Norway & Finland - An Arctic Spring

Tour Code: NOR03

An 11-day holiday to enjoy the breeding birds of the taiga forests, spectacular fjords and Arctic uplands of Finland and Norway.

11 days from
£4,995 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£4,595
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

This comprehensive 11-day birdwatching holiday promises a wealth of north European birdlife within an itinerary that encompasses the taiga forests, marshes and lakes of Finland as well as the tundra, fjords and Arctic uplands of Norway. With the imperatives of the approaching Arctic summer, breeding birds will be busy proclaiming and defending territories, increasing our chances of finding some of the scarcer and less conspicuous species. There is a particular allure to birdwatching in the Arctic during this season and, with a species list which includes waders, raptors, seabirds, wildfowl and owls, this is a holiday that showcases the very best of the region's birdlife.

  • Sample a superb variety of Arctic birdlife during peak season
  • Seabird spectacles include Brünnich's Guillemots in north Norway
  • Reindeer, Elk & other mammals
  • Stunning scenery
  • Be guided by our expert local ornithologist(s)

Grading

Easy birdwatching walks only.

The extremely popular Naturetrek tour to northern Finland each Easter, which we have run for many years now, visits this beautiful country at a time when the frozen Arctic wilderness is waking from a long winter slumber and greeting the beginning of a new spring. Six weeks later, the transition into summer has precipitated one of the great European natural history spectacles as a myriad of plants, insects, birds and mammals seek to take advantage of the lengthening days and milder weather to reproduce and raise progeny. With an urgency engendered by the shortness of the Arctic summer, newly arrived migrant birds waste no time in establishing territories and laying eggs, whilst each day new plants burst into flower to add colour to the northern spring. It is with great pleasure therefore that we return, during this late spring to early summer period, to savour the sights and sounds of this vibrant season with an exciting tour which embraces the very best birdwatching locations in Arctic Finland and Norway.

Our holiday begins with a flight from London to Oulu (via Helsinki), a town on the north-eastern shore of the Gulf of Bothnia. Oulu is surrounded by extensive boreal forest in which live many of the high Arctic birds most sought after by British birdwatchers, in particular the owls. Whilst owl numbers fluctuate from year to year, the breeding species here include Eagle, Ural, Great Grey, Tengmalm’s, Hawk, Short-eared and Pygmy Owl, offering plenty of scope for our ‘owling’ activities. Black Grouse, Capercaillie and both Three-toed and Black Woodpeckers feature among the other residents of the Oulu area and we will also visit Liminka Bay, Finland’s most important wetland area, where a host of waders and waterbirds may harbour a few surprise migrants whilst local attractions include Common Crane, Terek Sandpiper and Citrine Wagtail.

Next, we drive eastwards from Oulu, through a picturesque landscape blanketed with forests and studded with lakes, to the small town of Kuusamo where we stay for two nights. Situated close to both the Russian border and the Arctic Circle, Kuusamo’s wild taiga forests offer some superlative birdwatching, with Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Pine Grosbeak, Two-barred Crossbill and Rustic Bunting being amongst the eastern specialities to look for. With luck we may also find a Red-flanked Bluetail, a veritable gem of a bird well worth the effort entailed to reach the hillside forests where the electric blue males proclaim their arrival with bursts of melodious song. Not far from the town is the magnificent wilderness of Oulanka National Park. Lying close to the Arctic Circle, Oulanka contains a wonderfully diverse range of habitats that includes vast expanses of ancient taiga forest, deep valleys, bogs and meadows extending over 270 square kilometres of land along the Oulankajoki River. A day spent in this pristine national park will be filled with many exciting bird observations and we hope to also glimpse some of the park’s mammals which include Reindeer, Elk, Beaver, Red Squirrel and Pine Marten.

From here we drive north to Ivalo, in Finland, where we stay for a night before continuing to Varanger Fjord. Leaving the forests behind, we enter the great ‘fell country’ of Arctic Norway, an undulating terrain of bare hills which overlooks bogs and lakes where the exquisite Black-throated Diver breeds. Fringed by thickets of Mountain Birch, the blue waters of Varanger Fjord and the surrounding tundra represent one of the most accessible examples of Arctic habitat on the mainland of Europe. This is the haunt of divers, Steller’s and King Eiders, White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Snowy Owl, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls, Long-tailed Skua, Bluethroat, Red-throated Pipit, Shorelark and Snow Bunting whilst exploration of the surrounding tundra and the salmon-rich Teno River should produce colonies of Arctic Terns, various breeding waders, and maybe a glimpse of the local pair of Gyrfalcons. Weather permitting, we will take a boat trip to visit one of the offshore seabird islands which contain great colonies of Kittiwakes, Shags, and auks, including numbers of Brünnich’s Guillemots and Puffins.

The spectacle of these noisy, bustling seabird islets is matched the following day by the wildness of the scenery as we follow the peninsula from Vardo to Hamninberg, the furthest point of the European mainland where pristine beaches and sheltered bays contrast with stretches of dark bogs and tundra, populated by song-flighting waders.

