Cross Norway by train to the fjords, sail the Coastal Express north from Bergen to Kirkenes, then head into Finnish Lapland for Sámi culture, an aurora hike, huskies and a night in a glass igloo, finishing in Helsinki. An escorted winter tour for 2027 to 2028, from £4,766 per person.
16 Days · Oslo to Helsinki · Autumn 2027 to Spring 2028
Two countries, three ways of travelling and a long season of dark Arctic skies
Duration16 days
RouteOslo to Helsinki
ShipsCoastal Express, seven ships
SeasonSeptember 2027 to March 2028
From£4,766 pp
Most Northern Lights holidays put you in one place and ask you to wait for a clear night. This one keeps moving north and east, which gives you something different to look forward to every evening and a far better spread of skies to try your luck under. You begin in Oslo, ride the railway over the mountains and down to the head of a fjord, and join a Hurtigruten Coastal Express ship in Bergen. Six nights later, having sailed the length of the Norwegian coast and crossed well into the Arctic, you step ashore in Kirkenes, close to the Russian border, and the coach turns south into Finland.
The last third of the tour is spent in Finnish Lapland, among frozen lakes, fell country and forest. There is a day with the Sámi in Inari, a guided aurora hike from Saariselkä, a stop at Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, a night in a glass igloo, and an afternoon with a team of huskies before the train carries you south to Helsinki. An English-speaking tour manager travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Oslo to the farewell dinner in Helsinki, including the days on board.
£4,766per person, from
32 departures from Oslo between 14 September 2027 and 26 March 2028
The cabin category you choose refers to your cabin on the ship. The price covers the whole package as described below, including hotels, rail, coach, the Lapland experiences and the meals Hurtigruten lists, per person sharing and without flights.
Why This Tour
A winter journey across the top of Scandinavia
The appeal of Follow the Northern Lights is the way the trip builds. The first few days are about Norway's interior: Oslo and its waterfront, the high, snowbound plateau crossed by the Bergen Line, the descent of the Flåm Railway and a boat through the Nærøyfjord. By the time you board the ship in Bergen you have crossed the country from east to west on the ground, something few visitors to Norway ever do.
The voyage itself follows the classic Coastal Express route, the working sea road that Hurtigruten ships have sailed since 1893, calling at towns and fishing harbours that depend on it for passengers and freight. You cross the Arctic Circle, thread through the Lofoten Islands, spend part of a day in Tromsø, round the top of Norway past Honningsvåg and the North Cape and finish in Kirkenes. From the Arctic Circle northwards, every clear night at sea is a chance to see the aurora.
Then the tour does something the voyage on its own cannot. Instead of turning round, you cross the border into Finnish Lapland, a very different landscape of rounded fells, pine forest and frozen lakes, with its own Sámi culture and a long winter tradition of reindeer and sled dogs. Being well inland, and away from the coastal weather, it often has clearer, colder skies than the coast. You finish in Helsinki, a capital as easy to enjoy in winter as it is in summer.
This is a guided group tour, with groups usually of around 20 to 30 guests, so it suits people who would like the logistics taken care of and a knowledgeable companion on hand, but still enjoy free time to explore. If you would rather travel the other way, starting in Helsinki and finishing in Oslo, look at the southbound Follow the Northern Lights. For a summer equivalent across Scandinavia, see Follow the Midnight Sun.
The Ships
Six nights on the Coastal Express from Bergen to Kirkenes
These are working ships on the Original Coastal Route, smaller and more intimate than a typical cruise ship, with panoramic lounges, outside decks for aurora watching and restaurants serving regional Norwegian food. On board you have full board, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day; drinks are extra unless Hurtigruten states otherwise. Because the ship keeps to a timetable and stops at many small ports, some calls last only a few minutes and some several hours, and you will find yourself going on deck at all hours to watch the harbours come and go. Read more about life on board and the cabin categories.
Watch
The Northern Lights from a Hurtigruten ship
A short film from Hurtigruten showing what a winter voyage along the coast looks like when the aurora comes out, the same coast you sail along on this tour.
Video from Hurtigruten's official YouTube channel.
Your Journey
Day by day, Oslo to Helsinki
The tour falls into three parts: four nights in Norway on land, six nights on the Coastal Express, and six nights across Finnish Lapland and Helsinki. Optional excursions during the voyage are listed under each day; they are booked and paid for separately, and some run only in certain months. We are happy to add them when you book.
