Page 166 - 2022 & 2023 Adventures by Land & Sea

Itinerary DAY 4 • Helsinki • Local farm visit • Visit a husky farm for our NEW A Day in the Life experience.
Porvoo • Finnish education conversation Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.
Today, we visit Norrkulla Gard farm in the B,L,D — Wilderness Hotel Inari or similar
DAY 1 • Depart U.S. countryside outside of Helsinki. We’ll meet a few
Depart today on your flight to Helsinki, Finland. members of the family before they bring our small DAY • Inari • Transfer to Svolvaer
group on a tour of the grounds. Then, we’ll head We cross the Norwegian border by motorcoach and
DAY 2 • Arrive Helsinki, Finland to the family’s traditional farmhouse, where we’ll ride to the airport in Lakselv. From here, we fly to
Arrive in Helsinki where an O.A.T. representative will discuss our hosts’ heritage over tea and snacks. Tromso, then Stokmarknes, where we transfer by
help with your transfer to your hotel. You’ll meet your We’ll say goodbye and head to Finland’s second- motorcoach and ferry to Svolvaer.
Trip Experience Leader and your fellow travelers, oldest town, Porvoo, established in 1380. Later, our B — Thon Lofoten Hotel or similar
including those who took our optional pre-trip small group will be joined by a local teacher for a
extensions to Baltic Capitals: Riga, Latvia & Tallinn, conversation about education in Finland. The Finnish DAY • Svolvaer • Trollfjord cruise • Lofoten
Estonia or St. Petersburg: Russia’s Imperial Capital. Later, education system is widely regarded to be one of the World War II Museum
you’ll join your Trip Experience Leader for a discovery finest in the world, with students routinely showing Today we discover the Lofoten Archipelago. We’ll
walk and a stop for chocolate and coffee at the Fazer impressive results in literacy, science and math. Our board a small boat and sail the crystal blue waters,
Café—one of the oldest cafés in Finland. guest will speak to us about how Finland reformed weaving through the islands and passing by
Klaus K Hotel or similar its education system over recent decades, and which snowcapped peaks, sandy white shores, and small
factors are responsible for its modern success. fishing villages. After our cruise, we visit the Lofoten
DAY 3 • Explore Helsinki • B — Klaus K Hotel or similar War Museum in Svolvaer, where we’ll meet the owner
Suomenlinna fortress for a look at his collection of World War II artifacts.
Explore Helsinki on a walking tour. We begin at DAY 5 • Helsinki • Fly to Rovaniemi • B,L,D — Thon Lofoten Hotel or similar
the Esplanadi, then stroll by the Swedish Theater, Transfer to Inari • Visit local reindeer farm
Finland’s national theater. We’ll continue up We fly to Lapland this afternoon, then drive to a local
Mannerheim Street, where we’ll see the city’s reindeer farm. Here, we’ll meet the owner, and she’ll
Parliament House, and into the Art Nouveau Helsinki give us a brief tour of the farm before sitting down for Watch this independent video to learn
Central Railway Station. We then walk toward Senate dinner. Then, we’ll head to our hotel and check in. more about this adventure
Square, and wrap up our tour in Market Square, B,D — Wilderness Hotel Inari or similar
where we’ll meet some of the locals. Later, we hop on
a ferry and ride across the water for a guided tour of DAY 6 • Inari • Controversial Topic:
Suomenlinna: A UNESCO World Heritage Site. This sea Protecting Sami rights and culture with
fortress is set upon a cluster of six Finnish islands, Sami woman Katariina • A Day in the Life of a
each of which offers desirable views of the coast and Sami husky farm
a rich, historical background. This evening, enjoy an We begin our Lapland adventure when we meet
included Welcome Dinner at our hotel. a local Sami woman for a conversation about the
B,D — Klaus K Hotel or similar Controversial Topics affecting the Sami people
today: their indigenous rights in Lapland and the watch video
preservation of their culture. Then, we’ll immerse
ourselves further in Sami tradition when we travel to

Meet the People Who Call Finland & Norway Home

Reindeer Farm Owner : We’ll join the owner of a local reindeer farm near Inari on
Day 5, where we’ll tour the grounds before sitting down for a farm-fresh dinner.
Following our meal, the owner will discuss the past and present of reindeer
herding in Lapland.

Sami Husky Farmers : On Day 6 in Inari, we’ll immerse ourselves further in Sami
tradition when we visit a husky farm for our NEW A Day in the Life experience.
We’ll meet the owners and their 30 husky dogs who live an idyllic life in the
great outdoors of rural Lapland. We’ll learn about the important role that these
friendly creatures play in the Sami people’s lifestyle in this region.
Local Museum & Restaurant Owner : We’ll visit the village of Henningsvaer on
Day 9, where we’ll join the owner of an old cod liver oil factory that has been
converted into a combined museum and restaurant. Here, we’ll learn about the
Lofoten fisheries and the Stockfish production in the area before sitting down for
a lunch that you helped prepare.
Meet an indigenous Sami family at their reindeer farm on Day 6.

166 Under the Midnight Sun: Sami Lapland, Norway & the Arctic Circle www.oattravel.com/mns2022

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