Savour the Northern Lights on the Arctic Line North, Copenhagen to Helsinki
Eleven all-inclusive nights on MS Trollfjord from Copenhagen to Tromsø, then a guided week across Finnish Lapland: the point where three countries meet, two nights in a glass igloo at Levi, a husky sled, an icebreaker in the frozen Bothnian Bay and the train to Helsinki. Four winter departures, from £5,922 per person.
Most Northern Lights holidays pick one place and hope for clear skies. This one keeps moving. It starts in Copenhagen with Hurtigruten's new Arctic Line, an eleven night Signature voyage that crosses the North Sea and works up the Norwegian coast to Lofoten, Alta, the North Cape and Tromsø. Then you swap the ship for a coach, cross the Lyngen Alps into Finland and spend a week travelling south through Lapland with a tour manager, finishing with two nights in a five star hotel in Helsinki.
It is a big trip, and that is the point of it. You see the aurora zone from the sea, from the fells along the Swedish border, from a glass roofed cabin in the forest and from the frozen shore of the Baltic. The days are full without being frantic, and on the land section the hotels, dinners, transfers and the main activities are all arranged for you. If you have been meaning to do Lapland properly and to sail the Norwegian coast as well, this does both in one go.
£5,922per person, from
Four departures from Copenhagen between 31 December 2027 and 24 March 2028
The cabin category you choose refers to your cabin on the ship. The price covers the whole package as Hurtigruten describes it, including the land tour in Finland, per person sharing and without flights.
Why This Tour
A Signature voyage up the coast, then Lapland at a gentler pace
The first half is the Arctic Line North, sailed exactly as the voyage only version. The ship leaves Copenhagen in the evening, spends a day at sea, then calls at Bergen and Ålesund before a sailing day along the sheltered inner coastal route. North of the Arctic Circle come Narvik, Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands, an unusual overnight stay at Alta, Honningsvåg for the North Cape and finally Tromsø, where the ship stays overnight. On board everything runs on an all-inclusive basis, with meals and selected drinks covered.
The second half is where the "Savour" part comes in. In Tromsø you meet your tour manager and the rest of the group and set off by private coach for Finland. The route runs past the Lyngen Alps and Lyngenfjord, with short ferry crossings on the way, to Kilpisjärvi in the far north west of Finnish Lapland. From there it works south and east: Levi, Kemi on the Bothnian Bay, and the train to Helsinki.
Who is it for? People who want time rather than a whistle stop. Couples marking a big birthday or a retirement. Travellers who have sailed the Coastal Express before and want something different. And anyone who likes the idea of seeing the aurora from several places rather than one, because the more nights you spend under a dark Arctic sky, the better your chances. If you would rather start in Tromsø and finish in Copenhagen, look at Savour the Northern Lights on the Arctic Line South.
The Ship
MS Trollfjord on the Arctic Line
MS Trollfjord sails every departure of this tour. She was built in 2002 for the coastal route and has since been refitted for Hurtigruten's Signature voyages, which is why the atmosphere on board is closer to a small country hotel than a ferry. There are three restaurants: Røst for fine dining, Flora for buffet and à la carte meals, and Brasserie Árran for lighter dishes and some rustic Norwegian favourites, all built around Hurtigruten's Norway's Coastal Kitchen idea of sourcing from producers along the coast.
The ship has a panoramic lounge, a lecture hall, a panoramic sauna and gym on the top deck, and the 1893 Bar, set on a two storey observation deck with big windows. The Expedition Team give talks about the places ahead and are on deck as the ship sails, and they will let you know when the aurora appears. Their photography sessions are worth attending before you reach the north, because getting a decent picture of the Northern Lights takes a little know how.
Watch
Winter on the Norwegian coast
A short film from Hurtigruten that gives a feel for the coast in winter, the light, the snow and the ships, which is what the first eleven days of this tour are about.
Video from Hurtigruten's official YouTube channel.
Your Journey
Day by day, Copenhagen to Helsinki
Nineteen days in two parts: eleven nights at sea from Copenhagen to Tromsø, then seven nights on land in Finland with your tour manager. Optional excursions during the voyage are listed under each day and are booked and paid for separately. In winter the Captain and the tour manager may need to adjust timings or the order of activities because of the weather, snow on the roads or ice conditions.