Day 1 · Arrive in Oslo
Overnight · Central hotel in Oslo · Welcome dinner
You make your own way from the airport to the group's hotel in the centre of Oslo, and the rest of the day is yours. Oslo rewards a wander on foot. Grünerløkka, the old working district along the Akerselva river, is now full of cafes and small shops, while the waterfront at Bjørvika has been transformed over the past twenty years, with the Barcode row of slim office towers, the Opera House and the Munch museum, which holds the largest collection of Edvard Munch's work anywhere, including versions of The Scream.
If you have more time, the Norwegian Folk Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula brings together historic farm buildings from across the country and a medieval stave church, and Ekeberg Park on the hill to the south mixes woodland, sculpture and one of the best views over the city. In the evening you meet your tour manager and fellow travellers over a welcome dinner at the hotel.
Day 2
Discovering Norway's capital
Oslo · Overnight in Oslo
After breakfast a local English-speaking guide takes the group round the city by private coach on a tour of about three hours. The first stop is usually Vigeland Park, the open air gallery inside Frogner Park where more than two hundred sculptures by Gustav Vigeland show the human figure at every stage of life. You also see the Opera House, whose sloping white roof runs down to the water and can be walked on, and drive up to Holmenkollen, the ski jump on the hills above the city that hosted ski jumping at the 1952 Winter Olympics and still looks out over the whole Oslofjord. Entrance fees are not included.
The afternoon and evening are free. The Fram Museum on Bygdøy, built around the polar ship sailed by Nansen and Amundsen, makes a good introduction to the Arctic you are heading for, while the castle walls of Akershus are a fine place to watch the light go over the harbour.
Day 3
Norway in a Nutshell, by rail to Flåm
Oslo · Myrdal · Flåm · Overnight in Flåm · Dinner included
A short walk takes you to Oslo Central Station for the train west to Myrdal on the Bergen Line, one of the classic rail journeys of Europe. Beyond the lakes and farmland of the eastern valleys the line climbs onto the high mountain plateau, passing Finse, at 1,222 metres the highest station on the line, and in winter the landscape up here is white from end to end.
At Myrdal you change to the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest standard gauge lines in the world. It drops around 860 metres in a little over 20 kilometres, with a gradient of up to 1 in 18 for much of the way, and passes through 20 tunnels, most of them dug by hand. The line opened in 1940 after construction began in 1923. You check into your hotel in Flåm, at the head of the Aurlandsfjord, with the afternoon free in the village, and dinner is served in the hotel restaurant.
After breakfast you leave Flåm by boat, cruising out along the Aurlandsfjord and into the Nærøyfjord, one of the narrowest fjords in Norway. Together with the Geirangerfjord it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, and in winter, with snow on the steep walls and the water still and dark, it is especially atmospheric. You come ashore at Gudvangen and continue by coach through the valley to Voss, where you pick up the train for the last leg down to Bergen, and a private coach takes you to the hotel.
The evening is free. Bergen's harbour is lined with good fish restaurants, and dinner tonight is at your own choice and expense.
Day 5
Bergen, and the Coastal Express sails north
Bergen · Walking tour · Embarkation · Dinner on board
Bergen was founded in the eleventh century and became one of the key ports of the Hanseatic League, whose German merchants controlled the export of dried cod from the north. Your morning walking tour with a local guide starts at Bryggen, the row of gabled timber warehouses along the harbour that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1979. You also see St Mary's Church, the oldest building in the city, and Håkon's Hall, the great stone hall built for King Håkon Håkonsson in the thirteenth century, before riding the Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen for the view over the city and the islands beyond.
Later you transfer to the Hurtigruten terminal to check in and settle into your cabin. The ship leaves Bergen in the evening and heads north along the coast, and dinner tonight is the first of many on board.
Day 6 · Ålesund, Art Nouveau by the sea
On board · Nordfjord · Ålesund · Molde
The ship passes the Nordfjord and rounds Stadlandet, the exposed peninsula at Norway's West Cape, before reaching Ålesund. The town has a story unlike any other on the coast. On 23 January 1904 a fire swept through the wooden town and destroyed nearly 850 houses in a single night, leaving more than 10,000 people without a home. It was rebuilt in stone within a few years in the Art Nouveau style of the time, and the turrets, curving facades and carved details make the centre one of the most harmonious in Scandinavia.
