Tourism2030 - Ecotourism Norway

Management section

2020-05-28T12:30:24Z

Experience extraordinary bird life at Ekkerøy

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Ekkerøy Holiday House offers environmentally friendly accommodation close to nature in Northern Norway. Bird watching is the ultimate experience here.

Ekkerøy Holiday House is close to the arctic zone, in the Varanger area in eastern Finnmark.

Bird watching

Trying to find birds can be a difficult task. Varanger has many exclusive species and excellent bird watching areas, but little information on when and where you can find the birds.

As a bird watching guest at Ekkerøy Holidayhouse, you can use the new self-guiding system. The system consist of a GPS navigator with pre-programmed points of interest. Each point has an information folder with a detailed description of which birds you can expect to find and which strategy to use to have the best chance of success.

Getting to Ekkerøy

You may travel by the coastal steamer (Vadsø is a regular stop) or by direct plane from Oslo to Kirkenes. Here you may hire a car and drive about two hours to Ekkerøy. Another alternative is to take a smaller plane accross the fjord from Kirkenes to Vadsø. The trip takes about 10 minutes. To drive from Vadsø airport to Ekkerøy takes 10 minutes.

Accommodation

Ekkerøy Holiday House is a sertified ecotourism company and a good place of residence for bird watching.

Ekkerøy Holiday House rents out appartments and a house with an interesting history. The accommodation offers are based on do-it-yourself housekeeping with a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedrooms and you will find a birch log sauna. There is a beautiful view to the Varangerfjord.

The house and the apartments are excellent night stops as they are close to the well known bird mountain and bird life in general in the area. Ekkerøy has the richest diversity of birds in Norway as a whole.

Turgleder

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Experience wolf tracking, skiing, hiking, fishing and local culture in remote areas of Norway.

Turgleder is located in Åmot, in the Østerdalen Valley in Hedmark, and offers an opportunity to experience wild Norwegian nature, in an eco friendly, safe and comfortable way.

What to do

Visit a wolf territory and learn about the wild wolfs of Scandinavia, or go hiking or snow shoeing through clean and unspoiled nature. Learn the art of skiing from Turgleder’s experienced cross-country skiers and join ski trips through beautiful mountain landscape.

Learn fly fishing from some of the best fly fishing instructors in Scandinavia and put your new skills to practice in the many rivers and lakes in the region. You can stay in the cabins of an old mountain pasture and feel the atmosphere from many hundred years back in time, or experience the old Sami reindeer culture.

Book a place on one of the scheduled trips or book a tailor-made trip designed to meet your personal demands.

About Turgleder

All Turgleder activities and adventures are recognized by high quality and a sustainable, ecological use of nature. All arrangements are built on active participation by you as a guest. Turgleder is a certified Norwegian ecotourism enterprise. Turgleder focuses on small groups. A small group leaves smaller footprints in nature and a bigger footprint in your heart. In a small group you will experience that the guides see you and will care for your wishes and needs.

Spydspissen Wilderness Adventures

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Spydspissen offers activities with horses, sledge dogs and canoes in the Rendalen Valley, all with a touch of local authentic culture.

Spydspissen Wilderness Adventures is located in the Rendalen Valley as a part of the larger Østerdalen Valley in Hedmark. In Rendalen there are areas known for their relics from old settlements based on hunting and fishing. Rendalen is not the place for after ski, minibars or discotheques. What you get from Spydspissen is wild, genuine and quiet, and suites small groups.

What to do

Spydspissen takes groups of two to eight visitors on historical adventures through the cultural landscape from human activities back to the Stone Age. In the same areas you will analyze tracks of wild animals like wolf, bear, moose, lynx, wolverine and eagle. With Spydspissen you can drive your own dog sledging team in the snowy mountains and you might meet moose up close. Or you can join the hosts at old traditional fishing with nets in the scenic Sølen Lake. Close by the lake you may explore the Mistra River known for its big trout.

Spydspissen offers you to go by horse and sleigh through the winter landscape. The horse has a tremendous place in the lumbering history of the Østerdalen Valley. Spydspissen uses the traditional forest worker cabins for a good meal and a sleep after trips with dog sledges or horses.

Getting here

Spydspissen is located in the Eastern part of Norway in the county of Hedmark. Driving will take three hours from Oslo Airport Gardermoen, going north. You can take the train from Oslo to Koppang or Hanestad, and you will be picked up at the station if you have announced your arrival.

About Spydspissen Wilderness Adventures

Spydspissen Wilderness Adventures is a certified ecotourism company. The nature based activities are performed with great respect of nature. Spydspissen cooperates with other companies in the area to give you a total experience from the Rendalen Valley.

Høve Støtt

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Høve Støtt offers ice climbing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and kick-sled trips in wild nature. In January there is a unique ice music festival

Høve Støtt is located in the mountain town Geilo, about half way between Oslo and Bergen.

