Off the Map Travel has launched “A Polar Night,” a five-day private tour that takes travelers close to the North Pole. The program brings adventurous travelers in search of the Northern Lights to a remote area with 24-hour darkness and an absence of light pollution where chances to see the Aurora are strongest. The adventure begins in Oslo and travels north to Svalbard, an archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
“To have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, you need a polar sky. Where the sun never rises, going as far north as possible, there’s greater possibility of viewing the brilliant colors,” said Jonny Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel.
After a night in Oslo's Amerikalinjen Hotel, the Arctic portion begins with a night at Funken Lodge in Longyearbyen, a small coal-mining town on Spitsbergen Island overlooking the Lars and Longyear glaciers. The evening kicks off the Northern Lights search with a panoramic ice-and-snow-filled tour on a snowcat.
From Funken Lodge, guests meet a dog sled team that will take them to the Juva Cabin in Svalbard. The Juva Cabin is positioned strategically to deliver the best possible views of Svalbard’s scenery and optimal viewing of the Aurora. The secluded cabin is equipped with cushy beds, a fireplace, a Scandinavian-style lounge, kitchen and a barrel-shaped standalone wood sauna. Guests can cozy up by the fire or head to the barrel-shaped, glass-fronted sauna which offers panoramic views of the mountains.
Following breakfast, guests will mush their way back to the dog kennels before returning for a final night at Funken Lodge and have dinner at the Funktionaermessen Restaurant. The restaurant’s onsite champagne cellar is a special attraction.
The tour is available from January to May and includes all meals, one night’s stay in Oslo’s boutique Amerikalinjen Hotel, two nights’ stay in Funken Lodge in Longyearbyen, one night in Juva Cabin in Svalbard, transfers and all activities. Flights are additional. As with any itinerary from Off the Map Travel, the program can be customized to accommodate guests' requirements.
For more details, visit www.offthemap.travel.
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