You can explore the streets on your own, visit the Jugendstil Centre, climb the steps up Mount Aksla for the view over the islands, or see the aquarium at Atlanterhavsparken. In the evening the ship calls at Molde, known for its panorama of mountain peaks across the fjord.
Optional excursions
Art Nouveau walk A guided stroll through the rebuilt town centre, November to March. About 2 hours.
Atlanterhavsparken aquarium and Ålesund The aquarium of North Atlantic sea life and a look at the town, November to March. About 2 hours.
Kayaking in Ålesund A guided paddle around the harbour and islands, November to March. About 2 hours 15 minutes.
Alnes Lighthouse Out to the lighthouse on the island of Godøy, November to March. About 3 hours 30 minutes.
Hjørundfjord, tastes and traditions A longer day into the Hjørundfjord with local food, November to March. About 6 hours 30 minutes.
A taste of Norway A food experience in the Hjørundfjord, September and October. About 2 hours 15 minutes.
Mountain hike in the Hjørundfjord A guided hike in the fjord landscape, September and October. About 2 hours 45 minutes.
Hike with a visit to a shieling A walk to a traditional summer mountain farm. About 2 hours 45 minutes.
Day 7 · Trondheim, city of kings
On board · Trondheim · Rørvik
The ship reaches Trondheim early in the morning and you have time to explore. The city was Norway's first capital, and its great building is Nidaros Cathedral, begun around 1070 over the grave of St Olav, the king credited with bringing Christianity to Norway, who died at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. For centuries it drew pilgrims from across northern Europe, and it is still where Norway's monarchs are blessed.
From the cathedral it is a short walk to the Old Town Bridge, Gamle Bybro, with its view of the brightly painted wharf warehouses along the river Nid, and across it to the wooden houses and cafes of Bakklandet. Kristiansten Fortress, on the hill above, gives the best view of the city. In the afternoon the ship heads out past the Kjeungskjær lighthouse and up the coast towards Rørvik.
Optional excursions
Trondheim with Nidaros Cathedral A guided look at the city and the cathedral. About 2 hours.
Trondheim city walk On foot through the old streets and along the river. About 3 hours.
Kayaking on the River Nid A paddle past the old warehouses. About 2 hours 30 minutes.
Cycling in Trondheim A guided ride around the city, September and October. About 2 hours 45 minutes.
Day 8 · Into the Arctic and the Lofoten Islands
On board · Arctic Circle · Ørnes · Bodø · Stamsund · Svolvær
This morning the ship crosses the Arctic Circle, marked on board with a traditional ceremony, and from here on the long winter nights give you a real chance of the Northern Lights whenever the sky clears. The ship calls at Ørnes, close to the Svartisen glacier, and at Bodø, where the Saltstraumen strait just outside town is one of the strongest tidal currents in the world.
In the afternoon the ship crosses the Vestfjord towards the Lofoten Wall, the jagged line of peaks that rises straight from the sea, and calls at Stamsund and Svolvær. Lofoten has lived from cod for a thousand years; the fish arrive each winter to spawn, and from late winter you may see them hanging to dry on wooden racks.
Optional excursions
Sámi adventure, Bodø An introduction to Sámi culture, November to May. About 1 hour 45 minutes.
Arctic coastal walk, Bodø A walk along the shore outside town. About 2 hours 10 minutes.
Experience Bodø and Saltstraumen To the tidal current and its whirlpools. About 2 hours 10 minutes.
Lofotpils brewery, Svolvær A visit and tasting at the Lofoten brewery. About 40 minutes.
Meet the Vikings, Svolvær A visit to a reconstructed Viking chieftain's longhouse, September to March. About 3 hours 30 minutes.
Day 9
Tromsø and the Lyngen Alps
On board · Harstad · Finnsnes · Tromsø · Skjervøy
An early call at Harstad gives the chance of a short walk ashore, and Finnsnes follows, the gateway by bridge to the island of Senja. Around midday the ship reaches Tromsø, the largest city in northern Norway, and stays for several hours. For more than a century the city was the starting point for Arctic expeditions, and the Polar Museum by the harbour tells the story of the trappers, sealers and explorers who sailed from its quays.