What to do

Høve Støtt offers trips with kick-sledges, which is a popular means of transportation in Norway during winter. You can move at about 15 to 20 kilometers per hour. There are other organized trips with snowshoes. Perhaps we will see a fox, a grouse or a snow mouse. There are trips in all kinds of terrain, from great white plains to deep riverbeds. Adrenalin seekers can spend the day climbing frozen waterfalls. There are alternative routes depending on the season and the ice conditions. There are reindeer safaris available as well.

A different cultural experience is the annual ice music festival, at the first full moon every year. All instruments are made of ice. The festival is an ovation to nature, and an ovation to one of world’s most important resources – water.

Getting here

The shortest route between Oslo and Bergen is the rv. 7 road. Geilo is located about half way between these two main cities. The Rv. 7 road over the Hardangervidda mountain plateau and along the Hardangerfjord is a national tourist route. On the Bergen Railway you travel in comfort and get to Geilo in 3 hours and 30 minutes from Oslo or Bergen. Nor-Way Bussekspress operates a number of buses to and from Geilo, among them the airport bus between Oslo Airport Gardermoen and Geilo.

About Høve Støtt

Høve Støtt’s activities are approved by Norwegian Eco tourism. There is a strong focus on being part of the nature during the activities. Høve Støtt has a local involvement.

Matsafari

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Hiking and Food Safaris

Matsafari offers adventures in the hiking area around Stavanger, combined with professional cooking classes and tasty meals.

Matsafari is located in the Stavanger region in Fjord Norway.

What to do

For tourist groups:
Matsafari organizes a guided trip through a reindeer area in the mountains of Sirdal. You will stay in various tourist lodges, including one of the original, restored cabins from the hunting period. The aim is to visit the spectacular nature, and enjoy exclusive dining at the same time. Today there is not hunting, but there are still reindeer in the area, so you might be lucky to see one. You are guaranteed a taste of reindeer on the menu. The trip takes four days and includes three nights in three different cabins.

For business groups:
The beaches of Jæren provide more than 70 kilometers of beautiful coastline. Matsafari arranges a guided one-hour walk along the beach from Sola to Ølberg Strandhager. A snack is served on the beach while the guide tells stories about the area. Social activities and competitions can be held on the Ølberg beach on arrival. A tasty meal will be served in the modern and cozy facilities at Ølberg Strandhager. Other beach destinations in the area are also suitable for this kind of arrangement.

Stavanger Food Safari: An historical walk in the old and new parts of Stavanger, presenting the development from canning industry to international gourmet city. Tasty bites and drinks will be served at various locations.

Lysefjord trip: You will travel with a guide on the 42 kilometer long fjord Lysefjord, with views to the spectacular Pulpit Rock and the Kjerag Mountain. You will disembark at the 4444 step staircase at Førli, which you can climb together with the guide. A barbeque prepared by the chef is waiting you at the end of the trip.

Most trips can be custom-made for smaller or larger groups.

Getting here

Matsafari arranges transport to and from the airport in Stavanger.

About Matsafari

Matsafari will provide guests with unique adventures in the local nature, learning about history and traditions. Matsafari believes in contributing to environmental sustainability. Matsafari cooperates with Stavanger Turistforening on arranging teambuilding in the local region of Stavanger. Matsafari arranges fit-for-purpose teambuilding all year round, and focuses on good experiences in nature, either in the mountains or along the coast. You will stay in Stavanger Turistforening’s cabins. Matsafari believes in the effect of simple outdoor living, and thinks this will give participants a refill, away from the busy everyday life. If required other types of comfortable accommodation can be arranged. The chosen cabins provide excellent starting points for walking, cycling or paddling trips.

Matsafari arranges teambuilding with local guides. The trips focus on nature experiences, adding unforgettable meals prepared together with the professional chef.

Havnomaden Kayak Centre

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Havnomaden Kayak Centre at the coast of Helgeland offers kayaks, accommodation, workshops, a shop and a small pub.

Havnomadens Kayak Centre is located north of the Vega Archipelago, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and below the Arctic Circle.

What to do

There are kayaks for rent, guided day tours and kayak instructions, including rolling techniques and Greenland paddling techniques. There are kayak workshop teaching traditional kayak building and kayak repair.

Getting here

Follow the E6 Highway to Mosjøen. From there, take the RV 78 road until you reach Kystriksveien (RV 17). Follow Kystriksveien (RV 17) over the Helgeland Bridge to Søvik wharf dock. Coming from the south on Kystriksvegen, it is 20 kilometres from Tjøtta to Søvik. Ferry to Brasøy, Husvær is four kilometres away. Or fly into Sandnessjøen and take a taxi the four kilometres to the Søvik wharf dock.

