A Taste of the Arctic Southbound|Hurtigruten cruises

A Taste of the Arctic Southbound | Hurtigruten cruises

A taste of the Arctic Southbound

A Taste of the Arctic: Southbound 5 days  Tromsø – Bergen

Go on an adventure from the Arctic wilderness of northern Norway to the spectacular fjords on this 5-day sailing from Tromsø to Bergen. Challenge your inner explorer and join us for thrilling excursions in snow-covered scenery – the perfect break from daily life in a winter wonderland.

Discover the majestic Norwegian coastline and cross the Arctic Circle

Visit the capital of the Arctic, Tromsø

Sail through the stunning Lofoten Islands and the local fishing villages

Stay active and adventurous by joining our exciting sea and land based winter excursions

On A Taste of the Arctic – Southbound you can experience many of the highlights of a Classic Round Voyage, including sailing through the beautiful Vesterålen and Lofoten Islands, the Seven Sisters mountains and visits to fascinating towns such as Bergen, Tromsø, Ålesund and Trondheim.

You can take part in optional, exclusive winter excursions along the way, making this voyage an ideal short break in a winter wonderland.

Experience stunning shades of light all over the coast, when sailing with us during wintertime. The southern parts of Norway will have purple, yellow and warm glowing skies as far south as Bergen. As you reach Trondheim, the Lofoten Islands and Tromsø, you have a chance to experience the Blue Hour when the indirect sunlight creates a soul stirring blue light every morning and evening. So on our winter voyages, you can experience a great variety of beautiful types of light. A Taste of the Arctic Southbound|Hurtigruten cruises

Location day 1: Tromsø

Spend the day in beautiful Tromsø. Explore the city on your own or join one of our winter excursions before you board the ship late in the evening.

Location day 2: Tromsø – Stamsund

We arrive in Harstad this morning, where you have the opportunity to participate in one of the classics in Hurtigruten’s excursion programme: A taste of Vesterålen. The Risøyrenna channel is just 7m deep, and was made especially for Hurtigruten in the 1920s, providing an “inside route” between Harstad and Sortland. The sand banks are visible through the clear, green water. Risøyhamn is a small village with only 200 inhabitants, and we make a short stop here to deliver passengers, groceries and mail. From this port you can also join in on a spectacular whale watching experience during wintertime.

 Then we continue via Sortland to Stokmarknes, where Hurtigruten was founded more than 120 years ago. Continuing south it looks like we are sailing straight into the mountain wall, but the captain finds an opening and sails through the narrow Raftsund. As a tribute to the fishing history in this region, our chef shows how to fillet the catch of the day on deck in winter. Now we reach the spectacular Trollfjord, only 2km long and 100m wide, with majestic mountains surrounding it. If the weather and time permits it – the captain will take a detour in here. From Svolvær we continue on to Stamsund, where the majestic peaks of the huge Lofoten wall can be viewed. We leave the islands during the evening and set course for the mainland.

Location day 3: Bodø – Rørvik

Crossing the Arctic Circle at 66°33’N is an important ‘rite of passage’ today. We celebrate this with a taste of our Arctic traditions out on deck. Another highlight is sailing past the Seven Sisters mountain range. All seven mountains are between 900 and 1,100 m high, and it is easy to understand how these ‘ladies’ have inspired ancient myths. We take a short stop at Nesna, an idyllic old trading post before moving on to Sandnessjøen. In Brønnøysund we offer an excursion to the Norwegian Aquaculture Centre.

Location day 4: Trondheim – Ålesund

Today gives you an opportunity to explore the city of Trondheim. The city walk through Trondheim is a journey through its 1,000-year history. Back on board, the ship heads out of the majestic Trondheimsfjord, which is 170km long and up to 25km wide. Like all other Norwegian fjords it is deep, 577m at most. As we sail along the coast you’ll realise the importance of fish to Norwegian coastal communities. Kristiansund’s location has provided the town with a wealth of opportunities in the fishing, shipbuilding and oil industries. This town is now regarded as Norway’s ‘cured cod capital’ because of its long time export of salted dry fish. Here you can join a trip to the Atlantic Road, one of Norway’s most visited tourist destinations. As we cross the open sea to Molde, known as the ‘city of roses’, you will notice the steep, grey, pointed peaks of the Romsdal Alps.

Location day 5: Ålesund – Bergen

During the night, the ship will call at Ålesund, Torvik, Måløy as the world’s most beautiful voyage is drawing to a close. But before we dock in Bergen there are still a few nautical miles of fascinating scenery ahead of us, such as the picturesque Nordfjord below the enormous Jostedals glacier. We will make a call at Florø, a modern town which is the oldest in Sogn og Fjordane county and the westernmost in Norway. A few nautical miles south of Florø we navigate the estuary of the mighty Sognefjord. You also get the best views of the archipelago en route.And finally you disembark in Bergen.

A Taste of the Arctic Southbound|Hurtigruten cruises

A taste of the Arctic Southbound