MIDNIGHT SUN family adventure (SUMMER)

If you like to explore Norwegian nature with your family ​in superb surroundings like impressive mountains, waterfalls, forests, fjords and beaches, then this adventurous family trip is something to consider. You can choose out a variety of outdoor activities, suitable for children of different ages. So you can design your own trip. During your stay with us you and your children can learn a lot and there is also time to relax. We go to a variety of wild places and nature reserves to do all kinds of outdoor activities. This region, named Steigen in northern Norway, covers 1000 km2 and most of it is pure nature. This family trip is perfect if you want to get to know the beauty of Norway. Discover the fjords, mountains, islands and sea just north of the Arctic Circle. The summer version of this trip is organized in May, June, July, August and September. Costs: from 4500 - 5500 EUR (9 days). Longer stays are possible.

Facts, dates, costs and general information

Here are the facts of this outdoor adventure. Feel free to contact us if you have questions or if you want to discuss your plans. Check also our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for answers on general questions. ​

Dates and booking information

DATES
May, June, July and August 2020 
The duration is 9 days. But that can be extended. Check this page for options or contact us for specific wishes.

Starting and ending dates are flexible. 

NAME
ARCTIC CIRCLE OUTDOOR FAMILY ADVENTURE SUMMER

COSTS AND ACCOMMODATION

COSTS
The costs of joining this family outdoor adventure (9 days) are:
2 parents and 1 child are 4500 Euro. 
2 parents and 2 children are 5000 Euro. 
2 parents and 3 children are 5500 Euro.

A longer trip is possible. See the options on this web page.

This includes a selection of the outdoor activities mentioned on this page, accommodation, guiding, equipment, breakfast & dinner and local transfers during the trip.

Included are 3 overnight stays in cozy cabins, cottages and other accommodation. The other days you stay in tipi-tents. If you like to stay more than 3 nights in cabins or other accommodation the costs are around 30-35 Euro per night per person (depending on availability) and we pay this to the locals or owner of the accommodation. We recommend a mix of tents, cabins and other accommodation. Usually we can arrange extra nights in case you change plans during the trip. It is possible to have the children in a separate tent.
​

NOT INCLUDED
Flights and transfers to our base are not included.

LOCATION and how to get there

LOCATION
This trip starts and ends on our base in a small fishing village named Helnessund in the municipality of Steigen (Nordland) in the north of Norway. Our base is located 50 km north of Bodø and has a good ferry connection.

AIRPORT 
The nearest airport is Bodø. To fly to Bodø you usually change flights in Oslo. There are multiple flights daily between Oslo and Bodø.

TRAVELING BY TRAIN IN NORWAY (OPTION)
An option is to enjoy a 17 hours train ride from Oslo to Bodø. Check vy.no for more information about traveling by train. The so-called minipris ticket can be an economical way to travel (only online available and you have to buy it well in advance).

FERRY
There is a good ferry connection from Bodø to our base. This fast ferry (hurtigbat in Norwegian) takes you in approximately 1 hour from Bodø to Helnessund. Daily departures are in the afternoon, on most of the days at 6 PM. It is a 20-minute walk from the airport to the harbor in the city center where the ferry departs. At the end of the course, this ferry will also take you back to Bodo (daily departures, most of them in the early morning, around 8 AM).

TAKE YOUR TIME
We recommend that you arrive 1 day before the start of this trip in Bodø and take some time to acclimatize and get rid of travel and work stress. We can give you suggestions for hostels or hotels in Bodø. You can also add a stay overnight in Bodo at the end of the trip.

LEVEL AND SKILLS

This outdoor adventure is suitable for people on beginner, intermediate and advanced level of outdoor experience. We adapt the activities to the age of your children. Some of the activities on this page are not suited for young children, but teenagers can do these.  If you like to learn more about the level of our trips and what skills you need, take a look here....
​

EQUIPMENT AND PACKING LIST

EQUIPMENT
The equipment for the activities are included in the price like wetsuits for kayaking and snorkeling and fishing rods for fishing. For tenting we provide sleeping mattresses. You need to bring a sleeping bag or rent one from us.

