The Northern Lights and Lapland

Our wonderful journey in search of the Northern Lights begins at London Heathrow, where we board our flight* to Oslo. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel, the Scandic Byporten, for 2 nights.

*Please note: your luggage will travel out from the UK on your flight with you, rather than via our luggage service.

• Dinner

Today, we embark on a guided tour of the Norwegian capital, seeing the Royal Palace, the National Theatre, the Parliament building, and the Opera House by the waterfront. We also see Akershus fortress, a medieval castle, and take a stroll through Vigeland Sculpture Park.

• Breakfast

Today we leave Oslo and head due north by train, following the line of the Dovre Railway. Our wonderfully scenic daytime journey takes us through the majestic landscape of the Dovrefjell - a mountain range separating eastern Norway from the region surrounding Trondheim. The mountains are part of the Dovrefjell- Sunndalsfjella National Park. We transfer for 2 nights to the Radisson Blu Royal Garden Hotel, located in the heart of the city.

On Day 4, we explore Trondheim on a guided tour, visiting Bakklandet, the city's Old Quarter, the old town bridge, and Nidaros Cathedral, the northernmost medieval cathedral of the world.

• Day 3 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 4 - Breakfast

We leave Trondheim early this morning and travel north on the Nordland Railway, making the 452-mile journey to Bodø. The route takes us through the beautiful and varied landscape of northern Norway before crossing the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees north.

The train reaches Fauske before turning due west for the final short section of the journey to Bodø, which claims to be 'the city with the world's most beautiful coastline'. As Bodø sits beneath the auroral oval, if the weather is clear, tonight could be our first viewing of the magical Northern Lights. We spend the night at the Scandic Bodø or similar.

After dinner, we travel by coach to a special viewing point that maximises our chances of seeing the spectral dance of the Northern Lights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we transfer to Bognes for the ferry to Lodingen. After disembarking, we enjoy a scenic drive up to Svolvaer, the tiny capital of the stunning Lofoten Islands. Described as Europe's most dramatic and spectacular islands, the Lofoten Islands are tethered to mainland Norway by a series of bridges and resemble spikey, wired teeth. We spend 2 nights at the Thon Hotel Svolvaer.

• Breakfast

We enjoy a scenic drive across Lofoten today, seeing the fishing village of Nusfjord and the traditional district of Vestvågøy. After dinner, we embark on another excursion by coach for a chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Svolvaer by coach this morning, returning to the Norwegian mainland. Our journey once again offers a wonderful opportunity to soak up the region's breathtaking beauty, with views from the coach stretching down sheer drops to the majestic fjords in the valley below.

We check in to the Thon Hotel in Narvik and enjoy an afternoon at leisure. The ice-free seaport is located 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle and has a number of fascinating attractions, including the Red Cross War Memorial Museum, which documents the wartime occupation of Narvik by the Germans in World War II. Also worth a visit is the Ofoten Museum which features exhibitions relating to local cultural history and the construction of the Ofoten Railway.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we enjoy a journey on one of the world's most northerly railway lines, the Ofoten Railway. Narvik was originally built as a port to export the iron ore mined near Kiruna and the Ofoten Railway was built as link between the mines and the port. We travel on this line across the Swedish border, crossing barren plateaus and traversing steep mountainsides as we make our way to Kiruna, Swedish Lapland's largest city. The railway's route was painstakingly carved out of the mountains - an incredible engineering project that was largely undertaken by hand.

On arrival in Kiruna, we check into our cabins at the Camp Ripan Hotel, where we spend 2 nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we enjoy time at Kiruna's famous Ice Hotel. We tour the cold rooms, followed by lunch in the warm restaurant before donning our warm weather gear to visit the ice bar. In the afternoon we enjoy a 'Sami experience', discovering the lives and culture of Sweden's indigenous people. We travel to a Sami village where we meet the reindeer, enjoy a Sami feast in a 'lavvu' (Sami tent), and listen to local folk tales. We then leave the lights of the village behind, heading into a beautiful landscape of forests and mountains to try and view the captivating Northern Lights once again.

On Day 11, we transfer to Kiruna airport, beginning our journey* back to London Heathrow via Stockholm.

*Please note: your luggage will travel back to the UK on the flight with you, rather than via our luggage service.

• Day 10 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 11 - Breakfast