Norwegian Christmas Holiday

Itinerary

Dec 23: Welcome to Norway

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Malangen Resort. This scenic trip takes around 90 minutes from Tromso city centre and provides an excellent start to your Malangen adventure.
Overnight in a standard hotel room incl. breakfast

Dec 24: Husky Safari & Christmas Eve

Breakfast at the resort and Husky Safari in the afternoon. Nature-based activities form an important part of the Malangen Resort experience. In winter, this is one of Northern Norway’s Northern Lights hotspots. The resort offers high quality seasonal adventures at their very own wilderness camp, Camp Nikka, located in the mountain wilderness within walking distance of the resort. In winter guests can choose between snowmobile safaris, dog sledding, ice fishing and our unique Northern Lights Watch. As well as being picturesque, the Malangen Fjord is rich in fish stocks. The area surrounding Malangen Resort is also ideal for cross-country skiing, providing nature-based adventures to suit every season.

09:00 - 12:30 
HUSKY SAFARI EXCURSION

Located near the Camp Nikka, you will meet an intimate group of eager huskies just waiting to take you into the Arctic wilderness. You will start the adventure with a lesson on how to manage your own husky team, drive in pairs with the chance to change drivers halfway and finish the excursion with a delicious hot meal by an open fire. The wilderness camp is small and cosy and there is no room for mass-tourism or stress of any kind. Here you can concentrate on enjoying one of the best experiences in the Arctic North.

20:00
3-COURSE CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER
To celebrate Christmas the Scandinavian way, you will have to wrap up warm tonight and make your way down to the wilderness camp where you will enjoy a 3-course Christmas dinner, served in a setting with open fireplace and the company of Santa Claus himself. Tonight you will also have great changes of seeing the Northern Lights at the wilderness camp – how more magical can an arctic Christmas get?
Overnight in a standard hotel room incl. breakfast and Christmas Eve Dinner

Dec 25: Boxing Day & Northern Lights Watch

Breakfast at the resort and day at leisure. Recreation facilities at Malangen Resort include a glass-fronted sauna and two open air hot tubs. The large glass-fronted sauna is located near the waterfront
so you can enjoy unsurpassed views of the spectacular fjord and
mountains while relaxing in the warmth of the sauna.  Two open air hot tubs are located alongside the glass-fronted sauna. The hot tubs are ideal for groups, families or couples wanting to share a special experience together. Like the glass-fronted sauna and virtually every other facility at Malangen Resort, the
hot tubs offer spectacular views of the fjord and mountain. If you’re really lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the majestic Northern Lights during a relaxing dip in the wintertime.

21:30 – 01:30
NORTHERN LIGHT WATCH 4 hours  
Includes: All equipment such as boiler suit, boos, gloves and headgear, headlamps. A small snack with coffee or tea (Vegetarian food is served if prior notice is given). As well as Instructions for photographing the Northern Lights, free digtal photos of the trip. 

Malangen Resort is located in one of the most visited Northern Lights hotspots in the Tromsø area. ”The guard” enhances your opportunity of seeing the mysterious northern lights. We prepare for the journey with a briefing about this natural phenomenon and the current conditions before we set off to Camp Nikka which is a 20 minutes walk from the resort.

Camp Nikka is located behind the resort which is next to a small lake and a place that does not have any light pollution. It is said that the statistics from recent years shows that there is an 85 percent chance of seeing the lights. 

Overnight in a standard hotel room incl. breakfast

Dec 26: Farewell Norway

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Tromso airport for your flight back home.

This map uses Google Maps, so you can zoom and interact with it as we hope it is familiar to you.

For a larger version of this map which opens in a new window, click here

The lines shown give you an indication of our destinations and are not the exact route used.

You'll see...

• Husky Dog Sledding in Tromso »
• Northern Lights of Norway »
• Photographing the Northern Lights »
• Facts on the Sami people: Culture, history & locality »
• Snow Shoeing »
• Snowmobile Holidays »
• Tromso snowmobile safari attraction »
• Tromso – history, attractions and activities »
• Weather In Northern Norway »
• Santa Claus Norway »

Will I see the Northern Lights?

