11 Days · 10 Nights · Tromsø to Copenhagen
From the Arctic capital to Denmark's harbour city
- Duration11 days, 10 nights
- RouteTromsø to Copenhagen
- ShipMS Trollfjord
- SeasonJanuary to April
- From£2,527 pp
Most Norwegian voyages save the Arctic for the second half. This one starts there. You fly into Tromsø, join MS Trollfjord for a night in port, and within a couple of days you are standing on the North Cape and sledding through the forests around Alta. Only then does the ship turn south, working down past the Lofoten Islands and the Helgeland coast to Ålesund and Bergen, before a final crossing of the North Sea brings you into Copenhagen.
The Arctic Line South is part of Hurtigruten's Limited Collection, Signature voyages that run only at certain times of year with their own itineraries and longer stops. It is new for 2028, it is all-inclusive, and it sails just four times. For anyone who likes the idea of ending a winter holiday with a day or two in one of Europe's most enjoyable cities, it is hard to beat.
£2,527per person, from
Northern Lights Promise on the January, February and March departures
Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise covers voyages of 11 days or more departing between 20 September and 31 March. At 11 days this voyage is long enough, so the departures of 18 January, 15 February and 14 March 2028 qualify: if the aurora does not appear within sight of the ship, Hurtigruten will give you a 6 or 7 day voyage free of charge. The 11 April 2028 departure leaves after 31 March and is not covered by the Promise. See the Northern Lights Promise for full conditions.
About the Route
Why sail south from Tromsø
Starting in Tromsø puts the best of the Arctic at the front of your holiday. You are inside the auroral zone from the very first night, and the most northerly part of the voyage, Honningsvåg and Alta, comes in the first five days. If the weather is kind early on, every clear night after that is a bonus. If it is not, there are still several nights in the far north to try again.
The ship stays overnight in Alta, which is unusual for a coastal voyage, and that allows proper time inland for husky sledding, snowshoeing or a trip towards the Finnmark tundra. Further south the route takes in Svolvær and the narrow Raftsundet, a day on the sheltered inner coastal route, Ålesund and Bergen. A day at sea crossing the North Sea gives you time to rest and reflect before arriving in Copenhagen early in the morning.
There is also the pleasure of watching the season change as you go. The January sailing begins in the dim blue light of high winter, while the April departure leaves Tromsø with long days and snow still deep on the mountains, and arrives in Denmark as spring is getting going. If you prefer to sail in the other direction, the Arctic Line North runs from Copenhagen to Tromsø over 12 days.
The Ship
Life aboard MS Trollfjord
Your home for ten nights is MS Trollfjord, refurbished for Hurtigruten's Signature voyages. Meals are served in three restaurants: Flora for buffet and à la carte dining, Brasserie Árran for traditional Norwegian cooking, and Røst, the fine dining restaurant included for guests in Expedition Suites. Dishes are built around Norway's Coastal Kitchen, Hurtigruten's approach to sourcing from farms, fishermen and producers along the coast.
Between meals, there is the panoramic lounge, the two storey Observation Deck, a panoramic sauna, a fitness room and a library, while the 1893 Bar has a pianist playing in the evenings. Selected beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks are included throughout opening hours.
Every day the Expedition Team bring the coast to life with lectures, daily themes and guiding on deck, and they run the winter excursions in Tromsø and Alta. Norwegian, English and French are the official onboard languages, and most excursions are guided in two or three languages.
Your Voyage
Day by day, Tromsø to Copenhagen
Ten nights, eight ports and two full days at sea or in the inner leads. Hurtigruten has published the excursion programme for some days and is adding more for this new route; excursions are not included in the fare and can be booked with us in advance or on board. The Captain may vary the order of calls because of weather.
Day 1 · Tromsø, embarkation
Ports today · Tromsø
Tromsø is a lively city of around 78,000 people on an island in a sound ringed by mountains, and it is the natural gateway to the Norwegian Arctic. You join the ship here and spend the first night in port, which takes the pressure off the travel day. Once you have checked in and found your cabin, there is time for a walk through the centre, past the colourful wooden houses near the harbour, to Tromsø Cathedral, the only Protestant cathedral in Norway built of wood.
