17 DAY NORWAY WINTER WONDERLAND (OLD) DESTINATIONS — OSLO FLAM BERGEN HELSINKI KIRKENES HONNINGSVAG TROMSØ NORTH CAPE TALLINN KEMI ROVANIEMI SODANKYLA KARASJOK ALTA LYNGEN ALPS Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com TOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Destination Australia Oslo Meals included Accommodation N/A Get ready to see the best Scandinavia has to offer! Board your international flight for Oslo, Norway. DAY 2 Destination Oslo Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A Welcome to Norway! On arrival in Oslo please make your own way to your hotel. The airport train to the city centre is our recommend method (own expense). Hotel: 3★ Thon Hotel Munch or similar DAY 3 Destination Oslo Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A Enjoy a free day at leisure to explore the Norwegian Capital and relax after your international journey. Oslo was named European Green Capital 2019 for its dedication to conserving natural areas and reducing pollution. The compact city centre is easy and safe to explore on foot or by bike, and the efficient public transport system makes the entire city accessible without a car. Oslo has more than 40 museums, and beautiful outdoor attractions such as the Akershus Fortress and Vigeland Sculpture Park. In the evening, enjoy the nightlife and the restaurants Hotel: 3★ Thon Hotel Munch or similar DAY 4 Destination Oslo Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A Today, enjoy a city tour of Oslo and learn about the city’s history and culture from a knowledgeable local guide. Admire the main attractions in the city center and spectacular views from Holmenkollen ski jump, and experience a fascinating insight into the art of the most prolific Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland, as you walk through the unique Sculpture Park with more than 200 statues and sculptures in bronze and granite. Hotel: 3★ Thon Hotel Munch or similar Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com P1 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 5 Destination Oslo Kirkenes Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A At the appropriate time today, make your own way back to the airport to board your flight to Norway’s far northern town of Kirkenes, high above the arctic circle. Located north east in Northern Norway about 400 km north of the Arctic Circle, Kirkenes is known as the capital of the Barents Region and the gateway to the east and only 15 km from the Russian border. On arrival, make your own way to your central hotel. Our recommendation is by the airport express bus to the city centre (own expense). Hotel: 3★ Thon Hotel Kirkenes or similar DAY 6 Destination Kirkenes Snowhotel wilderness Gamme Cabin Meals included Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation N/A One of the most amazing days of your life awaits! Today you will be collected from your hotel to undertake a King Crab Safari. A totally unforgettable experience awaits you on the frozen fjords of Kirkenes. This is your chance to learn how to catch, cook, and most importantly EAT this mysterious creature. In this ultimate King crab fishing experience, you will be taken by snowmobile sledge* out on the fjord ice. Here you will take part in the entire experience of catching the giant, and seeing how it is prepared. Finally the journey continues to a beautiful rustic restaurant by the fjord, where you will feast on the giant crab, served the Norwegian way. After, you will be transferred to the Snow Hotel where you’ll be spending the night in a wooden Gamme Cabin. These modern log cabins have beautifully designed large windows, perfect for catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights! Tonight, head out on a Husky Dog safari* to hunt the northern lights! The Snowhotel has more than 180 huskies ready to take you for an experience you will never forget! There will be 2 people per sledge as you head out into the wilderness to spot the Northern Lights. After, return to the warmth of your Gamme Cabin. Hotel: Boutique Gamme Cabin * Winter activities are climate affected (too cold/too warm/dangrous condition). The King Crab safari will take place by boat if the frozen ice is too thin to support the weight of the snowmobiles. The husky sledding may take place in different locations or by husky pulled cart if the snow is to thin/thick. Activities can also be cancelled if the weather conditions are too dangerous to be exposed to the elements. DAY 7 Snowhotel Wilderness Gamme Cabin Embark on Hurtigruten Destination cruise Berlevåg Meals included Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation N/A Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com P2 TOUR ITINERARY Today at the appropriate time you will be transferred from your hotel to the port to board your small ship Norwegian coastal voyage down the coast of Norway. As the ship starts its voyage south enjoy views of the surrounding Arctic landscape on