11 Days/ 10 Nights

NORWAY

With Optional 5 Day Expedition Add On to

SVALBARD

We invite you

to join us on the winter expedition of a lifetime

We begin in Oslo, where we'll immerse ourselves in the vibrant city life, exploring its rich history and mythology.

Continuing our adventure, we’ll hop the Dovre Line: An electric train ranked one of the most scenic train routes in the world. We disembark in the captivating city of Trondheim, where we'll discover its fascinating Viking heritage and medieval architecture.

From the Trondheim port we launch our 3 day Fjord Cruise which will bring us up the coast. With some luck we will be escorted from above by the northern lights as we cross the threshold into the Arctic Circle.

Here in Trømso, we will immerse in the long nights, broken only by a twilight sun, casting an ethereal light across the landscape.

We will meet (and pet and feed) some new reindeer friends, ancestral companions and transportation and food source of our local indigenous Sami guides.

From Tromso some may choose to end the journey, for others we will continue on to Svalbard. One of the most remote outposts on Earth.

Our flight from Trømso will take us to 78* degrees north where we will settle into our Longyearbyen basecamp, full to the brim with quaint old explorer charm.

From here we will launch our excursions into the rugged, dark, cold and eternally beautiful wilderness of the Arctic. We will chase the northern lights, try our hands at dog sledding or perhaps snowmobiling. With a side quest to see the seed vault and hike in the tundra.

Not a tour for everyone to be certain, this is only for those who welcome the darkness, those of us who love to feel alone and surrounded by a wild and ethereal quiet that only deep snow cover can provide.

Since starting this company for introverts like me, I have been so gleefully excited to discover I am not alone in my love of winter. There seems a large overlap in the venn diagram of introverts and winter lovers. What a wonderfully peculiar bunch we all are.

Please join me, on wild and deep and quiet journey into the Dark Artic this winter.

Come See :: Come Be
Jocelyn Toffic, Founder

Planned Itinerary*

DAY 1 OSLO
Settle in and Relax

• This is considered a free day for early arrivals

• Welcome dinner

• Evening walk with new friends

  • There is nothing quite like an evening walk in a new place. Things look so different at night, more magical, more ethereal somehow

meals: dinner

DAY 2 OSLO
GET TO KNOW THE CITY

• Breakfast together

• Norwegian Myths and Legends Private Tour

• Break

• Afternoon Tea at The Bristol

• Evening Free
  

meals: breakfast, afternoon tea

DAY 3 OSLO
Day of Leisure

• Breakfast at your leisure

• Free Day - perhaps go to one of the bazillion museums in Oslo? Norway boasts the largest collection of Edvard Munch paintings in the world. Or perhaps go see the Gol stave church and marvel at this truly extraordinary example medieval architecture.

• Dinner Together

meals: breakfast, dinner

DAY 4 Travel Day
Scenic Train from Oslo >>> Trondheim

• Early Breakfast

• 7 hr scenic train ride from Oslo to Trondheim on the Dovre line (in Norwegian ‘Dovrebanen’), a fully electric train which takes you through diverse and magnificent nature in the southern Trøndelag and through Gudbrandsdal.

• Hopefully see some Musk Ox! They were reintroduced after WWll and are now thriving as they are uniquely adapted to the cold and snow. Ice age icons.

• Check into Trondheim Hotel

• Settle in and Relax

• Dinner together

meals: breakfast, dinner :: train journey: 7 hrs

DAY 5 Trondheim
Explore

• Breakfast

• Private Morning Tour 2hr

• Lunch together

• Free Time

• Evening Sauna at Havet Arena - the coolest sauna in Norway

meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 6
3 Day Fjord Cruise Trondheim >>> Trømso

• Breakfast together

• Last minute shopping and sightseeing

• Noon departure for our gorgeous fjord lined voyage up the coast with Norwegian favorite Hurtigruten

• Dinner together on the Boat!

