We’re not a big company or a faceless booking agency.
kirkenes tours is built by travelers, for travelers
We are kirkenes tours — three friends who’ve explored the world, fallen in love with the Arctic, and decided to stay. After traveling across Norway from south to north, we discovered something extraordinary here in Kirkenes — a region that felt wild, authentic, and full of stories waiting to be shared. We’ve spent years guiding in the Arctic and building relationships with the local community. Now, we’re doing it our own way. From midnight sun hikes to cozy fires in the snow, we help you discover the Arctic the way we fell in love with it — quietly, honestly and with wide eyes.
As a co-founder of kirkenes tours, I bring together a background in marketing, years of travel across continents and cultures, and hands-on guiding experience in the Arctic. I hold a double degree in International Business from the Netherlands and the UK, and later completed a Master’s in Consumer & Business Marketing in Sweden. My work experience began in China and Germany — but in 2017, I chose to leave the conventional path behind. Together with Henrik, I became an Estonian e-resident and co-founded Deskless — an agency for web design and digital advertising. This allowed us to turn the world into our workplace.
Our travels took us across Asia, where we hitchhiked over 7,000 km from Vietnam to India, bought a motorbike, and rode 35,000 km back to Europe. Back in Germany, we converted a van into our mobile home office — giving us the freedom to keep working and traveling on our own terms. That journey eventually brought us to the European Arctic in Northern Norway, where we decided to spend the winter in Kirkenes near the Russian border. Over time, I grew into the role of an Arctic guide — working as a dog musher, leading snowshoe hikes, northern lights tours, and border visits, and earning my snowmobile license in Norwegian. What began as a one-winter experiment quickly turned into a deep love for the Arctic — its silence, its raw beauty, and the way life here slows you down in all the right ways.
Laura
Co-Founder, Head of Marketing & Expedition Guide
Since 2021, I’ve been living in Northern Norway – where snow, silence, and raw nature aren’t just part of daily life, but my greatest passion. As a co-founder of kirkenes tours, I bring together deep-rooted outdoor experience and a strong medical background. I’m a trained intensive care nurse for adults and children as well as a paramedic, with over 15 years of experience in high-pressure clinical environments – where precision, resilience, and responsibility are essential.
But my heart has always belonged to the outdoors. My journey in the Arctic began as a dog musher at the famous Snowhotel Kirkenes and soon led to becoming an all-around guide for Arctic experiences: snowshoe hikes, guided snowmobile expeditions, northern light hunting, king crab fishing, Hurtigruten and Havila port visits, and tailor-made adventures for guests from around the world. I come alive when the snow crunches underfoot and the Arctic wind picks up.
Dirk
Co-Founder, Guide & Expedition Enthusiast
Since 2021, I’ve been living part of the year in Northern Norway — where long winters, midnight sun, and raw wilderness set the rhythm of life. As a co-founder and daglig leder of kirkenes tours, I combine a background in sport and business management with a passion for the Arctic and hands-on guiding.
I hold a double degree in International Business from the Netherlands and the UK, and later completed a Master’s in Sport Management at the German Sport University in Cologne. Inspired by my life up here, I dedicated my thesis to the monetary value of the Finnmarksløpet, Europe’s longest sled dog race.
I’m almost always in a good mood, spontaneous, and happiest when outdoors and active. Before settling in Kirkenes, Laura and I spent years on the road: hitchhiking 7,000 km across Asia, riding 35,000 km on a motorbike back to Europe, and later learning to sail and crossing the Atlantic and the Pacific after a long road trip through Patagonia.
Henrik
Co-Founder & Daglig Leder | Arctic Expedition Guide
