Day-by-day programme of this 8-day itinerary across The Arctic: Tromso, Senja and the Lofoten.
Day 1 â Arrival in Tromso
Landing in Tromso, the 'Paris of the North', the main city of Arctic Norway, above the Arctic Circle. A first stroll between the Arctic Cathedral and the harbour.
- âïļ Tromso â Aeroporto di Tromso (TOS)
- ð Arctic Cathedral â The Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen) is the symbol of Tromso: a white concrete structure shaped like an iceberg or a Sami tent, with a large stained-glass window. From here the Fjellheisen cable car climbs to Mount Storsteinen, from which the view embraces the city, the islands and the snowy mountains; in winter, with a bit of luck, the aurora dances right here. You then stroll the centre, among the oldest wooden buildings and the northernmost bars in the world. Tomorrow Arctic activities and aurora hunting.
- ðĻ Home Hotel Aurora â Centro, Tromso
Day 2 â Arctic experiences and aurora
A day of Arctic experiences - husky sledding, reindeer and Sami culture, or whale watching - and, at night in winter, the hunt for the northern lights.
- ðŊ Tromso (attivita artiche) â Tromso is the heart of Arctic experiences: you can drive a husky-drawn sled in the snow, visit a Sami camp to feed the reindeer and listen to the joik songs, or (in winter) set off whale watching, when whales and orcas chase the herring in the fjords. In summer, instead, you live under the midnight sun that never sets. It is a day of pure polar magic. The night is devoted to hunting the aurora.
- ðŊ Northern Lights â From September to March, Tromso is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. An expert guide drives you by minibus far from the city lights, chasing the clear skies: when the green lights (and sometimes pink and purple) begin to dance in the black sky, it is an unforgettable thrill, often with a hot chocolate around the fire. In summer the phenomenon is not visible (there is daylight all night). Tomorrow you set off for the wild island of Senja.
Day 3 â The island of Senja
A transfer to Senja, Norway's second-largest island, nicknamed 'Norway in miniature' for its landscapes that sum up the best of the country, among peaks and sea.
- âïļ Tromso â Senja â Senja, Norvegia
- ð Tungeneset â Tungeneset is one of the most spectacular viewpoints on Senja: a wooden walkway leads onto sea-smoothed rocks facing the Okshornan range, the 'ox horns', a row of sharp spires standing out against the open sea. It is the island's symbolic spot, magnificent at sunset or under the aurora. Nearby, Ersfjord beach and the village of Husoy. You overnight on Senja, hoping for the northern lights. Tomorrow you head down towards the Lofoten.
- ðĻ Senja Hotell â Senja, Norvegia
Day 4 â Towards the Lofoten
A transfer to the Lofoten islands, an archipelago of sharp peaks rising from the sea, fishing villages of red houses and white beaches. Arrival in Svolvaer.
- âïļ Senja â Lofoten â Svolvaer, Lofoten
- ð Svolvaer â Svolvaer is the lively capital of the Lofoten, with its little harbour, art galleries and red rorbu reflected in the water. From here boat excursions leave for the Trollfjord, a very narrow arm of sea set among vertical walls. The town is surrounded by peaks like the Svolvaergeita, the 'goat' loved by climbers. In the evening, a dinner of cod (the skrei, symbol of the islands) and, if the season is right, eyes to the sky for the aurora. Tomorrow Henningsvaer and the fishing villages.
- ðĻ Svinoya Rorbuer â Svolvaer, Lofoten
Day 5 â Henningsvaer and the Trollfjord
A day between Henningsvaer, the picturesque fishing village with its famous football pitch on the rocks, and a boat excursion into the very narrow Trollfjord.
- ð Henningsvaer â Henningsvaer is considered the most beautiful village in the Lofoten: a cluster of islets linked by bridges, with a small harbour, colourful houses, art galleries, cafes and the famous football pitch set among the rocks and the sea, now an Instagram icon. You stroll among the racks where cod dries in the wind (the stockfish, which has reached Italy for centuries). It is a concentrate of Arctic charm. In the afternoon, a boat trip to the Trollfjord.
- ðŊ Trollfjord â A boat enters the Trollfjord, one of the narrowest and most spectacular fjords in Norway: barely 100 metres wide at the entrance, enclosed by very high, vertical rock walls. In winter sea eagles are often spotted here, gliding over the water. The contrast between the tiny boat and the immense mountains is breathtaking. You return to Svolvaer for the evening. Tomorrow you head to the south of the islands, to Reine and Hamnoy.
Day 6 â Reine, Hamnoy and the south
A journey to the south of the Lofoten along the E10 road, to the postcard villages of Reine and Hamnoy and the little harbour of A, the end of the road.
- ð Hamnoy â The E10 road runs towards the south of the Lofoten among ever more spectacular panoramas, to Hamnoy, the most photographed village in the archipelago: the red rorbu over the water, with sharp mountains behind, seen from the bridge are the symbolic image of the Lofoten. Just beyond, Reine lies on a lagoon surrounded by peaks that look painted. You stop at every bend for photos. The Arctic light, low and golden, makes everything magical. You continue to the end of the road, at A.
- ð Reine â Reine is the jewel of the southern Lofoten, a fishing village set on a peninsula between sea and mountains, regularly voted among the most beautiful places in the world. From here the (steep) trail to Reinebringen starts, from which the view over the archipelago is legendary. You then reach A i Lofoten, the last village, literally the end of the road, with its stockfish museum. You head back north for the night. Tomorrow the white beaches and the last aurora hunt.
Day 7 â Arctic beaches and last aurora
A last day among the white, turquoise beaches of the Lofoten - Haukland, Uttakleiv, Kvalvika - and a last night with eyes to the sky, hoping for the aurora.
- ð Haukland Beach â The Lofoten guard beaches that look Caribbean, were it not for the temperature: fine white sand and turquoise water, but framed by snowy mountains. Haukland and Uttakleiv are the most accessible and spectacular; remote Kvalvika is reached by a walk among the rocks. A few surfers brave the icy waves in wetsuits. It is a surreal landscape, where the Arctic meets the tropics. In the evening, a last fish dinner and a last attempt at the northern lights.
Day 8 â Departure from the Lofoten
Return flight from the Lofoten. The end of a journey in Arctic Norway, among northern lights, peaks rising from the sea and fishing villages.
- âïļ Lofoten â Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa (MXP)