The Polar Museum, in an old customs warehouse on the waterfront, is a fine introduction to the Arctic, covering trapping, sealing and the great expeditions that set out from here. For dinner you can eat on board or try one of the town's restaurants, many of which serve Arctic char, reindeer and king crab. With the ship alongside all night, you can head back out later if the sky clears.
Day 2
Tromsø, a morning ashore
Ports today · Tromsø
The morning is yours. Polaria, the aquarium and visitor centre about Arctic wildlife and climate, is a short walk from the harbour, and its bearded seals are a favourite. Or cross the bridge to the mainland side for the views back over the city, and look at the Arctic Cathedral with its tall, white triangular facade. The Fjellheisen cable car runs from nearby up to Storsteinen, 421 metres above sea level, for a panorama over the island, the sound and the mountains.
This is also the moment for winter activities, which you can book with the Expedition Team: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and dog sledding are all on offer around Tromsø. In the afternoon the ship casts off and leaves the snowy peaks around the harbour behind.
Day 3
Honningsvåg, at the edge of the world
Ports today · Honningsvåg
Honningsvåg is the gateway to the North Cape, the great cliff on Magerøya that rises some 300 metres above the Arctic Ocean. It has long been celebrated as the northernmost point of mainland Europe, and although a lower, flatter headland nearby, Knivskjellodden, actually reaches slightly further north, it is the North Cape that people come to see. An optional excursion crosses the island's plateau to the cliff top, where the globe monument and the North Cape Hall wait at the end of the road.
Stay in town and there is the colourful harbour and its wooden houses, the fishing boats and the North Cape Museum to explore. Honningsvåg is also known for king crab, a species introduced to the Barents Sea by Soviet scientists in the 1960s that has since spread west along the Norwegian coast and become a valued catch here.
Day 4 · Alta, gateway to the Arctic wilderness
Ports today · Alta
Alta, the largest town in Finnmark, is known as the City of the Northern Lights. Along the riverbanks and the shore of the fjord lie the Rock Art of Alta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of more than 6,000 carvings showing reindeer, hunting and life on the water. The oldest are thought to date from around 4200 BC, and walking the boardwalks among them at the Alta Museum is a quietly remarkable experience, even with snow on the ground.
The town centre has the spiral-shaped Northern Lights Cathedral, as well as cafes and craft shops, and the frozen Alta River valley is close by. If you fancy a night colder than most, you can opt to stay overnight at the Igloo Hotel, which is rebuilt every year from snow and ice.
Day 5 · Alta, Arctic adventure and northern calm
Ports today · Alta
After the night in Alta, on board or in the Igloo Hotel, today is for getting out into the landscape. The optional choices include a husky sled ride through the pine forest, snowshoeing across frozen ground and a guided trip inland towards the Finnmark tundra, the wide open plateau where Sámi reindeer herders bring their animals to graze in winter. If you would rather take things gently, the Alta Museum and a walk along the river are both easy options.
Alta has a strong place in modern Norwegian history too. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, protests against a hydroelectric dam on the Alta River became a turning point for Sámi rights in Norway. Every March the town also hosts the start and finish of Finnmarksløpet, Europe's longest sled dog race. In the evening the ship sails south from Alta.
Day 6
The Raftsundet and Svolvær
Ports today · Svolvær
Today begins with one of the finest pieces of sailing on the whole coast. The Raftsundet is the narrow strait separating Lofoten from Vesterålen, and the ship passes between steep mountain walls and frozen waterfalls, the view changing at every bend. Find a spot on deck early.
The ship then docks at Svolvær, the lively heart of the Lofoten Islands. The waterfront is lined with galleries, cafes and fish drying racks, and in March 1941 the harbour was the target of Operation Claymore, a British commando raid that destroyed fish oil factories serving the German war effort. If you want to venture further, the fishing village of Henningsvær, spread over a string of small islands joined by bridges, is a short drive away.
Day 7
Sailing day through Norway's heartland
Ports today · At sea
A day with no port calls, spent on Norway's inner coastal route, the sheltered channels that thread between islands and headlands. Hurtigruten names the Helgeland coast among this voyage's highlights, and suggests looking out for Torghatten, the mountain with a hole right through it. Local legend says the hole was made by an arrow shot by the troll Hestmannen at a maiden named Lekamøya, which struck the hat of the king of Sømna, who had thrown it in the way to save her.
