This winter marks the peak of the latest solar cycle, and with the increase in sunspots and solar flares comes one of the best opportunities in recent years to witness the awe-inspiring aurora borealis.

Journey into the Arctic Circle and hope for clear skies as we look out for one of the greatest wonders of the natural world – the Northern Lights. We cruise through the Norwegian Sea, winding between the mainland and the spectacular coastal fjords with short stops ashore to explore small local communities.

Our Tour Director, Robert Simpson, an astrophysicist at Oxford University, will share his passion for astronomy as he enriches our journey with fascinating lectures.

Fascinating excursions complement our Arctic experience. Highlights include a visit to Storskog, the Russian border station near Kirkenes with its surprisingly fertile surrounding landscape, and a journey from Honningsvåg through the subarctic landscape crossing the 71st parallel to the North Cape, the northernmost point of the continent.

We travel on board MS Finnmarken, built in 2002 and beautifully decorated in the Art Nouveau style. Carrying both passengers and freight, the ship offers an illuminating insight into the local way of life as it calls at ports all along the local northern shoreline of Norway, providing a lifeline to small coastal communities.

Northern Lights Cruise, February 04–09, 2014, £1845

More information and a full itinerary can be found on our website: http://www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tourdetails/4064

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NOTES TO EDITORS

• Established in 1958, ACE Cultural Tours is the most experienced cultural tours travel operator in the UK, offering more than 200 worldwide tours annually.
• Owned by the charitable organisation, the ACE Foundation, all of our surplus is used to support educational projects in the UK and worldwide.
• Our ATOL number is 10204, and our ABTOT number is 5237.
• Visit the ACE Cultural Tours website here: www.aceculturaltours.co.uk
• Visit the ACE Foundation website here: http://www.acefoundation.org.uk
• Contact: Kate Price Thomas, kate@aceculturaltours.co.uk