PACKING LIST
Here is the link to the packing list. You can always ask us when you have any questions. Some of the equipment can be rented, like small backpacks, head lights and more. You do not need a big backpack for family travels.

​THE ROUGH PLAN OF THE FAMILY ADVENTURE

The municipality of Steigen is located in the north of Norway just above the Arctic Circle. Here is our base situated and we are surrounded by superb scenery. This part of Norway is still undiscovered and is not overwhelmed by tourists. 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. You fly to Bodø to get here or choose for an impressive but long train ride from Oslo. A once-a-day ferry takes you from Bodø to our base to our base in Helnessund in Steigen. During your stay with us, you stay overnight in a mix of tipi-tents with wood-stove, cabins, cottages and other accommodation. We recommend that you stay some days in a tent, but If you do not want that you can easily upgrade. You can choose out of many guided outdoor activities suitable for children of different ages (read further and learn more about these adventures). The duration is usually 9 days, but we can adapt that. The activities are in day-time and you have the evenings to share time with your family. June and July is the period of the midnight sun (so no darkness at night)..

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM

1. HIKING IN THE VALLEYS

Hiking is the way to discover the nature of northern Norway. You can choose from hikes along sandy beaches, wild valleys or forests with waterfalls and small rivers that we can cross. There are easy walks and longer hikes possible.

2. KAYAKING THE FJORDS

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.  We also have parent-child kayaks that fits you both.

3. WOOD CARVING FUN

Making things out of wood with knifes and other tools is great fun. And a lot of people are surprised by that. Learn how to make your own spoon, cup, tent pegs or hiking pole. We teach you the basics to give you a good start.

4. WILDLIFE OBSERVING

Encounters with wildlife is an essential part of experiencing the Arctic. Of course we need to be lucky, but there are good chances to spot moose, sea-eagles, all kind of birds, otters, dolphins, foxes and hare on hikes. We take you to places where the chances are good.

5. MOUNTAIN HIKING

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.There are easy (suitable for younger ones) and more tough trips to choose from.

6. 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 over the fjords. Lets have fun at sea!

7. 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 you do not like to go at sea we find a nice spot to fish from the shore.

8. EXPLORE THE FJORDS

We will use our boats to explore the Steigen archipelago. Cruising between the islands is a superb experience. The water is crystal clear and the views over the fjord are stunning and we can go ashore on some of the islands.

9. OVERNIGHT STAY ON AN ISLAND

The coastline around our base is full of islands and most of them are uninhabited. Some have great beaches and nice spots to pitch a tent. We can take you there with tents and other equipment for an adventurous stay overnight.

10. BASICS OF OUTDOOR COOKING

Cooking on a fire is great fun, but you need to know the basics. We learn you how to cook on a fire, using pots & pans, muurika, tripods and more. We provide recipes and you can learn how to make bread on a fire.

11. ARCTIC SNORKELING

The sea in Norway is usually crystal clear and there is a lot to see. Join a snorkeling trip and discover the underwater world. A lot of different fishes, plants, crabs, anemones and shells can be observed. We provide wetsuits.

12. BASIC OUTDOOR SKILLS 

Children of all ages can learn a lot of outdoor skills. We like to teach basic scouting skills, like understanding maps, making a fire, using a compass, how to stay safe, finding food in nature and how to work with a knife.

13. ARCTIC TREASURE HUNT

Do a hike with a mission in for you unknown territory. We organize adventurous hikes where you have to find routes, certain points or treasures (for the small ones). There are hikes on different levels possible.

14. HISTORIC SELF DRIVE

Go on a scenic road trip and explore a part of the 1000 km2 around our base. You get a description of us and you visit by car historical places from the recent past, WWII, the viking age and the stone age and that combined with great scenery.

