North of the Arctic Circle
Five countries, two nights at sea and six evenings under Arctic skies — with half the moving and twice the time in the far north.
- Six evenings watching for the aurora, in two Arctic regions
- A professional photographer on an aurora evening
- A working reindeer herder and a husky run
- A private Sámi evening by the fire
- Dinner in an Arctic ice restaurant
- Two overnight Baltic sailings in sea-view cabins
Overview
This journey is built around the Northern Lights, and around comfort. Rather than long winter drives, we fly between the Arctic bases and spend the time saved where it matters: three nights in Finnish Lapland and three in Arctic Norway, four hundred kilometres apart, so one bad weather front cannot take the aurora away.
Before and after the Arctic come the Nordic capitals at an easy pace — Stockholm, Helsinki, a day in medieval Tallinn, an afternoon in Oslo and two nights in Copenhagen — with two overnight sailings in sea-view cabins. There are free mornings, no compulsory snowmobiling and no four a.m. starts.
Day by day
- Days 1–2
Stockholm
Arrival and a welcome dinner. With a private guide: Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace and the Vasa Museum, followed by a proper Swedish fika.
Overnight · Central hotel, Stockholm - Day 3
Across the Baltic
A morning on Djurgården, then an overnight sailing to Helsinki with dinner at a reserved group table.
Overnight · Sea-view cabin - Days 4–5
Helsinki and Tallinn
A private tour of Helsinki, the Temppeliaukio rock church and the Design District, then a private Finnish sauna. A day ferry to Tallinn: the UNESCO-listed Old Town, lunch in a medieval cellar and the KGB Museum at Hotel Viru.
Overnight · Central hotel, Helsinki - Days 6–8
Finnish Lapland
Fly north across the Arctic Circle to Rovaniemi. Arctic clothing is fitted for everyone. A working reindeer herd, a husky run (drive your own team or ride), dinner in an ice restaurant, and three evenings watching for the aurora — one with a professional photographer.
Overnight · Boutique hotel, Rovaniemi - Days 9–11
Arctic Norway
A direct flight to Tromsø. The Arctic Cathedral, the Polar Museum and the cable car; a fjord cruise on a heated catamaran; a private Sámi evening; three more aurora evenings with guides who follow the clear sky.
Overnight · Waterfront hotel, Tromsø - Day 12
Oslo, and south by sea
Fly to Oslo for Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Opera House, then sail down the Oslofjord overnight.
Overnight · Sea-view cabin - Days 13–14
Copenhagen
Nyhavn, Amalienborg and Christiansborg with a private guide; Designmuseum Danmark and a smørrebrød lunch. A farewell dinner with the photographs of the journey.
Overnight · Central hotel, Copenhagen - Day 15
Departure
Breakfast and a transfer to Copenhagen airport.
A sample itinerary. The order of days may change with local calendars, weather and opening times; the final itinerary is confirmed before you travel.
Register your interest.
Tell us who would travel and roughly when. We will share departure dates and full details, or arrange this journey privately for your own group.
You may also like
Kyoto, When the Maples Turn
Temple gardens at the height of the maples, a private tea ceremony, kaiseki dinners at a traditional ryokan and a day among the temples and deer of Nara — timed to miss the crowds.
View the journey
The Nile by Sailing Dahabiya
Cairo and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then the Nile aboard a traditional sailing dahabiya — a handful of cabins, a wide sun deck, and quiet moorings near temples the large cruise ships pass by.
View the journey
A Chettinad Mansion, Taken Whole
A restored merchant mansion reserved entirely for the group — Burma-teak pillars, Athangudi-tiled halls and courtyards open to the sky, with the region's famous cooking served at the house's own table.
View the journey