Day 1: Arrival in Tromso
Upon arrival in Tromso, take the shuttle bus to your hotel, check-in and take time to explore the Arctic city. Take a historical walk through the streets of Tromso and experience the architecture, city life and history of explorers Amundsen and Nansen. You can visit the Polar Museum, Ølhallen pub and the Polaria Aquarium. Visit the shops in the city, many of which are cosy, and carry the latest European fashions, locally made products and special designed items. Tromso was given the name 'Paris of the North' by foreign visitors around the 1800’s, partly because of the fashionable way Tromsø people dressed and partly because of the mood in the city. Tromso people still use this name, and there is a strong international environment in this city above the Arctic Circle. Overnight stay at the Clarion Hotel The Edge or similar.
Day 2: Tromso - Sea Kayaking
Breakfast at the hotel. Experience the ocean in an intense and exciting way. With kayaks, we paddle along the beautiful coast of Northern Norway, with the wild mountains as a scenic background. This is a wonderful way of getting close to the maritime fauna, and it`s a big possibility to see wildlife such as the birds and fish. The weather will decide where we paddle, but it will be on Kvaløya (The Whale Island), very close to Tromsø city. You won’t need any previous kayaking experience to participate in this event; our guide will give you a basic course and help you with everything you need to know. Suitable for everyone!
Duration: 09:00 - 14:30 (5.5 hrs)
Season: 1 May - 31 August, daily
Included: Guiding, equipment, food and transport (15 to 30 minutes)
Minimum: 2 people
Please bring: Warm clothing, a raincoat, sneakers, sunglasses and an extra set of clothes
Afternoon free to explore the city: This is your opportunity to visit more attractions, shops, and sights. Visit Blåst, the glass blower's, take a tour from Olhallen pub into the brewery, or have a glass of sizzling champagne or cava at the little café in the World theatre. Overnight stay at the Clarion Hotel The Edge or similar incl. breakfast.
Day 3: Tromso - Husky Hike & Departure to Lofoten Islands
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you'll meet 300 Alaskan huskies, and then have a hike with some of them! You get the chance to explore the spectacular North-Norwegian nature, with a trip adjusted to your needs. An experienced guide will accompany you, with some of our top-trained dogs. Throughout the trip you will see the fjords and mountains that surround Tromsø, and you might get to have a closer look at some of the North-Norwegian wildlife. Back at the Centre, you will be served lunch and coffee made Norwegian style on the fire, with a delicious chocolate cake for dessert in the Sami Lavvo. You will also have the opportunity to pet some of our puppies.
Duration: 09:00 - 14:00 (5 hrs)
Season: 1 June - 31 August; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Included: Guiding, lunch and transport (25 minutes one way)
Minimum: 2 people
Please bring: Warm clothing, a raincoat, hiking shoes
At 23:45 board the Hurtigruten ship for a cruise to Lofoten. From late spring the days are long and you can enjoy some spectacular sights as your ship slips through tight fjords. Accommodation in an unspecified outside cabin.
Day 4: Arrival in Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands
Enjoy breakfast and lunch on board your ship while you cruise through the picturesque fjords. Arrive at Svolvear with the Hurtigruten at 18:30. Accommodation in fishermen's cabins (Rorbu) at Svinoya.
Day 5: Discover the Archipelago Tour
Breakfast at the hotel, and today you will discover one of the world’s most beautiful archipelegos - the Lofoten Islands. With this excursion, we would like to take you to discover the islands; we will not only visit some of the characteristic fishing villages which have made these islands famous, but we’ll also take you to explore unspoilt nature, the most genuine and extraordinary part of this beautiful archipelago. We will start by heading towards Kabelvåg, and with a visit to an ancient fishing village, before continuing our journey towards the western part of the islands, in the direction of Eggum. Eggum faces the ocean, and here nature expresses herself with all her extraordinary strength and beauty. It has become famous in the last few years for its amazing light, and is one of the best locations to catch the authentic atmosphere of the North Sea. We then continue towards the stunning Utakleiv and its unforgettable views. The mountains will be right next to us, along with the crystal sea, white sand, silence, and “genuine” nature… it will be difficult to believe that we are 200km above the Arctic Circle as we gaze upon nature of such lush and varied colours. The beaches of Haukland were defined in the “Times” magazine as one of the most beautiful locations in the world. We’ll then carry on to Unstad, which is a small spot with a handful of little houses, perched at the foot of the mountains, from where we can admire the striking seascape. After we’ve enjoyed such beauty, we’ll journey on towards the famous beaches of Ramberg, where we will stop for a brief snack. We’ll then depart for the stunning village of Nusfjord. This ancient village is a UNESCO world heritage site, and all its completely wooden buildings date back to the 18th Century. Nusfjord is an original and picturesque village, surrounding a narrow and imposing inlet. Return to Svolvær in the evening. Accommodation in fishermen's cabins (Rorbu) at Svinoya.
Duration: 09:00 - 17:00 / 18:00
Season: All year
Included: Guiding, light lunch (a sandwich, a bottle of water and a chocolate or a piece of fruit) and transportation
Minimum: 2 people
Day 6: Whale Watching Safari to Andenes, Vesteralen Islands**
Morning bus ride from Svolvaer up to Andenes on Vesterålen Islands (~ 3 hrs drive). Each whale safari begins with a tour in the museum dedicated to the marvelous world of marine mammals, where you will hear about their life, ecology and behavior. The museum tour also includes a new slide show “Sperm whales and other fairy tales from Andenes” which shows all the beauties of Andøya. After the museum tour, the unforgettable boat safari begins, where you can closely experience these remarkable animals. The protagonists of our whale safaris are the sperm whales, and we see sperm whales on 95% of all our whale safaris. But exceptional encounters with other species such as harbour porpoises, dolphins, orcas, minke, humpback and pilot whales also take place.