15. FOOD FROM NATURE

The summer has a lot of food to offer. In July and August you can find a lot of berries. September offers edible mushrooms. We take you to places where you can find them. No problem to take some home. We teach you how.

16. BEACH CLEAN-UP

A very popular activity is a beach clean up and most children love it. It is not only about big pieces of rubbish, but also smaller parts of plastic. There are also other projects available in which we can help nature or support the locals.

17. A DAY OFF

It is your holiday! So maybe a good idea to just relax on a beach. We can suggest places to go. Also places where there is no internet connection and you can do some digital DETOX.
​

OPTIONS

Here are some things you can add to your stay with us.

SCENIC DRIVE BACK TO BODO

​We can arrange an amazing  road trip with breathtaking scenery from Steigen back to Bodo (250 kilometers). The road trip takes (with stops on scenic places) 6-8 hours. 

400 EURO

PRIVATE BOAT

If you like to have the pleasure of a small fishing boat with outboard, then we can arrange that for you. You get an instruction how to drive it and how to navigate. Must be booked in advance.

175 EURO per day including life-vests

RENT-A-CAR

If you want to do small trips in the evening and have your own car for that, then we can arrange a rental car for your family. You get some maps from us. ​Must be booked in advance.

300 EURO per week

Map of the area

Here is a map of the area in which this trip takes place.  Take a close look and you get an idea of the natural environment, distances and possibilities.

frequently asked questions (family trips)

Here are the answers on questions we often get. If you have other questions contact us or use the chat function on the bottom of this page. You can also use the contact form below.

Is there a day-to- day itinerary?

No, but there is a rough plan that we make when you book the trip (the activities you have chosen). The actual weather and wind conditions are important factors for our daily plans. So when you arrive we make a kind of schedule based on the forecasts, but this might change. It is the Arctic and  even in the warm summer time, weather can change quickly. So, you have to have a flexible and open mindset. Weather is the boss and we make short-term plans to get the most out of it and have a great time. It is no problem to add new activities and skip others.

​

MY FAMILY IS BIGGER than 5? 

The costs of this trip is based on 2 adults and 1, 2 or 3 children (of any age). If you like to add more family members like children, friends, grandparents or even another family, contact us and we can give you a quote. 

HOW TOUGH ARE THE ACTIVITIES?

Depending on the age of the children and the fitness level of the parents we can easily scale the activities to a level that suits you. We like to show you the Norwegian scenery and connect you to nature, that is more important than hiking up the highest mountain. 

SOME OF US WANT TOUGH THINGS OTHER NOT? 

We are used to situations where one of the parents wants to take it easy and the other wants to do more tough and adventurous things. And it is not always the father that wants to do the tough things... So, just discuss these kind of things with us and we make it happen.

​

HOW IT WORKS WITH FOOD AND COOKING?

Ingredients for breakfast and dinner are provided by us and we supply you with outdoor cooking gear, detailed recipes and how-to-prepare tips. We like to teach you Norwegian dishes, but also introduce our own expedition-style dishes. You have to take care for lunch (it is nice to take snacks, sandwiches or other food with you during activities). There is a local shop nearby our base.

If you want that we do the cooking you can upgrade. You can also to take care of shopping and you get a discount on the costs of traveling. 
​

HOW LONG BEFORE THE START I HAVE TO BOOK

If you book early (more than a few months ahead) we have more choices in accommodation and starting dates. And flights will be cheaper... But we are used to improvise and we are good in that. So we can arrange your trip a few weeks in advance.

​

CAn seniorS ADDED TO These trips?

Yes, we have those requests and we like it that different generations travel together. We like to organise in a way that everybody has a good time.

when is the period of the midnight sun?

The midnight sun with 24/24 hours of daylight is from mid April until the end of July. In August we have some hours dankness. Northern lights can be visible in September, but you can be lucky in the last week(s) of August.

are other trips LISTED suitable for families?

Some of the trips on our website can be adjusted for families. Just ask us and we make it happen.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DUTCHEXPLORERS NEWSLETTER

Every few weeks we sent 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.