8 Days · 7 Nights · Tromsø to Honningsvåg to Tromsø
A week inside the Arctic, start to finish
- Duration8 days, 7 nights
- RouteTromsø round trip
- ShipMS Trollfjord
- SeasonJanuary to April 2028
- From£2,161 pp
Most Hurtigruten voyages spend a good part of their time getting to the Arctic. This one starts there. The Arctic Circle Explorer is a new circular voyage from Tromsø that stays in the far north the whole time, looping through the fjords and islands of Troms, Ofoten, Lofoten and Vesterålen before heading up into Finnmark for Alta and the North Cape, then back to Tromsø. Every port of call is well north of the Arctic Circle, and every night is spent in the part of Norway where the winter sky is at its most active.
It belongs to Hurtigruten's Limited Collection, a small group of Signature sailings offered only at certain times and built around a particular season or region, with carefully planned routes and longer stops. Here the theme is the Arctic winter itself: snow covered peaks, fjords in low winter light, husky trails and, with luck, the Northern Lights. The pace is unhurried, with a night alongside in Alta, and the ship is MS Trollfjord, running all-inclusive.
£2,161per person, from
Four departures: 11 January, 8 February, 7 March and 4 April 2028
Who It Suits
Why choose the Arctic Circle Explorer
This is the voyage we suggest to people who already know that the Arctic in winter is what they want, and who would rather not spend days sailing up from the south to reach it. It is also a natural fit if you have been to Tromsø before and want to see more of the north, or if you like the idea of starting and finishing in the same city, with simple return flights from the UK.
Compared with the North Cape Line South, which also visits Alta and the North Cape, this voyage goes nowhere near the fjords and cities of the south and west. Instead it adds Lofoten, the Raftsundet strait, Harstad and a second day in Alta, so you get more of the north and none of the long run home. If you would like the aurora in a wider journey that includes Bergen and Oslo, look at the full North Cape Line instead.
The Ship
MS Trollfjord in the Arctic winter
MS Trollfjord was built in Norway in 2002 and refitted in 2023 for Hurtigruten's Signature voyages. She has 270 cabins, 21 of them suites, and a calm, uncluttered style that suits a week of snow and dark skies. The two storey panoramic lounge and observation deck are where most people gather when the ship is sailing through the islands, with the 1893 Bar at hand and a pianist playing in the evenings. The sauna and fitness room on the top deck have floor to ceiling windows, so you can sit in the warmth and watch the mountains pass.
Dinner is at Flora, with its buffets and à la carte menu, or Árran for traditional Norwegian dishes. Røst, the fine dining restaurant, is included for suite guests. The Expedition Team give talks and on deck guiding each day, and run a photography programme that covers how to capture the aurora. Hurtigruten's video tour gives you a feel for the ship:
Your Voyage
Day by day, Tromsø to the North Cape and back
Seven nights and eight days, entirely north of the Arctic Circle. Hurtigruten is still finalising the excursion programme for this new voyage and has said more options will be added, so we list what is published so far. Excursions are not included in the fare and can be booked with us or on board.
Day 1
Tromsø, gateway to the Arctic
Ports today · Tromsø
Tromsø is the natural starting point for a voyage like this. Colourful wooden houses line the harbour below snow covered mountains, and the city has a long history as the place where Arctic expeditions and hunting voyages set out. Roald Amundsen flew from here in June 1928 on his last flight, searching for the lost crew of the airship Italia, and never returned. Before you board, take the cable car to Storsteinen, about 420 metres above the city, cross the bridge to the Arctic Cathedral, or spend an hour in the Polar Museum.
On a January departure you arrive near the end of the polar night, the weeks from late November to mid January when the sun does not rise over Tromsø at all. You meet the Expedition Team on board, and the ship sails in the evening into a landscape of fjords and white mountains.
Day 2 · Narvik and the Ofotfjord
Ports today · Narvik
Narvik stands on the Ofotfjord with mountains on every side, and it has been a port of real importance since the Ofoten Line arrived in 1902. The railway climbs 43 kilometres to the Swedish border and still brings down iron ore from Kiruna to be shipped from a harbour that stays clear of ice through the winter. In April 1940 the town became one of the first battlegrounds of the war in Norway, with two naval battles in the fjord and a land campaign that went on until June. The Narvik War Museum tells that history clearly, and the cable car up Mount Narvikfjellet gives you the sweep of the Ofotfjord and its peaks.
