Samiland Tour

The Sami were the first people to populate Scandinavia and remain its only recognized indigenous group. Against all odds, they have preserved their traditional practices in this remote expanse of Arctic Europe, including hunting, fishing, handicraft making, and the reindeer herding for which they are best known. Join Apex on this 14-day Samiland tour through the Eastern Finnmark region of Norway, the area formerly known as Lapland, culminating in the vibrant Sami Easter Festival. Along the way, discover the charming coastal villages, breathtaking snow-shrouded landscapes, fascinating history, and hardy Sami—one of the last truly nomadic peoples on earth.

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Days 6 & 7
• Day 8
• Day 9
• Day 10
• Day 11
• Day 12
• Day 13
• Day 14

• Tuesday, March 24: Arrive Oslo, Norway

  Arrive in this jewel of a capital city and make your way to the hotel, conveniently located across the street from the airport. This evening, meet your fellow travelers and expedition leader at a welcome dinner and briefing. Overnight at Oslo’s Radisson Blu Airport Hotel.

• Wednesday, March 25: Oslo / Kirkenes

  After breakfast, head to the airport for a short flight to Kirkenes, on Norway’s extreme northeastern coast. Kirkenes is set along a beautiful branch of the Varanger Fjord and surrounded by rolling lake-strewn hills. The town itself is rather plain and almost entirely modern due to the nearly incessant bombing it endured from the Russians during World War II. Upon arrival, a city tour will illuminate the town’s fascinating history. Next, join a local crabber on a hunt for the region’s giant King Crabs. While on the boat, be on the lookout for Velvet Scoter, as well as small groups of Steller’s and King Eiders among the numerous Common Eiders. Look out for waders on shore, including Temminck’s Stints, Purple Sandpipers, and handsome Bar-tailed Godwits.

  Later this afternoon, head just outside of town to the famed Snowhotel Kirkenes. The first night here, you will stay in one of their Gamme northern lights cabins, inspired by the traditional hunting and fishing huts of Lapland. Dinner and overnight at the Snowhotel Kirkenes.

• Thursday, March 26: Kirkenes

  Spend the morning attending hands-on lessons on dog mushing and snowmobiling, followed by some time to practice on your own. After lunch, choose between ice fishing or snowshoeing. You can even participate in snow yoga! This evening, you will move to the famous Snowhotel structure for the night. Made entirely of frozen water, down to its carved-ice bar, the Snowhotel is rebuilt every year. At nightfall, take a short walk to a viewpoint to watch for the northern lights—the skies are very dark here. Dinner and overnight at the Snowhotel.

• Friday, March 27: Kirkenes / Svanhovd

  After breakfast, harness up your dogs and mount your sled for a ride through the pristine Pasvik Valley to Svanhovd National Park Center. Mush down the frozen Langfjord and through the largest tract of primeval forest in Norway, and the only area where Brown Bears breed. The bears are hibernating, but watch for Moose and several bird species from the Siberian Taiga, which are rare elsewhere in Norway. This includes Siberian Jay, Pine Grosbeak, and Bohemian Waxwing. Dinner and overnight at Svanhovd National Park Center.

• Saturday, March 28: Svanhovd / Kirkenes / Vardø

  After breakfast, transfer via bus back to Kirkenes to board the splendid Hurtigruten coastal ferry. Cruise past jaw-dropping coastal scenery along the famous Varanger Fjord. Arrive to Vardø, Norway’s most easterly town, our home for the next three nights. Take kick sledges to the eight-point star shaped Vardøhus Fortress, a historical site perched by the Barents Sea. Dinner and overnight at Vardø Hotel.

• Sunday & Monday, March 29 & 30: Vardø

  Inland from Vardø rises the immense Finnmark Plateau, a 22,000-square-kilometer expanse of rolling hills dotted with birch forests, countless lakes, and the occasional mountain rise. This is the province of Sami reindeer herders, and a fantastic destination for a snowmobile ride. We will take the machines provided by the hotel and follow our guide up into the open vastness of the Plateau, stopping to build a fire in a remote cabin and have lunch, before returning to town.

  Just offshore from Vardø lies perhaps the most important seabird breeding site in northern Europe: the world-famous Hornøya Island. Around 100,000 birds arrive each year to cover the island’s steep cliffs, burrow into its soil, and fill the air with their noisy clamor. Among them are High Arctic specialists like Thick-billed Murres and Razorbills, plus show-stealing Atlantic Puffins, which will have recently returned from their winter at sea to begin their nesting and courting activities. White-tailed Eagles and Gyrfalcons patrol the skies. We will cruise along the cliffs to take in the spectacle, then land and use the island’s boardwalks and hides for close-up views.