Please scroll down to see the specifics for the country you wish to visit:

Iceland:
The Northern Lights are in the Northern sky from September through April but are only visible when the sky is clear and free of clouds. Like many of natures wonders, it’s ephemeral – they may be visible, they may appear for a bit and then be gone. But it’s worth it to be patient. Because they’re a winter event, you need to be prepared to wait outside, while looking for them. It’s best to dress very warmly, in layers, with good footwear, gloves, hats and whatever else will make you comfortable while you await this truly amazing event. The Northern Lights can be pretty spectacular, and for the best photos we recommend using a tripod. Much of Iceland offers a very a good chance to see the Northern Lights when conditions are right. Remember – the Northern Lights are natural phenomena, not guaranteed, but appreciated all the more for their elusive qualities.

Norway:
Northern Norway is one of the world's best places to experience the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). In Northern Norway, Northern Lights occur in up to 90% of every clear night in the period from late September to late March. Most Northern Lights occur in the time span from 6pm to slightly after midnight, with an absolute peak at around 10-11pm. 

In Norway, the area north of the Arctic Circle is prime aurora territory. The various destinations in the High North have a distinct personality, and are well worth exploring. Major places in Northern Norway are Tromsø, Kirkenes, Alta, Bodø, Lofoten and Vesterålen Islands and Svalbard.

Finland:
The best place to see the Northern Lights in Finland is in the Northern Lapland region, which is almost entirely located within the realm of the Arctic Circle. During the dark winter months here, when the sun rarely peaks its head over the horizon, you can expect to see the Finland Northern Lights with regularity, and other peak seasons include February through March and September through October. The most common colours of the Northern Lights are greenish-yellow and red.

The Finnish term for the Northern Lights, Revontulet, meaning fox fire, comes from an old tale where the fox was believed to swish its bushy tail on the snowy fell landscapes, throwing sparks into the air.

As mentioned, Lapland is the best place to see the Finland Aurora Borealis, with the Kilpisjarvi area offering the most abundant opportunities. The best time of the day to see the Finland Northern Lights is between 9 pm and 11:30 pm, though they are certainly not restricted to this time frame.

Sweden:
In Northern Sweden, the Northern Lights usually occur during the winter months through late March or early April, but they can be spotted as early as September in the Northernmost parts. Your best chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights is on cold winter nights when the sky is clear and cloudless. You need to be away from city lights, which dilute the effects of these natural phenomena, so head out into the countryside. On clear nights, the Northern Lights can be visible from most locations in Swedish Lapland, occurring between 6 pm to and 2 am, with the strongest shows happening between 10 pm and 11 pm. For those willing to brave the cold on winter nights, here are some of the best locations in Swedish Lapland for viewing these phenomena:

Abisko National Park
Abisko National Park, a couple of kilometers north of Kiruna, is a prime location for viewing the Northen Lights. The scientifically proven “blue hole” — a patch of sky over the Torneträsk lake that usually remains clear despite overcast weather in surrounding areas — gives Abisko its own micro-climate, which is suitable for catching the lights.

Jukkasjärvi and the Torne Valley
Not only does the village of Jukkasjärvi (population roughly 541) boast the world’s first ice hotel (rebuilt ever year from Torne River ice), it’s also one of the best regions to view the Northern Lights. ICEHOTEL organizes guided tours for guests which takes the to the Esrange Space Center located 30 minutes from Kiruna. You can dine at a wilderness camp and get the chance to scan the Arctic winter sky for aurora borealis.

Other regions in Swedish Lapland
As mentioned earlier, if weather conditions are just right (clear, dark, cold, and cloudless), you might catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from any location within subarctic and arctic Sweden — even close to larger towns such as Luleå, Jokkmokk, Arvidsjaur, and Gällivare.

Greenland:
The northern lights - or Aurora Borealis as it is officially known - actually occur all year round, but cannot be seen during the summer months in Greenland due to the midnight sun. The phenomenon is often seen around midnight and is best experienced on a dark, clear night in the period from September to the beginning of April. If you are travelling during this period, you can see the Northern Lights from anywhere in the country, whilst in South Greenland the northern lights can be seen from as early as the end of August.

Car Rental

You can rent a car, as long as you have a valid EU or international driver's license. Most cars will have manual transmission.

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.