Along the way you will see solitary lighthouses, fishing villages, family farms clinging to narrow strips of land, and snow covered peaks on a clear day. Watch for waterfalls, boathouses and seabirds. The Expedition Team usually give a short talk during the day, or you can simply settle into the panoramic lounge with a coffee and let the coast slide by.
Day 8
Ålesund, Art Nouveau by the sea
Ports today · Ålesund
After a devastating fire in 1904, Ålesund was rebuilt in the space of a few years in the Art Nouveau style, and today its centre is one of the best preserved Art Nouveau townscapes in Europe. Spread across several islands with the Sunnmøre Alps in the distance, it is a town for walking: along the canal at Brosundet, through the streets of towers and decorated facades, and into the cafes and boutiques.
The Jugendstilsenteret, the national Art Nouveau Centre, explains how the town rose from the ashes, and the 418 steps up Mount Aksla reward you with a panoramic view over the islands and out to sea. Ålesund grew rich on fish, particularly klippfisk, salted and dried cod exported to southern Europe, and fishing is still at the heart of its economy.
Day 9 · Bergen, goodbye to Norway
Ports today · Bergen
Bergen, surrounded by seven mountains, is the last Norwegian stop. Bryggen Wharf, the row of wooden merchants' houses on the harbour that recalls the city's Hanseatic past, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the obvious place to start. The harbour fish market sells fresh seafood and regional specialities, and the funicular up Mount Fløyen gives views over the city and the islands beyond.
With more time, look in at Bergenhus Fortress and Haakon's Hall, the stone royal hall built in the thirteenth century when Bergen was Norway's capital. Music lovers will know that Edvard Grieg was born here in 1843, and his villa at Troldhaugen lies just south of the city. Later the ship heads out to sea, leaving Norway behind.
Day 10 · Crossing the North Sea
Ports today · At sea
A relaxed day at sea. Take a slow breakfast, catch the Expedition Team's last talk of the voyage, or settle into the sauna and watch the horizon. In the course of the day the ship passes into the Skagerrak and then the Kattegat, the two straits that link the North Sea to the Baltic, and seabirds follow the ship as you go.
It is also the right moment to sort through your photographs, swap stories with the people you have met, and plan your time in Copenhagen.
Day 11
Copenhagen, journey's end
Ports today · Copenhagen
The ship arrives in the early morning, as the spires and copper roofs of Copenhagen appear across the water, and your voyage ends after breakfast. If you have time before your flight, or better still a night or two to spare, the city is waiting. Stroll along Nyhavn's harbour canal and stop for a traditional smørrebrød lunch, look in at Tivoli Gardens, which opened in 1843 and is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, or walk out along the waterfront to the Little Mermaid, which has sat on her rock since 1913.
The Round Tower, built for Christian IV and completed in 1642, has a spiral ramp in place of stairs and a fine view from the top, and the pedestrian streets around Strøget are made for wandering. It is a gentle, civilised end to an Arctic voyage.
Copenhagen pre and post programmes
- Carlsberg, Canals & Nyhavn A five hour programme taking in the Carlsberg brewery district, the city's canals and Nyhavn.
- Royal Copenhagen: Christiansborg and Rosenborg Five hours exploring the royal palace of Christiansborg and Rosenborg Castle.
- Introduction to Copenhagen A three hour introduction to the city and its main sights.
Fares
Arctic Line South fares 2028
Four departures in 2028, all aboard MS Trollfjord. Prices are in pounds per person, based on two sharing, voyage only. The fare shown is the lowest found for each cabin category on that departure, and prices rise as cabins sell, so early booking is the way to secure the best rate.
| Departure date | Polar Inside | Polar Outside | Arctic Superior | Expedition Suites |
|---|
| 18 January 2028 | from £2,527 | from £2,906 | from £4,043 | from £6,317 |
| 15 February 2028 | from £2,879 | from £3,382 | from £4,606 | from £7,197 |
| 14 March 2028 | from £2,961 | from £3,405 | from £4,738 | from £7,561 |
| 11 April 2028 | from £2,671 | from £2,968 | from £4,274 | from £6,317 |
Fares are per person in pounds, based on two sharing, and were checked on 20 October 2026. They are subject to availability and may change at any time before booking. Single supplements are available on request. The Northern Lights Promise applies to the January, February and March departures only. Call 0333 405 0194 to check availability.
