DAY 1 Kirkenes, the Voyage turning point
Ports visited today: Båtsfjord, Vardø, Vadsø, Kirkenes.

The last port on the Voyage North is Kirkenes. And at longitude 30 east, you
are actually further east than Istanbul and St. Petersburg. The well-policed Russian border and the Kola peninsula are close by which explains why the road signs are written in both Norwegian and Russian.

Being at the north-easterly terminus of Hurtigruten, the only choice from here is to set south again but spending a few days in Kirkenes offers you the opportunity to take part in some of the adventurous Arctic activities available nearby.

Available excursions
7A The Russian Border
7B Riverboat Safari
7C Snowmobile Safari
7D Kirkenes Snow Hotel
7E AT V/Quad-Safari to the Russian Border
7F Husky Adventure

DAY 2 Hammerfest and Tromsø
Ports visited today: Mehamn, Kjøllefjord, Honningsvåg, Havøysund, Hammerfest, Øksfjord, Skjervøy, Tromsø.

Breakfast at the North Cape including a visit to a Sámi family form part of an early morning excursion (at extra cost). Your next stop, Hammerfest, was a settlement back to the Stone Age and is still playing an important role as a fishing port. Founded in 1789 to develop trade with Russia, Hammerfest reconfirmed its position as Norway’s Polar capital of its time, acting as a base for hunting expeditions to the High Arctic. In Hammerfest the Meridian Column, erected in 1854, commemorates the first precise measurement of the globe, an achievement so important that it’s become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As early as 1891, wave energy provided power to the first electric street lighting in Northern Europe, and energy innovation is still a signature for Hammerfest with its large Liquid Gas Plant just outside town. From here, your next major stop will be Tromsø where you are invited to take part in a very special musical experience, The Arctic Cathedral Midnight Concert. Or why not head to one of the town’s many friendly pubs and sample the local brew, Mack’s Arctic Beer.

Available excursions
8F Snowmobile Trip in the Polar Night
8A Breakfast at the North Cape
8B The Northernmost Town in the World,Hammerfest
8D Sámi Experience
8E Arctic Energy
8C Midnight Concert in the Arctic Cathedral

DAY 3 Vesterålen and Lofoten Islands
Ports visited today: Tromsø, Finnsnes, Harstad, Risøyhamn, Sortland, Stokmarknes, Svolvær, Stamsund.

The Vesterålen and Lofoten Island are amongst today’s highlights. Before you reach them, you pass through Risøyrenna, a channel that was specially constructed for Hurtigruten, providing the vessels an ‘inside route’ between Harstad and Sortland. Stokmarknes, where Hurtigruten was founded, is the location of the Hurtigruten Museum. Entry is free for all Hurtigruten passengers.
You continue through the narrow Raftsund, the picturesque narrow channel between the Vesterålen and Lofoten Islands, where, time and weather permitting, you’ll take a detour into the spectacular Trollfjord where steep cliffs hug the ship’s sides. Then it’s on to Svolvær, the main settlement on the
Lofoten Islands followed by Stamsund where the majestic peaks of the huge Lofoten Wall can be viewed. You leave the islands during the evening and set course for the mainland.

Available excursions
9A A Taste of Vesterålen
9B Lofoten Islands
9C Sea Eagle Safari
9E RIB-Adventure in Lofoten

DAY 4 Arctic Circle, Seven sisters
Ports visited today: Bodø, Ørnes, Nesna, Sandnessjøen, Brønnøysund, Rørvik.

The Helgeland coast with hundreds of islets, fertile farmland and steep granite walls is worth getting up early to experience. Today will also be your last one north of the Arctic Circle as you cross it between Ørnes and Nesna. This part of the coast is rich in local lore with stories including the legend of the Seven Sisters, a picturesque row of peaks, and the myth about how the arrow from Hestmannen’s bow formed the hole in Torghatten Mountain. The Vega Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is close to our call in Sandnessjøen.

The islands were inscribed on this prestigious list due to the unique interaction between man and nature– over centuries the local population have protected the eider duck nests in return for the highly valuable down from the birds.

Available excursion
10B UNESCO Islands Vega

Day 5 Trondheim and Kristiansund
Ports visited today: Trondheim, Kristiansund, Molde, Ålesund.

Today gives you another opportunity to explore the city of Trondheim. Nidaros Cathedral, in which three Queens and seven Kings have been crowned, is Scandinavia’s largest medieval building, and Norway’s crown jewels are kept in the adjacent Archbishop’s Residence. Passing the islands of Munkholmen and Hitra you then cross the open sea to Molde, known as the ‘city of roses’ due to its lush Gulf Stream location.

You will notice the steep, grey, pointed peaks of the Romsdal Alps glinting in the sun. The town of Kristiansund, located on the scenic Atlantic Road, holds the rather obscure title of Norway’s ‘cured cod capital’ because of the nature of its main export.

Available excursions
3B /11A Trondheim with Nidaros Cathedral
3D/11D Trondheim City Walk
11C The Atlantic Road

DAY 6 Rocky Islands, disembarkation
Ports visited today: Ålesund, Torvik, Måløy, Florø, Bergen.

Today, your Hurtigruten voyage will come to an end when you arrive in the City of Seven Mountains, Bergen. But before that, you still have a few nautical miles of fascinating scenery ahead of you such as the picturesque Nordfjord below the enormous Jostedalsbreen glacier, Norway’s longest fjord - the mighty Sognefjord and the picturesque Bergen Archipelago. Take home your memories of the world’s most beautiful voyage and the many seafaring companions and friends you’ve made along the way.

Available excursion
12A Bergen City Sightseeing