About the area

Helgeland is an outstanding kayak destination, as you will find yourself navigating amongst the maze of sheltered flat islands, surrounded by high mountains. You will visit small picturesque fishing villages and experience wild nature with a rich bird life.

For non-kayakers, the ferries and fast-boats give access to superb hill and mountain walks

About the Kayak centre

Havnomadens Kayak Centre is an old wooden building renovated on the foundations of an old wharf and converted into a bunkhouse for kayakers. Decorating the place, artistic details and genuine atmosphere creates a unique vibe in the centre. The place is practically organised for kayakers and contains seven comfortable rooms and a well equipped joint kitchen area. There is a shop with kayaks for rent, equipment and dry tidy facility. The pub is a popular meeting place for kayakers and the locals.

Hardangervidda Mountain Guiding

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Bring your boots and join a guided hike on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau between Oslo and Bergen.

The tours

You can join walks through miles of quiet and untouched nature, and experience fast flowing rivers, quiet mountain lakes and smiling flowers. During winter, you can put your skies or snowshoes on for a trip on the plateau or into deep and mystic forests where you can learn about animals and examine their tracks.

Examples of guided hikes are:

Philosophy tour
This guided walk is carried out in the spirit of the famous Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss, with an ecological philosophy, based on everything being one, and on Arne Næss famous quote “If nature dies, humans will die with it”. The group will stop to discuss details in nature and do meditation at suitable places.

Time: 10:00 at Geilo Tourist Information
Length of hike: Four hours
Price: NOK 350 (transportation from the hotel not included).
Transportation from Geilo hotels to where the hike starts: NOK 150 (you can avoid this by driving your own car)

The family tour
Looking for Huldra, who is a character from a famous Norwegian fairytale)
Time: 10:00 at Geilo Tourist Information
Length of hike: Three hours.
Price: NOK 300
Children: from 12 to 16 years NOK 150
Transportation from Geilo hotels to where the hike starts: NOK 150 (you can avoid this by driving your own car)

Getting here

Take the train from Oslo or Bergen. You will find the base camp at Geilo/Dagali, where all the guided trips into Hardangervidda National Park start.

About Hardangervidda Mountain Guiding

Hardangervidda Mountain Guiding offers various excursions, from short walks to lengthy trips, all with a personal guide. The guides have thorough knowledge and experience, and are prepared to give you "feel good" moments during the trips.

Hardangervidda Mountain Guiding has a philosophy, an all-encompassing belief, that humans are an integral part of nature, and that spending time in nature is the only way to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

As the famous philosopher Arne Næss once compassionately said: "If the nature dies, the human dies with it."

In January 2009 Hardangervidda Mountain Guiding received the eco-certificate, which guarantee that the services will always be provided in such ways that the environment will not be harmed

Bjåen Fjellstove Mountain Lodge

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Bjåen offers a good bed, a warm hearth, and home baked bread. Outside waits hiking trails in the mountains. Guests can borrow boats to go fishing.

Bjåen Fjellstove Mountain Lodge is located in Bjåen, a small mountain village near Hovden, about half way between Oslo and Bergen.

What to do

The terrain surrounding Bjåen offers alpine and gentle mountains, well suitable for hiking. The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) has two marked hiking trails outside the lodge; from Bjåen to Tjørnsbrosbu, and from Bjåen to Haukeliseter.

The lakes around Bjåen are good for trout fishing. Bjåen Fjellstove Mountain Lodge offers boats for loan for guests.

Getting here

Bjåen is a small mountain village, 900 meters above sea level. It's about the same distance from Bergen and Oslo (300 kilometres), and about 240 kilometres from Krisiansand. From Hovden it is 11 kilometers, and from Haukeligrend 20 kilometers. The Haukeliekspressen and Setesdalekspressen buses offer frequent connections with Oslo, Bergen, Haugesund and Krisitansand.

About Bjåen Fjellstove Mountian Lodge

Bjåen Fjellstove is a certified Norwegian ecotourism company and incorporates local food, history and culture into its operation in a sustainable way.

Bjåen Fjellstove is a step into history. You can still see the original timbers of the walls, floor and ceiling. The staircase is worn from the footsteps of guests who came long before you, and you can feel the floor shift with weight of time.

Svalbard Villmarkssenter

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

An adventure in the Arctic

Svalbard Villmarkssenter offers dog sledging, hiking, skiing and other sporty activities in wild nature at the Svalbard Islands.

Svalbard Villmarkssenter is located in Longyearbyen at the Svalbard Islands, which are situated in the Barents Sea, half way between Norway and the North Pole.

What to do

The main activity is dog sledding - choose between a normal day trip or up to 10-day trips. The long trips include skiing and kiting. You can also go dog sledding on wheels in the summer.

