Cross the mountains from Oslo to Bergen by train and fjord boat, with nights in Flåm and Voss, then sail the full Coastal Express round voyage to Kirkenes and back. Sixteen days, departures all year, from £2,794 per person.
If you only make one big trip to Norway, this is the one we would point you towards. Complete Norway begins with four days crossing the country from east to west, riding the Bergen Line and the Flåm Railway, cruising the Nærøyfjord and spending nights in Flåm, Voss and Bergen. Then you board the Coastal Express for the classic twelve day round voyage, north from Bergen all the way to Kirkenes on the Russian border and back again, calling at dozens of ports along the way.
Nothing on this itinerary is rushed. The overland section is split over three nights rather than squeezed into one long day, and the voyage gives you every stretch of the coast twice, once northbound and once southbound, so the ports you pass at night on the way up you generally see in daylight on the way back. It is a self-guided tour: Hurtigruten books the trains, the fjord cruise, the hotels and the voyage, and you travel independently between them.
Duration16 days
RouteOslo, Bergen, Kirkenes, Bergen
Voyage12 day Coastal Express round trip
RailBergen Line and Flåm Railway
DeparturesRegular, all year
From£2,794 pp
£2,794per person, from
Four hotel nights, Norway in a Nutshell and the full round voyage included
Who It Suits
A long trip for people who want to see it all
Sixteen days is a proper holiday, and this tour suits people who would rather go deep than tick boxes. You see the high mountain plateau of central Norway, the western fjords at their narrowest, two of the country's great historic cities in Oslo and Bergen, and then the entire coast from the North Sea to the Barents Sea. It works especially well for travellers who have long wanted to do the Coastal Express but feel it would be a shame to come all this way without seeing the famous railway.
It also takes the stress out of a complicated journey. Norway's trains, buses and fjord boats are excellent, but linking them yourself across a mountain range with luggage can be fiddly. Here it is all arranged, including the transfers in Bergen from the station to your hotel and from the hotel to the ship.
The voyage runs year round, so pick your season. Summer gives you the midnight sun in the north and long light evenings everywhere. Winter gives you snow on the railway, short days on the coast and the chance of the Northern Lights over the ship. If you would like something similar but shorter, Best of Norway pairs the rail journey with a one way voyage south from Kirkenes in twelve days.
The Railways
The Bergen Line and the Flåm Railway
The Bergen Line. When the railway between Oslo and Bergen opened in 1909 it was the first line to connect eastern and western Norway, and its construction over the mountains was one of the great engineering projects of the age. It is often described as the highest main line railway in northern Europe. Finse station, at 1,222 metres above sea level, is the highest on the whole Norwegian network, and the summit of the line is now inside the 10.3 kilometre Finse Tunnel at 1,237 metres. That tunnel opened on 16 May 1993 to bypass an exposed stretch near the old summit at Taugevatn, where snow so often closed the line that much of it ran inside snow sheds. Finse is also where the snow scenes on the ice planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back were filmed, close to the Hardangerjøkulen glacier.
The Flåm Railway. From Myrdal, a remote junction high on the Bergen Line, a branch drops to the fjord at Flåm. It is only 20.2 kilometres long but falls 866 metres, and for much of the way the gradient is 55 per thousand, roughly 1 in 18. Work began in 1923 and took seventeen years; the line opened on 1 August 1940 and was electrified in 1944. There are 20 tunnels, and 18 of them were cut by hand. Trains take about an hour, and the views of the Flåmsdalen valley, its waterfalls and its farms clinging to ledges are among the best known in the country.
The Nærøyfjord. The fjord cruise on this tour takes you along the Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Aurlandsfjord and, through it, of the Sognefjord. It is about 17 kilometres long and only about 250 metres wide at its narrowest, and the mountains on either side rise to around 1,760 metres. Since 2005 it has been part of the West Norwegian Fjords World Heritage Site, together with the Geirangerfjord.
Watch
A 12 day Coastal Express round voyage
Hurtigruten follows a family on the twelve day round voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes, the same sailing that makes up most of this tour.
Video from Hurtigruten's official YouTube channel.
