Northern Lights destinations in Norway: Kirkenes

The exotic Snow hotel

A major attraction in Kirkenes, located by a tiny fjord outside the town – offering ideal conditions for viewing the Northern Lights.
If you rather prefer sleeping in a regular room, they offer charming & comfortable Gamme chalets.
The first Snow hotel was built in 2002. They used to rebuild the entire hotel every winter, but new technology has made it possible to keep the hotel open all year.
About sleeping in the Snow hotel

More facilities at the Snow hotel:

• A nice restaurant serving local, Arctic food
• A tiny reindeer park
• 180 huskies for dog sledding trips

You will experience the real, amazing Arctic wilderness! As there is a minimum of light pollution, the clear, starry sky is unforgettable!

Exciting winter activities

You can experience unforgettable activities in the Kirkenes area:
• Dog sledding to the Arctic wilderness
• King crab safari on a frozen fjord with crab lunch
• Snowmobile safari
• Northern Lights evening trip

Kirkenes is close to Russia

Kirkenes – a former mining town, is a unique town in Norway due to its proximity to Russia and its dramatic World War II history.
The population in Kirkenes is a mixture of Norwegian, Sami and Russian. An interesting feature of the town is that the street signs are both in Norwegian and in Russian!

Kirkenes' dramatic history

During World War II, all of the houses in the town were demolished, apart from the tiny wooden church! Luckily Kirkenes was a mining town, with a maze of underground mining tunnels outside the town centre, thus the inhabitants were able to escape into the mining tunnels to hide from the German soldiers.
This is where they lived until the Russians came to their rescue, and more than 3000 inhabitants suddenly appeared from the mining entrance!
You can watch this heart touching moment in a movie in Andersgrotta mining tunnel, under the town’s centre.

Travel tips to Kirkenes

Fjord Travel Norway offers a selection of amazing Northern Lights tours & cruises with a stay in exotic Kirkenes:
• The tours are unescorted (not with a group), with guided activities
• Most of the tours start & finish in Oslo
You book your flights to/from Norway and we take care of the rest!

Northern Lights tours to Kirkenes:

Ice Hotel Northern Lights Break

A short break to Kirkenes, with:
• 1 night at a centrally located hotel
• 1 night in the amazing Snow hotel
• A 2-hour Dog sledding trip to the amazing Arctic wilderness, searching for the Northern Lights.
Starts & finishes with a night in Oslo.
You can add Snowmobile & King crab fishing
Duration: 4 nights

Northern Lights Cruise & Snow Hotel

Cruise round trip from Oslo, with:
• Artic Tromsø
• 2-night Northern Lights cruise
• North Cape excursion
• Dog sledding & Snowmobile safari
Stay in the Snow hotel, Tromsø & Oslo.
Duration: 6 nights

Ice Hotel, Northern Lights & Tromsø

An adventurous round trip from Oslo, with:
• 2 nights in Kirkenes & 2 nights in Tromsø
• Overnight in the Snow hotel
• 2-hour wilderness Dog sledding trip
• Northern Lights Reindeer sleigh
Duration: 6 nights

Ice Hotel, Northern Lights & Fjord tour

Visit Arctic Norway & Fjord Norway! Round trip from Oslo, with:
• Kirkenes & picturesque Bergen
• Overnight in the Snow hotel
• Northern Lights trip with Dog sledding
• Fjord cruise on the UNESCO Nærøyfjord
• The Flåm Railway & Bergen Line
Duration: 7 nights