Norway’s West Coast & Svalbard Cruise

Arrive in Bergen and take the airport bus into downtown. Enjoy the remainder of the day relaxing and exploring Bergen, Norway’s cozy, second largest city. During summer, the days are long, giving you more hours of daylight to explore this historic city. Check out the old Hanseatic wharf Bryggen, as well as the famous fish market. One of the seven mountains in Bergen’s nickname is Mount Fløyen, accessible by walking up or taking the Fløibanen funicular. At the top, enjoy some stunning views of the city and nearby peaks. Overnight in Bergen

Morning at leisure in Bergen before your transfer arrives at the hotel to bring you to Hurtigruten’s comfortable guest lounge at the Bergen Terminal. Once you’ve been welcomed you aboard the MS Trollfjord, enjoy your first meal aboard the ship, and watch the row of colorful buildings on the seafront get smaller behind you as you sail into the Norwegian Sea. Overnight: on board cabin

Our first port of call is Åndalsnes, located along Isfjord at the end of Romsdalsfjord. After docking in the morning in the town center, you can explore this picturesque coastal town, home to about 2,000 people. Highlights include the mountains that tower over the town; a variety of outdoor activities, such as hiking to the Rampestreken viewpoint; relaxing on the Romsdal Gondola, or traveling the winding Trollstigen Pass by bus. Optional shore excursions are available. Overnight: on board

After sailing along the coast of the Helgeland region in the morning, we’ll proceed to our next port call. Træna is an archipelago that sits at the edge of the Arctic Circle, made up of around 500 islands, islets and skerries (only four of which are inhabited year-round), Træna is a quiet municipality, with thriving birdlife. Though small, archeological finds indicate that the islands have been inhabited since the Stone Age. Spend the afternoon in one of Norway’s oldest fishing communities. Weather permitting, you may be able to enjoy activities such as culture walks, Arctic swimming, scanning the skies for seas eagles, or even island hopping. After departure in the evening, we’ll cross the Arctic Circle as we continue heading north, commemorating the moment with a little Norwegian ceremony.. Optional shore excursions are available. Overnight on board

Today, we explore the famed Lofoten islands. Watch for the steep mountains rising from the sea as we approach from the south in the morning. We dock in Reine, an important – and picturesque – fishing village since 1743. This is one of the most photographed landscapes in all of Norway, where red-painted rorbuer cling to a string of islands beneath sharp mountain ranges reflected in the waters below. Not far to the south of Reine, at the western tip of the Lofoten archipelago, you’ll find Å, one of the best-preserved traditional fishing villages in Norway. You can visit it on one of the Optional shore excursions that are offered. At the heart of this tiny village is the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum, which covers the importance and development of fishing in Lofoten over the last 250 years. Overnight on board

Tromsø, in northern Norway, boasts impressive architecture, hip restaurants, and the world’s northernmost university. Rich in polar history, it makes for a natural stopping point before we go farther north into the High Arctic. You will have a whole day to explore Tromsø and its surroundings. Activities/sights include a city walk; observing seals & Arctic marine life at the Polaria center, one of the world’s northernmost aquariums; the striking Arctic Cathedral, which has an enormous and colorful stained-glass window. Towering over Tromsø is Storsteinen Mountain, accessible via Fjellheisen Cable Car for exceptionally beautiful views of the city, mountains, and fjords. Optional shore excursions are offered today. Overnight on board

Morning arrival at Honningsvåg, the northernmost city in mainland Norway. Sights include an art gallery, an Ice Bar, and Honningsvåg Church, dating back to 1885, making it the oldest building in the area. Honningsvåg is also the gateway to the North Cape, the famed ‘northernmost point of Europe’. The plateau stands 1007 feet above the sea, and is just over 1,000 miles south of the geographical North Pole. An iconic globe monument stands atop the cliffs, as you watch the waves crash against the rocks below. Then can visit North Cape Hall, which hosts a variety of exhibits and a short film that tells the Cape’s history. Sailing away from Honningsvåg, enjoy dramatic views of the plateau from the sea. The ship will head further into the Barents Sea, leaving mainland the Norwegian coast behind. Optional shore excursions are offered today. Overnight: on board

