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In a nutshell...
• Duration: 3 nights
• Group size: approximately 2-6 people
• Flights from London to Tromsø (via Oslo)
• Return airport transfers
• 2 nights hotel in Central Tromsø, 1 night in a cabin or lavvu at Camp Tamok
• 3 breakfasts, 2 lunch, 3 dinners
• Activities: 2 x Northern Lights hunts, dog sledding, evening reindeer safari, snowmobile safari (order of activities subject to change)
• Cold weather clothing for the duration of your stay
• Fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors
 
Departure dates from: 7 December 2012 to 29 March 2013
 
There are not many places where you can combine mountains and fjord landscapes with urban sophistication so it’s not surprising that visitor numbers to Tromso are on the up. We’ve designed this holiday to combine all these elements, with time to explore Tromso but also getting you outside the city in order to increase your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis.

Tromsø has gained a reputation as one of the best places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis but if you want to see the Northern Lights in all their glory you need to get outside the city and we have just the places!

Tromso
Some Arctic ports are built to withstand the elements and aren’t always the prettiest places in the world. And then there’s Tromsø. If you fly in at night, the city sparkles in the winter chill and the street lights reflected against Arctic Ocean inlets recreate a tantalising impression of how the Aurora might appear in the night sky.

For somewhere so far north, Tromsø is a remarkably cosmopolitan place boasting far more than its fair share of attractions, shops, bars, restaurants and nightlife. If you’re staying in the city then two places in particular should command your attention, The Polar Museum and Polaria.

Camp Tamok
Leave the urban sophistication of Tromsø, follow the course of the Balsfjorden onto what is little more than a track seemingly leading to the absolute dead centre of nowhere. Just when you’re convinced that you are lost in a remote wilderness surrounded by towering snowy mountains, you find yourself at Camp Tamok.

You may recall the scene at the end of Dances with Wolves when Kevin Costner leaves the Indian camp on horseback. The teepees are covered in snow, the natives are wrapped in warm clothing and fires burn to ward off the winter chill. We’d describe Camp Tamok as a latter day Indian Camp but with a few (not a lot) more facilities.

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Day 1: Arrival, transfers and introductions
 
After picking up your bags at Tromsø Airport simply walk outside and jump on the airport’s shuttle bus into the city centre which stops outside your hotel. The cost is approximately NOK60 one-way so you may want to take a small amount of the local currency or you can use either Visa or Mastercard.

We can arrange private transfers if preferred for a supplement.

Depending on your arrival time, there may be time to spend a little time in Tromsø prior to meeting your guide at the hotel. After an introductory meeting, it’s time for dinner at the hotel before you head out into the Arctic night with an Aurora guide.

The secret to searching for the Aurora Borealis here is to escape the light pollution created by the needs of 60,000 city dwellers. Your guide will take you outside the confines of the city using his or her local knowledge and experience to track down the Lights and find the best viewpoints.
 
Day 2: Husky safari, evening reindeer safari and wilderness camp
 
There’s no time for lying around in bed even if you had a late night in the company of the Northern Lights. After breakfast, you’ll be jumping on the transfer vehicle to Camp Tamok deep in the mountains towards the Swedish border. The 75 minute drive takes you along the fjords and eventually, once you leave the main road, down a snowy track into what must be officially the Middle of Nowhere.

It’s great! Steep sided hills and mountains surround Camp Tamok making it feel like you are a million miles from modern civilization and waiting for you are teams of extremely eager dogs who are anxious to be running, running, running.

Once you’ve been taught the basics and listened closely to the safety briefing, off come the brakes and woosh!!!! The dogs are almost invariably terribly excited and usually set off like the Hounds of Hell. Keep the brake half down and you will be just fine because after the initial furore, they soon settle into a decent, steady rhythm which means you can relax slightly and enjoy the wonderful landscapes that reveal themselves with every passing kilometre.

Lunch will be included either during the safari or back at Camp Tamok where you’ll have some time to relax before evening falls and you join a local reindeer herder.

Quite simply, reindeer are the most traditional means of transport in this part of the world and it’s a great experience especially at night when there is a chance you will see the Aurora dancing overhead. Your Sami guide will tell you tales about life in this harsh environment and the safari includes dinner. Unless you are a Sami reindeer herder, there are comparatively few people who will experience such an evening. It’s a far cry from Coronation Street and Eastenders!

You will spend the night at Camp Tamok in either a cabin or traditional lavvu. It’s pretty basic with no central heating or running water but once you are tucked into an expedition grade sleeping bag, lying on top of a reindeer skin and the fire is burning, you’ll be warm as toast.
 
Day 3: Snowmobile safari and hunt for the Northern Lights
 
Breakfast will be served in the cabin of the central lavvu (teepee) and be sure to tuck in because more adventure awaits this morning.

How the indigenous Sami people must have welcomed the arrival of the snowmobile! It made there lives much, much easier simply by virtue of their speed and mobility. The Arctic is big and there’s no better way to see it than on a snowmobile.

On this safari, you’ll travel with two people sharing and after a full safety briefing and tuition you’ll leave Camp Tamok and head out onto frozen lakes and up the more technical hilly stages. It’s exhilarating stuff and the added altitude affords some stunning views of this vast winter landscape.

Back at Camp Tamok, you will be served lunch before heading back to Tromsø. There may be time for some last minute shopping before dinner but be sure to meet your guide for the second Aurora hunting session of your stay.
 
Day 4: Depart or extend your stay
 
And so ends a very, very eventful few days so instead of catching the shuttle back to the airport you may want to extend your stay and spend some relaxing time in Tromsø. Please just ask for details if you would like to lengthen your break.