Arctic Odyssey

Tromso and the Lofoten Islands Northern Lights Holiday

Combine the Arctic city of Tromso with the traditional fishing villages of the magical Lofoten Islands for your winter vacation, travelling between the two destinations by the iconic Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage. Each night look skywards for appearances of the Northern Lights and join thrilling autumn and winter activities tailored to your preferences.

This holiday is available from September through April with the onset of snow arriving from December. So you have the option of deciding the best time and holiday type that suits your perfect winter break.

Our holidays are tailored around your preferred departure dates, choice of activities and accommodation. Please ask one of our Sales team for your bespoke travel arrangements.

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SUGGESTED ITINERARY

WHAT, WHERE & WHEN

Day 1:

On arrival at Tromsø airport make your way to the city centre hotel. There is a choice between the regular shuttle bus service, taking approximately 10-15 minutes and costing about £10 per person each way. The bus stops at four locations in Tromso and tickets can be purchased on board. Alternatively, take a taxi for the short journey directly to your hotel, or we can book a private transfer where you will be met on arrival and escorted to the city hotel. You’ll stay at one of the four star hotels for two nights which include the Clarion Hotel Edge, Scandic Ishavshotel and Radisson Blu Tromso, with breakfast included.

In the evening enjoy exploring the city with our recommendations for places to visit and eat. And later try to catch your first glimpses of the Northern Lights in the dark skies.

Day 2:

During the daytime, enjoy one of the many excursions departing from the city. Choose from a menu of options including dog-sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and much more.

Between November and the end of February, we can recommend taking a wildlife and whale-watching excursion departing from the local harbour. An exciting RIB Safari gives you the chance to see the mammals up close. Or at a slower pace, join one of the larger boats.

After dark, perhaps join an excursion away from city lights in search of the aurora - there are several different options including northern lights hunts by minivan, photography tours and an evening dinner cruise. We’ll be happy to discuss the choices available.

Day 3:

Tromsø is a delightful small city to explore by foot. Visit the Arctic Cathedral and the many museums like the Polar Museum, Arctic University Museum of Norway, The Science centre, Troll Museum and the Northern Norway Art Museum. Take the cable car to Fjellheisen for amazing views over the city, taste the local beer at Mack brewery and watch the seals feeding at Polaria. There is plenty to keep you busy by day and night.

You’ll have the day at your own pace before boarding the Southbound Hurtigruten Coastal Express ship, which departs Tromso at 01.30 on day 4. We have included this night at the Tromso hotel so you have a base to rest and get ready for the night time departure.

Day 4:

Check-in for the Hurtigruten is 30 minutes prior to departure at 01.00, then settle in for the voyage heading south through the night. If you’re lucky you may even view the Aurora Borealis at sea. Spend the cruise enjoying the spectacular coastal scenery, making stops along the way heading to the Lofoten Islands. Breakfast and lunch on board can be included in your voyage booking.

You arrive early in the evening at Svolvaer, where you make your way to Svinoya Rorbuer, traditional fisherman’s cabins located on their own small island, joined to the town by the ‘Svinoyabrua’ bridge. Accommodation for three nights has breakfast included. We’ll be happy to add a 3-course dinner option at Restaurant Borsen Spiseri for you, but there are several restaurants available in the town if you prefer to choose locally.

Staying at: Svinoya Rorbuer

Day 5:

Wake up in the beautiful Lofoten Islands and enjoy the coastal culture of Svolvaer. Enjoy our recommendations for places to visit and eat in this lively town with the backdrop of jagged peaks. You can also opt for a guided excursion including a road trip visiting nearby villages, learning all about the history and culture of the Lofoten Islands.

When darkness falls, why not embark on one of the Northern Lights Hunts available to pre-book. We’ll help you to tailor your holiday plans based on your wishes.

Day 6:

Another day to relax in this coastal village or fill your time with adventures. A winter sea-kayaking trip will give you a fantastic experience and a unique view of the coastline. You can also join a wildlife RIB safari for an exhilarating opportunity to see bird life including sea eagles. If you prefer to stay on land you can visit a local reindeer farm and learn about Sami culture, join a guided snowshoe hike in Lofoten’s magnificent nature or capture the wild animals on a wildlife photography tour.

Day 7:

Today your Arctic holiday comes to an end. Make your way by taxi for the 10 minute journey to Svolvaer Airport for flights to Oslo and beyond. If you’re not ready to leave just yet, we can arrange extra nights in the Lofoten Islands or you can continue your holiday on board the southbound Hurtigruten Voyage to Bergen and the fjords.

The Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon and so we cannot guarantee you will witness it during your trip. The Northern Lights season begins in September and ends during April. Temperatures, colours, snowfall and hours of darkness vary considerably during this period.

Get in touch with our expert team for the full list of excursions and prices and to receive a detailed quote based on your preferred departure date, accommodation and excursions.

BUDGET

From £1,066 per person (excluding flights) based on two people sharing for 2 nights in Tromso on breakfast basis, Hurtigruten Voyage between Tromso and Svolvaer with breakfast and lunch, and 3 nights stay at Svinoya Rorbuer.

This roughly converts to: 1,226 EUR | 1,396 USD

Remember that each trip we craft is unique, and you'll receive a personalised trip proposal based on your travel dates and preferences, and in the currency of your choice (GBP, USD, or EUR).