All-Inclusive
What is included
This is an all-inclusive Signature voyage. The cabin column covers Polar Inside, Polar Outside and Arctic Superior cabins, and the suite column covers Expedition Suites.
| What's included | Cabin Polar Inside, Polar Outside and Arctic Superior | Suite Expedition Suites |
|---|
| Food and drink on board |
| 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 | Not included | Included |
| Fine dining at Røst | Not included | Included |
| Unlimited selected drinks and cocktails | Not included | Included |
| Afternoon tea | Not included | Included |
| Life on board |
| Expedition Team Daily themes, lectures and on-deck guiding | Included | Included |
| Gym and sauna | Included | Included |
| Onboard pianist | Included | Included |
| Daily turndown service | Not included | Included |
Not included: flights, hotels and transfers unless booked as a package, shore excursions, the Copenhagen pre and post programmes, an overnight at the Igloo Hotel, travel insurance and gratuities. You can arrange travel insurance online here.
Flights & Packages
Flying out to Tromsø and home from Copenhagen
This voyage needs an open jaw flight: out to Tromsø and home from Copenhagen. We can quote flight-inclusive packages from London or Manchester, with transfers to the ship in Tromsø and from the ship to Copenhagen airport. Booking the whole package through Hurtigruten gives you 24 hour assistance while travelling, which is reassuring on a winter journey with Arctic weather to contend with.
Many guests like to add a night in Copenhagen at the end, and some arrive in Tromsø a day early to fit in a Northern Lights trip before the voyage begins. We can book hotels at either end.
| Package | Starts / Ends | Included in price | Price |
|---|
Arctic Line South
Flight Package | Tromsø / Copenhagen | Flight from London or Manchester to Tromsø, transfer to the ship, then transfer from the ship to Copenhagen airport and flight back to the UK | Call |
Arctic Line South
Hotel Extension | Tromsø / Copenhagen | As the flight package, with a hotel night in Tromsø before the voyage or in Copenhagen afterwards | Call |
Package prices are per person in pounds, based on two sharing, and depend on your date and airport. Call 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which departures carry the Northern Lights Promise?
The Promise applies to voyages of 11 days or more departing between 20 September and 31 March. The 18 January, 15 February and 14 March 2028 departures qualify. The 11 April 2028 departure leaves after 31 March, so it is not covered.
Is the April departure still worth it for the aurora?
The Northern Lights can still be seen in the far north in early April when skies are dark and clear, but the nights are getting short quickly and sightings become less likely. The April sailing is lovely for long, bright days on the snow, but if the aurora is your main reason for travelling, choose a January, February or March date.
Why does the voyage finish in Copenhagen?
Copenhagen is a major hub for international travel with good flights back to the UK, and it is a beautiful city to explore before you go home. The North Sea crossing also gives you a relaxed final day at sea.
Can I go ashore during the overnight in Tromsø?
Yes. While the ship is docked overnight in Tromsø at the start of the voyage you can come and go as you like, so you can have dinner in town or head out looking for the aurora.
What can I do during the two days in Alta?
Optional activities include husky sledding through the forest, snowshoeing and a guided trip inland towards the Finnmark tundra. The UNESCO listed rock carvings, the Alta Museum and the Northern Lights Cathedral are all in town, and you can choose to stay overnight at the Igloo Hotel.
Are shore excursions included in the fare?
No. Excursions are an additional cost and can be booked when you book your voyage or with the Expedition Team on board. Hurtigruten is still adding excursions for this new route.
What is a Limited Collection voyage?
Limited Collection voyages are Signature sailings that Hurtigruten offers only at select times of the year, each with its own itinerary and extended stops. The Arctic Line South has just four departures, all in 2028.
What should I pack?
Warm, layered clothing, waterproof outerwear, sturdy footwear, a hat and gloves are essential. Shoe grips for snow and ice are worth bringing for walking in towns and villages, and pack swimwear for the sauna.
Which languages are spoken on board?
Norwegian, English and French are the official languages on board, and most excursions are guided in two or three languages.
Can you book flights from the UK?
Yes. We can quote flight-inclusive packages from London or Manchester, flying out to Tromsø and home from Copenhagen, with transfers included. Call 0333 405 0194 for a quote.