Polaria, the Arctic aquarium, and the Mack brewery's Ølhallen pub are both close to the centre. Across the bridge stands the Arctic Cathedral, opened in 1965, its white triangular roof echoing the peaks behind it. In the early evening the ship leaves for Skjervøy, and if the night is clear the jagged Lyngen Alps slide past to the east, a wonderful backdrop for the aurora.
Optional excursions
Dog sledding, Tromsø A ride behind a husky team, November to March. About 3 hours 30 minutes.
The Arctic capital, Tromsø The main sights of the city in one tour. About 3 hours 30 minutes.
Polar history walk On foot through Tromsø's role in polar exploration. About 2 hours 30 minutes.
Cross-country skiing A guided session on the trails, November to May. About 3 hours.
Snowshoeing in Tromsø A guided walk on snowshoes, November to May. About 3 hours.
The ship calls at Hammerfest and Havøysund before reaching Honningsvåg, the gateway to the North Cape. If you join the excursion, the coach crosses the snowy plateau of Magerøya, where reindeer are sometimes seen, to the cliff top 307 metres above the Barents Sea where the globe monument stands. In winter, with the polar night closing in, it is a stark and beautiful place.
Afterwards the ship follows the Finnmark coast. Near Kjøllefjord, look out for Finnkirka, a sea cliff shaped like a cathedral that was once a Sámi sacrificial site. At Mehamn, from February to March, you may see cod drying on the hjell racks. In the evening the ship passes the Slettnes lighthouse on its way to Berlevåg.
Optional excursions
The North Cape By coach to the plateau and the globe monument. About 3 hours.
Fishing village visit, Honningsvåg A look at life in a Finnmark fishing community. About 3 hours.
Snowmobile trip in the Arctic, Kjøllefjord Across the snow on the Nordkinn peninsula, November to May. About 2 hours 30 minutes.
Sámi culture, Kjøllefjord Listed by Hurtigruten for April to October, so most likely to be offered on the September and October departures. About 2 hours 30 minutes.
Day 11
Kirkenes, king crab and across the border to Saariselkä
Kirkenes · Finnish Lapland · Overnight in Saariselkä · Dinner included
After a last breakfast on board you leave the ship in Kirkenes. The town sits in the far east of Finnmark, close to both the Russian and Finnish borders, and its street signs are written in Norwegian and Russian. It was one of the most heavily bombed places in Europe during the Second World War and was liberated by Soviet forces in October 1944, so most of what you see was rebuilt after the war.
A coach takes you to Snowhotel Kirkenes for the included King Crab Experience, where you learn about the giant red king crab of the Barents Sea and then taste it freshly cooked. Then the coach crosses the border into Finland and drives south to Saariselkä. You check in, have dinner in the hotel restaurant, and the evening is free. Optional Northern Lights experiences are often available locally, depending on conditions.
Day 12 · Inari and Sámi culture
Saariselkä · Inari · Overnight in Saariselkä · Lunch included
This morning a local guide joins the group for the drive north to Inari, the cultural heart of the Sámi in Finland. Inari is the largest municipality in Finland by area, and it is also the only one with four official languages: Finnish and three Sámi languages, Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi and Northern Sámi. Lake Inari, scattered with islands, is the third largest lake in the country.
The first visit is Siida, the Sámi museum and nature centre beside the lake, which opened in 1998 and tells the story of the Sámi and of northern Lapland's wildlife and seasons. Then you set out by snowmobile sleigh onto the frozen surface of Lake Inari to try traditional ice fishing; on departures before the ice is thick enough, Hurtigruten lists a visit to the rapids instead. Lunch is at a local wilderness hotel, and you return to Saariselkä in the afternoon. Dinner tonight is at your own expense.
Day 13 · Saariselkä and the aurora hike
Saariselkä · Overnight in Saariselkä · Dinner included
Today is free to spend as you like. Saariselkä is a small resort on the edge of Urho Kekkonen National Park, created in 1983 and named after Finland's longest serving president. At around 2,550 square kilometres it is one of Finland's largest protected areas, a wilderness of rounded fells, old forest and reindeer herding land. You can walk or ski the marked trails from the village, try one of the many local activities, or simply rest after the journey so far.
After dinner at the hotel a guide leads a gentle, unhurried hike, suitable for all abilities, to a sheltered aurora hut in the national park. There you learn how the Northern Lights form and how to photograph them, then watch the sky. Far from big town lights, northern Lapland is one of the best places in Finland to see the aurora whenever the sky is dark and clear. You return to the hotel late in the evening.