Your Tour
Complete Norway day by day
Days 1 to 4 are the land section; the voyage runs from day 5 to day 16. Optional excursions during the voyage are listed under each day and are booked separately; seasons are shown where they apply. Port calls follow the Coastal Express timetable, which can shift with weather and cargo.
Day 1 · Oslo
Hotel night in Oslo, with breakfast
Arrive in the capital and settle into a central hotel. Oslo has some fifty museums, and the best way to choose among them is to decide what interests you most. Art lovers should head for the National Museum, which opened in its new building on the harbour in 2022, or the Munch museum by the Opera House. For polar history, the Fram Museum on Bygdøy holds the actual ship that carried Nansen towards the North Pole and Amundsen to Antarctica. If you would rather be outdoors, walk the fortress walls of Akershus or take the metro up to Holmenkollen, where the ski jump looks down over the whole Oslofjord. You will have one night here, so you may want to add another; see our Oslo hotels page.
Day 2
Oslo to Flåm by rail
By rail · Bergen Line to Myrdal, Flåm Railway to Flåm · Hotel night in Flåm, with breakfast
The westbound train leaves the city behind quickly, following lakes and river valleys through forest before it begins the long climb into the mountains. By the time you approach Finse the trees have gone and the landscape is open plateau, snow covered for much of the year, with the Hardangerjøkulen glacier in view.
At Myrdal you change onto the Flåm Railway for the descent to the fjord. The train winds down through tunnels that turn back on themselves inside the mountain, past the Kjosfossen waterfall and the green floor of Flåmsdalen, and arrives beside the water at Flåm. Your hotel is in the village, and once the last trains have gone it becomes a quiet place for an evening walk along the Aurlandsfjord.
Day 3 · The Nærøyfjord and Voss
By fjord boat and onward to Voss · Hotel night in Voss, with breakfast
Today is the fjord cruise. From Flåm the boat heads out along the Aurlandsfjord and turns into the Nærøyfjord, where the walls close in and small farms and villages sit on the narrow strips of land at the water's edge. Waterfalls come straight down the rock in spring and early summer, and in winter the cliffs are hung with ice. It is one of the most dramatic stretches of water in Norway, and the UNESCO listing explains why far better than any brochure.
The day ends in Voss, a lakeside town between the fjords and the mountains, well known in Norway for skiing in winter and for paragliding, rafting and other outdoor sports in summer. It is a relaxed place to spend an evening, with the lake and the old stone church of Voss close to the centre.
Day 4 · Voss to Bergen
By rail · Voss to Bergen · Transfer from Bergen station to your hotel · Hotel night in Bergen, with breakfast
The last section of the rail journey follows the valleys and fjord shores down to Bergen, where you are met at the station and taken to your hotel. Bergen is Norway's second city, a former capital and one of the great trading ports of the Hanseatic League. Bryggen, the line of gabled timber merchants' houses along the harbour, has been on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1979, and the narrow passages behind it are wonderful to explore. Walk on to the Fish Market and the Bergenhus fortress, or take the Fløibanen funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen. Our Bergen hotels page covers extra nights.
Day 5 · Bergen
Transfer from your hotel to the ship · Voyage begins
A transfer takes you and your luggage from the hotel to the Hurtigruten terminal. You have most of the day for Bergen first, perhaps the KODE art museums around the Lille Lungegårdsvann lake or St Mary's Church, the oldest building in the city. The ship sails in the evening, and dinner on board in Torget, the main restaurant, is the start of twelve days of full board. Head out on deck as Bergen's lights fall behind and the ship turns north into the islands.
The first full day at sea takes you past Flørø, Norway's westernmost town, round the open waters off Stad and into Ålesund. In January 1904 fire swept through the town and destroyed most of it in a single night; it was rebuilt in only a few years in the Art Nouveau style of the day, and the turrets, curved facades and decorated gables make it unlike any other town in Norway. Climb the 418 steps up Mount Aksla for the view.
From April to October the voyage also includes a detour into one of the great fjords of the region: the Geirangerfjord from June to August, or the Hjørundfjord in April, May, September and October. Later in the day the ship calls at Molde, the City of Roses.
Optional excursions
Kayaking in Ålesund (2 hours 15 minutes, November to March) A guided paddle on the water around the town.
