Stunning adventures await above the Arctic Circle in Norway!

From the northern cultural hub of Mosjøen to the towering peaks guarding the City of Roses, Bodø, we’ve created an adventure that brings you stunning hikes, Norway´s most exciting zipline flying across the Vefsna river, sea kayaking in the turquoise waters of Helgeland, tastes of the nomadic Sami cuisine and culture, whitewater rafting through rugged river canyons, sea-eagle RIB safaris in the Nesna archipelago, glacier hiking in the wild Okstindan national park, traditional boat fishing in the Norwegian Sea and much more in the land of the Midnight sun.

We will soak in all this majestic landscape has to offer from the UNESCO world heritage site of Vega to charming villages in inland Helgeland. We will stay in unique hotels and lodges and enjoy a fine cuisine wherever we go. This adventure is a grand mix of inland culture and the open-hearted way of the coastal people, dosed with a good portion of rich Scandinavian history.

A word about our host:
Mariann Saether is born and bred by the shore of the Otta river in Norway, and has spent 25 years kayaking on rivers all over the world. She is the current, and two time World Champion in extreme kayaking, owns property by the Futaleufu river in Chile and spends winters in the Patagonean Andes together with many of Bio Bio´s guides.

She has been in the adventure tourism industry for two decades, working for companies in Norway, Chile and Canada, along with running her own rafting company, RiverNorth rafting, with her longtime partner Ron Fischer in northern Norway. She loves her country and especially the north, and with a master´s in history from her nine-year university degree she will be sure to let you know all about the rich history in this part of Norway.

September 14 – Arrival Day
We meet in the northern hub of Mosjøen, kicking it off with a Meet & Greet Zipline Adventure straight into the hotel garden of Norway´s oldest hotel: Fru Haugans. Here we will enjoy an aperitif in the garden before we eat a delicious meal in the hotel restaurant. (D)

About Mosjøen
About Fru Haugans
About the Zipline

September 15
After a yummy breakfast, we pack our lunch and drive 1 hour to the start of today’s hike. It will bring us to the famous cabin “Rabot-hytta”, located in front of a spectacular glacier in the Okstindan mountain range. The hike is about 2-3 hours of walking on a trail, taking us straight through the rugged beauty of the northern mountains.

At the cabin we will settle in and enjoy traditional Norwegian lunch-spread made by our guides. The afternoon is free for everybody to roam this amazing glacier scenery, while your guides prepare a great dinner.

Please note that this cabin is a part of the national Norwegian Tourist Associations cabin-series and is not a private cabin. Therefore, we need to be prepared to meet other hikers staying the night at the cabin, enjoying the spectacular surroundings in an international atmosphere as the Rabot cabin is one of the most popular destinations in northern Norway – for good reasons as you will see! With this comes the fact that we need to share facilities within our group, so bring your good spirits for a social experience in outstanding surroundings. (B+L+D)

Rabot Cabin

September 16
Today we will embark on a glacier adventure as we get equipped with crampons and ice axes to explore the ice next to the cabin! Our guides will lead us through the ice for a 2–3 hour adventure. Once back at the cabin, we will enjoy a simple lunch before hiking back out to and drive the Wilderness Road to the charming Strandli gård.

The owners of the lodge are passionate about their traditional cheese making and have won several international medals for their Golvertind and Bæråscammen. With majestic views across the lake Fiplingvatnet we will enjoy the evening in their charming company, and of course eat their famous cheese as well! (B+L+D)

Glacier Info

September 17
Get ready for our most adventurous day! After breakfast, we pack up and head to the small town of Trofors. We will raft the world class Austervefsna river, a river trip provided by our partner RiverNorth rafting, Norway´s most northern rafting company. We will raft the wilderness section of the river which takes us right through the nature reserve with its wild scenery and stunning views of canyons, forests and rapids. We will enjoy a warm lunch by the river side during our time on the water.

This evening is dedicated to the Sami culture, and we will have a local sami prepare us a traditional meal in the RiverNorth Wilderness camp. We will enjoy a soak in the wooden hot-tub overlooking the river, and of course try the wood-fired sauna as well. This evening you will sleep in comfortable beds in traditional sami tepees (lavvo) right here by the river. The teepees are shared, but the wilderness camp is exclusive for our time here.
(B+L+D)

Rafting Info

September 18
Regardless of where you decided to sleep last night, we meet up for a hearty Norwegian breakfast before driving to the coast. Today´s adventure is a marvelous one, as we hike up to the famous Torghatten mountain. It has a spectacular hole going all the way through and is a humbling reminder of the power of nature. We will be walking through and continue a loop around the mountain, eventually ending up back at starting point. The views of the archipelago are nothing short of spectacular!

After the hike, we will board the bus and drive 40 minutes to a truly picturesque restaurant, focusing on local produce. “Hildurs urterarium” is situated in an area often used for gatherings and social events since the time of the Vikings. To this day, people from far and wide gather here to admire the beauty of the area with stunning views, wonderful food and happy company.

After enjoying a late lunch, we drive 10 minutes to the ferry which will carry us to the legendary island of Vega, a UNESCO world heritage scenery for good reason at it is representative of “the way generations of fishermen and farmers have, over the past 1,500 years, maintained a sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic Circle, based on the now unique practice of eiderdown harvesting.”