Day 14 · Santa Claus Village and a night in a glass igloo
Sodankylä · Santa Claus Village · Sinettä · Overnight in a glass igloo · Dinner included
After breakfast you head south through the forest to Sodankylä, stopping at its Old Church. Built in 1688 to 1689 and paid for by King Charles XI of Sweden, it is one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Finland, a simple unpainted building without a tower, and well worth the short stop.
Next is Santa Claus Village, on the Arctic Circle about 8 kilometres from the centre of Rovaniemi. The line itself is marked in the main square, and Santa Claus' Main Post Office sends cards with a special postmark that can only be had here. Its first building, the Roosevelt Cottage, was completed in 1950. You have free time to explore, and lunch is at your own arrangement.
In the afternoon you continue to Sinettä and check in at the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, where dinner is served in the hotel restaurant. Tonight you sleep in a glass igloo with a glass roof, so that if the aurora appears you can watch it from your bed. From mid December to the end of March the resort's snow hotel and ice restaurant are open too. Snowshoeing or aurora photography may be on offer in the evening, weather permitting.
Day 15 · Husky safari and Rovaniemi
Sinettä · Rovaniemi · Overnight in Rovaniemi · Lunch included
After a relaxed morning you meet the dogs. At a husky kennel in the Lapland forest you learn how the teams are trained and cared for, then set off on a guided ride by sled if there is enough snow, or by cart if there is not. The dogs are driven by the guides, so no experience is needed. Afterwards there is a warming soup lunch and time to get to know the huskies.
In the afternoon you continue to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland, and check in. The town has an unusual history. In October 1944, during the Lapland War, the town was set ablaze as German forces withdrew, and around 90 per cent of its buildings were destroyed. The architect Alvar Aalto drew up the plan for the new town in the shape of a reindeer's head, with the main roads as the antlers and a sports field as the eye, and his library and town hall still stand in the Aalto Centre. The evening is free, and Arktikum, the science museum of the Arctic on the bank of the Ounasjoki river, is worth a visit if you have time before you leave.
Day 16 · By train to Helsinki
Rovaniemi · Helsinki · Overnight in Helsinki · Farewell dinner
You transfer to Rovaniemi station for the train south. The journey runs the length of Finland, from snowbound forest and frozen rivers through the lake country to the coast, and you arrive in Helsinki in the late afternoon. The hotel is a short walk from the station.
Helsinki was founded in 1550 on the orders of the Swedish king Gustav Vasa, and after Russia took Finland from Sweden it became the capital of the new Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812. The neoclassical centre around Senate Square dates from that time. Offshore, the sea fortress of Suomenlinna, built in the eighteenth century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is reached by a short ferry ride. Tonight the group gathers for a farewell dinner at the hotel.
Day 17 · Departure from Helsinki
Helsinki
After breakfast the escorted tour comes to an end. If your flight is later in the day, there is time for a last walk along the waterfront or through the market square by the harbour before you make your own way to the airport.
Hurtigruten also offers an optional post-tour programme to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, a short ferry crossing from Helsinki. You travel independently by ferry and join a guided walking tour of about three hours through the Rotermann Quarter and the medieval Old Town, followed by free time. We can quote this, or extra nights in Helsinki, when you book.
Fares
Follow the Northern Lights departures and fares 2027 to 2028
There are 32 departures from Oslo between September 2027 and March 2028, and the Coastal Express ship varies by date, so it is shown against each one. The cabin category refers to your cabin on board the ship for the six nights from Bergen to Kirkenes; the price is for the whole package as described on this page, including the hotels, the rail, boat and coach journeys, the guided tours, the Lapland experiences and the meals listed. Prices are per person sharing and do not include flights. Hurtigruten includes Follow the Northern Lights among its Northern Lights Promise voyages for departures between 20 September and 31 March, and we confirm it for your chosen date when you book.
