Bergen Airport (BGO) after 6pm. Airport transfers are not included for your tour. The port is located approximately a 20-minute drive from Bergen Airport (BGO).
Havila Voyages fjord cruise