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Additional Info

This trip has flexible daily departures

Many of trips can be tailored to your requirements and departure dates. Please get in touch with us for a tailored quotation and details of availability for your preferred travel dates. All trips and departures are subject to availability.

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Winter Spring Summer Autumn

IDEAL TRIP LENGTH:

6 nights

Reviews

Tromso and the Lofoten Islands Northern Lights Holiday

5/5

A sincere thanks to Elin of Magnetic North Travel for such a smooth and fantastic arrangement. We love it ????. She is very responsive and reliable and will recommend their services to my friends..

by Doris Chinasa, Singapore on Apr 04 .

5/5

A sincere thanks to Elin of Magnetic North Travel for such a smooth and fantastic arrangement. We love it ????. She is very responsive and reliable and will recommend their services to my friends..

by Doris Chinasa, Singapore on Apr 04 .

5/5

It was a fantastic arrangement. All went smoothly. Thank u for the great arrangement.

by Ng Bee lian, Singapore on Mar 17 .

5/5

On our trip we spent our first few days in Tromso. They had a massive fall of snow so snowshoeing and Reindeers were very appropriate and enjoyable. We then caught the Hurtigruten boat from Tromso to Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands. We left Tromso in a bizzard on the Lofoten which is the oldest boat in the fleet. A real treasure a true heritage boat, all wood panelling and very comfortable. The Lofoten Islands were beautiful and the E10 the road through the islands has to be one of the most scenic routes. Svolvaer had loads of trip to do especially seeing the Sea Eagles was special. We travelled to the end of the islands to Reine which was really pretty and got a wonderful view of the Northern lights from near our Rorbuer. We had an unforgettable trip and will certainly be going back.

by Sue Winkworth, Bristol on Mar 16 .

4/5

High appreciated for exellence arranged trip for us. I have a bit concern but may not related you directly. It would be came from my friend who cooperate with you since begining. It's cost calculation per person, since our group 3 persons but average cost was divided by 3 persons. My friend he enjoy to stay 1 sigle room with our extra cost. I and my nother friend felt that was unfairness. This matter was from my friend he don't ask you to breakdown cost for one person who stay alone. I would like to suggest programe day trip should be arrange more longer time. We appreciated to have big room on the cruise but we prefer twin beds morethan double bed Explore the Arctic guide name is Mr.Marcus Åhlund was exellent , he is northen lighting professional. Overall your arrangment was excellent, we had fantastice vocation in Norway.

by Arunsri Thongweraprasert, Bangkok on Jan 13 .

5/5

We flew from Manchester to Oslo for a night, then to Svolvaer for 3 day, 1 day on a Hurtigruten ship into Tromso and then 4 day. We flew from Manchester to Oslo on Norwegian Airlines, which is low cost airline, but perfectly OK. Then flew SAS from Oslo to Bodo and then Bodo to Svolvaer with SAS. There was a electrical problem with the SAS plane, which meant we where late getting into Bodo, but SAS gave us an amended flight to Svolvaer albeit late. On our arrival Angela at Magnetic North (MN) let us know what of the trips we had booked had been cancelled due to lack of numbers. We where able to ring Angela from Oslo and talk through options, Angela then took it away and looked at options and emailed with additional information, which allowed us to make an informed choice - it meant we did not need to waste time of our own holidays. As where where going to be late to arrive into Svolvaer we rang Magnetic and they let the accommodation know and changed the time the taxi was going to pick us up, which was excellent as the flight arrival time changed 3 times! Our accommodation in Solver was at the Svinoya Rorbuer which is basically a large collection of cabins overlooking either the port or the mountains / fjords. The views where excellent either way and whilst we booked the basic one bedroom cabin, it was warm and the kitchen was clean and tidy with utensils. Only comment was the nearby town was not that nearby to walk. It was a 15 to 20 min walk and a bit more when it was snowing, so I would suggest that you might want to get food as you get the taxi from the airport. The town itself has a fair bit to see and do - in particular the pizzeria in the town was very good. The Hurtigruten was OK - it was 17 hours on a boat, but the scenery was to die for. When we got to Tromso, the hotel that MN had booked was the Scandic hotel on the port. It was excellent and again the window looked straight out on the scenery of the mountains opposite, the arctic cathedral and the port. Magnetic also booked also of our trips and all of them delivered exactly as booked. Overall, we where very pleased with Magnetic, Angela helped us through the booking process and gave us lots of options as to trips, to allow us to make good choices. Norway and Tromso in particular was excellent - and hope to go back very soon.

by Andrew Marvin, Wakefield on Jan 28 .

5/5

I would like to thank your for organising our recent holiday in Norway. The accommodation was very comfortable and just what we wanted. On the 25th October we took the sightseeing trip of Lofoten in the morning. Despite the rain we visited many wonderful places. Nothing was too much trouble for the young lady guide and the driver. I am sure they let the trip run well over the agreed time. The food at Svolvaer was spectacular. We had not expected anything like that in the fishermens’ huts complex. The dinner cruise in Tromso harbour was great fun and gave us some glimpses of the northern lights. On the final night the weather forecast was very bad, but we went out all the same and were rewarded by clear skies and wonderful reflections of the northern lights in flat calm water. The photographer was very friendly, helpful and instructive. He showed me how to get some really great photographs and sent one, of the three of us, he took under the northern lights.

by John, Stroud on Nov 24 .

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