Departure date
Ship
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
14 September 2027
MS Nordkapp
from £4,766
from £5,070
from £5,534
from £7,006
27 September 2027
MS Polarlys
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
2 October 2027
MS Kong Harald
from £5,297
from £5,591
from £6,039
from £8,542
6 October 2027
MS Nordkapp
from £5,297
from £5,591
from £6,039
from £7,460
8 October 2027
MS Polarlys
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
27 October 2027
MS Nordlys
from £5,104
from £5,371
from £5,778
from £7,070
27 November 2027
MS Vesterålen
Call
from £5,583
from £5,929
Call
8 December 2027
MS Vesterålen
from £5,592
from £5,872
from £6,218
from £7,048
10 December 2027
MS Nordlys
from £5,538
from £5,667
from £6,056
from £7,048
13 December 2027
MS Polarlys
from £5,538
from £5,667
from £6,056
from £7,048
21 December 2027
MS Nordlys
from £5,639
from £5,799
from £6,277
from £7,499
22 December 2027
MS Nordkapp
from £5,706
from £5,799
from £6,277
from £7,499
24 December 2027
MS Polarlys
from £5,465
from £5,625
from £6,103
from £7,325
26 December 2027
MS Richard With
from £5,465
from £5,718
from £6,103
from £7,325
Departure date
Ship
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
2 January 2028
MS Nordkapp
from £5,532
from £5,625
from £6,103
from £7,325
15 January 2028
MS Polarlys
from £5,201
from £5,373
from £5,890
from £7,212
18 January 2028
MS Nordnorge
from £5,201
from £5,373
from £5,890
from £7,212
20 January 2028
MS Kong Harald
from £5,201
from £5,373
from £5,890
from £8,218
23 January 2028
MS Nordlys
from £5,201
from £5,373
from £5,890
from £7,212
29 January 2028
MS Nordnorge
from £5,682
from £5,861
from £6,398
from £7,769
4 February 2028
MS Nordkapp
from £5,682
from £5,861
from £6,398
from £7,769
8 February 2028
MS Richard With
from £5,682
from £5,861
from £6,398
from £7,769
12 February 2028
MS Vesterålen
from £5,682
from £5,965
from £6,621
from £7,769
17 February 2028
MS Polarlys
from £5,682
from £5,861
from £6,398
from £7,769
22 February 2028
MS Kong Harald
from £5,682
from £5,861
from £6,398
from £8,813
26 February 2028
MS Nordkapp
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
2 March 2028
MS Nordnorge
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
10 March 2028
MS Polarlys
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
15 March 2028
MS Kong Harald
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £8,542
18 March 2028
MS Nordlys
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
21 March 2028
MS Polarlys
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £7,460
26 March 2028
MS Kong Harald
from £5,297
from £5,483
from £6,039
from £8,542
Fares are per person in pounds, based on two people sharing, and were checked on 3 November 2026. They are subject to availability and may change at any time before booking. Where a fare shows Call, that cabin category is not currently available online, so please ask us. Single supplements are available on request. Call 0333 405 0194 for the current price on your preferred date.
Your Package
What is included
This is an escorted tour as well as a voyage, so the inclusions fall into two parts: the land arrangements in Norway and Finland, and your six nights on board the Coastal Express.
What's included
On land
Ten nights in hotels and lodges Four star hotels in Oslo (two nights), Flåm, Bergen, Saariselkä (three nights), Rovaniemi and Helsinki, plus a night in a glass igloo at Sinettä, all with breakfast
Included
Tour manager An English-speaking tour manager with the group throughout, on land and on board
Included
Meals on land as set out in the itinerary Welcome dinner in Oslo, dinner in Flåm, dinner on arrival in Saariselkä, lunch on the Inari day, dinner before the aurora hike, dinner at Sinettä, soup lunch at the husky kennel and the farewell dinner in Helsinki
Included
Guided tours A three hour coach tour of Oslo and a guided walk in Bergen including Bryggen and the Fløibanen funicular
Included
Norway in a Nutshell Train from Oslo to Myrdal, the Flåm Railway, the Nærøyfjord boat, the coach to Voss and the train to Bergen
Included
King Crab Experience in Kirkenes
Included
Sámi culture day in Inari Siida museum, ice fishing on Lake Inari or a visit to the rapids, and lunch
Included
Aurora hike and workshop A gentle guided walk to an aurora hut near Saariselkä
Included
Santa Claus Village and Sodankylä Old Church
Included
Husky safari Guided ride by sled or cart, depending on snow, with lunch
Included
Coach and rail in Finland First class coach from Kirkenes through Lapland to Rovaniemi and second class train from Rovaniemi to Helsinki
Included
Transfers All transfers listed in the itinerary once the tour has begun
Included
On board the Coastal Express
Six nights in your chosen cabin Bergen to Kirkenes
Included
Full board Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day on board
Included
Not included: flights and airport transfers to Oslo and from Helsinki, drinks unless stated, meals on land not listed above, entrance fees on the Oslo tour, optional shore excursions during the voyage, the optional Tallinn programme and travel insurance. You can arrange travel insurance online here.