The southernmost island of the Svalbard archipelago, Bjørnøya, sits just past the halfway point between mainland Norway and Spitsbergen. We’ll be viewing this inaccessible land from the ship in the afternoon, so think of this as the prologue to your Svalbard adventure. The island features abundant birdlife that nests on the sea cliffs. Get your camera ready to capture a variety of seabird species. The only native mammals here are Arctic foxes. Aboard the ship, learn about Bjørnøya’s history through polar history lectures, such as the role the island played in World War II. Sailing on from Bjørnøya, continue to make use of the ship’s various onboard facilities to relax. Overnight: on board

Today, we arrive at the Svalbard archipelago and make our way up to Spitsbergen, the largest of the three main islands. Magnificent brown and green mountains rise up from the High Arctic tundra while rivers of snow-melt trickle through the valley plains. You’re at a latitude more than 78°N and less than 820 miles from the North Pole. The air is fresh and pure, and the overall temperature in summer is mild, thanks to a warm northern branch of the Gulf Stream. You’ll disembark the ship at Longyearbyen, nestled on the banks of a sweeping fjord. It is the biggest settlement in Svalbard and pegged as the world’s northernmost settlement, home to some 2,000 inhabitants from across the world. It originally sprang up as a coal mining colony in 1906. Today, it is a hub for adventure travelers, scientists and engineers attached to local research projects, like the famous Global Seed Vault.

After transferring and checking in to your hotel, the remiander of the day is on own to relax – or perhaps add an optional evening excursion. Overnight in Longyearbyen

This morning, enjoy a 2-hour a guided taxi tour around Longyearbyen, which offers a good dose of local knowledge, an overview of the various attractions, and an introduction to the general history of Svalbard. Then it’s time to say farewell to Svalbard and to Spitsbergen. Transfer via shuttle to the airport at Longyearbyen for your flight south down to Oslo. Evening at leisure at accommodation close to the terminal – with access to train into town. Overnight in Oslo (airport hotel)

Transfer (walk) to the airport terminal in conjunction with your return flight to the US – Or extend your stay in Scandinavia!

Arrive into Oslo Gardermoen Airport in Norway. Transfer to your accommodation close to the terminal – with access to the express train into town. Evening at leisure. Overnight in Oslo (airport hotel)

Transfer (walk) to the Oslo airport terminal for your flight north, past Norway’s mainland, up to Longyearbyen – the main town on Spitsbergen, the largest of Svalbard’s three main islands. Magnificent brown and green mountains rise up from the High Arctic tundra while rivers of snow-melt trickle through the valley plains. You’re at a latitude more than 78°N and less than 820 miles from the North Pole. The air is fresh and pure, and the overall temperature in summer is mild, thanks to a warm northern branch of the Gulf Stream. Transfer via shuttle from the airport to your hotel in Longyearbyen, nestled on the banks of a sweeping fjord. It is the biggest settlement in Svalbard and pegged as the world’s northernmost settlement, home to some 2,000 inhabitants from across the world. It originally sprang up as a coal mining colony in 1906. Today, it is a hub for adventure travelers, scientists and engineers attached to local research projects, like the famous Global Seed Vault. Time at leisure – you may wish to stroll around town. Browse boutiques selling homemade chocolate, tiny galleries with artwork inspired by life on the Arctic frontier, and bars that serve beer from the local micro-brewery. Or perhaps add an optional evening excursion. Overnight in Longyearbyen

This morning, enjoy a 2-hour a guided taxi tour around Longyearbyen, which offers a good dose of local knowledge, an overview of the various attractions, and an introduction to the general history of Svalbard. This afternoon, a transfer takes you from Longyearbyen hotel to the ship MS Trollfjord, your home at sea for the next week. As afternoon turns to evening – with the sun still high in the sky – watch Longyearbyen fall into the horizon as you sail away into Isfjorden and head even farther north. Overnight in on board cabin

Wake up early today for impressive views of Kongsfjord, one of the largest fjords in the area. Its entrance is guarded by two colossal creaking glaciers that regularly deposit ice into the fjord. This stretch is great for spotting walrus basking on shore and for spotting different species of migrating birds. Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer can sometimes be spotted on land, while the white beluga whale has also been known to surface in the waters here. If we’re very lucky, we might even see a polar bear prowling the coast for seals.