Day 3
Svolvær, Raftsundet and Stokmarknes
Ports today · Svolvær, Stokmarknes
In Svolvær you have time to wander the quays and the art galleries of Lofoten's main town, with the mountains rising straight behind the rooftops. Lofoten has lived from the sea for as long as people have been here, and the winter cod fishery is still the heart of it. In the early months of the year the skrei arrive from the Barents Sea to spawn, and the wooden racks where the fish are hung to dry start to fill.
The ship then sails through Raftsundet, the 25 kilometre strait that separates Austvågøya in Lofoten from Hinnøya in Vesterålen. It is one of the most beautiful passages on the coast, narrow and steep sided, and a side branch leads off it into the famous Trollfjord. Beyond it lies Stokmarknes, where the Hurtigruten coastal route was born in 1893. The Hurtigruten Museum stands by the quay with the 1956 coastal ship MS Finnmarken preserved on land beside it.
Optional excursions
- Music and stories at Hadsel Church (2 hours 30 minutes) From Stokmarknes to the red octagonal wooden church at Hadsel, completed in 1824, for local music and storytelling.
Day 4
Harstad and medieval Trondenes
Ports today · Harstad
Harstad is a working town on Hinnøya, the largest island on the Norwegian coast, and a good place to see everyday life in the north rather than a show put on for visitors. Its great treasure stands just outside the centre on the Trondenes peninsula. Trondenes Church was completed shortly after 1434, according to the dating of its timbers, and it is the northernmost surviving medieval building in the world. Inside are three Gothic altarpieces, traces of medieval wall painting in the choir and a baroque pulpit with an hourglass to keep the sermons in check. In 1814 it served as one of the churches where Norwegians voted in their first national elections.
The Trondenes Historical Centre nearby covers the long story of this site, which was already important in the Viking age. Otherwise you can browse the harbour and the local shops, or walk up into the hills for a view over the fjords and islands.
Day 5 · Past the Lyngen Alps to Alta
Ports today · At sea, arriving in Alta in the evening
Today's sailing takes you past the Lyngen Alps, the jagged range that runs north to south along the western shore of the Lyngenfjord, east of Tromsø. Their highest summit, Jiehkkevárri, reaches about 1,834 metres, and some 140 glaciers cling to the peninsula, which is why the range is so popular with ski mountaineers in spring. Keep watching the skies for white tailed eagles as you go.
You reach Alta in the evening and the ship stays alongside overnight. You can sleep on board as usual, go ashore for dinner or a drink and come back when you like, or spend the night at the Igloo Hotel, a hotel built entirely from snow and ice. Ask us about the Igloo Hotel option when you book, as it is arranged separately.
Day 6
A full day in Alta
Ports today · Alta
Alta is the gateway to Finnmark, a land of tundra, rivers and Sámi culture, and a full day here gives you time to get out into it. Hurtigruten names husky sledding, snowmobiling and whale watching as the options for the day. If you would rather stay in town, the Northern Lights Cathedral, consecrated in 2013, is a striking spiral of titanium cladding, and the Alta Museum looks after the rock carvings that put the town on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. More than 6,000 figures have been found around Alta, made over thousands of years from about 4200 BC to 500 BC, showing reindeer, boats and hunting scenes. A walk along the Alta River is a good, quiet alternative.
Alta is also important in the history of the aurora. In 1899 Kristian Birkeland built an observatory on the mountain of Haldde above the fjord, often called the first aurora observatory in the world, and much early research into the Northern Lights was carried out there.
Optional excursions
- Husky sledding Out on the snow behind a team of dogs.
- Snowmobiling A guided ride into the winter landscape around Alta.
- Whale watching A trip in search of the whales that visit these northern waters in winter.
Hurtigruten has named these activities but has not yet published durations or prices. We will confirm the details when the programme is released.
