PRIVATE 3-DAY MURMANSK TOUR
Murmansk in Three Days — Above the Arctic Circle
The northern lights, the Barents Sea and a Sami village — from Murmansk.
3 days · Private programme · From 27,000 ₽ per person
AT A GLANCE
The three-day tour in numbers
DURATION
3 days
BASE
Murmansk — the largest city above the Arctic Circle
FORMAT
Private programme for your own party
GUIDE
Private guide and transport throughout
PRICE
From 27,000 ₽ per person for 4 travellers
BEST SEASON
Late August–early April for aurora; December–April for snow activities
THE ROUTE
Three days is enough for the sky, the sea and the tundra
The Kola Peninsula hangs off the top of Russia between two seas, and almost all of it lies beyond the Arctic Circle.
On the first evening you drive out into the dark to look for the aurora. On the second you stand on the shore of the Barents Sea at Teriberka, where the road and the continent both simply end, with the option of going out on the water. On the third you spend the day with the reindeer at a Sami village. Short, concentrated, and about as far from a city tour as travel in Russia gets.
Everything is private: your group, your guide, your car. No coaches and no fixed departure days.
REQUEST THIS TOUR
Plan your Arctic tour
Choose your group size and optional Arctic activities, then send your dates and contact details. We will confirm availability and the final quote.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Northern Lights hunt with hot tea and biscuits while you wait
- Full-day excursion to Teriberka
- Visit to the Sami village
- Lunch at the Sami village
- Entrance tickets to every site on the confirmed programme, including the Teriberka Natural Park entry fee
- Transport throughout and a private guide
- High-resolution photographs taken during the aurora hunt; aurora portraits are possible only if the lights appear
WHAT'S NOT
- Travel to and from Murmansk
- Accommodation
- Lunch at the restaurant in Teriberka — ordered from the menu and paid on the spot
- Boat trip in Teriberka
- Dinners; keep the first evening free for the aurora hunt
PRICES
Per person, full programme
2 travellers
39,000 ₽ per person
3 travellers
30,000 ₽ per person
4 travellers
27,000 ₽ per person
Travelling solo, or as five or more? Ask us for a quote.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Add only what fits the conditions
- Barents Sea boat trip — Teriberka; the coast from the water when the sea allows
- Frozen waterfall — Teriberka; snowmobile-towed sledge, December–April
- Arctic floating — near Murmansk or at Kandalaksha on the White Sea; a sealed thermal suit keeps you dry, no swimming skills needed. Venue and transfer confirmed with your quote
- Husky sledding — a working team and a short snow track, winter only
- Reindeer sledding — behind a real team at the village, winter only
- Snowmobile — 30 minutes across frozen lakes, tundra and northern forest, equipment and briefing included
- Second Northern Lights hunt — another evening, another forecast; the strongest upgrade if the lights are the point of the trip
Tell us which of these appeal and we will price them for your trip. All are seasonal and weather-dependent.
DAY BY DAY
Three Arctic days in a logical order
The route begins with the aurora. Conditions can change the order of the days, but not what the three days contain.
DAY 1 · Arrival · Hunting the Northern Lights
Meeting in Murmansk · evening aurora hunt, 3–5 hours
You arrive, settle in, and the first night is already the main event. Around 21:00 local time we collect you from your hotel and drive out in search of the clearest sky. The exact departure time is confirmed using current satellite, cloud and auroral forecasts.
- The hunt usually lasts 3 to 5 hours, depending on conditions
- Hot tea and biscuits during the hunt
- The guide photographs the night; if the lights come, you get portraits under them
- Afterwards the driver returns you to your hotel
When the sky opens, it starts small — a pale arc low over the horizon — and on a strong night it ends everywhere at once.
DAY 2 · Teriberka and the Barents Sea
Full day on the Arctic coast · natural park entry included · boat trip optional
08:00 — departure for Teriberka. Two hours of open tundra, and then the sea. Teriberka is a small settlement on the Barents coast that became the face of the Russian Arctic when Zvyagintsev filmed his Leviathan here: round-stone beaches, abandoned boats, cliffs above the water and a waterfall running down to the shore.