• Nighttime stargazing and whispers to call down the aurora

meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 7
We’re on a boat!

• We cross the Arctic Circle early in the morning

• Breakfast

• At 10 a.m., we call into Ørnes, near to Norway’s second-largest glacier, Svartisen. The pier here is popular for the Love Bench where sweethearts have declared their lasting romance with a padlock.

  We then sail to Bodø, the second-largest city in Northern Norway, overlooked by the Børvass peaks. Admire fabulous street art or join an optional boat excursion to Saltstraumen, the world’s most powerful maelstrom. 

  That afternoon, the ship enters the Lofoten archipelago. The 1,000 metre-high Lofoten Wall is a stunning sight that stretches for miles on the horizon,.

  Stamsund is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the islands and busiest between January and April when Arctic cod, known locally as skrei, swim from the Barents Sea in the north down to Vestfjord to spawn.

  Come evening, when you see rows of traditional fisherman’s huts on stilts, known as rorbuer, you’ve arrived in the pretty harbor of Svolvær, the main town of the Lofoten Islands.

• Dinner

meals: breakfast, dinner

DAY 8
Disembark Tromsø

• We will disembark in the morning

• Head to our Artic Hotel and drop our gear

• And go get breakfast in Tromsø!

• Mid morning private walking tour

• Lunch together

• Rest of the day free to relax and explore

meals: breakfast, lunch

DAY 9 Tromsø
Arctic City Exploration

• Wake and breakfast at your own pace

• 2pm Excursion to The Saunas/Hot Tubs/Pools

• Rest

• Evening Reindeer Sleigh followed by Storytelling and Dinner with our Indigenous Sami Guides

meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 10
Tromsø

• Free Day!

• Maybe go see the museums, explore the coastline or just tuck into the historic and cozy Ølhallen Brewpub with a good book or some knitting

• Farewell Dinner together (or just dinner together if you are staying on for Svalbard!)

Day 11

• Fond farewells for those not continuing on to Svalbard

• For those continuing on, please note this is the same day as Day 1 of our Svalbard Expedition Add On ~ which will begin at our Expedition Kick Off Dinner this evening

• Those leaving us this day will depart from Tromsø

Norway will miss you, and so will we
Until we meet again!

DAY 11/ DAY 1
Svalbard Expedition Begins

• We start our expedition in Tromsø

• This is a free day for those arriving early and for those already in Tromsø at the conclusion of the Norway Proper Leg of the Journey ~ maybe find a cozy cafe to read a book, go see the troll museum?? or maybe go rent a snowmobile???

• Svalbard Expedition kick off Dinner 1800 hrs

DAY 2 Travel Day
Tromsø >>> Longyearbyen

• Breakfast

• 2 hr Flight to Svalbard

• Check in at Basecamp Spitsbergen

  • At our rustic basecamp, it will be twin beds, 3 girls to a room. Draw straws for the top bunk!

• Free time to settle in (maybe go to the Husky Cafe’)

• Dinner at 6 at the iconic Vinterhagen

A NOTE ON POLAR BEARS & OTHER SVALBARD GUIDELINES

All of our excursions are guided by highly skilled and trained professionals with all required safety equipment

Pack List

Svalbard Community and Safety Guidelines

Longyearbyen Community and Safety Guidelines

Polar Bears

The Darkness - Mørketiden

DAY 3 Svalbard
Exploration

• Breakfast at Camp

• Light nature trekking and visit to the seed vault (outside only it is not permitted to enter) - level 2 = most can participate

• Lunch

• Evening Aurora Hunt and Dinner At Camp Barentz

  • An amazing location right below the last operating coal mine, at the foot of the mountain Breinosa. One of the buildings at the camp, Barentz House, is a copy of the cabin that the discoverer of Svalbard, Willem Barentz, overwintered in on Novaya Zemlya in 1596. Here, far from town, there is little light pollution, and perfect conditions for hunting the northern lights. What’s more, at Camp Barentz we often see Svalbard reindeer, and even grouse and foxes if you are lucky. Our knowledgeable hosts are also prepared in the unlikely event that a polar bear should appear.