Day 7
Honningsvåg, at the edge of the world
Ports today · Honningsvåg
From Honningsvåg the road crosses the tundra of Magerøya to the North Cape, where the cliff drops about 300 metres into the Arctic Ocean. Its English name was given in 1553 by Stephen Borough, captain of the Edward Bonaventure, as he sailed past looking for the Northeast Passage. At 71 degrees north it is not even the northernmost point of its own island, as the nearby headland of Knivskjellodden reaches slightly further, but it is the one with the drama. In winter the plateau is bare snow and rock under an enormous sky.
Back in Honningsvåg, you can visit the North Cape Museum, and the harbour has small cafes for a warming coffee. The town was burned to the ground in the German retreat of 1944, and only its church survived.
Day 8 · Back to Tromsø
Ports today · Tromsø
The ship sails back into Tromsø in the morning, closing the loop. If your flight is later in the day, you could spend an hour at Polaria, the Arctic aquarium, stroll along the harbour or have a last coffee in one of the city's many cafes. Many guests add a night or two here to try dog sledding or a land based aurora trip before flying home.
Northern Lights
Your chances of seeing the aurora
Of all the shorter winter voyages, this is the one that spends the most time in the right place. Every one of its seven nights is spent north of the Arctic Circle, between about 68 and 71 degrees north, the band where the aurora is seen most often. Hurtigruten is clear that sightings cannot be guaranteed, but the captain will look for the best places to view them, and the Expedition Team will let you know when activity picks up. The night in Alta, a town known for its dry, clear winter weather, gives you another chance from the shore.
Two things are out of anyone's hands: cloud and solar activity. NASA and NOAA announced in October 2024 that the Sun had reached the maximum of its current cycle, and activity tends to decline gradually afterwards rather than all at once. On the calendar, the February and March sailings balance dark nights with enough daylight to enjoy the scenery. The January departure begins in the last days of Tromsø's polar night. By the April sailing the evenings are much lighter, so the chance of a display is lower.
The Northern Lights Promise only covers Hurtigruten voyages of 11 days or more, so it does not apply to this eight day voyage. The 15 day North Cape Line round voyage and the Christmas Voyage do qualify.
Departures & Fares
Arctic Circle Explorer fares 2028
There are four departures in 2028, one a month from January to April, all aboard MS Trollfjord. Prices are per person, two sharing, for the voyage only, and include all meals, the selected drinks package and the other inclusions listed below. Polar Inside cabins have no window, Polar Outside cabins have a sea view, Arctic Superior cabins are a step up in size and comfort, and Expedition Suites are the most spacious, with fine dining, cocktails and extra services included. See our cabin guide.
| Departure date | Polar Inside | Polar Outside | Arctic Superior | Expedition Suites |
|---|
| 11 January 2028 | from £2,161 | from £2,720 | from £3,385 | from £5,743 |
| 8 February 2028 | from £2,347 | from £2,717 | from £3,906 | from £5,790 |
| 7 March 2028 | from £2,316 | from £2,735 | from £3,755 | from £5,985 |
| 4 April 2028 | from £2,347 | from £2,699 | from £3,755 | from £5,477 |
Fares are per person in pounds sterling, based on two people sharing, and were checked with Hurtigruten on 20 October 2026. They are subject to availability and may change at any time before booking. Where a fare shows Call, that category was not available when we checked. Single supplements on request. For the latest price on your date, call 0333 405 0194.
All-Inclusive
What is included
The Arctic Circle Explorer is an all-inclusive Signature voyage. The table shows what comes with every cabin and what is added for suite guests.
