Arctic Circle Motorcycle Tour - The Long Way Up Tour (June  2013)

As featured in Adventure Bike Rider Magazine

You can take comfort in the fact that we are a fully licensed and fully insured Tour Operator.  We have full Tour Operators Liability and Professional Indemnity Cover.  This cover is provided by an Industry leading Lloyds Syndicated Insurance Company.

The Cost of the Tour

The cost of the tour is £1900 for a single rider in shared room (two to a room). A pillion will cost an additional £1700.  A few single rooms are available at a cost of £2300.  In addition, if you fancy doing this trip but not on a bike then you can accompany us in a 4 x 4 vehicle - cost is £1800 per person (spaces are limited).

Whilst traveling through Northern Finland and Norway we will camping(wilderness and campsites).  As such you will need to bring your own tent and sleeping bag (which we will carry in our 4x4.  We have chosen to camp in Norway in order to keep costs down and also fully experience the ‘Midnight Sun’ and beautiful scenery.

In order to book your place we will require an initial deposit of £120 deposit.  We will then require a further £380 deposit by January 2012 and then the balance payment is due 8 weeks before departure.

What is Included in the Price

• All ferry crossings (Dover - Calais; Talinn - Helsinki; Esberg - Harwich)
• Tour guides
• Back Up 4x4 - Luggage Vehicle (Start to finish)
• All hotel accommodation
• All camping fees
• Cooking stoves, plates, cooking utensils whilst camping
• Breakfast
• Tour routes and information pack

What is Not Included in the Price

• Evening Meals
• Travel Insurance
• Drinks
• Tents (you need to bring your own tent and sleeping bag)
   

Basic Itinerary

Day 1  - Dover to Monchengladbach (245 miles)

As far as we are concerned, the tour and the adventure starts the moment we get off the ferry at Calais. No motorways for us as we head along the coast road towards Ostend and then strike out across Belgium, Netherlands and into Germany.  As we head across the Netherlands we will pass through the National Park de Meinweg before reaching our hotel at Monchengladbach.

Day 2 – Monchengladbach to Leipzig (350 miles)

This is a big day that will get us a good way across Germany.  There will be plenty of twisty roads as we follow the path of the Rhine for a while, past the North of Cologne and then into the Naturpark Rothaargebirge. The park is literally named after the Red Haired Mountains – a range within the park which are covered in conifers and deciduous woodland. The park’s highest peak is Kahler Asten, at 841 metres.  Then it’s into the beautiful and interesting city of Leipzig.

In the evening, you can sample traditional Saxon cuisine (shnitzel, dumplings, roast pork) at one of the city’s most famous landmarks – Auerbachs Keller.  This beer hall dates back to 1538. Germany’s literary giant Goethe used to drink here and used it as the setting for the scene where Faust dines with the devil.

Day 3 – Leipzig to Poznan (255 miles)

A shorter day for today as we head across the border into Poland.  We will cross the border at Frankfurt an der Oder.  Then its across Poland to the city of Poznan. Poznan is the fifth largest city in Poland and one of its oldest.  It is home to the oldest cathedral in Poland and is crowded with churches and cobbles and colourful burgher houses, the old town is a collage of architectural styles and stuffed with delicate looking churches and esoteric museums. As a major cultural and economic centre it has many bars, restaurants etc

Day 4 – Poznan to Warsaw (242 miles)

A day spent travelling through rural Poland. We will take the scenic route from Poznan taking us mostly through gently rolling country, park like wooded areas and several small towns with old churches. We will pass several palaces and castles and will have a stop off at the city of Kalisz. Kalisz is one of the oldest cities in Poland, first mentioned by Ptolemy in 200 BC as a trading post on the Amber route.  Then it’s into Warsaw for our evening stay.

Day 5 – Warsaw to Vilnius (350 miles) 

This is a busy day. 

Up early and out of Warsaw, heading North East and to the remains of the extermination camp at Treblinka – I know it’s a holiday but sometimes we need to put things into perspective. It is estimated that a minimum of 900,000 people lost their lives at Treblinka, of these a third, 300,000 were children.  No child survived Treblinka.

From Treblinka we will head North Eastwards towards to border with Belarus.  If we have time and the border crossings are not too busy we will cross into Belarus and visit the city of Hrodna. Then it’s into Lithuania and the short 30 mile ride to the capital of Vilnius. Vilnius has an absolutely fantastic ‘Old Town’ which we will visit in the evening.

Day 6 – Vilnius to Riga (270 miles) 

Now we are heading due North towards the Baltic and the Latvian capital of Riga.

Our journey northwards will take us through the Aukštaitija National Park This is Lithuania’s oldest national park and is still one of the most popular destinations for locals in search of nature and tranquillity. Located some 70km from Vilnius, the park covers     30,000 acres, one-sixth of which lies underwater! You can get a breathtaking view of some of the park’s 100 lakes from the top of Ladakalnis hill.

