Hurtigruten Cruises Around Norway

The Voyages

The Norwegian coastal voyage, two ways

Hurtigruten's Norway cruises fall into two families. The Original voyages on the Coastal Express follow the working route that has linked Norway's coastal communities since 1893. The Signature voyages, led by the North Cape Line, offer a smaller ship, all inclusive cruise experience over the same spectacular coastline. Whichever you choose, you will call this the most beautiful voyage in the world by the time you disembark, and you will not be the first.

Original Voyages

The Coastal Express

Bergen to Kirkenes to Bergen · 12 Days · 34 Ports

The classic Bergen to Kirkenes cruise covers 2,500 nautical miles from Bergen, across the Arctic Circle to Kirkenes near the Russian border, and back. The ships call at 34 ports along the way, some for a few hours, some for just long enough to swap mail and passengers, because these are still working vessels serving the communities that depend on them.

Sailing north you pass the Art Nouveau town of Ålesund, historic Trondheim and the Lofoten Islands, with a long stop in Honningsvåg for optional excursions to the North Cape. The southbound leg shows you in daylight the ports you passed at night, so nothing on the coast escapes you. Shorter options cover the northbound or southbound legs alone, over 7 and 6 days respectively.

Coastal Express Round Voyage

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A Hurtigruten Coastal Express ship sailing the Norwegian fjords

Northern Lights seen from a North Cape Line voyage

Signature Voyages

The North Cape Line

Oslo to Honningsvåg to Oslo · 15 Days · All Inclusive

The premium way to see the coast. A North Cape cruise from Oslo, sailing between September and April aboard MS Trollfjord, the North Cape Line is all inclusive, with meals and a wide selection of drinks covered, and unhurried, averaging around five hours in each port. A full day in Honningsvåg leaves plenty of time to stand on the North Cape plateau itself, at the top of Europe.

Sailing in the darker months puts the voyage squarely in Northern Lights season, and a Signature Expedition Team is on board throughout with lectures, on deck guiding and a photography programme to help you capture the aurora when it appears.

North Cape Line Round Voyage

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Also in the Signature family, the Svalbard Line sails in summer from Bergen to Spitsbergen, deep in the Arctic.

Since 1893

The Norwegian Coastal Express, a voyage like no other

Hurtigruten means "the express route" in Norwegian, and the name was earned. When Captain Richard With's steamship first ran the coastal route in 1893, mail from central Norway to Hammerfest took three weeks in summer and five months in winter. The new service delivered it in seven days, and the coast has never been the same since.

More than 130 years later the ships still carry cargo, mail and local passengers alongside travellers, calling at communities large and small, many of them untouched by mainstream cruise liners. That is what makes a Hurtigruten voyage feel so different. You are not visiting the Norwegian coast so much as joining its daily life, watching goods swing ashore at a tiny island quay while the northbound and southbound ships pass each other somewhere off the Lofoten Wall.

Life on board is relaxed and informal. Food leans on local ingredients picked up along the route, dress is casual, and the entertainment is largely provided by the view, which rarely lets up. Each of the ships in the Hurtigruten fleet has its own character, and no two voyages are ever quite alike. You can read more about life on board, the cabins and the history of Hurtigruten.

When to Sail

Northern Lights or Midnight Sun

The coast changes completely with the seasons, which is the best argument for going more than once. A winter Northern Lights cruise, from late autumn through to March, sails through the long polar nights that give the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, and voyages of 11 days or more carry Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise, a free voyage the following winter if the aurora fails to appear. Summer brings the Midnight Sun, with round the clock daylight above the Arctic Circle and the option of sailing into the UNESCO listed Geirangerfjord. Spring and autumn sit between the two, quieter on board and full of contrast along the coast.

Our climate and seasons page covers what to expect month by month, and the departure schedules list every sailing for 2026 and 2027. For current deals, see our special offers.

Booking With Coastal Cruises

UK agents for Hurtigruten

Coastal Cruises is an independent UK travel agent based in South Wales, and a member of the Travel Trust Association. We have specialised in Hurtigruten's Norwegian coastal voyages for many years, so when you call 0333 405 0194 you speak to someone who knows the route, the ships and the seasons firsthand. Our how to book page explains the process, and our fare options page covers the difference between Basic, Select and Suite fares.