Alnes Lighthouse (Ålesund, 3 hours 30 minutes, November to March) Out to the island of Godøy and its lighthouse.
Day 7 · Kristiansund and Trondheim
Ports today · Kristiansund, Trondheim, Rørvik
After a night call at Kristiansund the ship docks in Trondheim in the morning and stays until around midday. Founded by Olav Tryggvason in 997, the city was Norway's capital in the Viking Age and became its religious centre after the death of King Olav Haraldsson, later St Olav, in 1030. Nidaros Cathedral was begun around 1070 over his grave, and it is still the place where Norway's monarchs are consecrated; King Harald V was blessed there in 1991. Walk across the Old Town Bridge to the painted timber houses of Bakklandet for coffee. The ship sails north through the evening to Rørvik.
Optional excursions
Trondheim with Nidaros Cathedral (2 hours, September to March) A guided introduction to the city and its cathedral.
Cycling in Trondheim (2 hours 45 minutes, April to October) A guided ride through the city's neighbourhoods and along the river.
This is the day you cross into the Arctic. The ship threads through the islands of the Helgeland coast, past the hole through Torghatten and the peaks of the Seven Sisters, and crosses the Arctic Circle between Nesna and Ørnes, where a globe monument stands on the little islet of Vikingen. After lunch you reach Bodø, which was a European Capital of Culture in 2024. Close by is Saltstraumen, one of the strongest tidal currents in the world, where the sea forces its way through a narrow strait and forms whirlpools four times a day.
In the evening the ship crosses the Vestfjord to Lofoten, calling at Stamsund and at Svolvær, the islands' main town.
Optional excursions
Experience Bodø and Saltstraumen (2 hours 10 minutes, all seasons) To the maelstrom at Saltstraumen and back through Bodø.
Arctic Coastal Walk (Bodø, 2 hours 10 minutes, all seasons) A guided walk on the coast near the town.
In the early hours the ship calls at Stokmarknes, the birthplace of the Coastal Express, where Richard With launched his service in 1893, then threads the narrow channels of Vesterålen to reach Harstad in the morning. In the afternoon the ship reaches Tromsø, the largest city in northern Norway and a long time base for Arctic expeditions. The Polar Museum covers trappers, hunters and explorers, Polaria is an Arctic aquarium, and across the bridge the triangular Arctic Cathedral is the city's landmark. The Fjellheisen cable car lifts you up for a view over the island city and its sound.
Optional excursions
The Arctic Capital: Tromsø (3 hours 30 minutes, all seasons) The main sights of the city in one tour.
Polar History Walk (Tromsø, 2 hours 30 minutes, all seasons) A guided walk through Tromsø's past as a gateway to the Arctic.
Today the coast turns bare and wide open as you enter Finnmark. Hammerfest is home to the Meridian Column, one of the points of the Struve Geodetic Arc, a chain of survey stations from Norway to the Black Sea that was used in the nineteenth century to measure the size and shape of the earth. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Late in the morning the ship reaches Honningsvåg on the island of Magerøya, the gateway to the North Cape. The cliff stands about 300 metres above the Barents Sea, and in summer the sun does not set here at all from mid May until the end of July. The ship carries on east in the afternoon and evening, calling at Kjøllefjord and Mehamn.
Optional excursions
The North Cape (Honningsvåg, 3 hours, all seasons) By road across Magerøya to the North Cape plateau and visitor centre.
Birdwatching Safari (Honningsvåg, 3 hours, April to October) By boat to watch the seabird colonies of the Finnmark coast.
Day 11
Kirkenes, the turning point
Ports today · Båtsfjord, Vardø, Vadsø, Kirkenes, then southbound to Vardø, Båtsfjord and Berlevåg
Overnight the ship calls at Båtsfjord and at Vardø, the easternmost town in Norway, then Vadsø early in the morning, and reaches Kirkenes at around nine. This is as far as the Coastal Express goes. Kirkenes lies close to the Russian border and the town's street signs are in Norwegian and Russian. You have a few hours ashore before the ship turns round and begins the southbound half of the voyage, retracing the Varanger coast in the afternoon.
Optional excursions
The Norwegian Border (Kirkenes, 3 hours, all seasons) By coach to the borderland with Russia and the history of the area.
