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Hurtigruten 5 Day Arctic Highlights
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Adults from: £895pp
Child prices from: Please call for details
Huge, exclusive savings on top of this operators prices! Call Now 0121 213 0012
Based on 2 adults sharing & sub. avail
Offer valid: 01/09/2011 - 01/09/2015
Duration: 5 days
Departure airport: Any UK airport
Board basis: Half board
The Arctic Highlights voyage spends its entirety within the Arctic Circle giving you not only the best opportunity to see the Northern Lights but also the chance to take part in some fantastic winter excursions. Flying directly into Tromsø, The Gateway to the Arctic, your airport transfer will take you directly to the quayside where your Hurtigruten ship will be waiting to take you north.
HURTIGRUTEN 5 DAY ARCTIC HIGHLIGHTS CRUISE
• Keep your eyes peeled for the beautiful Northern Lights
• Pose for a photo at mainland Europe’s northernmost point,
the North Cape (optional excursion)
• Visit the Russian border at Kirkenes (optional excursion)
• Try your hand at a choice of exciting excursions including snowmobiling,
dog-sledging or snow-shoeing
DAY 1: TROMSØ – YOUR GATEWAY TO THE ARCTIC
Ports visited today: Tromsø, Skjervøy
Many of the epic Arctic expeditions used Tromsø as a starting point; the famous explorer Roald Amundsen sourced both crew and supplies here. With the presence of the Norwegian Polar Institute, the city has cemented its position as the polar capital of Norway. Ishavskatedralen, the Arctic Cathedral, is the most famous landmark with its modern design and extraordinary stained glass window. Tromsø is also home to the world’s
northernmost university and the large number of people arriving here has created a vibrant cultural scene with numerous restaurants and cafés constantly teeming with life. (D)
DAY 2: HONNINGSVÅG AND THE NORTH CAPE
Ports visited today: Øksfjord, Hammerfest, Havøysund, Honningsvåg, Kjøllefjord, Mehamn, and Berlevåg.
Following the scenic sailing through Magerøysund and after an early stop in Hammerfest, you arrive in Honningsvåg. This small port is the gateway to the wonders of the spectacular North Cape which rises 300m from the ocean, and at 71° 10’ 21” north it puts you a mere 2,000 kilometres from the Geographical North Pole. Standing atop the North Cape Plateau you’ll get the eerie feeling of being at the end of the world. This evening, as you approach Kjøllefjord, you pass a rock formation that is sacred to the indigenous Sámi people and now the site of an impressive light show, Finnkjerka. (B, D)
DAY 3: KIRKENES – THE VOYAGE TURNING POINT
Ports visited today: Båtsfjord, Vardø, Vadsø, Kirkenes, Vardø, Båtsfjord and Berlevåg
The last port on the Voyage North is Kirkenes. And at longitude 30 east, you are actually further east than Istanbul and St. Petersburg. The well-policed Russian border and the Kola peninsula are both close by which explains why the road signs are written in both Norwegian and Russian. The terrain, culture and geography of Kirkenes offer the opportunity to take part in some fabulous Arctic excursions. Departing Kirkenes at lunchtime, you reach Vardø, Norway’s easternmost port, later in the afternoon and continue along the Varanger peninsula to Båtsfjord before reaching Berlevåg in the evening. (B, D)
DAY 4: HAMMERFEST AND TROMSØ
Ports visited today: Mehamn, Kjøllefjord, Honningsvåg, Havøysund, Hammerfest, Øksfjord, Skjervøy, Tromsø
Your first major stop of the day is Hammerfest. Founded in 1789 to develop trade with Russia, Hammerfest reconfirmed its position as Norway’s polar capital of its time, acting as a base for hunting expeditions to the high Arctic. In Hammerfest the Meridian Column, erected in 1854, commemorates the first precise measurement of the globe, an achievement so important that it’s become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As early as 1891, wave energy provided power to the first electric street lighting in Northern Europe, and energy innovation is still a signature for Hammerfest with its large Liquid Gas Plant just outside town. From here, your next major stop will be Tromsø where your voyage comes to an end. (B, D)
DAY 5: RETURN TO THE UK
After breakfast in your hotel this morning, a choice of optional winter excursions are available before you are transferred back to Tromsø airport for your flight back to Gatwick. (B)