Arctic Circle Outdoor Adventure

christmas edition 2021

AVAILABLE

If you have never been to Norway then this beginner level outdoor adventure is a perfect start. We plan a great variety of outdoor activities like deep-sea fishing, kayaking, hiking in nature reserves, Arctic floating, exploring the mountains, observing wildlife and more and much more. This trip takes place in the municipality of Steigen, just 100 km north of the Arctic Circle. This scenic destination is absolutely off-the-beaten-track, wild and a great place to enjoy the Arctic. An awesome trip if you want to refuel in wild nature. Interested in learning some outdoor skills? We are happy to teach you some! This outdoor adventure is one of our most popular ones!  This trip is available in 3 versions.

From 1075 EUR

Easy

7,9 or 12 days

Beginner

Yes

18 December 2021

Yes

Available

MORE FACTS AND DETAILS

how long do you want to travel with us

Anchor Element

Copy for linking on the same page:

https://www.octomono.com?data-scroll-to-anchor=yourUniqueName

Copy for linking from an external page:

https://www.octomono.com?data-anchor-link=yourUniqueName

general information

Here you can find all important information about this trip. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
You can also check our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for general questions.

DATES AND BOOKING INFORMATION

NAME
Arctic Circle Outdoor Adventure

DATES
18 ​December 2021 - 24 December 2021 (7 days, short version)
18 ​December 2021 - 27 December 2021 (10 days, standard version)
18 ​December 2021 - 29 December 2021 (12 days, extended version)
There is also a New Year-Version of this trip.

COSTS (WHAT IS INCLUDED)

COSTS
The costs of this trip are:
1075 EUR (short version)
1350 EUR (standard version)
1650 EUR (extended version)

INCLUDED
Included are all transports during the trip, guiding, use of kayaks, local transport with our boats, tents, use of fishing rods and cooking equipment.

NOT INCLUDED / SHARED COSTS
Flights and transfers to the starting / ending point are not included. Daily expenses like food and drinks are shared among the participants and the staff. Usually these costs are around 10-15 EUR per day. You can also bring some food from your home country.

ADDITIONAL NIGHTS IN ACCOMMODATION
If we (like to) stay more in cabins or cottages, we share these costs as well. Our decisions how to stay overnight are based on weather forecasts, conditions, temperatures and what we like. The cabins are around 30-35 EUR per person / per night. You can find more information about our accommodations below.

LOCATION AND ARRIVAL INFORMATION

LOCATION
This trip starts at our base, a small fishing village named Helnessund, in the municipality of Steigen (Nordland) in the north of Norway. It's located 50 km north of Bodø and can be reached by ferry daily. This fast ferry (hurtigbåt in Norwegian) takes you in approximately one hour from Helnessund to Bodø. Check the timetable for departures in the FAQ.

AIRPORT
To fly to Bodø you usually take a connecting flight from Oslo. There are multiple flights daily between Oslo and Bodø with different airlines such as SAS, NORWEGIAN, WIDEROE or WIZZ Air.

TRAVELING BY TRAIN IN NORWAY
If you want to travel economically friendly we can recommend you a 17 hours train ride from Oslo to Bodø. Check vy.no for more information about traveling by train.

OUR ADVISE: TAKE YOUR TIME
We would like to recommend you to arrive one day before the start of this trip and take some time to acclimatize yourself. It's also good to reduce the travel and work stress.
We can give you suggestions for (budget) hostels or hotels in Bodø if you like.​ An overnight stay in Bodø after the trip has ended is also a good idea. In case of bad weather ferries can be cancelled or delayed.

LEVEL AND EXPERIENCE

LEVEL
For this trip you need to be in a normal shape. The hikes are usually 2-5 hours, but sometimes the trails are steep or include parts where there is no path (cross-country). The kayaking trips are 3-4 hours with some possibilities to stop on an island. Weather and terrain (especially snow) can make short distances tougher.
 
EXPERIENCE
You do not need to have experience in hiking, kayaking or even tenting. We will teach you the things you need to know. No problem!

Everybody has a comfort zone and it always differs from the comfort zone of other people. It is a personal thing. Being in wild nature away from civilization is adventurous, but can also cause stress or might scare you a bit occasionally. These feelings are natural and not a problem. Just be open and share things or ask questions. They say life starts at the end of your comfort zone. We believe that this is very true.

ACCOMMODATION

ACCOMMODATION
You will stay overnight in (mountain) cabins, expedition tents and a tipi tent (with wood stove). Depending on the version you choose, one (short version), two (standard version) or three (extended version) nights in (mountain) cabins are included.

GEAR AND PREPARATIONS

PACKING LIST
This trip is organized north of the Arctic Circle. So you need warm clothing, good shoes and outdoor gear like sleeping bags and more. You can find a detailed packing list here.
On this packing list you can find all the gear and equipment you will need and other practical information.

RENT GEAR FROM US
In case you do not have all the gear and you do not want to buy, then you can rent equipment from us, for example backpacks, sleeping mattresses and more.

