Northern Spirits

Northern Spirits – Chasing the Aurora in Northern Norway

ROAM’s intoxicating itinerary in Northern Norway is designed for participants to try a variety of exciting winter adventures while maximizing opportunities to watch the northern lights. This Norwegian adventure travels from Tromsø, the Paris of the North, to Alta, the jewel in the crown of the Aurora Borealis.

Tromsø, an island in the midst of spectacular mountains and the wild northern sea, is the perfect place to start this adventure which will take you out of your comfort zone… but never out of comfort. Along the way we’ll visit a Viking bar, the world’s most northerly whiskey distillery, mush your own dog team, fat bike on perfect snowy trails, snowmobile and snowshoe under the northern lights surrounded by 4000-foot mountains rising straight out of the sea.

Alta has been a meeting place for multiple indigenous communities since the Stone Age and is home to the first northern lights observatory. Known as the aurora capital of the world, Alta also some fun nd funky lodges where there will be as many opportunities to witness the aurora as much as possible.

By night we’ll sample fine food and drink while being sheltered in glass domes, seafront cabins, renovated heritage fish camps and award-winning eco-lodges. The properties have been chosen for privacy and the best opportunities to see the aurora borealis. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary adventure far north of the arctic circle.

Enjoying nature in Norway is very much an active pursuit and this is arguably Europe’s most exciting and varied adventure-tourism destination. This trip offers seemingly endless opportunities as all of the activities we offer are geared towards anyone of reasonable fitness. The counterpoint to Norway’s ever-present natural beauty is found in its vibrant cultural life. Norwegian cities are cosmopolitan and showcase the famous Scandinavian flair for design through the ages. Food in Norway is a cultural passion through which Norwegians push the boundaries of innovation even as they draw deeply on a heartfelt love of tradition.

When it comes to wildlife, Norway has few peers in Europe. Here you can watch whales – humpback, sperm and orca, depending on the season, while the interior offers up wild reindeer, prehistoric musk oxen, ponderous elk (moose) or beguiling Arctic foxes. Birdwatching is a highlight, from the puffins of Bleik to the migratory seabirds of Runde and Varanger. But the real prizes inhabit Norway’s high Arctic, where polar bears and walruses are the poster species for a wilderness of rare, dramatic and precarious beauty.

Itinerary at a Glance

• Fly into Tromsø, Norway where a ROAM representative will meet you
• Explore Tromsø‘s dynamic downtown, take a cable car for a fantastic night time view of the city
• Drive through spectacular mountains, then ride the ferry to the Lyngen Alps where we’ll cruise the coast looking for sea eagles
• Visit the northern-most distillery of Bilfrost
• Transfer to the Reisa Valley and snowmobile & snowshoe in the surrounding mountains while staying in a private lodge
• Continue north to Alta to experience the Sami culture – the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia before bedding down in our skylight domes
• E-bike on the snow then hop on a horse-drawn sleigh
• Go dog sledding before one last night of epicurean delights
• Return to Alta for flights home

What’s Included:

• Experienced professional guides
• Chartered transportation between destinations
• Expedition equipment
• All meals and accommodations
• Taxes and permits

What to Expect on the Norway Northern Spirits Adventure

The region of Helgeland is celebrated for its stunning wilderness. Located only a short distance from the mountains and the sea, the spectacular sights are easy to come by.  The midnight sun shines constantly over the region and there is indeed something very special with the summer light in the north –it simply has to be experienced. Helgeland is also a growing tourist destination, but for now it lacks the crowds of tourists finding their way to the Lofoten islands or the fjords of the west coast. The nomadic Sami culture is also very present here, providing an authentic glimpse into a fascinatingly different world where nature, family and reindeers are the most important elements. Helgeland´s spectacular mountains, glaciers, rivers and sea welcome you to an arctic summer adventure like no other.

Working closely with our friends Mariann Saether and Ron Fischer, we are providing ROAM participants an insider’s perspective to a spectacular region less traveled. Mariann is a professor and world class kayaker. Ron is a former Red Bull athlete, Swiss national team snow boarder and general badass athlete. Almost as badass as Mariann.

Sample Itinerary

Day One

Upon arrival at the airport in Tromsø, you will be picked up by a ROAM representative and taken to the Clarion Edge Hotel for our first night’s lodgings. At 6pm, we’ll meet and greet at the Skybar in the top floor for welcome drinks and dinner. Later, we’ll take a cable car to the top of the mountain for an incredible night time view over the city and with a bit of luck, the northern lights!

Tromsø is the world’s northern most university town and there are plenty of cool bars and restaurants. Known as the Paris of the north, tonight’s your opportunity to get your “Arctic urban fix” and enjoy the lively scene. The balance of the trip will be very remote and you’ll be surrounded by raw nature and dancing northern lights without any light pollution.