In Vega we will stay at the Vega Havhotell, which is located on north-west side of Vega, at Viksaas between forests, mountains and seas. (B+L+D)

September 19
After a sumptuous breakfast, we will be getting in sea kayaks to explore the beautiful surroundings of the Vega islands. With over 6000 islands, islets and skerries, the Vega archipelago is a scenic paradise for kayaking. When we want a break or wish to explore one of the lush islands, we will find a sheltered cove and pull our kayaks onto a sandy beach. In a kayak you will feel exceptionally close to nature and the rich birdlife and marine life of the region.

We will eat lunch that we bring with us in the kayaks for a bit of an added adventure!

After our adventure, we drive to the World heritage centre where you will enjoy some time on your own. Through exhibitions and activities, you learn about the life of the fish farmer and inhabitants on these islands, and about the background for the world heritage status.

We stay the night again at the Vega Havhotell. The restaurant will prepare a different menu for you for tonight´s dinner. (B)

Sea kayaking
World heritage center
Vega

September 20
Get ready for an Early Bird start as we will catch a ferry back to the mainland at 07.45, leaving the hotel at 07.30! This is a day packed full of adventures, and we do not want to miss out!

As a first stop, we will stop by the museum of Petter Dass, one of northern Norway´s mostcolorful poets living in the 16th century. He is regarded as a highly influential and important historical person in Norway, working as a priest but with steady ties into the hearty northern Norway culture. We will eat in the restaurant named after Petter Dass’s wife Margrethe Andersdatter (1650-1733), where we will enjoy a delicious meal before continuing on our way north.

As Norway is the country of ferries, we will catch the last one of the day and arrive at our destination in Nesna in the afternoon. Here Visit Nesna will take us out in RIB-boats on a spectacular sea eagle safari. We’ll head to the islands of Hugla and Handnesøya, and then farther out towards Tomma. This island is known for its white sandy beaches, the towering Tomskjevelen (922 m) – and, of course, sea eagles. Your guide will chart a safe course to adventure amidst the islands and islets of the Helgeland coast.

We end this adventure with beer tasting and food in the local micro-brewery Raus before checking into our accomodations for the night. (B+D)

Accommodation
Museum of Petter Dass
Lunch
Sea eagle safari
Raus

September 21
Get ready for a breathtaking journey! Today we will drive up the coastal highway, which by many is described as the world’s most beautiful coastal route!

We will catch the one-hour ferry from the tiny port of Kilboghavn to Jektvik, crossing the Artcic circle on board the ferry. In Tjongsfjord we will stretch our legs and hike up to a magnificent view point of the Svartisen glacier. The hike is short, but steep, as they normally are on the coast. We estimate 3 hours total of hiking, with plenty brakes going up the mountain.

We will also visit the old trading post at Falch pier. The trading post, which was active since the beginning of the 20th century, was owned by the Falch family. As a visitor, you step into a time when the store sold camphor drops and chewing tobacco, Brylcreem, yarn for darning socks, and wooden spools of sewing thread, all in one place. Here you really get a sense of the kind of store at which your great-grandmother and great-grandfather did their shopping!

Our adventure eventually leads us to Støtt brygge, our accommodation and base for the next two days. This evening we will eat in the traditional restaurant “Gammelbutikken”. Its chef takes pride in preparing memorable dishes from the freshest fish from the Vestfjord and the finest locally sourced ingredients. As a guest, you dine in surroundings that are testimony to an ancient and thriving coastal culture.

Our accommodation will be in the old bakery, which is beautifully restored with double bedrooms with a private bath each. In the heyday of the old trading post, with up to a thousand fishermen in addition to the local residents, Støtt had an enormous demand for fresh bread. When the old Bakery burned to the ground in 1878, the proprietor, a merchant named Gotaas, sailed to Åsvær, another trading post on the Helgeland coast. He bought that entire trading post, including the bakery, and moved it all to Støtt! (B+L+D)

Trading post
Støtt brygge
Dinner

September 22
After a nice breakfast we will head out to experience the real fishing culture of Norway. With the local fishing boat of Støtt we will head out to the big ocean and try our luck at fishing – and we will eat lunch onboard the boat as well. The home-made fish soup is supposed to be among the coast´s finest dishes!

In the afternoon we will get at tour of the local museum to learn even more about the vast coastal culture of Norway, and then take some time off to simply enjoy being in such a phenomenal location. We will dine in the restaurant again, and of course enjoy another fine menu. (B+L+D)

Museum

September 23
After a good breakfast it is time to say goodbye to our hosts at Støtt brygge and jump into the taxi boat to Bodø! That is right – along the coast most people do not use the bus to get to and from places, but rather the public speed boat which serves as a bus on the ocean! It is about 50 minutes by boat to the city of Roses, and in Bodø you are free to roam the city and eat lunch where you wish.

We will meet again in the early afternoon, and continue on with our adventure. Depending on weather and tide, we may out to see the strongest tidal current in the world: Saltstraumen. It is situated right outside of the city, and we will of course use a boat to take us there! In the event the weather or tide is not on our side, we will hike to the popular Keiservarden, just outside of the city, to enjoy the last magnificent surroundings of the north on afternoon above the Arctic Circle. This evening we have of course lined up a special adventure for you: The area around Saltstraumen was settled about 11.000 years ago as the last Ice Age came to an end. What better than to experience a real Stone Age dinner in traditional settings
right at the edge of the fjord? After our dinner we will return to Bodø where you will stay in the Radison Blue hotel with splendid views of the harbor. (B+D)

Tidal current
Stone age dinner
Accommodation

September 24
Today we enjoy a lazy breakfast before driving to the airport and say goodbye. (B)