ITINERARY NORWAY: NORTHERN LIGHTS | ARCTIC LIFE & LANDSCAPES A photography trip featuring Tromsø & the Lofoten Islands October 11-20, 2018 (or until the 21st including Oslo) Top: Ersfjordbotn, on Kvaløya, 30 minutes from Tromsø | Bottom: Church on island of Gimsøya, Lofoten | both © Temu Nana (tour leader) OVERVIEW: Overnight: October 11, 2018, Thursday Depart home October 12, Friday Arrive TROMSØ, Norway | 1st opportunity to see the lights Tromsø October 13, Saturday TROMSØ & environs | AURORA (aka OPEN SKY) HUNT* Tromsø October 14, Sunday TROMSØ & environs | AURORA (aka OPEN SKY) HUNT* Tromsø October 15, Monday TROMSØ & environs | Mid-PM into evening outing M/V Nordkapp October 16, Tuesday SAILING THE NORTHERN FJORDS | SVOLVÆR, Lofotens Lofoten Islands (Svolvær) October 17, Wednesday EXPLORING THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS Lofoten Islands (Reine) October 18, Thursday EXPLORING THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS Lofoten Islands (Reine) October 19, Friday EXPLORING THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS Lofoten Islands (Reine) October 20, Saturday Either fly back home from Leknes via Oslo or: Optional extension: Continue to OSLO for a visit and one final night Oslo October 21, Sunday OSLO | Fly back home *While we’ll have the opportunity to see the lights on every night of the trip, on October 13th and 14th we are prepared to travel all the way to Finland with our expert local partners if local weather conditions in/around Tromsø are not ideal for viewing the lights. They are experts in “light chasing,” with extensive experience monitoring local weather patterns to find open sky to see the lights. MAP After traveling to a collective 150 countries between them, Open Sky’s Alex Ros & Temu Nana don’t easily impress. But Northern Norway has blown them away. The landscape is stunning, the locals remarkably friendly (living an exceptionally advanced life in harmony with nature & tradition north of the Arctic Circle)…and the spectacle in the sky is truly jaw- dropping. Two scouting trips, a co-led trip with friends this March to test out partners, and countless hours spent over a year in development have resulted in this now refined trip design combining the strategically-located Troms region with the stunning Lofoten Islands via a deluxe cruise in the gorgeous northern fjords. You Are Invited. A FEW TRIP HIGHLIGHTS • Opportunities on four nights to photograph the northern lights based out of beautiful Tromsø, one of the best locations on the planet to see the aurora. *see below & section after itinerary “A true Open Sky Expedition” • Several days exploring the incomparably beautiful Lofoten Islands, a photographer’s dream (people are starting to notice… this is the time to go!), with their breathtaking vistas, fishing villages, distinct history and fantastic setting for aurora displays. • Stays at deluxe hotels—including cozy and historic fishermen’s cabins in the southern Lofoten Islands—and a relaxing cruise down the beautiful northern fjords between Tromsø and the islands aboard the state-of-the-art M/V Nordkapp, aptly timed halfway through the trip. • An itinerary specifically designed for photographers, molded with just the right amount of flexibility, paced with balance in mind between day and night, and for the experience as a whole. • Open Sky’s Temu Nana, now a night photography expert, as your Tour Leader and host, plus a world-class astrophotographer as our main guide in the Lofoten Islands. • Dedicated sessions on how to best photograph the aurora, plus guidance and opportunities to post-process images. Location, Location, Location! Set above the Arctic Circle, Tromsø lies right under the Auroral Oval (even nights with KP values of 0 or 1 can have stunning displays!) yet is moderated temperature-wise by the Gulf Stream, and has a unique strategic location that allows “light chasers” to traverse a variety of local microclimates in several directions to find open sky. Carefully vetted local partners are experts at this, prepared to take us all the way to Finland for the nightly spectacle if local weather is not ideal. ITINERARY Thursday, October 11, 2018 Depart Home Friday, October 12 Oslo | TROMSØ, Norway | First opportunity to see the lights Overview • Arrive in Oslo and connect up to Tromsø • Transfer to the hotel, settle in • Evening outing within an hour’s drive if lights are out After arriving in Oslo, take a short connecting flight up to Tromsø, north of the Arctic Circle. From the airport, transfer to our ideally located waterside hotel in the center of the walkable core of the city, and enjoy the balance of the afternoon at leisure. We plan to take advantage of every opportunity to see and photograph the lights, so be ready to head out this evening if the local weather is favorable! Keeping in mind most will