REMARKS

THE ARCTIC
Remember we are in the Arctic and here the weather rules. There is no day-to-day itinerary, only short term plans are realistic. We make our decisions on what is possible and when to do it based on weather forecast and conditions. Of course we love to hear your ideas and wishes. And we do our best to make it happen. A bit flexible mindset is a good thing to have here in northern Norway.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

You can find detailed information about the climate and temperatures here.

MORE ABOUT THE DESTINATION

If you want to learn more about the region Steigen click here.

BOOK NOW!

​THE ROUGH SKETCH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE ADVENTURE

The municipality of Steigen (1000 km2) is located in the north of Norway just above the Arctic Circle. We find here excellent beaches, jagged mountains, dense forests, wild valleys, waterfalls and coastline full of fjords and islands. Nature is breathtaking. It is the perfect playground for all kind of outdoor activities and an impressive area to explore new trails, hardly visited areas and tempting mountain summits. After your arrival in the fishing village of Helnessund in Steigen, you will overnight in your first basecamp on a scenic spot overlooking the wild nature of Norway. From there, we do our first hikes and outdoor activities. During this trip, we stay overnight in cabins, wood-stove heated tipi-tents and expedition tents. Choices are based on weather forecasts and what we like as a group. After the first nights, we travel to other places to set up a camp or hike to a remote (mountain) cabin. On most sites, we stay two nights to avoid too much logistics. At the end of the trip, we return to our base in Helnessund, and you take the ferry back to Bodø or make an optional 250 km road trip through the Norwegian mountains (if weather permits).

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DESTINATION

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING THIS TRIP

We have planned a lot of outdoor activities and other exciting things during the  days that you stay with us. We do not have a day-to-day program, because our plans are based on weather forecasts and what we like to do as a group. And isn't that what adventure is all about? We aim to have a good combination of sweat during during daytime, and a beer or coffee with some locals and good meal afterwards. We love slow travel and some time to relax, before taking the next challenge or dive into a new adventure. Take a look at the plans we have for this trip and what you can learn and discover. No problem if you like to skip some of the outdoor activities and take some time for yourself.

DAY-HIKES

During this outdoor adventure we go to several wild areas to hike scenic trails or do some cross-country trekking in places where there are no trails. We love this way of exploring. If we have snow or ice in the mountains we use crampons.
​

Sea-kayaking

The archipelago near our base is an amazing place to kayak. There are many islands and islets. Also with some wind and waves there is a sheltered place to find. Explore the fjords and we teach you how to kayak if this is new for you.

MEET THE LOCALS

We think that next to exploring the Norwegian wilderness, an essential part of traveling is to connect with locals. Life in the North is unique and we lived there for several years. So, you can learn a lot about local history, culture and life in the Arctic. ​​​

VISITING CAVES

To visit a wild cave is for many of us a memorable experience. There are several caves in the area and some of them are easy to reach and good accessibly. We look forward to explore with you and teach you skills.

MOUNTAIN TREKKING

Mountains are tempting and we like to take you up to get this awesome views of the fjords and the ocean. Some of the trails leads to mountain cabins where we can stay overnight, cook some meals and experience the silence of the Arctic.

road tripping

Road tripping is an important ingredient of this outdoor adventure. We will visit different areas in Steigen and aim for the small roads. There is plenty of time for stops in between and shoot some pictures or just to enjoy the views.
​.

Wildlife

Usually, we have encounters with moose, sea eagles, foxes, hare and otter. Along the coast, we might spot seals. For whales, we have to be very lucky, but sometimes we spot some small whales or dolphins from the shore.

ARCTIC FLOATING

One of our favorite outdoor activities is Arctic floating in between the islands. We use survival suits in which you stay warm and dry. It is a very relaxing experience to float in crystal clear water with great views.

SNOWSHOEING

Snowshoeing is a great and fun way to wander through terrain with a lot of snow. We can even take sleds with us (pulka), so we do not have to carry big backpacks. You get a short course if you are not familiar with snowshoe hiking. 
 

HISTORY

Steigen is loaded with history. The mysterious time of the Vikings, the German occupation in WW2 , the iron and bronze age and the modern times. We can tell you a lot about it and you can grab a book to learn more.
​

DEEP-SEA FISHING

We love to catch our own food instead of going to the supermarket. You can learn how to catch fish at sea (like cod and pollock) and how to do the filleting. If lakes are frozen we can try some ice-fishing.

northern lights

It is a perfect time to observe the northern lights. We need clear skies and check frequently outside not to miss the awesome phenomenon. We can help you with photography and shoot some great pictures.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DUTCHEXPLORERS NEWSLETTER

Every few weeks we send out our newsletter ​OUTPOST ​with news about upcoming expeditions, inside stories, travel tips and of course a lot of pictures and videos. Subscribe to our newsletter and be informed about our Arctic adventures.

FOLLOW DUTCHEXPLORERS ON FACEBOOK

You can follow our Dutchexplorers page on Facebook and be on top of our news feed.
​

ENJOY OUR  PICTURES ON INSTAGRAM

We post frequently stunning pictures of our adventures on Instagram. Follow us and enjoy our journeys.