19 Day Norway Winter Wonderland
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19 Day Norway Winter Wonderland Helsinki Tallinn Kemi Rovaniemi Sinetta Sodankyla Karasjok North Cape Honningsvag Alta Lyngen Alps Tromso Narvik Svolvær Evenes 19 Day Norway Winter Wonderland FROM NZ $8,999 PER PERSON, TWIN SHARE Scandinavia, ‘tis always the season. This winter wonderland is the Arctic North as you always dreamed it existed. Reindeer, sleigh rides and Santa’s Village by day; dazzling starry skies and Northern Lights by night. This enchanting region encompasses magnificent mountains and awe-inspiring glaciers Book Now TOUR ITINERARY The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be effected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 0800 475 025 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 1 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Destination Australia Helsinki Meals included Hotel N/A Today, board your flight to begin a once in a lifetime arctic adventure. DAY 2 Destination Helsinki Meals included Hotel Sokos Hotel Presidenti Helsinki, or similar Welcome to Scandinavia! Arrive in charming Helsinki today. You’ll be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore this quirky city. DAY 3 Destination Helsinki Tallinn Helsinki Meals included Breakfast, dinner Hotel Sokos Hotel Presidenti Helsinki, or similar Today starts early, you will be transferred to your ferry and enjoy breakfast on-board as we cruise through a small stretch of the Baltic Sea, before arriving at the medieval city of Tallinn (Estonia). We will then enjoy a guided city tour of Tallinn's magical old town. Due to its exceptionally intact 13th century city plan, the Old Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, joining the ranks of the world's most recognised landmarks. Later, we return to Helsinki again by ferry where we’ll be transferred to the hotel before enjoying a welcome dinner to get to know your fellow travellers a little better. The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be effected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 0800 475 025 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 2 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 4 Destination Helsinki Kemi Meals included Breakfast Hotel Santa Claus Express Sleeper Train, or similar This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the Temppeliaukio Church or locally known as the Rock Church. Excavated directly into solid rock and completed in 1969, this is one of Helsinki's main attractions. This afternoon, get ready to board the ‘Santa Claus Express’. This iconic overnight sleeper train will take us from Helsinki into the heart of Lapland and the ‘official’ home of Santa Claus. The modern train has private twin share cabins, on board dining and is the perfect way of journeying up to the untouched north. Train: Twin cabin with private facilities DAY 5 Destination Kemi Snow Castle Icebreaker Cruise Rovaniemi Meals included Breakfast Hotel Santa's Hotel Santa Claus, or similar We arrive early morning in Kemi and sadly we disembark the Santa Claus Express. We then head to the Snowcastle Resort located by the Bothnian Bay – the sea here freezes over during the Winter months. Here you will have breakfast and visit the SnowExperience365, where you are welcomed to a Winter wonderland every day of the year. Amazing snow and ice sculptures decorate the snowy walls, where you can wine and dine by the ice tables. A little later in the morning, you will board the Sampo Icebreaker, an incredible icebreaking adventure. This unique experience of swimming amongst the ice offers some of the most exciting and memorable moments in the Arctic nature. Sampo is like a moving museum retaining its original form from the 1960’s. Everyone on board will surely feel the by-gone glory of the vessel even today. After an unforgettable 3 hours we continue the journey north to Rovaniemi, the home of Santa Claus of course, where we experience all the thrills of Santa’s Village, before checking in to our hotel. The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be effected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 0800 475 025 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 3 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 6 Destination Rovaniemi Meals included Breakfast Hotel Santa's Hotel Santa Claus, or similar Today, enjoy a free day at leisure in Rovaniemi. Christmas lovers might wish to return to Santa’s Village to enjoy the festivities. Tonight, get ready for a night you’ll never forget. Board a snowmobile for a 3 hour ride through the wilderness to hunt the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights. Experience the Arctic night by driving through the snow-covered forest and on the frozen river. With a little luck, you’ll travel under a bright sky lit by the moon and the stars. Perhaps the Aurora Borealis – the Northern Lights – will appear to show you the way. Sip warm beverages and savour a snack by the campfire and learn more about this incredible phenomenon. Optional Tour - Fishing Experience by Snowmobile (5hrs) - Ice fishing safari to a wilderness lake. Head north on a snowmobile trail that takes you along the frozen River Ounasjoki and through snowy forests up into the hills, where you can admire the beautiful surrounding countryside of Lapland. Follow the trail through white, snow-covered fields to arrive at a small wilderness lake. The silence will envelop you as you prepare to go fishing. Try your hand at traditional ice fishing, then fry your catch over the campfire. Afterwards, return to town for a well-earned rest. Optional Tour - Reindeer Safari (1hr) - Memorable reindeer sleigh ride. Transportation by car to a reindeer farm to try reindeer sleighing. This traditional way of travelling through snowy forests is a unique experience. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee with a bun around the campfire and learn about the life of reindeer herders. (Note: Only 1 of the optional tour may be purchased as they run simultaneously). DAY 7 Destination Rovaniemi Sinetta / Arctic Glass Igloos Meals included Breakfast, dinner Hotel Arctic Snow Hotel & Glass Igloos, or similar This morning is yours at leisure to explore a little more of Rovaniemi, until your Inspiring Sight this afternoon, a Husky Safari. After a short drive from town, you’ll arrive at a husky farm, where these friendly dogs will bark an enthusiastic The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be effected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address. Call 0800 475 025 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 4 TOUR ITINERARY welcome for you. Before departing on the 10km safari, you will be given instruction on how to control the sleds. Upon your return to the farm, enjoy some hot berry juice by an open fire and chat away with the head musher about these amazing northern animals. Later in the afternoon, we leave Rovaniemi and continue our journey into Lapland for an Inspiring Stay. Tonight we are staying in an incredible glass igloo. The glass-roofed igloos provide you the opportunity to sleep beneath the starry skies and hopefully the Northern Lights. Each igloo is extremely well heat insulated to ensure guests are not bothered by the cold in even the coldest of times at night. Optional Tour - Northern Lights Safari by E-sled (3hrs - Walking distance from your hotel) - We ride our E-Sleds to the top of a hill, far from the city lights – an ideal place for watching the Northern Lights. We stop to observe and admire the night sky and stars, and, if we are lucky again, see the Northern Lights. The guide is happy to help guests with camera settings, to capture the perfect shot. To top things off, we warm ourselves by the fire in a private hunting cabin and enjoy a delicious Finnish supper. Optional Tour - Arctic Photography Excursion (2hrs) - Ensure you get the photos of the Northern Lights you’ve only dreamed of. Our professional photographers will do their best to make your dream happen during this excursion. The expedition starts at Log Restaurant where you will receive some background information behind this natural phenomenon, while enjoying another hot berry juice. Our professional photographer will give you instructions to set the correct settings in your cameras. We highly recommend that you bring your own DSLR camera, as we cannot guarantee that you are able to take night photos with compact or phone cameras. When everyone is ready, it is time to go out to the nature and find the best spot for taking the ultimate photos. As a souvenir, you will also receive a professional photo of yourself (1 photo per couple or family), hopefully under the northern stars! (Please note: A minimum of 4 people is required for this tour to operate). (Note: Only 1 of the optional tour may be purchased as they run simultaneously). DAY 8 Destination Arctic Glass Igloos Sodankyla Karasjok Meals included Breakfast, dinner Hotel Scandic Karasjok, or similar Today we travel further north through the constant Winter landscape, with a pit stop in Sodankyla, located at the top of the Kaunispää Fell (438m), perhaps the most recognisable of Saariselka’s fells.