Climate and Seasons in Norway

Planning Your Voyage

One coastline, four seasons

Thanks to its sparsely populated mountainous landscape and breathtaking fjorded coastline, Norway remains one of the great natural wonders of the world. Sculpted by the glaciers of the Ice Age, it is a fascinating mixture of modern civilisation and untamed wilderness. Whatever the season, you will gather a stock of heart warming memories to last forever on your Hurtigruten voyage, and you are sure to want to return to experience the other seasons as they cast their ever changing light on this timeless world of natural beauty.

Season by Season

When to take your voyage

Spring

As spring brings new flowers and rising temperatures, the longer, warmer days reveal a softer landscape bursting with life and colour. On early spring departures you can enjoy the contrast between spring landscapes in the south and the north, where winter is still reluctant to relinquish its grip.

Summer

Summer is the most popular time, and a Hurtigruten voyage to the Land of the Midnight Sun gives you maximum time to enjoy the spectacular scenery, with 24 hours of daylight north of the Arctic Circle. Especially in the south the temperatures can be quite warm, and even in the north you can enjoy long, mild summer evenings. The ships are busy, with passenger numbers swelled by Norwegians travelling during the summer holidays.

Late summer and autumn

Autumn arrives early in Norway, and from late August you can enjoy the changing colours of the landscape while still experiencing summer temperatures, with fewer passengers on board your Hurtigruten ship.

Winter

A winter voyage is a different experience altogether: a snow covered landscape, air that is clean, fresh and crisp, quiet ports going about their business, and the long blue twilight of the polar night. Above the Arctic Circle the sun stays below the horizon for weeks in midwinter, and the sky becomes the stage for the Northern Lights.

Land of the Midnight Sun

24 hours of daylight

The Arctic Circle is an invisible line circling the earth at 66° 33' north, which is 23° 27' from the North Pole, a figure set by the tilt of the earth's axis. It marks the southernmost point at which the Midnight Sun shines for at least one full day of the year, when the sun never sets. Along the Hurtigruten route the Midnight Sun can be seen at different times from mid May to late July, and for the rest of Norway this period also means extra daylight hours and long summer evenings.

As you cross the circle you will see Hestmannen Island to the west, with the Svartisen Glacier and Melfjord to the east. The landmark of the crossing is the specially built globe on Vikingen Island.

When the Midnight Sun turns night into day

Aurora Borealis

The Northern Lights

Known as the Aurora Borealis, the dawn of the north, this natural phenomenon is caused by electrically charged solar particles entering the earth's atmosphere. They create dramatic arcs across the sky in colours ranging from green and yellow to red and violet, formations that can arise suddenly and fill the sky with incredible speed. This dance of lights is woven into many local myths and legends.

The Northern Lights season runs from late September to the end of March above the Arctic Circle, whenever the nights are dark enough. The long polar nights from November to February give the most hours of darkness, while the weeks around the autumn and spring equinoxes are often strong for auroral activity. It is no coincidence that Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise covers departures from late September to the end of March, and dedicated Astronomy Voyages sail in winter with expert lecturers on board to help you understand what you are seeing.

The Numbers

Daylight hours and average temperatures

Hours of daylight

Average temperatures (°C)

Temperatures are averages over a 24 hour period. In the daylight table, polar night indicates the period when the sun does not rise above the horizon in Tromsø.

Plan Your Voyage

Where to go from here

• The Voyages with departures every day of the year
• Norway, the destination in depth
• Ports of Call along the route
• Special Offers including winter Northern Lights sales
• Map of Norway showing the coastal route (PDF)