Day 1
Copenhagen, sailing at 8pm
Ports today · Copenhagen
The tour starts in the Danish capital, and with the ship not leaving until 8pm there is a good part of the day to enjoy it. Copenhagen is compact and flat, so walking is the easiest way round. Head for Nyhavn, the seventeenth century canal lined with tall painted houses and old wooden sailing boats, where Hans Christian Andersen once lived. Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, is close by, and Rosenborg Castle, built for Christian IV in the early 1600s, keeps the Danish crown jewels.
In the evening MS Trollfjord casts off and heads north into the Kattegat. If you are on the 31 December 2027 departure, you will be sailing out of Copenhagen on New Year's Eve, which is a fine way to see in 2028.
Optional excursions
Carlsberg, Canals & Nyhavn Five hours taking in the Carlsberg brewery district, a look at the city from its canals and time at Nyhavn.
Royal Copenhagen: Christiansborg and Rosenborg Five hours on the royal side of the city, with Christiansborg Palace and Rosenborg Castle.
Introduction to Copenhagen A three hour first look at the Danish capital and its best known sights.
Day 2 · At sea, crossing the North Sea
Ports today · At sea
A full day on open water, and a useful one. The North Sea is shallow by ocean standards, and for centuries it has been the main highway between Scandinavia, Britain and the rest of northern Europe, carrying Viking longships, Hanseatic traders and, today, oil and gas workers. From the ship it is mostly sky and grey green swell, which makes it a good day to settle in.
Find your favourite seat in the panoramic lounge, try the sauna, and meet the Expedition Team, who introduce themselves and the voyage today. Dinner is your first proper taste of the Coastal Kitchen menus.
Day 3
Bergen, gateway to the fjords
Ports today · Bergen
Bergen is the first Norwegian port and one of the most attractive cities in the country. For several hundred years it was a key trading station of the Hanseatic League, the German merchant network that controlled much of the trade in dried fish from the north. Its wharf, Bryggen, is a row of steep gabled wooden buildings along the harbour and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wander into the alleys behind the fronts to see the old timber passages and staircases where the merchants lived and worked.
The fish market is a few minutes away, and the Fløibanen funicular climbs Mount Fløyen for a view over the rooftops, the harbour and the islands. Bergen is known for its rain, so a waterproof is a good idea whatever the forecast says.
Day 4
Ålesund, the Art Nouveau town
Ports today · Ålesund
Ålesund looks unlike anywhere else on the coast, and there is a reason. In January 1904 a fire destroyed most of the town in a single night, leaving thousands homeless. Help arrived from across Europe, not least from Kaiser Wilhelm II, who knew the area well, and the town was rebuilt within a few years in the Art Nouveau style then fashionable. The streets are full of turrets, carved stone and decorative facades, and the Jugendstilsenteret, the Art Nouveau Centre, explains how it all came about.
The town is spread across several islands. For the best view, climb the 418 steps from the town park to the Fjellstua viewpoint on Mount Aksla, where the islands, the canals and, in winter, the snowy Sunnmøre Alps are all laid out in front of you.
Day 5 · Sailing the inner coastal route
Ports today · At sea
Today has no port call, and that suits it. The ship follows the inner coastal route, the protected channel between the mainland and the skerries and islands that shelter it, which has been the main road of the Norwegian coast for as long as people have lived here. Mountains rise straight out of the water, fishing villages cling to the shoreline and, depending on the cold, waterfalls are either tumbling or frozen solid.
The Expedition Team will be out on deck, and it is worth watching for white tailed eagles, which are common on this part of the coast. Around this stage of the voyage the ship also crosses the Arctic Circle, the line beyond which the sun stays below the horizon for at least one day in midwinter.