have traveled a long way, we’ll keep the target area relatively local so that we don’t stay out too late––but if the lights are out, we have no doubt excitement will propel you for a first encounter. Overnight at Clarion The Edge in Tromsø Saturday, October 13 TROMSØ and environs | AURORA HUNT a.k.a. a true OPEN SKY EXPEDITION 1.0 Overview • Tour of Tromsø and nearby highlights • Tutorial on photographing the lights • A determined Aurora Hunt tonight, radius expanded all the way to Finland The final order and timing of our sightseeing on this trip will remain necessarily flexible to the main attraction: the lights at night, and specifically how late we stay out each night. This will in particular influence our start times each so we can find a healthy balance of sleep and activity. Today, having kept it relatively local last night, we’ll plan to head out not too long after the wonderful breakfast spread at the hotel. Our main daytime activity will be a guided visit to the city of Tromsø, itself fascinating, beautifully set, and remarkably developed for what elsewhere would simply be an outpost this far north. While our flexible approach will cater to our group’s particular interests, we’ll plan to include a walk in the attractive central district near our hotel, a visit to the stunning Arctic Cathedral across the fjord, the Northern Norway Science Center with its excellent presentation on the lights, and an opportunity in the area to learn and interface with local Sami culture. After some time at leisure, convene again in the late afternoon prior for a dedicated tutorial on how to best photograph the lights. Then, as day turns to night, come prepared for a special night out, heading out of Tromsø with truly expert local partners on a well-resourced “aurora hunt.” Weather conditions will greatly influence our route... If skies are open locally, we’ll have a plethora of striking locations relatively nearby to choose. If they are not, Tromsø’s strategic location and the region’s excellent road network will come into play, as we may find ourselves traveling all the way to Finland to find open sky! [See box at end of the itinerary “A true Open Sky Expedition”] Our guides will know exactly where to take us, and will even come prepared with additional cold-weather gear should we venture far inland where temperatures can feel more latitude-appropriate. Either way, a light dinner will be served at some point on our night out, likely around a campfire if conditions allow it. It promises to be an unforgettable evening in the Arctic. Overnight at Clarion The Edge in Tromsø (B, D) Sunday, October 14 TROMSØ and environs | AURORA HUNT a.k.a. a true OPEN SKY EXPEDITION 2.0 Overview • Flexible daytime, options offered • A second determined Aurora Hunt tonight, radius again expanded all the way to Finland. As the previous night may go particularly late if we venture out to Finland, today’s approach for daytime is intentionally more leisurely. Enjoy the balance of the day to rest, go through photos, explore Tromsø independently, or even consider an optional outing in the vicinity we could facilitate on your behalf (such as a visit to a traditional sauna, or an opportunity to visit reindeer herders, or try out dog-sledding). Time and interest permitting, another informal workshop on photographing the lights may be organized. Either way, tonight, we’ll set out on a second special night of chasing the lights – with a target radius that again could bring us to Finland if the conditions warrant it. Overnight at Clarion The Edge in Tromsø (B, D) Monday, October 15 TROMSØ and environs | ARCTIC LANDSCAPES, DAY into NIGHT | Late night embarkation Overview • Morning at leisure • Arctic Landscapes excursion, from afternoon into night, with possibility of lights • Late night embarkation on M/V Nordkapp Enjoy a final morning of rest and relaxation in Tromsø. After a late checkout, those interested can join us at a local restaurant for lunch (facilitated, but not pre-included if a late night prompted a late breakfast). This afternoon we’ll depart on our main outing earlier than on previous days, for an excursion that will specifically combine day and night, allowing us explore and photograph the striking Arctic landscapes of the region in daylight, and weather permitting, the glorious transition of late afternoon light into twilight, elongated and of a particular character in these northern latitudes. If our prior night aurora hunts had us mostly chasing open sky towards the east, we’ll focus west on the island of Kvaløya; otherwise we’ll head east towards the Lyngen Alps. Either way, we’ll enjoy multiple photo stops, plan for a light nature walk or two, and hope to encounter some local wildlife along the way. After dinner at a local restaurant, we’ll check the skies and our energy levels for another shot at the lights.