Arrival at Ivalo airport where our guide will meet you.

Dinner and accommodation either at Hotel Ivalo in Ivalo or Neljän Tuulen Tupa Lodge in Kaamanen about 1 hour north of Ivalo, depending on the group size (1 night).

Today we travel to Northern Norway. On the way, we make a photography stop in Kaamanen where we spend the morning at a bird café – here, many bird feeders attract wintering passerines such as Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Willow Tit, Common and Arctic Redpoll, as well as numerous Red Squirrels. Birds and Squirrels can be photographed at a close distance.

We will carry on towards the north and have lunch at the Finnish-Norwegian border. After lunch, we continue to Norway and leave the treeline behind, and cross the highlands of Varanger Peninsula to the small fishing town of Båtsfjord.

Dinner and accommodation at Båtsfjord Hotel in Båtsfjord (2 nights). In the evening we will look for

Northern Lights if the Aurora activity is good and the skies are clear.

Early morning departure to floating photography hides for Arctic Seaducks such as King Eider, Steller’s Eider, Common Eider and Long-tailed Duck. The hides are located in the sheltered Båtsfjord harbor and the boat drive to the hides lasts only a few minutes. The birds are attracted in front of hides with food and they can come very close! The hides allow for amazing low-angle photography. Photography opportunities are wonderful.

Return to the hotel for a warm breakfast. After breakfast, we will make a RIB boat ride in the fjord and photograph the Seaducks from the boat. Other photogenic subjects in Båtsfjord include Black-legged Kittiwake, Purple Sandpiper, Glaucous and Iceland Gull, Raven, and the charismatic fishing village itself.

Dinner and accommodation at Båtsfjord Hotel in Båtsfjord.

Another early morning hide session for Eiders. After the early hide session, we return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we travel all around the Varanger Peninsula and along the Varanger Fjord to Vardö. The landscapes are picturesque and we make photography stops along the way.

Dinner and accommodation at Hotel Vardö in Vardö (3 nights).

Weather permitting, we will spend both days at Hornoya Bird Island for seabird photography. Thousands and thousands of Atlantic Puffins, Common and Brünnich’s Guillemots, Razorbills, European Shags, and Black-legged Kittiwakes have returned to their breeding cliffs already in mid-March. In April, birds are defending their breeding sites and sometimes engage in fierce fights. Gyrfalcon or White-tailed Eagle might patrol over the island and cause panic among the masses of seabirds. It is not uncommon to see a Gyrfalcon take the occasional unlucky prey.

We will spend the whole day on the island and have a picnic lunch with us. We return to Hotel Vardö for dinner and accommodation in the evening. We will check the Northern Lights activity again and hope for a wonderful Aurora show for the evening.

Today we travel back to Finland. Most of the day is spent traveling, but we will make photography stops on the way to break up the journey.

Dinner and accommodation either at Hotel Ivalo in Ivalo or Neljän Tuulen Tupa Lodge in Kaamanen about 1 hour north of Ivalo, depending on the group size (1 night).

Departure from Ivalo airport.