📷 Arctic Wildlife Photography Tour

📷 Arctic Wildlife Photography Tour – Finland & Varanger

What is:

photographic tour: wildlife, birdwatching and landscape

Where:

Varanger, Norvegia

When:

March 27, 2027 - April 03, 2027

Adressed to:

passionate about photography and nature

Price:

details coming soon

A photographic journey into the heart of the Arctic, from the taiga of northern Finland to the wild shores of Varanger. From the boreal forests around Inari, in search of taiga wildlife, we will travel to Vardø and the spectacular seabird colonies of Hornøya and Ekkerøy, before crossing the snow-covered Varanger highlands towards Kongsfjord, tracking down rock ptarmigans and mountain hares. An immersive experience among extreme landscapes, Arctic wildlife and northern light, with the chance to enjoy unique moments such as spending a night in the lighthouse on Hornøya, surrounded by the sea and the calls of the seabird colonies.

Where?

Inari and surroundings

From March into April, northern Finland around Inari experiences the transition from winter to spring: the taiga slowly emerges from the snow, the edges of the frozen lakes begin to thaw, and the boreal tundra reveals its first mosses and lichens. The days grow rapidly longer, the light takes on a golden quality, and nature quietly yet vibrantly prepares for the great awakening of the North.

Vardø

Vardø, Norway’s easternmost town, lies on an island overlooking the Barents Sea, in the heart of the High Arctic. Among the characteristic houses lining the harbour, black-legged kittiwakes nest, offering wonderful photographic opportunities where wildlife blends into the town’s distinctive urban landscape.

Hornøya

Hornøya is a small, wild island just off Vardø, where the cliffs are home to thousands of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, guillemots, razorbills and black-legged kittiwakes. We will spend one night inside the lighthouse, immersed in the Arctic landscape and surrounded by the sounds of the colonies, with the unique opportunity to photograph the island during the atmospheric evening light and at sunrise.

Ekkerøy

Ekkerøy is a small peninsula overlooking the Varangerfjord, famous for its large colony of black-legged kittiwakes nesting on spectacular cliffs rising directly from the sea. In this wild environment of cliffs, tundra and Arctic waters, we will have the opportunity to photograph the colony at close range and observe many other species of seabirds that frequent the coast.

Kongsfjord and the inland highlands

Kongsfjord, set along the wild shores of the Barents Sea, will be our base for exploring the most remote areas of Varanger. In March, the inland highlands are still covered in snow, creating spectacular Arctic landscapes where, among vast white expanses and extreme conditions, we will search for rock ptarmigans and mountain hares, perfectly adapted to life in the winter tundra.

When?

March 27 – April 3, 2027

Programme

A one-week journey discovering boreal nature and the extraordinary landscapes of the Far North. We will fly from Italy to Ivalo, Finland’s northernmost airport, and from there drive to Inari, our base for the first photographic explorations. Here we will focus on taiga wildlife, looking for species such as Siberian jays and pine grosbeaks, immersed in the silent landscapes of the boreal forest still wrapped in winter.

The following day we will begin our journey north, crossing spectacular landscapes where the taiga gradually gives way to the open habitats of the Arctic tundra, still largely covered in snow. We will reach Vardø, where we will spend the first four nights and explore the shores of Varanger. We will visit the distinctive town overlooking the Barents Sea and travel to the island of Hornøya, where we will have the unique opportunity to spend one night inside the lighthouse, just a few steps from the important seabird colonies that inhabit its cliffs.

We will also spend a day exploring the Ekkerøy peninsula, famous for its large colony of black-legged kittiwakes nesting on spectacular cliffs rising directly from the sea, as well as for the rich seabird life found along this part of the Varangerfjord.

Leaving Vardø behind, we will travel towards Kongsfjord, crossing the inland highlands of Varanger, a wild landscape still deep in winter. Along the way, we will search for rock ptarmigans and mountain hares, perfectly camouflaged against the snowy landscape. We will eventually reach Kongsfjord, a characteristic fishing village overlooking the Barents Sea, where we will spend the final days of the journey exploring the tundra and Arctic coast before returning to Ivalo, where our expedition will come to an end.

At this time of year, the days are rapidly getting longer, providing ever more hours of daylight for photography, while the temperatures and snow-covered landscapes still retain the character of a true Arctic winter. With a little luck, we may also have the chance to witness the spectacular Northern Lights during the night.

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