Day 6 · Narvik
Ports today · Narvik
Narvik sits at the head of the Ofotfjord with mountains on every side, and it exists because of iron. The Ofoten Line railway, opened in 1902, brings ore down from the Swedish mines at Kiruna to a harbour that stays ice free all winter. That made Narvik a prize in 1940, when Norwegian, British, French and Polish forces fought German troops for it in some of the hardest fighting of the early war. The Narvik War Museum tells the story with great care, and it is well worth an hour or two.
For the view, ride the cable car up Narvikfjellet. From the top you look down over the town, the harbour and the fjord to the peaks beyond, and in winter the mountain doubles as a ski slope.
Day 7
Svolvær and the Lofoten Islands
Ports today · Svolvær
Lofoten is the part of the coast that people most often fall for, a chain of granite peaks rising sheer from cold, clear water. Svolvær is its main town, with a busy harbour, galleries and cafes, and above it the Svolværgeita, a rock pinnacle with two horns that climbers famously jump between. Winter is cod season here. The skrei swim down from the Barents Sea to spawn around the islands, and you will see the catch hung on wooden racks to dry into stockfish, as it has been for a thousand years.
Henningsvær, a fishing village spread over small islands joined by bridges, is a short drive away and is one of the most photographed spots in Lofoten. Later the ship leaves Svolvær and threads the Raftsundet, the narrow strait between Lofoten and Vesterålen, with mountains close on both sides.
Day 8 · Arrival in Alta
Ports today · Alta
By evening the ship reaches Alta, at the head of the Altafjord in Finnmark, and stays here overnight and through the next day. Alta sits among pine and birch forest with the tundra not far inland, and it has a drier climate than the outer coast, which means clearer skies more often. That alone makes it a good place to spend a night watching for the aurora.
If you want a night to remember, you can choose to sleep at Alta's Igloo Hotel, which is built afresh every winter from snow and ice, and rejoin the ship afterwards. It is an optional extra and is not included in the tour price.
Day 9
Alta, a whole day in Finnmark
Ports today · Alta
Alta calls itself the City of the Northern Lights. In the middle of town stands the Northern Lights Cathedral, a spiral of shining metal cladding designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects and consecrated in 2013, its shape inspired by the aurora itself.
Alta's other great sight is far older. Around the fjord, more than 6,000 rock carvings made by hunters and fishers between about 4200 BC and 500 BC show reindeer, elk, boats and people. They were discovered in 1973 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and the Alta Museum is built beside them. In winter many are under snow, but the museum tells their story well. With a whole day here you also have time for something active, such as a husky ride through the forest or snowshoeing on the frozen plain.
Day 10 · Honningsvåg and the North Cape
Ports today · Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg is a small fishing town on the island of Magerøya and the gateway to the North Cape. Like most of Finnmark, it was burned by German forces as they withdrew in 1944, and only the church survived; everything else you see was built after the war. The North Cape Museum covers fishing, the war and life at the top of Europe.
The optional excursion to the North Cape crosses Magerøya's bare, snow covered plateau to the cliff top, around 300 metres above the Arctic Ocean, with its globe monument and the North Cape Hall. In winter the road is often driven in convoy behind a snowplough, which is part of the experience.
Optional excursions
The North Cape A three hour trip across Magerøya to the North Cape plateau, with time at the edge of the cliff and in the North Cape Hall.
Day 11
Tromsø, overnight in the Arctic capital
Ports today · Tromsø
The last port of the voyage is Tromsø, the largest town in northern Norway and a cheerful, lively place even in the depths of winter. The centre is full of painted wooden houses, good restaurants and bars, and the Mack brewery has been making beer here since 1877. Across the bridge the Arctic Cathedral, opened in 1965, rises in white triangles that echo the mountains behind it.
Polaria, with its exhibitions on Arctic nature, and the Polar Museum, which tells the story of the trappers and explorers who set out from here, are both worth seeing. The ship stays overnight, so you have the evening free to explore or to look for the aurora from the hills above the town.
Day 12 · Across the Lyngen Alps into Finland
Tromsø to Kilpisjärvi · Overnight in Kilpisjärvi
The cruise ends this morning. After you leave the ship you meet your tour manager and fellow travellers, and the land journey begins by private coach. The road runs east past the Lyngen Alps, weather and road conditions allowing, using local ferries to cross the fjords and then following the Lyngenfjord. The Lyngen Alps are a jagged range on a peninsula between the Lyngenfjord and Ullsfjorden, with about 140 glaciers; the highest summit, Jiehkkevárri, reaches a little over 1,830 metres.
