Reach The Heart Of Lapland With Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten has launched a new one-off itinerary for those who wish to explore “The Heart of Norwegian Lapland.” in 2014. 

The 12-day tour from March 25 to April 5 combines a Hurtigruten voyage on MS Midnatsol along Norway’s wintery fjord coast with a tour into the interior of Finnmark, the northernmost province of Norway and home to the Norwegian Sami. Highlights include a visit to an Igloo hotel, opportunities to meet the local Sami people and a Northern Lights tour.

The voyage will start in Bergen, the Hanseatic city steeped in tradition, and follows up with a visit to the old royal city of Trondheim, the picturesque Lofoten archipelago and the “Arctic capital” of Tromsø, and on to the port of Alta, the largest city in Finnmark. Weather conditions allowing, the ship will travel off the normal Hurtigruten course around the imposing North Cape Plateau, the northernmost point in Europe.

Passengers will then disembark for a two day land tour of the region. Highlights include a visit to the Alta Museum and its petroglyphs - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a trip to the impressive Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, a reindeer stew lunch by the open fire on cosy reindeer skins in a traditional Sami tent and a concert by local performers.

The Finnmark region is one of the best places to observe the spectacular Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis. The land-based part of the trip ends with a journey to a winter camp far away from any interfering light sources to maximise chances of seeing this magnificent spectacle.

At the end of the local tour, guests will be transferred back to Alta, from where MS Midnatsol sets off on its southward journey to Bergen.

The trip costs from £1,855 per person for the 12-day trip (based on 2 sharing). Flights are available for an additional £450 per person.

More info: call 0844 448 7601 or visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk.

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Chasing The Northern Lights

A winter cruise to Norway, in search of the amazing Northern Lights is one of the most exciting itineraries in the world, and 2013 is predicted to be one of the best for many years to view the majestic Aurora Borealis. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has offered three winter voyages to Norway for its 2012/13 season, and the last of these – a 14-night cruise aboard Boudicca, departing from Portsmouth on March 13 – still has some availability.

The itinerary for this ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’ departure is ideally suited to a cruise line with a strong Norwegian heritage, and calls first at Ålesund, the pretty Norwegian town famous for its Art Nouveau-style buildings and national Art Nouveau Centre, or ‘Jugendstilsenteret’. Next is Tromsø, far up into the Arctic Circle, where Boudicca will stay for two nights, giving guests the maximum chance of seeing the Lights. From here, guests can also choose to take Fred. Olsen’s ‘Chase for the Northern Lights’ tour and, so far this year, they have been lucky enough to witness Nature’s greatest light show from Tromsø several times.

Boudicca then calls at Alta (Finnmark, Norway), the most northerly port on this cruise. From Alta, guests can travel to Hammerfest, thought to be the most northerly town in the world. On the return voyage, the ship visits Kristiansund, with its picturesque old town and quaint wooden buildings, complete with a unique Klippfish – or ‘dried cod’ – Museum, before sailing back to Portsmouth.

Prices for this very special cruise start from £1,299 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside, twin cabin, with an ‘Anchor Fare’. The price includes all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure-cruise specialists.

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