Lunch break is at a local restaurant in the settlement; this one is on you.
The usual photographic stops, subject to road access and the confirmed route:
- Wind farm viewpoint and rock garden
- The abandoned ship graveyard
- Dragon Egg Beach and the Dragon’s Lair
- Battery Waterfall among the red cliffs
- The giant swings above the sea
- The Traveller’s Bench, when accessible
Return to Murmansk is around 20:00.
If the sea allows, add a boat trip out of the harbour. Whales are a summer story here — roughly May to September, when their feeding grounds come close to shore.
DAY 3 · The Sami Village · Departure
Day at the ethnic village with animals and lunch included · return transfer
The final day belongs to the people who were here before the city was. At the Sami village you meet the reindeer and huskies, walk through traditional dwellings and hear how a way of life survives at this latitude. A hot northern lunch is included. The day ends back in Murmansk; we check the return time against your flight or train before booking.
- Meet the animals — the standard village programme may include huskies, reindeer, raccoons, rabbits and Arctic foxes
- Feed the reindeer and take photographs up close
- Photo session in traditional Sami dress
- Outdoor Sami games such as tug-of-war, “deer and wolves” and Sami football
- Arctic lunch in the park
The exact animal and activity programme is reconfirmed for your trip.
Planning note · Why the hunt comes first
The aurora hunt is placed on your first evening because it gives the trip the best start and keeps later evenings in reserve. If night one is hopelessly cloudy, we move the hunt to another evening of your stay and shuffle the days around your flights.
Timing and transfers
Plan on a 3–5 hour evening hunt on day one, an approximately 08:00–20:00 Teriberka day, and a daytime Sami village programme on day three. Local transport for the programme is included. Flights, trains and accommodation are not included unless added to your final quote.
Night one · Northern Lights Hunt
Day two · Teriberka and the Barents Sea
Day three · Sami Village
FAQ
Before you request the three-day tour
If your question is not covered here, ask in the form — we answer before you book, not after.
Are we guaranteed to see the northern lights?
No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise. We use current cloud and auroral data to choose the clearest available sky and can move the hunt to another evening, but the result remains natural.
Can we do this without snow?
Yes. Late August and September can be mild and still dark enough for the aurora. Snowmobile and sledge activities are winter-only.
How do we get to Murmansk?
There are direct flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as a direct sleeper train from St. Petersburg — about a day on the rails. We can add travel arrangements to your quote or combine the three days with a longer Moscow and St. Petersburg trip.
Where do we stay?
Accommodation is not included, so you are free to choose. We can suggest and book Murmansk hotels to match your budget and preferred location.
Is this suitable for children?
Often, yes — but this is a demanding programme: the aurora hunt can end after midnight, and the Teriberka day runs ten to twelve hours. Tell us the children’s ages and we will say honestly what fits, check the child seats and the age limits for sledding and snowmobiling.
GOOD TO KNOW
Plan for the Arctic, not for a timetable
The Arctic sets the schedule. If a road closes, we rearrange the days first — and agree any replacement with you before the tour, not after.
AURORA & DARKNESS
Murmansk is a reliable aurora base from late August to early April. December and January bring the deepest darkness; late summer brings longer twilight and milder weather.
TERIBERKA
The road can close in a storm and a boat trip can be cancelled for swell. We rearrange the day when necessary instead of forcing the published order.
COLD & EQUIPMENT
Winter temperatures are commonly around −10 to −25 °C, with wind off the sea. Bring thermal base layers, a windproof outer layer, warm boots with grip, an ear-covering hat and two pairs of gloves.
ASK US FOR A QUOTE
Tell us your dates and how much Arctic you want
Two lines are enough — when you are coming and how many of you there are. We reply with the final programme, hotel options and a price.