Beyond the mountains you climb towards the Finnish border and arrive in Kilpisjärvi, a small village in the municipality of Enontekiö at the tip of the long north western "arm" of Finland. Above it rises Saana, a flat topped fell 1,029 metres high, and in the distance lies Halti, whose shoulder holds Finland's highest point at 1,324 metres. Tonight there is a welcome dinner at your hotel.
Day 13 · Where Finland, Sweden and Norway meet
Kilpisjärvi · Overnight in Kilpisjärvi
This morning you set off by snowmobile or sleigh across a frozen lake and through snowy birch forest to Koltavuoma and the Three Country Cairn, the point where the borders of Finland, Sweden and Norway meet. The cairn is a concrete cone built in 1926, and it stands in the water of a small lake about ten metres from the shore, so in winter you can walk around three countries in a few seconds. It also marks the northernmost point of Sweden and the westernmost point of mainland Finland.
The guided safari covers around 30 kilometres in about three hours. Thermal clothing, guiding, photographs and a hot drink with a pastry are all included. The afternoon is yours, and after dinner at the hotel your tour manager leads a search for the Northern Lights, weather permitting. Kilpisjärvi is a long way from any city lights, which is exactly what you want.
Day 14 · Levi and your glass igloo
Kilpisjärvi to Levi · Two nights in an Aurora Cabin
A day on the road south, by private coach through the forests of western Lapland to Muonio and on to Levi. Levi, in the municipality of Kittilä, is the largest ski resort in Finland, with its slopes spread over a 531 metre fell. For the next two nights you stay in a private Aurora Cabin, a glass igloo with a view of the sky from your bed. Whether the lights appear is down to nature, and no one can guarantee a sighting, but lying under a glass roof on a clear night in Lapland gives you as good a chance as anywhere.
After dinner in the hotel restaurant you head out on an aurora hunting safari by bus. The guides choose the route according to the conditions on the night, often towards Jerisjärvi or the Ounasjoki river, and stop along the way for photographs.
Day 15 · Riding with huskies
Levi · Overnight in your Aurora Cabin
Today is the one many people look forward to most: a traditional husky sled safari of about five kilometres through the snowy forest around Levi. The sleds take two, and one guest in each pair drives, so you take turns if you like. Huskies are noisy, eager and impatient before the off, then fall completely silent once they are running, and the quiet of the forest is what most people remember.
The rest of the day is free. Reindeer and snowmobile safaris are available as optional extras, weather permitting, or you can simply enjoy the resort and your cabin. Dinner is in the hotel restaurant.
Day 16 · Icebreaker on the Bothnian Bay
Levi to Kemi · Overnight at the Seaside Glass Villas
The coach heads south to Kemi on the Bothnian Bay, perhaps with a short stop in Rovaniemi if time allows. Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland, lies almost on the Arctic Circle; most of its centre was destroyed in the Lapland War of 1944, and its rebuilding followed a plan drawn up by Alvar Aalto's office whose streets branch out like a reindeer's antlers.
The Bothnian Bay is the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea. Its water is barely salty, so it freezes over every winter and the ice can last from around 110 to 190 days a year. That is where the icebreaker comes in. You board the Arktis for a three hour cruise through the pack ice, weather permitting, and have the rare chance to float in the icy sea in a waterproof survival suit (minimum height 120cm). Tonight you sleep at the Seaside Glass Villas at Experience 365, with glass walls and ceilings looking out over the frozen sea, and dinner is served there too.
For the 24 March 2028 departure the icebreaker sailing is still to be confirmed. If it cannot run, Hurtigruten will operate an alternative programme with a price adjustment.
Day 17 · By train to Helsinki
Kemi to Helsinki · Overnight in a five star hotel
A private coach takes you to Kemi station for the southbound train, which leaves mid morning and reaches Helsinki in the late afternoon. Travel is in second class, and lunch can be bought on board. It is a relaxing way to watch the country change: the snowbound forests of Lapland slowly give way to the farms and towns of the south, and you arrive in the capital refreshed rather than worn out by a flight.
