We know...

This short break is about maximising your time and showing you as much as possible of Tromsø and it’s amazing hinterland in a very short space of time. We’ll also be trying our very best to show you the Northern Lights too!

We’ve packed the “big three” Arctic adventures into your stay with dog sledding, reindeer and snowmobiles all on the agenda.

In addition, you’ll go out twice from Tromsø to escape the city lights in the company of Aurora guides who will come armed with all the latest technical information but most importantly, local knowledge. When you are chasing the Northern Lights there is nothing more important than a familiarity with the local terrain and best vantage points.

As well as two nights in downtown Tromsø, you’ll also sleep at a wilderness camp surrounded by towering mountains and snowy wilderness. Trying to escape is futile!!!

Day 1: Arrival, transfers and introductions

After picking up your bags at Tromsø Airport simply walk outside and jump on the airport’s shuttle bus into the city centre which stops outside your hotel. The cost is approximately NOK60 one-way so you may want to take a small amount of the local currency or you can use either Visa or Mastercard.

We can arrange private transfers if preferred for a supplement.

Depending on your arrival time, there may be time to spend a little time in Tromsø prior to meeting your guide at the hotel. After an introductory meeting, it’s time for dinner at the hotel before you head out into the Arctic night with an Aurora guide.

The secret to searching for the Aurora Borealis here is to escape the light pollution created by the needs of 60,000 city dwellers. Your guide will take you outside the confines of the city using his or her local knowledge and experience to track down the Lights and find the best viewpoints.

Day 2: Husky safari, evening reindeer safari and wilderness camp

There’s no time for lying around in bed even if you had a late night in the company of the Northern Lights. After breakfast, you’ll be jumping on the transfer vehicle to Camp Tamok deep in the mountains towards the Swedish border. The 75 minute drive takes you along the fjords and eventually, once you leave the main road, down a snowy track into what must be officially the Middle of Nowhere.

It’s great! Steep sided hills and mountains surround Camp Tamok making it feel like you are a million miles from modern civilization and waiting for you are teams of extremely eager dogs who are anxious to be running, running, running.

Once you’ve been taught the basics and listened closely to the safety briefing, off come the brakes and woosh!!!! The dogs are almost invariably terribly excited and usually set off like the Hounds of Hell. Keep the brake half down and you will be just fine because after the initial furore, they soon settle into a decent, steady rhythm which means you can relax slightly and enjoy the wonderful landscapes that reveal themselves with every passing kilometre.

Lunch will be included either during the safari or back at Camp Tamok where you’ll have some time to relax before evening falls and you join a local reindeer herder.

Quite simply, reindeer are the most traditional means of transport in this part of the world and it’s a great experience especially at night when there is a chance you will see the Aurora dancing overhead. Your Sami guide will tell you tales about life in this harsh environment and the safari includes dinner. Unless you are a Sami reindeer herder, there are comparatively few people who will experience such an evening. It’s a far cry from Coronation Street and Eastenders!

You will spend the night at Camp Tamok in either a cabin or traditional lavvu. It’s pretty basic with no central heating or running water but once you are tucked into an expedition grade sleeping bag, lying on top of a reindeer skin and the fire is burning, you’ll be warm as toast.

Day 3: Snowmobile safari and hunt for the Northern Lights

Breakfast will be served in the cabin of the central lavvu (teepee) and be sure to tuck in because more adventure awaits this morning.

How the indigenous Sami people must have welcomed the arrival of the snowmobile! It made there lives much, much easier simply by virtue of their speed and mobility. The Arctic is big and there’s no better way to see it than on a snowmobile.

On this safari, you’ll travel with two people sharing and after a full safety briefing and tuition you’ll leave Camp Tamok and head out onto frozen lakes and up the more technical hilly stages. It’s exhilarating stuff and the added altitude affords some stunning views of this vast winter landscape.

Back at Camp Tamok, you will be served lunch before heading back to Tromsø. There may be time for some last minute shopping before dinner but be sure to meet your guide for the second Aurora hunting session of your stay.

Day 4: Depart or extend your stay

And so ends a very, very eventful few days so instead of catching the shuttle back to the airport you may want to extend your stay and spend some relaxing time in Tromsø. Please just ask for details if you would like to lengthen your break.

Tourism in Norwegian Lapland has become a main source of employment and income, replacing traditional industries such as forestry. Working within this growth industry in rural and remote areas means that we must take a great deal of responsibility; socially, environmentally and economically. We fully appreciate the impact of tourist visits on local communities and their residents and strive to ensure that we are having a positive effect.

The area of Lyngsfjord which we explore during this holiday is a remote and wild place which is primarily untouched by tourism. We are fully aware that we are taking our clients in sometimes pristine winter environments and therefore we work very hard with our suppliers to ensure that the impacts of any visit are managed correctly. There is a strict leave no place policy and absolutely all waste is removed.

We have included a great deal of interaction with the Sámi culture & in addition we encourage our clients to get involved in local events and activities which help to sustain traditional values and customs. The reindeer and cultural experiences which include are arranged by people whose livelihoods depend on these animals and people who have grown up with them and appreciate the culture associated with that lifestyle. Clients learn some of the traditional skills and try some delicious local foods giving them a better insight into the local area.

We always encourage our clients to respect and embrace the lives and culture of local inhabitants by learning a few important words: hello, goodbye, please, thank you etc.

In all of our destinations we ensure that we use local suppliers, enabling locally owned businesses and the economies in which they work to benefit directly. Through the tourism multiplier effect, this all helps to generate incomes and employment where the drift might otherwise be towards larger employment areas such as towns and cities. Our use of small businesses means that the tourism income, generated by our presence, stays where it should, in the local economy.

We firmly believe in paying a fair price for all the services provided by our suppliers regardless of where they are in the world. In Lyngsfjord we work with a small consortium of activity providers whose entrepreneurial ideas have led to a very successful business and we are proud to support such diversification in the rural areas. We are also able to take full advantage of their local knowledge and enthusiasm, they know their area and they know their activities and add a great deal of local insight to the holiday.

We do appreciate that some may feel that snowmobiles should not be included in such itineraries however in areas such as this they are a way of life. The alternatives to snowmobiles would in most cases be large, gas-guzzling off road vehicles. All snowmobiles are regularly serviced and kept as fuel efficient as possible. The snowmobile service industry is also another vital source of employment in this remote area.