The frenetic pace of the Arctic summer will continue for several more months but, after drinking our fill of this annual spectacle, it will sadly be time to retrace our steps to Ivalo where we catch a return flight to London.  

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Oulu
Day 2/3
Oulu
Day 4/5
Kuusamo
Day 6
Ivalo
Day 7/9
Varanger Fjord and vicnity
Day 10
Ivalo
Day 11
Fly London
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    Comfortable tourist hotels, all with private facilities.

  • Food:

    All food included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Fri 9th May – Mon 19th May FULL £4,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,595
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£795
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
David Spivack
David Spivack.jpg

Tour Leader: David Spivack

Born in north London, David has been involved professionally in the conservation sector since 1990, whilst during the 80's he actively volunteered locally with the RSPB, the local Wildlife Trust and BTCV in the Lea Valley & Epping Forest areas.

Over the past 30 years, David's professional conservation career has included working for the RSPB in the North of England and at the RSPB HQ at the Lodge, the RSPB in the East of England along with The Wildlife Trusts UK Office and as the UK Director for Falklands Conservation, the Birdlife International partner based in the islands.  During this time the roles David has undertaken has ranged from working with young people, volunteers, generating income & profile to support conservation, reserve management and working with UK & International partners and agencies to support conservation work in the Falkland Islands.

Now living in the North Yorkshire Wolds and close to Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Head, David currently works for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Mon 2nd Jun – Thu 12th Jun FULL £4,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,595
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£795

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Fri 8th May – Mon 18th May SPACES £5,295
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,895
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£895
Fri 5th Jun – Mon 15th Jun SPACES £5,295
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,895
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£895 
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Birding Tours Led by Expert Naturalists


The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.


Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours


We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.


The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.

Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:



Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection


Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.


 




Our specialist recommends...






"Try Coto Doñana & Extremadura for an excellent introduction to Europe's wetland and steppe birds. I would recommend our bargain holiday, 'Nepal – A Birdwatching Tour' for those interested in Siberian rarities and Ibisbill, while Costa Rica offers a chance to search for arguably the world's most beautiful bird, the Resplendent Quetzal."

Byron Palacios - Tour Leader




  


 


All Birdwatching Tours

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Arctic Wildlife Holidays – Specialist Tours and Cruises in the Arctic


The Arctic is special. Bathed in a surfeit of light and pale blue skies during summer, then plunged into constant darkness during the winter, the seasonal contrasts in scenery, light and wildlife at the poles compared with the rest of the planet are stark. Still visited only by the lucky few, the Arctic has for centuries held an irresistible magnetism for explorers.


For the wildlife enthusiast and the adventurous-spirited, the Arctic has a bewitching appeal and well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s top wildlife destinations. Naturetrek Arctic expeditions are special in that we usually charter an entire ship (30 to 80 berth), and operate our Arctic holidays as dedicated wildlife cruises, focusing solely on the region’s wildlife and visiting the very best wildlife sites. All our Arctic holidays are also accompanied by expert naturalist guides.


Here are some of the reasons why Naturetrek’s Arctic holidays are so successful:


    

  • Our cruises focus solely on the Arctic’s spectacular wildlife.
    • 

  • We only charter small ships ranging in size from 30 - 80 berths.
    • 

  • All operate at the best times of year for wildlife.
    • 

  • Flexible itineraries to ensure the best wildlife sightings.
    • 

  • We use a team of hand-picked & experienced expedition staff.
    • 

  • Led by naturalist guides with expert knowledge of the Arctic region.
    • 

  • We offer a wide range of tours both above and below the arctic circle.
    • 

  • Cruises include daily zodiac excursions, accompanied by naturalist guides.
    • 

  • Daily briefings & recaps held.
    • 



Wildlife seen on a Naturetrek Arctic holiday:


    

  • Look for Polar Bears, Walrus, Arctic Fox & seals in Spitsbergen
    • 

  • See the Northern Lights, spectacular fjords & snowy mountains
    • 

  • Glaciers, icebergs, pack-ice, taiga forests and Arctic tundra Experience 24-hour daylight
    • 

  • Humpback, Fin & Sperm Whales
    • 

  • Little Auks, Grey Phalaropes, Ivory Gull & Long-tailed Skua in Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land
    • 

  • Steller’s & King Eiders plus Gyr Falcon in Iceland
    • 

  • Bears, Wolves & owls in sub-arctic Finland, Sweden & Norway
    • 

  • Colourful tundra flora
    • 





Our specialist recommends...






"The Arctic is like nowhere else on the planet – and once you’ve been, you will be hooked (I was!). Spitsbergen is the ultimate Arctic destination and one of the best places to look for Polar Bears. Our 11-day Spitsbergen Wildlife Cruise offers a spectacular supporting cast of Walrus, dramatic scenery and huge seabird colonies. If you’re looking for a short break, or a taste of the Arctic, try one of our Bear-watching or owl-focused holidays in Finland or Sweden.” 

Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager




  


All Arctic Tours

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire
Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!