Then its into beautiful Riga for our overnight stop. Another world heritage site.  The Historic Centre of Riga is particularly notable for its extensive Art Noveau architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world.

Day 7 – Riga to Talinn (200 miles)

A nice gentle day, after breakfast and it’s onto the coastal road and Northwards towards Talinn.  We will have lunch at the seaside town of Parnu.  Parnu is Estonia biggest seaside resort and the beach there is fantastic. After spending a few hours chilling out at Parnu, it is a relatively short and quick ride to Tallinn (75 miles).

Day 8 – Talinn to Helsinki (45 miles by ferry)

Almost a rest day from motorcycling as we take the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki. The crossing takes 2hrs and as such gives us plenty of time to explore the delightful city of Helsinki.  Of course, the first thing we must do when getting into Finland is take a sauna!

Day 9 – Helsinki to Vaasa (280 miles)

Heading northwards and into Finland’s labyrinth of lakes (a staggering 187,888 lakes at the last count!) and then towards the Gulf of Bothnia for our overnight stay in Vaasa.

Day 10 – Vaasa to Oulu (210 miles)

The daylight hours will now be getting a lot longer as we head towards the land of the midnight sun.  From Vaasa we will take the attractive coastal road over the ‘road of seven bridges’ which runs from island to island across the archipelago to the North of Vaasa.

Day 11 – Oulu to Akaslompolo (240 miles)

This is it - on day 11 we enter Finnish Lapland and cross into the Arctic Circle.  You will experience the ‘Midnight Sun’, rugged landscapes and the hospitality of the Laplanders.  Travelling on the road known as the ‘Way of the Four Winds’ we will ride northwards past Kukkolankoski rapids and will cross into the Arctic Circle at Juoksenki. The landscape will become wild and rugged as we venture further into the Arctic Circle before overnighting at the ski resort of Akaslompolo.

Day 12 – Akaslompolo to Nordkapp (250 miles)

After a night under the midnight sun (sleep if you can – otherwise just enjoy the glorious splendour of Lapland). We will follow Road 21 northwest and will make another crossing – this time it will be the Arctic Tree Line. The scenery will become even wilder and more barren and then we will start to climb as we enter the mountains on the Finnish/Norwegian border (Halti at 4,350ft). This is true wilderness and is a day of motorcycling that you will never forget.

Day 13 – Nordkapp to Tromso (250 miles)

Now we are in Norway we will follow the spectacular coast road to Tromso.

Day 14 – Tromso (Rest Day)

A well earned rest day in Tromso – ‘The Paris of the North’. You can go whale watching, visit the Polar Museum, visit Europe’s northernmost brewery (Mack).  There is also a varied and abundant nightlife so we can let our hair down in the evening!

Day 15 – Tromso to Andenes (275 miles)

We are going to take you off the beaten track and spend a day exploring the rugged and spectacular Lofoten and Vesteralen islands.  Truly fantastic scenery.

Day 16 – Andenes to Bodo (250 miles)

Riding back onto the mainland we will join the famous ‘Arctic Highway’ for our journey south to Bodo. The road which was originally little more than a track was significantly improved by the Germans during their occupation of Norway in the Second World War. The work was done at great cost to human life, being undertaken by slave labour, largely Yugoslavs and Russians.  Many thousands lost their lives and as such the road is known as the ‘Bodvei’, the Blood Road.

Day 17 – Bodo to Mosjoen (210 miles)

Today we will leave the Arctic Circle on our journey South on the Arctic Highway.  However, the adventure doesn’t stop – the Norwegian roads and scenery are still captivating as we head into the heart of Norway and experience its beautiful mountains and Fjords.

Day 18 – Mosjoen to Trondeheim (260 miles)

More of the Arctic highway through beautiful scenery as we head towards the city of Trondheim. What more can we say.  Oh, we will take you to ‘Hell’ – a small village just outside Trondheim that, not surprisingly, does a good trade in postcards!

Day 19 – Trondheim to Lillehammer (220 miles)

On our final two motorcycling days we will spend the time in the glorious Norwegian mountain ranges of Trollheimen (Home of the Trolls), Dovrefjell, Hemsedal. Great roads and spectacular scenery around every corner as we climb to a height of 6,000ft.

Day 20 – Lillehammer to Helsingborg (sweden) (300 miles)

From Lillehammer we will head due south into Sweden.

Day 21 –Helsingborg to Esberg to Harwich (Ferry)

That’s it. It is all over.  We are back on the ferry, heading home. What an adventure. You will have travelled through 11 countries, rode 4500 miles, crossed into the Arctic Circle and spent 10 nights under the ‘Midnight Sun’. I know we are biased but that is something to brag about.