Sustainability in the Green Capital, Norway

Your overseas adventures begin as you fly into Oslo, Norway, recipient of the European Green Capital title for 2019! Perhaps you will fly Norwegian Air, named the most fuel-efficient and greenest airline flying across the Atlantic between the U.S. and Europe. When you arrive, take the airport express train into downtown to your hotel where you can settle in, relax, and meet your guide and fellow travelers.

Of course, it’s winter here as you arrive, so some of the green may look very white! You’ll still probably notice that it’s quieter here. In creating vehicle-free areas, Oslo has reduced noise levels and vehicle emissions ─ think, bright, clean, fresh air!

If you’re up for some local exploring, take some time to get to know this environmentally friendly city. Dress warm and take a walking tour of the waterfront or historic sites like the Royal Palace or Akershus Castle and Fortress. If you’re feeling really adventuresome, not far from the city, you can have fun with winter sports like cross country or downhill skiing, sledding, ice skating, or tobogganing ─ all gear provided!  You could also come indoors instead and do the ski simulator at Holmenkollen and enjoy the Ski Museum beneath the world-famous ski jump.

Tonight, enjoy dinner and get some sleep, as tomorrow you fly to the Arctic Circle!

You’ll fly to Alta this morning ─ known for stunning northern lights and Finnmarkslopet, the longest dog-sled race in Europe. Yes, you can participate in that tradition! You’ll be a musher today with a team of incredible, athletic dogs. You’ll see these dogs are healthy and well cared for and love what they do ─ run! Take advantage of using the additional warm snow gear that’s provided to be sure you stay warm to enjoy this fun adventure through snowy woods.

Afterward, you’ll enjoy a delicious, locally-sourced meal, and then continue to your lodging for tonight at an Igloo Hotel! Sorrisniva It’s the most northern of the ice hotels, and is rebuilt every winter, allowing them to create a different theme each year. The hotel attracts its share of famous visitors, including the King of Norway, who stays here frequently.

You’ll see shimmering, hand-crafted ice sculptures, an ice bar, and even an ice chapel. Among all that ice you’ll find plenty of delicious locally-sourced food, a hot sauna, and a cozy fire blazing in the main lodge. Before heading to bed, be sure to look for that captivating natural phenomenon – the Northern Lights!

You’re probably wondering about your room that lies behind the reindeer hide hanging in your bedroom doorway. You will find that everything is built of ice: the walls, the bed, the tables and chairs — any décor that you see. But don’t worry; the bathrooms are in the warm lodge! Hot showers don’t really work in an ice room, but there are two giant hot tubs outside!

 Despite the negative -4 to -7° C temperature, you’ll stay cozy and warm as you bury yourself in two down sleeping bags on top of a mattress of reindeer hides. In the morning, indulge yourself in the sauna to absorb a treat of deep warmth after your night on ice!

You’re now heading off the beaten path for the next three days for a homestay with the indigenous Sami reindeer herders. Their entire way of life is devoted to caring for reindeer herds throughout the year, just as it has been for thousands of years. You will be immersing yourself in authentic everyday experiences with these unique people who seek to educate visitors like you to preserve their culture.

At the edge of the arctic tundra, you’ll be met by your Sami host with all the equipment you’ll need for your two-hour snowmobile ride to a cabin in the wilderness where your host lives in the winter to guard his reindeer herds. Your host will guide you in adapting to living in your rustic cabin as you settle in to understand an entirely different way of living.

Immersed in the life of a reindeer herder, you’ll be part of the family. You’ll take part in everything from smoking reindeer meat in a traditional Lavvu tent, to checking on herds of reindeer by snowmobile, to even playing with your host’s children growing up in this arctic lifestyle. You’ll wear warm reindeer boots and sit around a welcoming fire listening to time-honored songs and stories as you continue to learn about the Sami’s traditions and heritage amidst the spectacular northern lights.

As you continue your stay taking part in the life of a reindeer herder, you’ll discover the challenges the Sami of today face in protecting their culture amidst an uncertain future and the environmental threats to their way of life caused by global warming.

You will not soon forget this experience of northern lights and reindeer herds thundering past you ─ and your hosts, who now are like family.

You return to Alta today to enjoy more classic winter activities! Snowshoe or cross-country ski with an expert local guide ─ all equipment and extra warm clothing provided! A variety of whales are in Alta’s fjord from October to January, so you should venture off on a whale photo safari to see them on their northern migration.

Stop at the Cathedral of the Northern Lights; check the forecast for the wondrous northern lights to see them in person tonight as your trip nears the end. Enjoy a local farewell dinner, and be sure to share your incredible memories with your fellow travelers, now friends, whom you’ve met along the way.

Fly back to Oslo this morning and explore anything you missed when you first arrived. Depending upon when your flight leaves for home, you may have time for a fjord-side sauna, a visit to the Viking Museum, or the Oslo fjord cruise on a zero-emissions ship! Perhaps you even want to stay one more night?!  You may not even dream of warm getaways any more as your arctic experiences now haunt your dreams urging you to return.