    As we arrive at the cosy wooden cabins we will be met by the evening’s host. Good drinks and a delicious homemade reindeer stew will be served, together with campfire coffee and dessert. (Vegetarian option available)

• Bus ride back home to Basecamp for zzzzzzz…

meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

DAY 4 Svalbard
Traditional modes of transportation

• Breakfast

• Meet the Huskies! If you haven’t met them at the Husky cafe already. They are very sweet.

• Dog sledding, everyone will share a team, so one person can sit in the sledge and another drives. And remember to take turns, girls! Necessary clothing for the activity will be provided. This is a physical activity where our guests gets involved in handling the dogs but still considered level 2 - most can participate. Sled trip duration 1 - 1.5 hr. Total time 4 hrs.

• Free Time for choose your own adventure

• Farewell Svalbard Dinner

meals: breakfast, dinner

DAY 5 Travel Day
Svalbard >>> Oslo

• Breakfast

• Bid Farewell to Svalbard and our cozy Basecamp

• Flight to Oslo 4.5 hrs

• Check in to our Oslo Hotel

• Relax Time

• Farewell Dinner - for real this time :(

DAY 6
Departures

• The tour officially ends at noon check out

• But our AWT Tour Leader will remain to see you off no matter when you depart

• Text us when you get home safe, and we’ll see you soon!

What is Included?

• An experienced AWT Tour Leader ready to show you the adventure of a lifetime

• Local guides for all city and day tours

• All Accommodations

• Half Board ~ All breakfasts plus Lunch + Dinner where specified = At least 2 meals per day

• Tips & gratuities for all local guides and included meals

• Afternoon Tea at The Bristol

• All transportation to itinerary locations

• Private Myths & Legends Tour of Oslo

• Dovre Line Train Journey ~ Oslo to Trondheim

• 3 Day Fjord & Northern Lights Cruise ~ Trondheim to Tromso

• Admission to TromsoBadet ~ Hot Tubs, Saunas, Pools

• Reindeer sledding with local Sami

• Internal Flights - Svalbard Expedition only

  • Tromso >>> Longyearbyen, Svalbard

  • Longyearbyen, Svalbard >>> Oslo

• Svalbard guided exploration ~ Light Hike ~ Visit the seed vault (outside only)

• Guided Northern lights expedition out to Camp Barentz for dinner and lecture by the fire on the history of the island

• Husky Sledding with your own team of these well loved and energetic cuties

• An abundance of intentional and well-timed rest and free time to explore on your own and recharge your little introvert battery

• A sweet little travel crew of independent women ~ lgbtq welcoming, introvert accommodating, neurodivergent encouraging

• Memories to last a lifetime and some amazing new friends!

What is not included?

• Flights - except for those flights which are part of our Itinerary to and from Svalbard

• Traveler’s Insurance (required)

  • Here is a handy dandy insurance search tool

• Tour start and end Airport Transfers - feel free to book in advance here (transportation will be included for in-country included flights)

• Alcoholic beverages at meals

• Meals not listed on our itinerary

• Hotel room service, mini-bar or hotel add-ons beyond the night’s accommodation

• Tips and gratuities for housekeeping, portage, AWT tour leaders - all at your discretion

• Any required visas

• Anything else not listed on the IS INCLUDED list

AVALON WOMEN’S TRAVEL

is pleased to partner with

ONE TREE PLANTED

We take our environmental impact seriously.

To us “sustainability” is not just a trending keyword, and we are well aware of the limitations and rife corruption within the carbon offset industrial complex.
AWT pledges a full 5% of our profits to reforestation efforts all over the globe. The largest profit percentage in the travel industry.
We know the best carbon capture technology is Trees, and lots of them. Both planted and protected.
Read more about our partnership with One Tree Planted here

And read about our travel philosophy here