A 7-night break to northern Norway to search for the northern lights and experience some of the best coastal scenery.
This break starts in Tromso, known as the Paris of the North, before heading south to the fabulous island of Senja. There you’ll take a boat trip to Svolvaer in the majestic Lofoten Islands, your base to explore what is, for many, the crown jewel of the Norwegian Coast.
Senja has historically had a good population of whales in the area during the months of December to mid-February, so if your journey is made in that period then you have a good chance of seeing them. Please note that the whales migration is an act of nature and cannot be guaranteed.
The northern lights in this part of Norway can be spectacular, especially so as they are framed by the towering peaks of the mountains that soar out of the sea.
Location
Norway
Duration
7 Nights
Available dates
Sep - Mar
Price per person (excl. flights)
from £2,350
Overview
Highlights
- 4 nights in Tromso – the ‘Paris of the North’
- 3 nights on the beautiful island of Senja
- Accommodation in comfortable apartments by the sea
- Wildlife and day fjords cruise out of Tromso
- Daily day and evening guided activities in Senja
- RIB Boat wildlife safari in Trolfjord
What’s included
- 4 nights accommodation with breakfast at the central Tromso Hotel
- 3 nights accomodation on full board basis with 3 activity choices at Mefjord Brygge
- Aurora Dinner Cruise
- Lyngen Snowmobile Safari
- Transfers to/from the airport and Finnses harbount (boat transfer booked locally)
A note on flights
While flights are not included in the holiday price, our team will happily provide a quote and arrange them for you. Simply ask one of our Travel Experts for details of the available options.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Tromso airport and transfer to your hotel.
Settle in and explore the local area and either choose to eat at the hotel or one of the excellent local restaurants around the quayside.
Day 2
Morning to Explore Tromso and then transfer to Senja Island
Take some time out in the morning to explore Tromso before then departing to Finnsnes in the afternoon.
Return to port in time for your onward boat transfer to Finnsnes (this is booked locally). The journey by boat takes about 75 minutes and lets you experience coastal nature.
A driver will pick you up at the boat terminal in Finnsnes and transfer you through the beautiful Senja island to Mefjord Brygge – your base. Check into your sea-facing apartment before dinner is served in the maritime-style restaurant.
After a short briefing and introduction to your activity program, it will be time to relax, go for a small walk in the evening or finish off the day in the sauna.
Day 3
Day of Seasonal Activities. Northern Lights Hunting
Breakfast will be served at 9.00 after which you will meet with the guide who will present your plan for the next couple of days with regard for current season and weather conditions.
Typically, during daylight hours you will go for an Arctic Boat Safari to see wildlife and marine landscape. Lunch will either be on the safari or upon your return to the hotel. The afternoon might be spent at leisure or you can go for a small snowshoeing trip on your own.
Traditional Norwegian dinner will be served in the early evening and after that you will get ready for the night time session. The guide will take you to some remote spots for a Northern Lights chasing experience. You will also visit scenic vantage points where it is possible to admire the Aurora Borealis without any light pollution.
Day 4
Day of Seasonal Activities. Northern Lights Hunting
After breakfast, you will do a different activity to the day before – depending on the season and preferred activity, it may be a minibus sightseeing, snow-shoeing or hiking trip to see different types of Senja’s nature and in case of bad weather there would be a special trip to show you the harsh Arctic coast and power of the Norwegian Sea.
After dinner, you will again set out for an evening activity focusing on experiences on Senja and the northern lights. Hopefully, you will admire the beauty of the aurora borealis reflected in the sea and with mountains in the foreground while visiting some remote spots in the nearby fjords.
The creative guides will surprise you by telling some old local stories, showing you some interesting places and introducing you to traditions linked with north-Norwegian culture.
Day 5
After breakfast you will be dropped back at the Finnsesn harbour and catch your boat back to Tromso where you will check in at your centrally located hotel and spend the evening relaxing after the previous couple of days’ adventures.
Day 6
Spend the day exploring Tromso by visiting some of the local musuem or crossing over the bridge to see the Arctic Cathedral. Then get prepared for an evening out on an Aurora Dinner Cruise. As you cruise around the Tromsø fjord, you will be presented a delicious Arctic tapas dinne which is prepared by an award-winning local restaurant.
Put together with locally sourced, seasonal and fresh ingredients, the three-course dinner is inspired by traditional Northern Norwegian cuisine with a modern twist! Carefully selected local beer and quality wine are also available for purchase. As you enjoy your meal the captain will keep an eye out for the northern lights, the perfect way to cap off an evening adventure!
Day 7
You will grab an early breakfast before getting your transfer out to the Lygen Alps where you will explore this stunning location with a local guide. On this scenic, gentle and safe Snowmobile Safari, you will see nature at its very best. The area of the Lyngen Alps offers some of the most beautiful scenery in Northern Norway. It is a big wilderness playground where you will follow some approved and well-established trails. In the afternoon you have the chance to relax and if you wish to add on additional northern lights excursion, one of the team can pre-book this for you or this can be done locally.