deck or from the panorama lounge. Heading south, we cruise along the Varanger peninsula to Båtsfjord, before reaching Berlevåg in the evening. The latter town is home to one of Norway’s most famous male choirs, consisting mainly of local fishermen. Ship: MS Nordlys, MS Polarlys, MS Nordkapp, MS Trollfjord or MS Spitsbergen DAY 8 Destination Mehamn Honningsvag Hammerfest Oksfjord Tromsø Meals included Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation N/A In the middle of the night, we dock at Mehamn, where it is possible to join an unforgettable snowmobile trip through one of Europe’s most extreme and exciting natural areas. Experience snow-clad valleys, fresh winter air and perhaps the mesmerizing Northern Lights in the clear, starry sky. At Honningsvåg, you can join an excursion that features breakfast at North Cape and the discovery of hidden parts of Finnmark along the way. We continue south to Øksfjord. In winter, our crew teaches you how to tie maritime knots on deck. After crossing open water, we make a brief stop at the old trading post of Skjervøy. We then dock at Tromsø, just in time to enjoy a magical midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral. Alternatively, a walk around the town provides you the chance to enjoy a local brew at one of the city´s many friendly pubs. Ship: MS Nordlys, MS Polarlys, MS Nordkapp, MS Trollfjord or MS Spitsbergen DAY 9 Tromsø Harstad Risøyhamn Lofoten Islands Trollfjord Destination Svolvær Stamsund Meals included Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation N/A We arrive at Harstad this morning, where you have the opportunity to participate in one of the classic Hurtigruten excursion programmes: A taste of Vesterålen. Experience history, beautiful scenery and a selection of breathtaking sites that include a visit to Trondenes Church, one of Norway’s premier cultural heritage sites from the late Middle Ages. Those who choose to stay on board can admire views of this old church as we sail towards the Risøyrenna, a shallow 7m-deep channel made especially for Hurtigruten in the 1920s to provide an ‘inside route’ between Harstad and Sortland. The sand banks along the Risøyrenna are visible through the clear, green water. The island groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen offer some of the most stunning scenery you will see during the entire coastal voyage. The Lofoten region is renowned for its natural beauty with steep mountains, wild nature and small, picturesque fishing villages. The daylight sailing route through the Lofoten Islands is a highlight for many of our guests. We then cruise Trollfjord, only 2 km long and 100 m wide, surrounded by majestic mountains. If the weather and time permit – the captain makes a detour into the fjord. Steep cliffs hug the ship´s sides and the dramatic landscape conjures fairy tale images of an imaginary land of trolls. Later, from Svolvær, we continue on to Stamsund, where we see the majestic peaks of the huge Lofoten wall. We leave Lofoten during the evening and set course for the mainland. Ship: MS Nordlys, MS Polarlys, MS Nordkapp, MS Trollfjord or MS Spitsbergen Call 1300 88 66 88 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com P3 TOUR ITINERARY DAY 10 Destination Bodø Seven Sisters Mountains Nesna Rørvik Meals included Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation N/A Crossing the Arctic Circle at 66°33’N is an important ‘rite of passage’. Today we celebrate the event out on deck with a `taste´ of Arctic tradition – a spoonful of cod liver oil. As we sail along the Helgeland coast, you pass hundreds of islets, fertile farmland and steep granite walls rich in local lore. Another highlight is sailing past the Seven Sisters mountain range. All seven mountains are between 900 and 1,100 m high, and it is easy to understand how these ‘ladies’ influenced ancient myths. Next we make a short stop at Nesna, an idyllic old trading post before moving on to Sandnessjøen. Ship: MS Nordlys, MS Polarlys, MS Nordkapp, MS Trollfjord or MS Spitsbergen DAY 11 Destination Trondheim Trondheimsfjord [Ship Kristiansund Ålesund Meals included Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation N/A Today provides an opportunity to explore the city of Trondheim. Back on board, the ship heads out into the majestic Trondheimsfjord, which is 170 km long and up to 25 km wide. Like all other Norwegian fjords, it is deep, plunging to 577 m. As we sail along the coast, you realise the importance of fish to Norwegian coastal communities. Kristiansund’s location has steadily provided the town with a wealth of opportunities in the fishing, shipbuilding and oil industries.Kristiansund is today regarded as Norway’s ‘dried cod capital’ because of its long-time export of salted dry fish. Another interesting excursion is to the Bergtatt marble mine, which includes entering a mountain and sailing across an illuminated subterranean lake, before enjoying a meal in the mine´s ‘Grand Hall’.