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Up there - in the middle of nowhere - you can see, photograph and hike some of the most stunning mountains I've ver seen: what's even better about them is that they are pristine and unspoiled. There's no hiking trails, no roads, nothing... just complete wilderness and great scenery!
Everything and everywhere in Tormso is "Arctic", especially because the explorer Amudsen left from here to go explore the arctic. Arctic sights: first of all there's a wonderful example of modern architecure: the arctc cathedral - a white church, triangular in shape, that from afar looks like an iceberg. Then there are the several museums: the arctic museum and the polan museum. Then there's a great, wonderful, unforgettable exhibition called Polaria, all dedicated to the various Arctic regions... so if it's arctic sights and history that you are craving for, Tromso is the place for you.
Inuvik is not much about what to see, but where to be - middle of nearly nowhere, arctic canada. There are however two things that must be seen: the strange and interesting Igloo Church - a white church shaped like an igloo, obviously - which is quite an interesting piece of architecture. There are also some defensive posts built here during the cold war in case of a Russian attack.
Tuktoyaktuk, locally, is called Pingo NP. Now it's not a National Park at all, but in this specific location there's a high concentration of pingos to discover. There's no roads around the hamlet, so the only way to go there is by boat. For your own safety you need a local guide to go there (read: bear activity). Arctic Toiur Company provided me one: a young Inuvialut guy called Eric who, after having been a whale hunter, had turned into a travel guide. He has spent most of his life on the sea, so he was the best guide one could have: informed, friendly, and in love with water. But back the the attraction: pingoes- what's a pingo? Not a bird, not a mammal, not a living creature. A pingo is a hill. It may look like any other hill but it's not: its particularity comes from the fact that its core is made of ice: if you bring a shovel and start digging, very soon you'll find no longer earth...
Summer: Boat trips, visit of Barentsburg (see pic), visit of a coal mine, if you're tough enough: surfing in the freezing fjord of Longyearbyen (without the protection suit you'd die in 2 minutes!), hiking and finding huge fossiles in the mountains around Longyearbyen.Winter: Snowmobilingthis is one of the few places, where absolute lonelyness is possible!
Northern lights, mostly called aurora, are the fluttering lights that can be observed in the sky over the northern-most parts of the world. A similar light is located over the southern-most parts of the world; it is called southern lights. Together the northern- and southern lights are called polar lights.
Things to do here - SummerDuring the summer (July-September), you may travel by boat to fish, hike, sightsee, and observe traditional hunting with overnight stays at an Inuit outpost camp. Various optional tours by plane, hiking, or seal kayaking provide an exciting extension for the inquisitive adventurer. Baffin Island in summer will wrap you in the exciting mystique of the Land of the Mid Night Sun.
2 Murmansk – Vally of Victory - Nikel – Kirkenese – Berlevag – Kjollefjord – Honingsvag – Nordkap – *Karasyok – *Karigasniemi - *Inari – *Ivalo – *Rovaniemi – Kiruna < *Hitch Hike for a total distance of 680kms at Arctic >
* 15 Dec 2000 - Karasyok Norway, Aurora appear at UTC 24:00-03:15 (16 Dec); - as the result of watching too much Aurora, I missed the only bus to Rovaniemi in the morning. * 16 Dec 2000 - Hitch Hiked from Karasyok Norway to Sodankyila Finland, Aurora appear during the journey on the highway at UTC 21:20-21:35
Auroras seem to spread across the sky above us. From Earth we can only see a tiny section of the aurora's ring that circles the Earth. Just as the auroras move and dance in the sky above us, the ring changes as well.
Reviews and photos of Arctic attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Arctic sightseeing.
Q: I suddenly mused that it might/should be more interesting to check out the Canadian North, the Inuits etc instead of checking out...
A: Sheherezad, I think “Into the Northwest Passage” tour is definitely unique and is the kind of tour that you’d remember for the rest of your life. I’d say, go for...
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