| What's included | Cabin Polar Inside, Polar Outside and Arctic Superior | Suite Expedition Suites |
|---|
| Food and drink |
| All-inclusive meals Breakfast, lunch and dinner made from Norwegian ingredients | Included | Included |
| Unlimited selected drinks Selected beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks during opening hours | Included | Included |
| On deck food tastings Live Norwegian food demonstrations and tastings | Included | Included |
| Fine dining at Røst Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at the award winning fine dining restaurant | Not included | Included |
| Unlimited selected drinks and cocktails A premium drinks selection, including cocktails | Not included | Included |
| Afternoon tea Tea, cakes and sparkling wine in the afternoon, on occasion | Not included | Included |
| Your cabin |
| Cabin or suite selection Choose the location and grade of your cabin or suite | Included | Included |
| Comfortable cabin Every cabin has its own bathroom | Included | Included |
| Daily turndown service | Not included | Included |
| Life on board |
| Expedition Team Daily talks, on deck guiding and evening gatherings | Included | Included |
| Photography programme Hurtigruten's Canon certified photo programme, including the Northern Lights | Included | Included |
| Fitness room and sauna Panoramic, on the top deck | Included | Included |
| Onboard pianist Music each evening in the 1893 Bar | Included | Included |
Not included: optional shore excursions, the Igloo Hotel option in Alta, flights, hotels, transfers and travel insurance. You can arrange travel insurance online here.
Flights & Packages
Return flights to Tromsø
Because the voyage begins and ends in Tromsø, the flights are straightforward: a return ticket from the UK. Hurtigruten offers flight-inclusive packages for this voyage from London or Manchester, and we can quote for any of the four dates. Booking flights and voyage as one package means a single booking, Hurtigruten's support around the clock while you are away, and the financial protection of Hurtigruten's ATOL licence.
Winter weather can delay flights into the Arctic, so we recommend arriving the day before the ship sails. We can book hotel nights in Tromsø before or after the voyage.
| Package | Starts / Ends | Included in price | Price |
|---|
Arctic Circle Explorer
Flight Package | Tromsø / Tromsø | Return flights from London or Manchester to Tromsø, with the voyage as described | Call |
| Extra hotel nights | Tromsø | Hotel nights before or after the voyage, with transfers on request | Call |
Package prices are per person, two sharing. Call 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a Limited Collection voyage?
Hurtigruten's Limited Collection is a small group of Signature sailings offered only at certain times of year, each built around a particular theme, season or region, with carefully planned itineraries and longer stops. The Arctic Circle Explorer is themed around the far north in winter.
How is this different from the North Cape Line?
The North Cape Line links Oslo with the far north and includes the fjords and cities of the south and west. The Arctic Circle Explorer stays in the Arctic the whole time, starting and ending in Tromsø, and adds Harstad, the Raftsundet strait and a night in Alta.
Will I see the Northern Lights?
Nobody can promise it, but this voyage gives you as good a chance as any short sailing. All seven nights are spent north of the Arctic Circle, and the captain will look for the best places to view the aurora. Clear skies are the deciding factor.
Is the Northern Lights Promise included?
No. Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise applies only to voyages of 11 days or more, and this voyage is eight days. The 15 day North Cape Line round voyage and the Christmas Voyage do qualify.
Can I go ashore during the overnight stay in Alta?
Yes. The ship stays alongside in Alta overnight and works as a floating hotel, so you can go ashore for dinner or a drink and come back on board. You can also choose to spend the night at the Igloo Hotel, which is arranged separately.
Which month is best?
February and March give a good balance of long, dark nights for the aurora and enough daylight for the scenery. The January sailing starts at the very end of Tromsø's polar night, so the days are short. In April the evenings are much lighter and the chance of seeing the Northern Lights is lower.
What is included in the fare?
Your cabin, breakfast, lunch and dinner, unlimited selected beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks during opening hours, on deck food tastings, the Expedition Team programme, the photography programme, the pianist in the 1893 Bar and use of the sauna and fitness room. Suite guests also have fine dining at Røst, cocktails, afternoon tea on occasion and a turndown service.
Are shore excursions included?
No. Excursions are extra and can be booked with us or on board. Hurtigruten has named husky sledding, snowmobiling and whale watching in Alta, and music and stories at Hadsel Church near Stokmarknes, and says further options will be added.
What should I pack?
Warm layers, a waterproof outer jacket, a hat, gloves and sturdy footwear. Snow grips that slip over your boots are well worth bringing for icy pavements, even in towns. Pack swimwear for the sauna.
Can I fly from the UK?
Yes. Hurtigruten offers flight-inclusive packages for this voyage from London or Manchester, with return flights to Tromsø. Call us on 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
Which languages are spoken on board?
Norwegian, English and French are the official languages on board, and some crew and Expedition Team members also speak German. Most excursions are guided in two or three languages.