Other offers are hiking trips, wilderness evenings, ski trips and kite training. Svalbard Villmarkssenter also offers accommodation.

When to travel

Most of the dog sledging, skiing and kiting happens from February through May. The hiking trips are arranged from June to November.

Getting here

The easiest way of getting to Svalbard is by air. Most of the year, there are daily flights from Oslo directly to Longyearbyen, or via Tromsø. From Oslo the flight time is 2 hours and 50 minutes, and from Tromsø it is 1 hour and 40 minutes. Scandinavian Airlines operates this route. The island’s airport is Svalbard Airport Longyear. There is no regular boat transportation between the Norwegian mainland and Svalbard. There are no roads between the settlements at the islands.

About Svalbard Villmarkssenter

Svalbard Villmarkssenter is built on an ecological philosophy and works to preserve Svalbard’s history through carrying on old traditions.

In 2002 Svalbard Villmarkssenter became the proud winners of the WWF-price: The Arctic Award of Linking Tourism and Conservation", and in 2008 they became a certified Eco Tourism Company.

Alaskan Husky Tours

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Visit the area around Røros to try and learn about dog sledging in the wilderness. You will be offered an alaskan meal after the trip.

Alaskan Husky Tours is located outside Røros in Sør-Trøndelag in Central Norway, and offers much more than dog sledging.

What to do

Alaskan Husky Tours offer different dog sledging trips like half day trips, day trips and events for groups of up to a100 persons. There are dog cart trips in the summer and fall, canoe and kayak trips, fishing, fly fishing and cooking courses in the wilderness. Snowshoe trips and team ski competitions are popular activities for groups.

You will drive your own team of five or six friendly, hard working Alaskan Huskies. The guide drives the first team, and the participants’ teams will follow. You do not need previous experience, just the will to experience something new and exciting.

You are offered Alaskan Gourmet meals, prepared over the fire in the lavvo by professional chefs from the hotel. There are two lavvos, one small and one big for up to 130 persons.

The hosts will tell you about dog sledging as a sport, how the dogs are trained, the environment and their adventures in Alaska and Arctic regions.

Getting here

Alaskan Husky Tours is located in a beautiful wilderness area 20 minutes from Røros, where you will find a train station with connections north and south. There is a small airport with direct flights from Oslo in the morning and evening.

About Alaskan Husky Tours

The kennel has a dressing room with handicap toilet and winter coveralls, winter boots, mittens and winter hats for 100 persons.

Alaskan Husky Tours is owned by Ketil Reitan and Evelyn Anyuyak, who is Inuit from Alaska. Ketil has been hunting and driving dog teams in Alaska for seven years and has a 10th place in the 1800 kilometres long Iditarod race. He was also the leading dog driver in BBC’s reconstruction of the race to the South Pole between Amundsen and Scott.

Romsdal Aktiv

2020-05-25T06:54:00Z

Certified by Ecotourism Norway.

Romsdal Aktiv is located in Fjord Norway and offers caving, river rafting, kayaking, river board and canoe tours on the rivers of Istra and Rauma.

Romsdal Aktiv is located in Åndalsnes, in Rauma community in the Romsdal Valley in Fjord Norway.

Canoeing

The Istra River is located a 10 minute drive from Åndalsnes. The canoe trip starts at the Trollstigen Mountain Road. Rafting, river board and kayak courses and tours are conducted in Istra’s neighboring river Rauma.

Cave walking

10 minutes in another direction you can visit a large cave, and be completely alone in this dark cavern. Head mounted torches from instructor and participant’s helmets are the only source of light to guide the way.

About the area

On the one side of the valley you will see the awesome wall of the Trollveggen mountain. This incredible natural formation is North Europe's highest rock face with its own history of climbs and base jumps.

The other side of the valley is adorned by Romsdalshorn. Running parallel to these two marvels to the rear of Trollveggen you find the Trollstigen Mountain Road. This wonderful piece of construction is, in parts, actually carved out of the rock face, and sweeps gracefully through 11 hair-pin bends on its way to the summit. Here one can experience the amazing scenery from the viewing platforms. This mountain road is Norway’s second most visited nature based attractions.

Most of the mountains in the valley reflect their enormity in the ripples of the Romsdalsfjord. About one million people visit this area every year, and are charmed by the exquisiteness of the little Alp city of Åndalsnes.

About Romsdal Aktiv

Romsdal Aktiv offers an opportunity to experience wild Norwegian nature, in an eco friendly, safe and sporty way. On all tours Romsdal Aktiv arrange support for different species of birds and animals. Duma is the company dog and mascot, and is often a part of the tours and expeditions. Romsdal Aktiv is an approved Norwegian Ecotourism company.

Romsdal Aktiv's motto is "We leave no trace of our presence in nature, but the allure of nature will be ever present in us"