Day 8
After breakfast you will get your standard transfer back to the airport for your flight home. There are plenty of opportunities to extend your stay, with options to cross over the border to Sweden or Finland. You might like to spend some time in Norway’s capital city, Oslo – just let our team know and they can build that into your itinerary.
Where You'll Stay
Scandic Ishavshotel Tromso
The Scandic Ishavshotel is on a picturesque waterside location in Tromsø, which is often referred to as the Paris of the North, and offers stunning views of the harbour and city. It is located only 50 metres from the Hurtigruten ferry and 4 minutes from the Polar Museum. It has easy access to the pier where most boating trips depart from.
Almost all rooms at the Scandic Ishavshotel are located at the very end of the quay and provide panoramic views whilst there are excellent Restaurant and Bar facilities.
For a relaxing drink visit the Roast Bar, located right by the water and offering views of the Tromsø Bridge and a famous architectural landmark, the Arctic Cathedral.
Mejford Brygge
Mefjord Brygge is surrounded by mountains in the picturesque fishing village of Mefjordvær on Senja Island. Accommodation is in modern style cabin apartments which face out to the sea and offer plenty of space.
A well-equipped kitchen, private bathroom and a balcony or patio feature in all apartments and cottages at Mefjord Brygge. They also include a seating area and flat-screen TV. All cabins are en-suite.
Relax options at Mefjord Brygge include a sauna, hot tub and solarium.
The guides at Mefjord Brygge run a daily programme of activities for clients which focus in Autumn and Winter on the sea and the northern lights. They have their own boat which is ideal for whale watching.
Meals are served in a very traditional and atmospheric marine style restaurant a short walk from the cabins.
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Reviews
See what our clients say
Superb holiday to Iceland, well organised, advice regarding trips informative and far exceeded our expectations (Glaciers and ice Cave) run by South Coast. Hotel Ranga is a lovely hotel, perfect to see Northern Lights (which we did see on our 3rd night), very comfortable, food excellent, staff helpful and informative. SouthCoast Adventure tour company were excellent, guides knowledgeable, and clearly very experienced.
Helen Middleton
This was a bucket list trip. The company are specialists and I’ve valued their advice. Everything from the when to go for the best opportunity to see the lights and equipment needed and provided.Our activities included, the Ice Hotel, night photo shoot, snowmobiling, guided walk and the sky station meal. All excellent and well run by knowledgeable experts and guides. The Abisko Lodge is warm comfortable and relaxing the food is excellent and the staff welcoming, friendly and very helpful. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for a different and exciting experience.
Jean Lavender
1. Gourmet Cabins was excellent and Johan was a friendly and knowledgeable host. The food, cabins, hot tub and sauna were brilliant.
2. Dog sledge was a fantastic experience and we were given the opportunity to drive our own sledge
3. Snow Mobile – really got off the beaten track and into the spectacular mountains
4. Saw the Northern Lights twice in two days. There is no description that can really do them justice
Nigel Longton
We had a wonderful time! The food at the lodge was amazing and there were some great vegetarian dishes. I had the best beetroot I’ve ever had (beetroot tartare).
Everyone was really friendly and all the guides were good fun and very knowledgeable.
A special thanks to William and Petri who were really friendly and really added a personal touch to our trip. The activities were really well planned and we especially enjoyed the trip with the huskies. The area we were in is stunning and the lodge was very nice. We would definitely recommend this to friends and family.
Fiona Green
We had a fantastic 4 nights that included glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, the aurora borealis and more! Lovely hotels, especially Hotel Ranga. We filled every moment and felt thoroughly invigorated on our return.
Frances Harrington
My daughter and I had an amazing time on our trip, we didn’t want it to end! Everything went according to plan, each excursion was well organized and everyone involved with each activity, as well as everyone at the lodge was kind, friendly, positive and happy, which makes such a difference to your whole experience. The food at The Abisko Mountain Lodge was also incredibly good. Our room was large, comfortable and well-furnished. The bathroom too was also spacious and well-equipped. The outdoor clothing provided was of very good quality which kept us warm, and the staff members are happy to change items if they are not quite the right size for you. This is my second trip with Weekend a la carte and I’m sure there will be more as I have complete trust in them. I highly recommend Aurora Nights, it was fabulous.
Jane Ashworth
A well organised trip which was tailored to our specific requests. The arrangements all ran perfectly and any queries prior to the holiday were handled very quickly and professionally. The standard of accommodation and organised tours was very high. I would use this company again and recommend them.
Iain Baxter
An excellent holiday which was enjoyed by all. The super jeep ride on the second day to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was memorable and thanks to our driver Margaret who proved to be a really good guide. We thoroughly enjoyed the facilities in the hotel Ranga. The staff were very helpful and we managed to see the Northern Lights. The Hotel Reykjavik Centrum was very nice with amazingly helpful staff. All in all, the whole holiday was brilliant.
Brian Coombs