ATV and Quad Safari to the Norwegian Border (Kirkenes, 2 hours 30 minutes, June to October) A guided ride by quad bike towards the border.
The southbound timetable is different from the northbound one, so ports you passed in the night on the way up now come in daylight, and vice versa. Honningsvåg comes early this morning, and Hammerfest around midday, which is a good chance to explore the town if you did not go ashore two days ago. The ship reaches Tromsø late in the evening.
Optional excursions
The Northernmost Town in the World (Hammerfest, 1 hour 45 minutes, all seasons) An introduction to Hammerfest and its history.
Mountain Hike in Hammerfest (1 hour 30 minutes, all seasons) A short guided climb above the town.
Harstad, in the morning, is the gateway to Vesterålen, and the medieval stone church at Trondenes just outside the town is one of the northernmost medieval stone churches anywhere. The afternoon passage through the Raftsundet is one of the highlights of the whole route, and when conditions allow the ship turns into the Trollfjord, so narrow at its mouth that it seems impossible a ship could enter. You reach Svolvær in the evening, with the Lofoten peaks rising straight out of the sea around you.
Optional excursions
A Taste of Vesterålen (Harstad, 4 hours 15 minutes, all seasons) Overland through Vesterålen with tastes of local food along the way.
Lofotpils Brewery (Svolvær, 40 minutes, all seasons) A short visit to the brewery in Svolvær.
The ship crosses the Arctic Circle southbound this morning. Helgeland's archipelago is at its best in daylight, a scatter of low green islands, lighthouses and fishing hamlets with mountain ranges behind them. Offshore lies the Vega archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where islanders have gathered eider down for centuries, building small shelters for the nesting ducks.
Day 15 · Trondheim, Kristiansund and Molde
Ports today · Trondheim, Kristiansund, Molde
A morning in Trondheim gives you a second chance at the city, perhaps the Archbishop's Palace beside the cathedral or the riverside warehouses. Kristiansund follows in the afternoon. The town grew rich on klippfisk, salted and dried cod sent to southern Europe, and it is the starting point for the Atlantic Road, 8.3 kilometres of road and eight bridges hopping across the islets of the open coast, opened in 1989. The ship's last call of the day is Molde.
The final morning brings the islands and sounds of the western coast, past Måløy and Flørø, and the ship arrives in Bergen in the afternoon, where the tour ends. If you are flying home later or would like a few more days in the city, we can arrange extra hotel nights and transfers.
Departures & Fares
Complete Norway fares, 2026 to 2028
There are 303 departures of Complete Norway in the period shown. The table gives the lowest fare we found for any departure in each month, in each cabin category, with the number of departures that month. Some dates will be priced above the figure shown, so please ask us about your chosen date.
The cabin category is your cabin on the ship for the twelve day round voyage. The price covers the whole package as described on this page, including the four hotel nights, the rail journeys, the fjord cruise and the voyage, per person sharing, without flights.
Month
Departures
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
November 2026
9
from £3,173
from £3,230
from £4,046
from £5,793
December 2026
18
from £3,076
from £3,241
from £3,697
from £5,296
Month
Departures
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
January 2027
18
from £3,191
from £3,435
from £4,235
from £5,789
February 2027
18
from £3,516
from £3,905
from £4,759
from £6,884
March 2027
17
from £3,491
from £3,727
from £4,405
from £6,253
April 2027
19
from £3,613
from £3,685
from £4,360
from £5,950
May 2027
20
from £4,104
from £4,260
from £5,224
from £7,265
June 2027
13
from £4,277
from £4,717
from £5,625
from £7,953
July 2027
21
from £4,113
from £4,362
from £5,413
from £7,750
August 2027
20
from £3,937
from £4,236
from £5,023
from £7,265
September 2027
19
from £3,684
from £3,937
from £4,725
from £6,860
October 2027
18
from £3,271
from £3,485
from £4,192
from £5,848
November 2027
19
from £3,010
from £2,916
from £3,533
from £5,024
December 2027
17
from £2,794
from £2,876
from £3,480
from £5,024
Month
Departures
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
January 2028
19
from £3,062
from £3,310
from £4,054
from £5,955
February 2028
18
from £3,315
from £3,594
from £4,429
from £6,562
March 2028
20
from £3,200
from £3,465
from £4,280
from £6,286
Fares are per person in pounds, based on two people sharing, and were checked on 20 October 2026. They are subject to availability and may change at any time before booking. "Call" means that category was not available when we checked. Single supplements on request. Call 0333 405 0194 for current prices.