A private coach meets you at the station for the short transfer to your five star hotel. In the evening the group gathers for a farewell dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 18 · Discovering Helsinki
Helsinki · Overnight in Helsinki
After breakfast a local guide takes you on a three hour tour of the city. You see City Hall, Market Square on the harbour and Senate Square, laid out by the architect Carl Ludvig Engel with the white, green domed Helsinki Cathedral at its head. The cathedral was finished in 1852 and was known as St Nicholas's Church until Finnish independence in 1917.
The highlight for many is Temppeliaukio Church, the Rock Church, and entry is included. It was cut straight into the granite and completed in 1969 to a design by the brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, with a copper dome that seems to float above the bare rock walls. The acoustics are so good that it is a popular concert venue. If weather and time allow, you also stop at the Sibelius Monument, Eila Hiltunen's 1967 sculpture of more than 600 welded steel pipes. The tour ends back at the hotel around 1pm, leaving the afternoon free for the Design District, the Esplanadi or a sauna.
Day 19 · Farewell to Helsinki
Helsinki
The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel. It is time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers and head home, or to stay on: Helsinki is a lovely city for an extra night or two, and Tallinn is only a short ferry ride across the Gulf of Finland. Ask us if you would like to extend your stay.
Fares
Savour the Northern Lights departures and fares
There are four departures, all on MS Trollfjord. They leave Copenhagen on 31 December 2027, 28 January, 25 February and 24 March 2028, and end in Helsinki on 18 January, 15 February, 14 March and 11 April 2028 respectively. The cabin category refers to your cabin on the ship for the eleven nights from Copenhagen to Tromsø. The price covers the whole package as described on this page, including the land tour in Finland with its hotels, coach and train travel, the included activities and the meals listed. Prices are per person sharing and do not include flights.
Departure date
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
31 December 2027
from £6,452
from £6,922
from £8,001
from £13,680
Departure date
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
28 January 2028
from £6,886
from £7,435
from £8,700
Call
25 February 2028
from £6,982
from £7,544
from £8,838
Call
24 March 2028
from £5,922
from £6,484
from £7,778
from £10,140
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. Single supplements are available on request. Call 0333 405 0194 for the current price on your preferred date.
Your Package
What is included
The package has two parts: the all-inclusive Signature voyage from Copenhagen to Tromsø, and the guided land tour through Finnish Lapland to Helsinki.
What's included
On board the Arctic Line, Days 1 to 12
Eleven nights in your chosen cabin Copenhagen to Tromsø on MS Trollfjord, including the overnight stays at Alta and Tromsø
Included
All-inclusive meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner made with Norwegian ingredients
Included
Unlimited selected drinks Selected beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks during opening hours
Included
Expedition Team programme Talks, on-deck guiding and photography sessions
Included
The land tour, Days 12 to 19
English-speaking tour manager Meets the group in Tromsø for the land journey
Included
Coach and train travel First class private coach from Tromsø to Kemi, second class train from Kemi to Helsinki, and transfers
Included
Two nights in Kilpisjärvi Hotel, with a welcome dinner and dinner on the second night
Included
Three Country Cairn safari About three hours by snowmobile or sleigh, with thermal clothing, guiding, photos and a hot drink with pastry
Included
Two nights in a glass Aurora Cabin at Levi With dinner in the hotel restaurant both evenings
Included
Aurora hunting safari by bus Day 14, weather permitting
Included
Husky sled safari About five kilometres, two guests per sled
Included
One night at the Seaside Glass Villas, Kemi With dinner
Included
Arktis icebreaker cruise About three hours, with the chance to float in a survival suit, weather permitting
Included
Two nights in a five star hotel in Helsinki With breakfast and a farewell dinner
Included
Helsinki city tour Three hours with a local guide, including entry to the Rock Church
Included
Expedition Suite guests receive extra benefits on board, such as fine dining at Røst and a premium drinks selection; see the Arctic Line North page for the full comparison. Not included: flights, the optional shore excursions during the voyage, the optional Igloo Hotel night in Alta, optional reindeer and snowmobile safaris at Levi, lunch on the train and any meals on land not listed above, travel insurance and personal expenses. You can arrange travel insurance online here.
