Winter in the north - Lapland to the North Cape

General Information

With around 3000 inhabitants, Ivalo is the largest part of the municipality Inari, which is named after the adjacent Inari Lake. Ivalo is also the point of contact for the entire region. There are two supermarkets, a doctor and a couple of pubs.

Accommodation

Skandinavisches Holzhaus aus Airbnb

We wanted to get to know the real life of the Finns. That is why we did not stay in one of the many and for what they offer way to expensive aurora borealis hotels. We booked a Finnish wooden house on Airbnb. The Finnish wooden houses traditionally have a fireplace and a sauna. You sleep in front of a large window under the roof and can look out at the northern lights.

Activities and Sights

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Saariselkä, Finland

Saariselkä is 25 minutes of drive south of Ivalo and it is the tourist center of Finnish Lapland. It is extremely touristy and more for package travelers. But many great winter activities start from there. IMPORTANT NOTE: The season is late November to Christmas and again early February. Outside the season, it is worth booking the activities on site with small providers. The best thing to do is just drive by or call. This is much cheaper and the groups are smaller than when booking online with a large provider.

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Snowmobile tour

Snowmobiling is a lot of fun. In Finland there is a real network of snowmobile roads, which are also legally normal traffic routes! You can easily get on a snowmobile as a couple and change drivers again and again. A 2h tour is enough, as it gets very cold with the wind despite the special clothing (which is always provided!)!

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Mountainbike Tour

There is a local bike rental company that rents out mountain bikes with very thick tires, so-called fat bikes. So you can drive well on the snow. The ascent is exhausting but it is a lot of fun to descend the hill after.

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S-market Ivalo, Petsamontie, Inari, Finland

The S-market in Ivalo is a supermarket. In contrast to hotel food, you can really get Finnish food in here. It is difficult to describe Finnish food, you just have to try it. There are super delicious cinnamon rolls called Korvapuusti (translated as: slap in the face) and a huge range of fish. Flamed salmon is traditionally eaten at festivals. In everyday life, sliced salmon or salmon trout has established itself. Delicious! The Karl Fazer chocolates and the liquorice liqueur should also be mentioned. Alcoholic drinks are only sold in state sales outlets!

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General Information

Honningsvåg is the last large settlement before the North Cape. There is a port in which various ships dock. From cruise ships that drop people off for the transfer to the North Cape, to small fishing boats that go fishing in the Barents Sea.

Accommodation

Scandic Bryggen, Vågen, Honningsvåg, Norway

There are good shopping opportunities, but a hotel is worthwhile here, as you simply have to worry about less. This makes a lot of sense so far in the north, as the day is extremely short here and you shouldn't lose any time.

Activities and Sights

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North Cape, Nordkapp, Norway

The road from Honningsvåg to the North Cape is breathtaking. There are plenty of spots to take great photos. Depending on the weather, the last section is only accessible twice a day in a convoy behind a clearing vehicle.

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Honningsvåg, Norway

The village of Honningsvåg is a sight itself. Here you can see an incredible number of stars due to the low light pollution.

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General Information

Lakselv is located on a fjord and is about 120km as the crow flies from the open sea. Lakselv is characterized by its airport. Several times a day there are flights from the Norwegian airline Wideroe to Tromsø. In addition to civil use, Lakselv Airport is the northernmost base of the Norwegian Air Force and houses a large rescue helicopter squadron. On the way from the south to the North Cape, Lakselv is the only notable settlement for the next 160km to Honningsvåg (the last stop on the way to the North Cape).

Accommodation

Wohnung von Airbnb

Norway is generally more expensive than the other Scandinavian countries because of the Norwegian krone. But you don't have to change money, as you can pay contactless with VISA / Mastercard or Apple / Google Pay practically everywhere.

Activities and Sights

Stabbursnes, Indre Billefjord, Norway

Actually, the entire nature along the route is picturesque. It is definitely worth taking a break in one of the parking lots north of Lakselv in the Stabbursnes nature reserve and enjoying the magical impression of the Porsangerfjord.

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Northern lights photography

Seeing the northern lights is an unforgettable experience. But if you want to photograph them, you have to consider a few things. How good the photos will be depends on the equipment, the intensity of the northern lights, but also on the amount of light pollution in the area. You definitely need a tripod and a real camera for good photos. Various tutorials can be found online.

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General Information

A lot has been said above about Ivalo. In principle, it is recommended that you keep your Airbnb for the two days of absence in Honningsvåg and Lakselv and leave your suitcase and everything you don't need there.

Accommodation

Activities and Sights

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Husky tour

You will be taken from the meeting point by van to a husky farm. Husky Co. is recommended. It has around 400 huskies. The dogs are very trusting, but you have to understand that they are not pets that lie next to the sofa in the evening. The dogs live outside all year and want nothing but racing. The young live together in groups and are really cute. However, they are not yet used to people and are therefore rather shy.

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General Information

Accommodation

Activities and Sights