Your Package
What is included
The following is included whichever cabin category you choose on board.
What's included
Before the voyage
Four hotel nights One night each in Oslo, Flåm, Voss and Bergen, with breakfast, in centrally located hotels
Included
Norway in a Nutshell Including the Flåm Railway and the Nærøyfjord cruise
Included
Transfers in Bergen From Bergen station to your hotel, and from your hotel to the ship
Included
The voyage
Coastal Express round voyage The twelve day Bergen to Kirkenes to Bergen voyage
Included
Full board Breakfast, lunch and dinner in Torget, the ship's main restaurant
Included
Cabin category Your chosen cabin category for the whole voyage
Included
Not included: flights and airport transfers (available as an arrival and departure package), drinks unless otherwise stated, and optional shore excursions. Hurtigruten describes the land hotels as 3 to 4 star standard in its FAQ and as 4 star in its inclusions; we will confirm the hotels for your date. This tour is not recommended for wheelchair users or guests with limited mobility. You can arrange travel insurance online here.
Flights & Packages
Flying from London or Manchester
Hurtigruten offers a flight-inclusive package for this tour, and we can quote flights from London or Manchester, out to Oslo at the start and home from Bergen at the end. As the tour begins and ends in different cities, an open jaw arrangement like this saves you a long journey back across the country. Flights booked as part of a Hurtigruten package come with ATOL protection.
Package
Starts / Ends
Included in price
Price
Complete Norway Flight Package
Oslo / Bergen
The full tour as described, plus a flight from London or Manchester to Oslo and a flight from Bergen back to the UK
Call
Package prices are per person based on two sharing and depend on the date and your choice of airport. Extra hotel nights in Oslo or Bergen can be added. Call 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How is Complete Norway different from the Coastal Express round voyage on its own?
It adds four days before the voyage, crossing Norway from Oslo to Bergen by rail and fjord boat with hotel nights in Oslo, Flåm, Voss and Bergen. The twelve day voyage that follows is the same Bergen to Kirkenes and back route.
Is it a guided tour?
No, it is self-guided. Your trains, fjord cruise, hotels, transfers in Bergen and voyage are all arranged in advance, and you travel independently, at your own pace, without a tour leader.
Which railways does the tour use?
The Bergen Line from Oslo across the mountains to Myrdal, the Flåm Railway down to the fjord at Flåm, and the line from Voss into Bergen, together with the Nærøyfjord cruise as part of Norway in a Nutshell.
What meals are included?
Breakfast at each of the four hotels, and full board on the voyage, with breakfast, lunch and dinner in the main restaurant, Torget. Drinks are not included unless otherwise stated.
Which ship will I be on?
The ship depends on your departure date, as several Coastal Express ships work the route. You stay on the same ship for the whole twelve days.
Are flights included?
No, flights and airport transfers are not included in the tour price. We can quote a package with flights from London or Manchester to Oslo and home from Bergen.
Will I see the Geirangerfjord?
Only from June to August, when the voyage detours into the Geirangerfjord. In April, May, September and October it visits the Hjørundfjord instead, and Hurtigruten lists neither fjord for November to March. Call us with your preferred date and we will tell you which applies.
Is the Northern Lights Promise included?
Hurtigruten's page for this tour does not say that the Northern Lights Promise applies, so we do not include it here. Winter departures do sail through the Arctic during the aurora season, and sightings on clear nights are common, but they cannot be guaranteed.
What is the best time of year to go?
For the midnight sun in the north and long days for the railway, choose late May to July. For snow and the chance of the Northern Lights, go between autumn and early spring. April, May and September are quieter, while the lowest fares in our table are in November and December.
Is the tour suitable for limited mobility?
Hurtigruten does not recommend it for wheelchair users or guests with limited mobility. If you can manage short walks and a few stairs you should be able to take part in most activities.