Usually each trip lasts around 2-3 hours, but it may also be shorter or longer, depending on where the sperm whales are and for how long they are diving. Watching whales in their natural environment is not like being at a zoo, and we need patience whilst searching and waiting for the whales to show up, and we also need to be ready for changes. A lunch package is included, with the possibility to buy lighter meals onboard the boat. Accommodation in fishermen's cabins (Rorbu) at Svinoya.
**This tour only operates with a minimum of 4 people
Day 7: Ferry: Svolvaer - Bodo, Departure from Bodo
Breakfast at the hotel. Direct ferry from Svolvaer to Bodo for your departure flight.
Visas
For your holidays to Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia or Ukraine, you will not need a visa if you have a valid passport from any EU country, Australia, Canada, USA, Japan (there are more, so check with us to make sure). Please note that your passport should be valid for at least six months after the date of your return.
However, if you plan to travel to Russia, you will need a visa, which we can help organise for you.
Insurance
Travel insurance is required and also advisable. If you do not have a valid policy, please check our Insurance link on the bottom of our homepage or http://www.baltictravelcompany.com/insurance. We can offer quotes for all nationalities.
Our recommended partner is FS Ball who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Language
You will be able to communicate quite well with the locals, as most people in the service industry are quite adept at speaking English. If English doesn't work, then try Russian (if you can), or German. The further you go from the major cities, the less English you will hear. However, do not let the language barrier keep you from exploring the beauty of the country side. We can always arrange English speaking guides to accompany you wherever you wish to go.
The Estonian language is similar to Finnish and is unrelated to Latvian, Lithuanian or Russian. Latvian and Lithuanian are two of the oldest languages, with roots traceable to Sanskrit. This makes them quite challenging to learn, but attempting a few words will put a smile on the local faces. Russians use the Cyrillic alphabet, so reading street signs and tube maps will be a challenge in St Petersburg .
Currency
You can get local currency from ATMs at the airport where you land or in the major cities. Be aware that your bank will charge you a service fee and exchange rate fee for the transaction, but this is likely to be less than exchanging money in the UK before you depart. Please note that in Russia exchange bureau's and banks will not except Scottish bank notes.
We suggest choosing the right credit card for spending abroad. Most credit cards will have an additional cost (about 3%) to the bank exchange rates. You can avoid it by obtaining a specialist overseas card that does not add this % and will give you good exchange rates that are better than money exchange bureau rates.
Credit cards charge you interest rates, but some debit cards (bank account cards) could have fees that could add up to £ 1.50 every time you spend.
We recommend checking with your bank what fees/interest rates will be applied to your card when using it abroad in order to make an educated decision on what card to use.
Most restaurants and shops will take credit/debit cards like Visa and Mastercard, however, many places will not accept AMEX.
Traveller's cheques are difficult to cash, so we recommend not to use them.
Airport or ferry terminals in most cases will have the worst money exchange rates, so if you must get it from the airport, pre-order money for pick-up to get a better rate.
The local currencies are (alphabetic order):
Denmark - Danish Kroner
Estonia - Euro
Finland - Euro
Greenland - Danish Kroner
Iceland - Icelandic Kroner
Latvia - Euro
Lithuania - Euro
Norway - Norwegian Kroner
Poland - Polish Zloty
Russia - Russian Ruble
Sweden - Swedish Kroner
Ukraine - Hryvnia
Restaurants
Dining opportunities are plenty, from ethnic to exotic. We would suggest you to try some national dishes and get a real taste of the region. Note that most traditional dishes contain meat and are fairly heavy, but very tasty.
Reservations in advance are recommended for up-market restaurants, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Tipping - many of the up-market establishments will let you know how good their service is by including it on the bill. Rounding up the bill is usually sufficient, unless you feel your server deserves an extra bit of recognition.
Transportation
Railway mostly serves domestic routes and is used as an easy and quick way to get from the capital to major cities of the country. There are some international routes, like to Moscow and St. Petersburg, but time spent on the way will be quite long.
Buses are one of the most convenient ways to travel between the Baltic States. Eurolines will get you between Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn. One way tickets will cost £ 15 - £ 20 and approximate travel time is 5 hours between the cities. Ticket reservations in advance are recommended.
Taxis are the quickest and most convenient way of travelling round the city. You'll find them located close to the main hotels. Usually it's quite easy to catch a taxi on the street, however, it's much better and safer to order one by phone. Taxi costs in all of the Baltic countries and Poland are approximately the same and a ride in the centre of the city will cost you approx £ 5 - £ 7. Taxis in Finland and Russia are considerably more expensive. It is always a good idea to get your hotel to book a taxi for you and ask approximately how much the trip will cost before you get in.
We would not recommend you to take public transportation within the city, as it's usually crowded and it may cause you unnecessary anxiety about where to stop.
Mobile Phones
There are several mobile operators in each Baltic country, the Nordics ( Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland incl. Iceland and Greenland as well as Poland, Ukraine and Russia. If you have an international connection, there shouldn't be any problems with your incoming and outgoing calls.
In case your phone doesn't work, please check in the local mobilephone shops and you can buy Calling cards etc. or ask in your hotel, they should be able to advise you too.
Internet Access
Internet access is available at Internet Cafés, which mostly are located in the central part of the city. Most hotels have internet access.
Postal Services
Stamps are available in the post offices and in most newspaper kiosks. Approximate price for a stamp to European Union countries will vary but between appx. £ 0.30 to £ 0.70. You'll see post boxes on the streets or you can ask hotel representative to send your post card, they'll gladly help you.
Emergency Numbers
Emergency telephone number for the police, ambulance services or fire department in Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Poland - 112.
Greenland uses 911 and for mobile phones only 112.