2008 SUMMER FINLAND TOURS

Tour 4. Finland - North Cape Tour 2008

Early flight on own from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Continue by private motor coach through impressive Lapp scenery and along the Arctic Ocean until you reach the North Cape, Europe's northernmost plateau. You will experience many aspects of Lapp culture along the journey.

Departures - not guaranteed.
June 13, 17
July 4, 11, 18, 25
August 1, 8, 15, 22

Prices per person in USD
in shared twin room $2690
single supplement $ 320
Third adult/triple room $2690
child under 12 years in extra bed sharing the room with two adults $2145
CALL FOR TRANSATLANTIC AIR ADD-ON FROM YOUR CITY IF NEEDED

Tour Includes:
· accommodation in twin-bedded rooms with bath/shower
· luggage handling in hotels
· 4 buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
· transportation by private coach
· sightseeing, visits, excursions and entrance fees according to the program
· multilingual tour leader

· service charges and taxes on included items

Tour Excludes:
· domestic flights Helsinki-Rovaniemi-Helsinki (Call for a quote if needed)

Note! You are welcome to continue on this tour after Scenic Finland Tour.

In North Cape, Norway, the sun is above the horizon from May 10 to July 25. However, you can experience the "White Nights" until mid-August, after which the days shorten rapidly.

Meeting Point and Time:
At Rovaniemi airport. Please book 1st morning flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. Look for FTB Tour Leader with North Cape Tour sign.

Day 1: (Helsinki)-Rovaniemi-Särestö-Kittilä
Day 2: Kittilä-Harriniva-Hetta-Kautokeino-Alta
Day 3: Alta-Honningsvåg-North Cape-Honningsvåg
Day 4: Honningsväg-Inari-Saariselkä
Day 5: Saariselkä-Tankavaara-Luosto-Rovaniemi-(Helsinki)

Day 1: Architecture in Lapland
(L, D, flight on own, coach, 171 km / 106 miles)
Early morning flight brings you to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland. During the sightseeing tour you will see works designed by Finland's most famous architect Alvar Aalto. Crossing the magic line of the Arctic Circle is a great experience for any visitor. To make it truly exotic, you take part in a Lapp initiation ceremony. You will also enjoy lunch at the Arctic Circle, in a Lapp tepee. Continue northwards along the Ounasjoki River, and stop at the Art Museum of Reidar Särestöniemi, the most notable Lapp artist who found his motifs in Lapland's nature. His former studio and home, a complex of log houses, represent traditional Lapp architecture. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Sirkantähti or similar in Kittilä.

Day 2: Shooting the Rapids
(B, L, D, coach, boat, 343 km / 213 miles)
Properly equipped with a rain gear and a life vest, you set off from Harriniva on board a pneumatic lifeboat on an exciting, yet comfortable and perfectly safe one-hour journey through seven rapids. As you come ashore, nothing will taste better than steaming hot soup served around a glowing campfire. You continue northwards via Kautokeino, the largest Lapp cultural center in Norway. As you travel, you notice the rolling hills of Finnish Lapland changing into Norwegian tundra. At last you reach the Arctic Ocean and the fishing port of Alta. Dinner and overnight at Rica Hotel Alta or similar.

Day 3: North Cape Panorama
(B, L, D, coach, 254 km / 158 miles)
Alta is famous for its 5000 to 6000 year-old rock carvings, which are so prestigious that they have been included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. During a visit to the Alta museum there is a unique opportunity to experience the world of an ancient Lapp depicted in the rock carvings. Continue towards Honningsvåg stopping for lunch on the way. You reach the North Cape in the evening. In front of your eyes opens the Arctic Ocean and the endless scenery. Standing on Europe's northernmost plateau you celebrate this unforgettable moment with sparkling wine and local caviar. Dinner and overnight at Rica Hotel Honningsvåg or similar in Honningsvåg.

Day 4: The Past and Present of the Sami People
(B, L, D, coach, 393 km / 244 miles)
Enjoy the last glimpses of the awesome northern landscapes, as you head back south driving along one of the most beautiful Norwegian fjords. Lunch will be en route in the little village of Karasjok. Back in Finland, you visit an open air Sami museum in Inari. Buildings and handicraft collected from different regions of Lapland give you a fascinating look into the life of the nomadic Samis or Lapps of yesterday.
While visiting a local reindeer herder at his home, you will have the opportunity to see how a present day Lapp family lives and treasures the ancient traditions. You will listen to joiku-singing, a chant in the Sami language, and hear the owner of the farm telling you about reindeer breeding. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Riekonlinna in Saariselkä.

Day 5: Gold Rush à la Tankavaara
(B, L, coach, flight on own, 261 km / 162 miles)
The last stop in northern Lapland is the Tankavaara Gold Village. Relive the thrills of the Gold Rush that once attracted hundreds of men into the region in the hope of finding a gold nugget. Today you will also have the opportunity to try your luck in washing for gold. Lunch will be taken in Luosto on the way to Rovaniemi airport. Evening flight back to Helsinki on own.

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