At the tip of Brøgger peninsula, on one of Kongsfjord’s shores, is Ny-Ålesund. Like Longyearbyen, this town began as a coal mine, but transitioned into a host for scientific stations from the mid-20th century. During the summer, there are over a hundred researchers based in the town, representing 20 glaciology and climate institutes from more than 10 countries. Wander around what is one of the northernmost settlements in the world, drop in at the local museum and souvenir shop, or send a far-flung postcard from the small post office. Check out the Amundsen monument, erected in honor of the great Norwegian explorer’s record-breaking flight to reach the North Pole in 1926. Overnight on board

Tt’s time to say farewell to Svalbard and Spitsbergen and sail south back to mainland Norway. Use this day to relax aboard the ship. If the skies are clear, enjoy some summer sun on deck and keep an eye out for whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Or head to the sauna for a steam. Catch a lecture from the Coastal Experience Team for fascinating insight into local history and wildlife. They may also offer a photography workshop to help sharpen your eye to capture stunning shots in the days to come. Enjoy the sumptuous food and drinks on board, courtesy of our Norway’s Coastal Kitchen concept that features the most flavorful local Norwegian cuisine. Treat yourself to tastings of regional specialties or demonstrations by our skilled onboard chefs in the show kitchen. You could also curl up with a good book in the lounge or chat with new-found friends in the bar. Overnight on board

We’ve arrived back to mainland Norway and our first stop of the day is Tromsø – following in the footsteps of history. Most explorers and sailors returning from their Arctic expeditions would stop back in the city. The fashion and food they found there seemed so stylish and refined compared to the stark frontier towns that they nicknamed Tromsø ‘the Paris of the North’.

The ship then continues south towards Senja, one of the country’s largest islands – a place ranked among CNN’s top ten most beautiful islands in the world! Often proudly described by locals as a ‘mini Norway’, Senja seems to have a concentration of landscapes inspired by different parts of the Norwegian coast. Optional shore excursions are offered for today. Overnight on board

Start the day with a few hours in Stokmarknes, an historic town with a special place in our hearts. It’s the birthplace of Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express. It’s a fitting place for the Hurtigruten Museum, where you are immersed in the atmosphere of a different era on our retired 1956 ship, MS Finnmarken, proudly encased in glass on the waterfront. After Stokmarknes, we’ll sail via Raftsundet and Trollfjord to Lofoten. The rest of the day is all about exploring this breathtaking archipelago. Hailed as one of the most spectacular areas in all of Norway, you’ll understand why as you see its jagged green cliffs rise dramatically out of the ocean, climbing high into the sky like giant teeth.

The beating heart of the archipelago is the town of Svolvær where your ship will be based. There are shops and restaurants to enjoy, and the hours can be spent exploring and getting to know the town yourself. To experience the mountains, islands, and villages around Svolvær, choose from a variety of handpicked top Lofoten Optional excursions. Overnight on board

The ship continues south and reaches the midpoint of the Norwegian coast. This is the Helgeland Coast, a well-known stretch full of distinctive mountains that have inspired many a charming myth and local folklore. As we sail, look out for the Vega archipelago, a cluster of some 6,500 islands, skerries, and islets. We will base the ship in the town of Brønnøysund which features a lovely marina and a Neo-Gothic stone church from 1870. Spend your time exploring the town or join one of the offered Optional shore excursions, such as kayaking, cycling, or a cruise by RIB boat. Further along we encounter the unique Torghatten Mountain, which has a hole that pierces right through its center. Overnight on board

The ship will make a brief stop in the town of Ålesund, known for its Art Nouveau architecture and picturesque position on a peninsula below Mount Aksla. The magnificent Hjørundfjord stands some 5,570 feet high near Ålesund, cutting through the peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps. Its picture-perfect position embedded in the Sunnmøre Alps means it is the area’s hidden gem that most other ships never see. Hjørundfjord’s deep blue waters and verdant mountainsides seem perfectly proportionate and aligned, as if sculpted deliberately by nature’s artistry. On the western banks of one of Hjørundfjord’s branches will be a short stop at the idyllic village of Sæbø. Optional shore excursions are offered for today. Overnight on board

You’ll arrive in Bergen, a beautiful city on Norway’s west coast. Majestic peaks famously surround the city, earning Bergen the nickname of ‘The City of Seven Mountains’. Say farewell to your fellow passengers and the crew of MS Trollfjord, who made your Svalbard Express journey so comfortable. Transfer on own to your accommodation. Remainder of day at leisure in lovely, walkable Bergen. Overnight in Bergen

Transfer via airport bus to Bergen’s Flesland Airport for check-in for your flight back to the US – or extend your stay in Scandinavia!