Cruising with one of Havila Kystruten's environmentally friendly and state-of-the-art ships through snow-covered Norwegian fjords and Norway's beautiful nature during the winter months is a great experience in itself. Add spectacular northern lights experiences, delicious food on board and exciting activities led by Havila Kystruten's expedition team. In short - a guaranteed unforgettable holiday experience for both young and old.
Here are seven scenic excursions you can take part in if you cruise with Havila Kystruten in the coming months.
1. Dog sledding with huskies
A dog sled tour in the Norwegian winter landscape is a completely unique experience and is on many Swedes' bucket list. Dogs love to run and use their strong muscles, so this excursion offers both speed, excitement and fresh air in beautiful surroundings - but also warm hugs and lots of love from the devoted dogs. The experience is so popular that two different excursions are arranged, one in Tromsø (on northbound cruises) and one in Kirkenes (on both northbound and southbound cruises). In Tromsø, there are 300 dogs ready to take participants on a fast-paced tour. During the tour, you will also learn more about what it is like to drive a dog sled in the wilderness and how the dogs are trained. Another highlight for both adults and children is that there are often puppies in the pack who are curious about all visitors. The excursion ends with everyone gathering around the fire in a so-called "gamme" (Sami settlement with earth walls) and being offered a hot drink and cake. In Kirkenes, 180 strong huskies are waiting to use their muscles. They may seem a little shy at first, but soften up as soon as they realize what's going on.
2. Reindeer sleigh and visit to the Sami people
Another winter excursion is a reindeer sleigh ride and a visit to the local Sami people in a traditional gamme/kåta. After the sleigh ride, you can help feed the animals, which is an important part of Sami life and culture. Then the tour continues to the Sami people, where you can taste the Sami meat soup bidos, listen to Sami stories and their traditional song joik. The tour departs from Tromsø, on northbound cruises.
3. Visit the ice hotel in Kirkenes
Ice cubes in the glass are hardly something that surprises a bar or restaurant guest. However, sitting down at a table and chairs made of ice is not common. Or that the walls, bar, chandeliers and all other furnishings are made of ice – but that is exactly what awaits you at the ice hotel in Kirkenes! You can visit the hotel in both north and south directions. On the way to the hotel you pass a reindeer farm and once you arrive at the hotel, an ice-cold welcome drink awaits you at the ice bar, consisting of juice made from wild berries. There is also a visit to a husky breeder, before the excursion ends with a light meal inside the hotel.
4. Full speed ahead on a snowmobile safari
Full speed ahead is the rule when the snowmobiles whizz over the frozen fjords and snow-covered expanses during a snowmobile safari. During the excursion, participants are accompanied by guides who both explain how to control the snowmobile and know the Arctic landscape well. With the fast and agile snowmobiles, it is possible to go further inland and thus experience the harsh and wild nature even further away from civilization. In Kjøllefjord (on northbound cruises) and in Mehamn (on southbound cruises) you can even take a snowmobile tour after dark and in clear weather experience the northern lights over the dark expanses.
5. Cruise the World Heritage Geiranger Fjord
In winter, the World Heritage-listed Geiranger Fjord is experienced as both peaceful, raw and wild, which creates a completely different calm over the landscape, while the air becomes crisper, the light brighter and the shadows deeper, compared to other times of the year. Therefore, the winter months are a perfect time to visit the World Heritage fjord. On an excursion with a smaller expedition boat through Geiranger, you can experience, among other things, the change from the open coastal landscape to the narrow and dramatic fjords. In total, you cruise through three fjords and during the time, a fjord guide tells you about how the forces of nature have shaped the landscape, about the plants and animals that live here. The excursion can be booked on northbound cruises.
6. Fishing trip in Trondheim Fjord
Those who want to try their luck at fishing can join a local skipper on a fishing trip in the Trondheimsfjord. While cruising around the island of Munkholmen with its majestic fortress and beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains in the background, you will also learn more about the culture along the coast, the nature of the fjord and the fishing life. The local fisherman will show you how to use the fishing equipment and will be helpful throughout the trip, so that both experienced fishermen and beginners can join in. During the trip, skipper's coffee, tea or hot chocolate is served and old stories about life at sea are told. The fishing trip is available on northbound cruises.
7. Historical dark walk in Lofoten
During the winter months, you can go on a dark hike in the town of Storvågan, which once had the largest settlement north of Trondheim and the Lofoten area. Here you can learn the history of the people who lived here, the famous skrei fish and the medieval town of Vágar, which is often mentioned in written sources from the Middle Ages. Probably because the kings and archbishops of the time saw the need to control the important fishing situation. Even less was written about everyday life in Vágar. Fairy tales and other documents describe how the Lofoten population has fished skrei since the Middle Ages and that people came from far away to take part in the lucrative but dangerous Lofoten fishing in the hope of taking dried fish home with them. A guide meets the group at the quay and equips the participants with headlamps. From here the tour continues on foot and completely in the dark, through the town, the landscape and past an authentic house from 1910, where you can get a better understanding of what was required of a fisherman in Lofoten at that time.
According to the press release.