  Back in Vardø, have a beer at Nordpol Kro, Norway’s oldest pub and the last stop for Fridtjof Nansen as he left on the Fram to seek the North Pole. Visit the Pomor Museum, commemorating the Pomeranian traders and seafarers who discovered the Northern Sea Route.

  Vardø is also famous for another, darker reason: the Salem-style witch trials which took place in the 17th century, during which 80 women were burned at the stake (a striking number, considering the village’s size at the time). Experience the sobering Steilneset Memorial, part art installation, part museum, part monument.

  Note that the order of the above activities may be changed to take advantage of the best weather opportunities. Dinners and overnights at Vardø Hotel.

• Tuesday, March 31: Vardø / Tana / Utsjoki, Finland

  A scenic drive inland delivers you to the outskirts of the village of Tana. Here, meet the Gaups, a Sami family that still partakes in many traditional activities, such as making clothes by hand, following the summer reindeer migration, and celebrating Sami festivals. Enjoy a traditional Sami meal, which will likely include reindeer stew prepared over an open fire in the family lavvu, or teepee. Hear traditional folktales and learn about the language, customs, crafts, and beliefs of the Sami people from the Gaups. Cross into Finland and continue a short distance to Utsjoki, the northernmost point in the European Union. While at the Utsjoki Arctic Resort, you can gaze at the stars and watch for the northern lights from the comfort of your bed in the Kelo-Glass Igloos.

• Wednesday, April 1: Utsjoki

  Today, delve further into the lives of our nomadic hosts, the Gaups, who track their drifting reindeer herd through the winter. We will meet the men of the family at the farthest point our bus can reach, then continue by snowmobile up onto the Finnmarksvidda to find their herd. We’ll be joining them as they care for their unrestrained animals. To walk among such an antlered assemblage as it flows over the hills like water is a remarkable experience. Afterwards we visit the Gaups’ winter quarters one last time to bid farewell. Soon they will be following their migrating herd toward the coast. Dinner and overnight at Utsjoki Arctic Resort.

• Thursday, April 2: Utsjoki / Karasjok, Norway

  Spend a final morning enjoying the activities offered at Utsjoki—which include reindeer sledging, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing—then drive southwest to the capital of Sami Norway, Karasjok, home to the Sámediggi (Sami Parliament). The building is richly decorated with Sami artwork, which will be showcased on a special private tour. At the Sami National Museum, see excellent displays of traditional garments, tools, and crafts. Afterwards, visit a craftsman who makes traditional Sami knives, indispensable to those who participate in reindeer herding. Dinner and overnight at Scandic Hotel Karasjok.

• Friday, April 3: Karasjok / Kautokeino

  Some Easter festivities will already have begun in Karasjok, including the famous craft market. Take in these events, then board our bus for the short drive to Kautokeino. Though Karasjok is considered the Sami capital, Kautokeino has the highest Sami population and is home to the extravagant annual Sami Easter Festival, to which people travel from far and wide. Easter has always been the time for gathering in Sami culture, and the week’s festivities traditionally kick off the summer reindeer migration. This afternoon, take a stroll around town to observe the bustle of activity as people prepare for tomorrow’s happenings. The schedule of events changes from year to year, but tonight we may well be able to hear a concert of joiking, an ancient and spiritual Sami style of singing that is unlike any other. Dinner and overnight at Thon Hotel Kautokeino.

• Saturday, April 4: Kautokeino

  The spectacular Sami Easter Festival will be in full swing today, and we will be right in the heart of it. Begin with the World Championship of Reindeer Racing; visit the market featuring duodji (traditional Sami handicrafts); and tour Juhl’s Silver, established to create a means for nomads to carry their wealth in the form of jewelry. Juhl’s also hosts a classical concert, which we will attend in the afternoon. We may also be able to take in a theater performance or more joiking, perhaps in the hotel’s ice bar, carved into a snow bank outside the lounge. While wandering through the hustle and bustle, admire the lavish and colorful traditional dress worn by the Sami at this gathering. Tonight, attend a celebratory farewell dinner with your expedition leader and fellow travelers…then drop into the hotel bar to rub shoulders with the vibrant, festive crowd of nomads. Overnight at Thon Hotel Kautokeino.

• Sunday, April 5: Kautokeino / Alta / Oslo

  Among the Sami, Easter Day is traditionally a time for worship and weddings. We will try to attend a service at the old church before leaving to wind our way through a scenic gorge dotted with frozen waterfalls. On arrival in Alta, time permitting, we will visit the impressive Northern Lights Cathedral before boarding our flight to Oslo. Dinner and overnight at the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel in Oslo.

• Monday, April 6: Depart Oslo

  This morning, depart on your international flight home.