Flights & Extensions
Getting to Oslo and home from Helsinki
Hurtigruten sells this tour without flights, so the fares on this page do not include air travel or airport transfers. You will need a flight to Oslo at the start and a flight home from Helsinki at the end, and as the tour finishes after breakfast on the final morning, a flight later that day usually works well. Call us and we can talk through your options, including extra nights before the tour in Oslo or afterwards in Helsinki.
Package
Starts / Ends
Included in price
Price
Follow the Northern Lights Tour only
Oslo / Helsinki
Everything listed under What is included
See fares
Tallinn post-tour programme
Helsinki / Tallinn
Self-guided ferry to Tallinn and a guided walking tour of about three hours
Call
Extension and extra night prices depend on the date and availability. Call 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Follow the Northern Lights a guided tour?
Yes. An English-speaking tour manager travels with the group from the welcome dinner in Oslo to the farewell dinner in Helsinki, including the six nights on board. Local guides lead the city tours in Oslo and Bergen and the Lapland activities, and groups are usually around 20 to 30 guests.
Which ship will I sail on?
The voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes is on one of seven Coastal Express ships: MS Nordkapp, MS Polarlys, MS Kong Harald, MS Nordlys, MS Vesterålen, MS Richard With or MS Nordnorge. The fare table shows the ship for each departure, and you stay on the same ship for the whole voyage.
Are flights included in the price?
No. Hurtigruten sells this tour without flights, and airport transfers at the start and end are not included either. You need a flight to Oslo and a flight home from Helsinki, and we are happy to talk through the options when you book.
What does the cabin category in the fare table mean?
It refers to your cabin on board the ship for the six nights from Bergen to Kirkenes. The hotels on land are the same whichever cabin you choose, and the price covers the whole package as described.
How many nights does the tour include?
Hurtigruten sells it as a 16 day tour. It includes ten nights in hotels and lodges, one of them in a glass igloo, and six nights on board, with the last night in Helsinki and the tour ending after breakfast the following morning. We will confirm the exact arrangements for your date when you book.
Which meals are included?
On the ship you have breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. On land you have breakfast at every hotel, plus the welcome and farewell dinners and several other meals listed in the itinerary, including dinner at the glass igloo hotel and lunch at the husky kennel. Other meals on land, and drinks, are at your own expense.
Will I see the Northern Lights?
No one can promise the aurora, because it depends on solar activity and clear skies. The tour gives you a good chance, though: every departure falls in the dark season, you spend three nights at sea north of the Arctic Circle, and the Lapland nights include an aurora hike and a glass igloo with a view of the sky.
Does the Northern Lights Promise apply to this tour?
Hurtigruten includes Follow the Northern Lights among its Northern Lights Promise voyages for departures between 20 September and 31 March, so the 14 September 2027 departure falls outside it. If the aurora does not appear within sight of the ship, Hurtigruten offers a free 6 or 7 day voyage. We confirm the Promise for your chosen date when you book.
Will there be snow for the husky ride and ice fishing?
In midwinter there almost always is, but the early autumn and late spring departures can be different. The husky ride is by sled when there is enough snow and by cart when there is not, and on the Inari day Hurtigruten lists a visit to the rapids as the alternative to ice fishing when the lake is not frozen.
Is the tour suitable for people with limited mobility?
Hurtigruten does not recommend it for wheelchair users or guests with limited mobility, because many winter activities involve short walks on snowy or icy paths and some stairs. If you can manage short walks and a few steps you should be able to join most of the programme.
What should I pack for Lapland in winter?
Proper winter layers. Bring thermal base layers, a warm mid layer, an insulated windproof jacket and trousers, a hat that covers the ears, warm gloves or mittens, thick socks and boots with a good grip on ice. Temperatures inland in Finnish Lapland are often well below freezing in midwinter, and you will be outdoors at night on the aurora hike.