Accommodations: Clarion Edge Hotel

Day Two

Today we’ll drive through spectacular mountains, then take a ferry across the fjord to a peninsula known as the Lyngen Alps. A dream place for any avid skier, the mountains tower 4000 feet straight up straight from the sea. Here we’ll hop on a chartered boat and cruise the coast looking for sea eagles. This evening we visit the northern-most whiskey distillery called Bifrost. Located next to the sea and built in Viking style, we will take a tour, taste some whiskey and then have a catered dinner served in their unique Viking bar. Tonight, we’ll stay in deluxe waterfront cabins with amazing views and another shot at seeing the northern lights.

Accommodations: Aurora Fjord Cabins

Days Three & Four

After another hearty breakfast in the Viking bar, we take a ferry across a fjord and drive about an hour and half up the Reisa valley. The Reisa River, which is world famous for its Atlantic salmon fishing, will be  frozen but the local fishing lodge is open and ready to host us for the next 2 nights. The owners are not just avid fishermen in the summer, but will tour us by snowmobile and snowshoes on the river and among the surrounding mountains, which are part of the Reisa National Park. If you’re keen to catch dinner yourself, try your luck at ice fishing! Each night, we’ll be served baronial dinners and unwind in the rooftop jacuzzi zipping cocktails and starring at northern lights.

Accommodations: Reisa Lodge

Day Five

After two profound and active days at Reisa Lodge, we hit the road early and drive 3 hours further north along the Norwegian coast to the village of Alta. Upon arrival in the Alta River basin, we’ll experience the Sami culture. The Sami are the indigenous people in northern Scandinavia who still live a life dedicated to Reindeer herding. We’ll eat lunch in a Lavvo tent and meet and feed the reindeer.

If you want more action, we’ll strap on some snowshoes and head out into the woods! This evening we’ll eat a tasty 3 course dinner at Glød Restaurant and then bunk down in skylight domes for the night and gaze at the northern lights from bed. Overnight Aurora Domes

Accommodations: Aurora Domes

Day Six

Today starts off with some fun action as we go ride bicycles on the snow! These are E-bikes and have fat tires so they ride really well and it is a once in a lifetime experience to ride the tracks of the Alta valley.

In the afternoon we take it more mellow and hop on a horse drawn sleigh. After a 2-hour journey, we cap the day with an authentic dinner outside by the fire under the dancing northern lights. This region has become famous for its stunning wilderness and magical arctic gleams in both summer and winter. However, winter’s darkness gives us the best opportunity!

Tonight, you will sleep in the award-winning cabins on an eco-farm run by Johnny Trasti and Trine Lyrek. Hence the name “Trasti og Trine” When the lights are out, you can watch the northern lights from your bed or the second floor that has a pyramid style glass room. You’ll have to see it to believe it.

Accommodations: Trasti og Trine

Day Seven

After delicious breakfast, your guides will take you on a dog sled tour. Well, not exactly, as you will be an active participant bringing the team out of the dog houses, learning to harness them, feeding them when they are hungry and then mushing the team yourself. This is going to be an experience of a lifetime followed by a culinary highlight for dinner than night.

Perhaps wild lamb from Lyngen or wild goose from Alta, maybe reindeer from Kautokeino, elk from Karasjok, or grouse from the mountainside. Local potatoes from nearby Tangen Farm or beetroot and kale from Tana are a must and berries always play a huge roll in our cuisine ranging from raspberries, blackcurrants, blueberries and the ever-popular lingonberries. Tonight’s dinner will envelope all your experiences into a grand finale of Norwegian tastes to remember!

Accommodations: Trasti og Trine

Day Eight

After breakfast we’ll drive 30 minutes to the Alta to catch our flights homeward bound

Accommodations

Clarion Edge Hotel

Clarion Hotel The Edge is situated right in the centre of Tromsø, just by the water, from where you can enjoy great views of the city’s stunning architecture. With a skybar and our welcoming Living Room concept, the hotel is a natural meeting place here in the Paris of the North!

Aurora Fjord Cabins

Far way from light pollution and with an incredible view out over the fjord, these mini cabins have floor-to-ceiling windows with uninterrupted views of the fjords and mountains.

Reisa Lodge

Reisa Lodge is an ideally situated adventure lodge offering the widest range of the most extraordinary outdoor and nature experiences the Arctic has to offer.

Aurora Domes

Aurora Domes in Alta offer kingsize beds in cozy heated domes where you can curl up and watch for the Northern Lights through the transparent roof. Equipped with wifi, wood-burning stove, and small bathroom fixed to the dome, they are the perfect place to start and end your adventurous days.

Trasti og Trine

Trasti & Trine’s unique and well-appointed cabins along with chef-prepared sumptuous meals made from locally-sourced ingredients make this the perfect basecamp for your adventures in northern Norway.