Flights & Extra Nights
Getting to Copenhagen and home from Helsinki
The fares on this page are for the package without flights. Hurtigruten's page for this tour does not list flight-inclusive options from the UK, so you will need a flight out to Copenhagen and a flight home from Helsinki. Both cities have frequent direct flights to London and Manchester. Call us and we will check whether Hurtigruten can add flights to your booking for your chosen date.
Because the ship does not leave Copenhagen until 8pm, you can fly out on the morning of departure, but a night in the city beforehand takes the pressure off and gives you time to enjoy it. An extra night or two in Helsinki at the end is just as easy to arrange.
Package
Starts / Ends
Included in price
Price
Savour the Northern Lights Tour only
Copenhagen / Helsinki
Everything listed under What is included
See fares
Flights and extra nights
UK / UK
Ask us about flights to Copenhagen and from Helsinki, and hotel nights before or after the tour
Call
Prices for flights and extra nights depend on the date and availability. Call 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is this a guided tour?
Partly. During the voyage from Copenhagen to Tromsø you are looked after by the ship's crew and Expedition Team. From Tromsø onwards an English-speaking tour manager travels with the group through Finnish Lapland, and the safaris, icebreaker cruise and Helsinki city tour are all guided.
Are flights included?
No. The fares cover the package from Copenhagen to Helsinki without flights. Hurtigruten's page for this tour does not list UK flight options, but we can check for your date and help with getting to Copenhagen and home from Helsinki.
What does the cabin category in the fare table mean?
It is your cabin on MS Trollfjord for the eleven nights from Copenhagen to Tromsø. The hotels and activities on the land tour are the same whichever cabin you choose, and the price covers the whole package.
Which meals are included?
On the ship, breakfast, lunch and dinner are included every day, with selected drinks during opening hours. On land, dinner is included every evening from Day 12 to Day 17, including a welcome and a farewell dinner, and breakfast is included in Helsinki. Lunch on the train to Helsinki is not included.
Does the Northern Lights Promise apply to this tour?
Hurtigruten's page for this package does not say that the Northern Lights Promise applies, so we would not book it counting on that. The aurora is a natural phenomenon and sightings cannot be guaranteed, although nights at sea, in Kilpisjärvi, Levi and Kemi give you many chances.
What is an Aurora Cabin?
It is a private glass igloo at Levi, with a glass roof so that you can watch the sky from your bed. You spend two nights in one. If the Northern Lights appear on a clear night, you can see them without leaving the warmth of the cabin.
Do I need to drive the husky sled or the snowmobile?
On the husky safari each sled carries two people and one guest drives, so one of you needs to be willing to stand on the runners. The Three Country Cairn safari is by snowmobile or sleigh, so if you would rather not drive, ask us about travelling by sleigh.
Can anyone float in the sea during the icebreaker cruise?
Sea floating is done in a waterproof survival suit, and the minimum height is 120cm. It is offered during the three hour Arktis icebreaker cruise, weather permitting. You can simply watch from the ship if you prefer.
What happens if the icebreaker cannot sail?
For the 24 March 2028 departure the icebreaker schedule is still to be confirmed. If the sailing is not possible, Hurtigruten will run an alternative programme with a price adjustment. On the other departures the cruise runs weather permitting.
How cold will it be in Lapland?
Very cold at times. Inland Lapland in midwinter often sits well below freezing, and it can feel colder on a moving sled or snowmobile. Thermal clothing is provided for the Three Country Cairn safari, but bring warm base layers, a good hat, mittens, thick socks and boots with a good grip.
Can I stay at the Igloo Hotel in Alta?
Yes, as an option. During the ship's overnight stay in Alta you can choose to sleep at the Igloo Hotel, which is built from snow and ice every winter, and rejoin the ship afterwards. It is not included in the tour price.
