I feel like everyone has a place in the world that they could visit over and over and over again, and northern Norway is mine. It’s a place with natural beauty that leaves you speechless, extremes of weather that remind you of the powerful force of nature, and unique experiences that you’ll never forget. If you only have one chance to visit and want to make the most of it, here’s my Finnmark road trip itinerary.
Finnmark Road Trip Itinerary – How To Plan An Epic Tour Of Northern Norway
Disclaimer
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Which airport is best for a Finnmark road trip?
I recommend flying into Alta Airport. It’s a quick flight from Oslo with Norwegian Airlines.
To save money on flights and a rental car, it is usually cheaper to fly in and out of the same airport. However, you could also change this itinerary from a loop to a point-to-point road trip by flying into Alta and out of Kirkenes as one option.
If you do this, I would just change the order of stops and go to Karasjok after the cabin.
When you plan your Finnmark road trip itinerary, make sure you experience a cabin stay like the locals
How to rent a car
You can rent a car from Alta Airport. It is very important to book it prior to arriving though as it is a small airport and the booths are staffed around bookings.
I have rented from Europcar previously and Avis on my most recent trip and had good experiences with both.
Driving views in Norway
How long do you need for a road trip in Finnmark?
If you are pressed for time, you can do this in 7 days. If you are doing this, I would change the itinerary slightly to this:
- Arrive in Alta – 3 nights at the cabin
- Drive to Vadsø for 2 nights – use the full day to do the King Crab Safari (2.5 hours drive each way) and see Drakkar the next morning before driving to Karasjok
- Karasjok for 2 nights – use the full day for a husky or reindeer tour
Otherwise, you can take it slower and do the itinerary below in 9 days or add more stops and make it a longer trip.
It’s really up to you but the minimum would be 7 days.
Trollholmsund hike
Stop #1 – Cabin stay
Driving time: A little over an hour from Alta Airport
A fabulous first stop on your Finnmark road trip is to experience a Norwegian cabin. I recommend this one which is about 10 minutes from Skaidi – it’s actually my favorite place to travel to.
As far as things to do at the cabin itself, it’s a different experience in the different seasons. In winter, the remote location makes it a great place to watch the Northern Lights. You can get a drink, soak in the jacuzzi and watch them above you – it’s magical! In summer you will have lots of daylight to explore the outdoors and hike in the postcard-like scenery.
If you don’t have enough time for the 3 night stay or prefer hotels, try Skaidi Hotel.
Day trips: There is a 3-night minimum stay here which allows you two full days for day trips.
I definitely recommend visiting Nordkapp which is 3 hours away.
On the other day you could visit:
- Hammerfest
- Trollholmsund hike in Lakselv
- Olderfjord
More information:
Nordkapp is a great day trip from the cabin – don’t miss the panorama film there
Stop #2 – Vadsø
Driving time: 5 hours
The next stop in the road trip is Vadsø.
If you have the time and don’t want to do a 5 hour drive, you can break it up by adding a stop then getting to Vadsø the next day.
I stayed at this Airbnb which was a great little spot. It had a convenient location, lovely hosts, and everything you would need for a stay. If you prefer hotels, I recommend searching on Booking.com – I usually use this but all the hotels were booked for this last minute trip.
Drakkar sculpture in Vardø
Day trip:
Vadsø is a great base for a day trip to Drakkar. This is a very cool Viking ship sculpture by the sea in Vardø about 1 hour away.
As with many of the drives, the views are incredibly scenic with a lot of places to stop and take photos along the way.
I also recommend taking some time to look around Vadsø and getting some food from Opticom Kaffebar.
More information:
Stop #3 – Kirkenes
Driving time: 2.5 hours
The next stop will take you to Kirkenes.
I recommend staying at the unique Snowhotel which has cool cabins and ice rooms or Thon Hotel.
Kirkenes is a very cool place to visit because it’s a hub of tours and activities. If you don’t have time to do a road trip, you could fly into Kirkenes and experience King Crab, Husky, and Northern Lights tours from here.
Day trip:
Doing a King Crab Safari was one of the highlights of the trip for me and I highly recommend it. On the tour, you collect the crabs from the fjord, take them back to the cozy lodge, and eat your fresh catch.
They are cooked to perfection and taste incredible!
More information:
Stop #4 – Karasjok
Driving time: 3.5 hours
For the last stop, take a drive inland to Karasjok.
Here, I absolutely recommend that you stay at Engholm Husky Design Lodge.
It’s one of the most unique and incredible places that I have ever stayed. All the cabins were handmade by the owner, Sven. Even most of the interior has been handmade including things like the lampshades, toiletries racks, and swing seats.
It’s an amazing display of creativity and ingenuity.
Handmade touches at Engholm Husky Lodge
Day trip:
You can take tours through Engholm so this would be a good stop to do a husky sled tour or visit with a Sami reindeer herder.
If you have the time, you can even do longer husky tours. While I was visiting there was a group that returned from a 3-day sled tour and they had great things to say about it.
In Karasjok, you can also visit the Sami Museum.
More information:
- Here is my full review on Engholm Husky Design Lodge.
Huskys at Engholm Design Lodge
Back to Alta Airport
Driving time: 2.5 hours
The last stop on the Finnmark road trip itinerary is, unfortunately, to head back to the airport for your flight home.
The rental car booth might not be staffed when you drop off your keys. They give you an envelope when you pick up the car though and you just put your keys in that and leave it in the dropbox next to the booths if no one is there.
This drive was my favorite because I saw huge herds of reindeer in grazing on the side of the road and even a few moose. What a way to end the trip.
Reindeer on the side of the road
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