The journey starts in Bergen, the capital of western Norway, with the colourful and UNESCO-listed warehouses in Bryggen. Take the funicular railway, Fløibanen, up to one of the lookout points, sample the seafood at the fish market or take a stroll through the narrow streets and along the quays of the lively harbour. Bergen is the gateway to the Norwegian fjords and the start of your coastal adventure.

After the first night on board, you can start your day by waving to the Havila Voyages headquarters just off Torvik. Ålesund, is renowned for its art nouveau architecture with beautiful brick houses and warehouses. In the summer, you can continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Geiranger Fjord, which has steep mountainsides and dramatic waterfalls.
*Geiranger visited 01.06–31.08

It is morning when we dock in the historic city of Trondheim, which was founded over a thousand years ago. Nidaros Cathedral is the landmark of the city; it is Norway’s national shrine and one of the largest cathedrals in Northern Europe. After our visit here, the voyage continues out into the fjord, into an abundant archipelago and heads for northern Norway.

On this stretch, we mark crossing the Arctic Circle with a ceremony and continue onward into the Arctic regions. It means midnight sun in the summer, while winter days are merely a shade less dark than night-time and, possibly, Northern Lights in the evenings. Nature is powerful with northern Scandinavia’s largest glacier, the world’s strongest tidal current and encounters with the majestic sea eagle. In the evening, Lofoten’s fishing villages, steep mountains and Vikings await.

The voyage continues on through narrow fjords and past wild mountains to Tromsø, a city characterised by hunting and fishing, polar expeditions and courage. Now you have also reached the land of the Sami, Norway’s indigenous people. Meeting the Sami and their reindeer while hearing about the Sami culture is a unique experience you will remember.

As far north as you can get - by land and sea. For many, the visit to the North Cape is a high point and a goal for voyages along the Norwegian coast. Up here in the polar landscape, nature is at its harshest and most desolate, but between bare plains and rugged cliffs people cling on and reap nature’s bounty. You can also have a taste of the catch. How about some king crab?

You are now as far east on your voyage as you can go. The border with Russia is only a few kilometres away, and the road signs in Kirkenes are in Norwegian and Russian. You can go as far as the border on one of our excursions, or how about a visit to the Snowhotel where everything is made of ice and snow?

The polar landscape changes as we sail towards the west and south again. The great expanses are replaced by steep peaks, and in the evening we sail into Tromsø. You can go to a midnight concert in the Arctic Cathedral, or take a stroll in the midnight sun or under the Northern Lights and explore the nightlife of the city dubbed “The Paris of the North”.

We return to the wild, idyllic Lofoten Islands . Beneath the jagged mountains lie chalky white sandy beaches and fishing villages with a vibrant fishing industry and locals using the coastal ships for everyday trips and transport. If the weather permits, we will enter the narrow Trollfjord. There is a strong possibility of spotting sea eagles here.

Now we have come so far south that we’re crossing the Arctic Circle and sailing away from the polar night and the sunlit nights. But you can still see the Northern Lights in the winter, and it is never completely dark during the summer nights. Here you sail past a myriad of small islands, islets and skerries and past the special mountain, Trollhatten, which has a hole in the middle. If you wish, you can also go on the trip to the mountain and enter the hole.

We sail through the wide Trondheim fjord that is bounded by rolling farmland on both sides and return to the coast and the open sea. You can disembark in Kristiansund and be driven along the Atlantic Ocean Road, which has been called the world’s most beautiful drive. The road meanders along islets and skerries, and afterwards you can re-embark in Molde.

The last day of the tour takes you through a diverse coastal landscape of bare rocky mountains and a maze of sounds and waterways between many islands. The great fjords and glaciers are situated inland. Bergen awaits at the end of the voyage. We hope you have many good memories from your journey along the Norwegian coast with Havila Voyages, and we look forward to seeing you again.