The northbound half of the classic voyage, from the green south to the Arctic far north, calling at all 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes. Ideal if you cannot spare the days for the full round voyage.
The 7 day Coastal Express North is very popular among travellers who cannot spare the time for the full Coastal Express Round Voyage but still wish to watch the gradual transition from the populated, lush southern coast to the sparse, wild landscapes north of the Arctic Circle. Joining the ship in Bergen, you sail north for seven days and six nights, calling at 34 ports and reaching Kirkenes near the Russian border.
Every day brings a new highlight, from the Art Nouveau town of Ålesund and medieval Trondheim to the UNESCO listed Geirangerfjord in summer and the top of Europe at the North Cape. On reaching Kirkenes you can extend your trip in northern Norway before flying home from Kirkenes via Oslo. If you would prefer to sail the other way, see the Coastal Express South.
Your Voyage
Day by day, Bergen to Kirkenes
Day 1
Bergen, Gateway to the Fjords
Ports visited today · Bergen
Your voyage begins in Bergen, the historic capital of the fjords and once a leading harbour of the Hanseatic League. There is time before boarding to wander the crooked wooden lanes of the Bryggen wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to haggle over supper at the open air fish market, or to ride the Fløibanen funicular to a hilltop panorama of the seven mountains that ring the city. As dusk falls the ship slips her moorings and heads out through the Hjeltefjord, the same waters the Norse once followed west to Shetland.
Weaving between islets and skerries, the ship reaches Ålesund by mid morning. Almost entirely rebuilt after a fire swept through it in 1904, the town is a rare showcase of Art Nouveau, its turrets and flourishes best surveyed from the top of Mount Aksla, a climb of 418 steps or a short drive. In summer the ship then turns inland for the highlight of the day, the UNESCO listed Geirangerfjord, hemmed by cliffs and laced with waterfalls such as the Seven Sisters; in spring and autumn the quieter Hjørundfjord takes its place.
Norway's third city and its first capital, Trondheim, gives you a generous few hours ashore. At its heart stands Nidaros Cathedral, the largest medieval building in Scandinavia and for centuries the destination of pilgrims who walked north to the shrine of St Olav; the Crown Jewels are kept next door in the Archbishop's Palace. Along the River Nid, rows of timber merchants' warehouses lean over the water on their stilts, and the red Old Town Bridge frames the classic view of the quarter.
Leaving the city, the ship turns northwest into a maze of low islands and skerries, passing the slender Kjeungskjær lighthouse before threading the Stokksund narrows to reach the fishing town of Rørvik in the evening.
Somewhere between Nesna and Ørnes this morning the ship crosses the Arctic Circle, marked by the steel globe on the islet of Vikingen, and newcomers to these latitudes may be initiated with a ladle of ice water at the neck. By evening the jagged silhouette of the Lofoten Wall fills the horizon and the ship berths at Svolvær. Few landscapes in Norway are as photographed as these islands, where scarlet rorbuer cabins cluster beneath sheer granite peaks and cod hang drying on wooden frames in the salt air.
Overnight the ship slips through the slender Raftsund between Lofoten and Vesterålen, then calls at Harstad before continuing to Tromsø, where you have a longer stop. This was the launch point for many of the great polar expeditions, Amundsen among them, and the town wears its Arctic pedigree with pride. The glass and concrete Arctic Cathedral catches the light on the far bank of the sound, while back across the bridge the bars and coffee houses of the world's northernmost university town keep late hours, especially under the midnight sun.
After an early call at Hammerfest, one of the northernmost towns on earth, the ship sails through Magerøysund to Honningsvåg, the jumping off point for the North Cape. The great cliff rises some 300 metres straight from the Barents Sea, and to stand on the plateau, roughly 2,000 kilometres from the Pole, is to feel you have reached the very edge of the continent. The surrounding cliffs are alive with seabirds, and the Gjesværstappan reserve alone shelters a quarter of a million of them through the summer.
Sailing on through the afternoon, the coast grows starker and emptier. As the ship approaches Kjøllefjord in the evening, watch for Finnkjerka, a cathedral shaped sea cliff long held sacred by the Sámi.
The final morning carries you across the top of Finnmark to Kirkenes, the turning point of the coastal route. You are further east here than Istanbul, a stone's throw from the Russian frontier, and the bilingual road signs are a reminder of how far the ship has brought you. Warmed by the last of the Gulf Stream, this corner of the Arctic stays largely ice free even in deep winter.
Here you step ashore for the last time and transfer to the airport for your flight home by way of Oslo, unless you have chosen to linger. Kirkenes in winter is a base for husky sledging, snowmobiling, king crab safaris and a night in the celebrated Snowhotel; our Kirkenes hotels page has the details.
All prices are in pounds per person, based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin cabin, voyage only. The ship departure date determines the price. The price you pay depends on when you book; early bookers get the from price shown, and as cabins fill the price rises, so booking early is strongly advised. See fare options for what each fare includes.
Departure month
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
July 2026
from £2,755
from £3,096
from £3,685
from £5,637
August 2026
from £2,604
from £2,737
from £3,513
from £5,230
September 2026
from £2,161
from £2,582
from £2,659
from £3,312
October 2026
from £1,804
from £2,021
from £2,724
from £4,301
November 2026
from £1,686
from £1,575
from £2,132
from £3,944
December 2026
from £1,406
from £1,659
from £2,123
from £3,068
Departure month
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
January 2027
from £1,642
from £1,839
from £2,414
from £3,936
February 2027
from £1,850
from £2,072
from £2,720
from £4,381
March 2027
from £1,850
from £2,161
from £2,913
from £4,321
April 2027
from £1,592
from £1,783
from £2,357
from £4,022
May 2027
from £1,970
from £2,207
from £2,480
from £4,630
June 2027
from £2,254
from £2,573
from £3,241
from £5,146
July 2027
from £2,144
from £2,401
from £3,173
from £5,146
August 2027
from £2,035
from £2,231
from £2,948
from £4,994
September 2027
from £1,972
from £2,134
from £2,761
from £4,472
October 2027
from £1,673
from £1,834
from £2,424
from £4,326
November 2027
from £1,258
from £1,409
from £1,836
from £3,021
December 2027
from £1,258
from £1,409
from £1,836
from £3,021
Departure month
Polar Inside
Polar Outside
Arctic Superior
Expedition Suites
January 2028
from £1,549
from £1,735
from £2,293
from £3,719
February 2028
from £1,739
from £1,948
from £2,574
from £4,174
March 2028
from £1,802
from £2,019
from £2,668
from £4,326
Not all cabin categories are available on all ships or departures. Single supplements are available on request. Prices shown are the lowest available in each cabin category.
Getting There
Flights and packages
Booking a complete package gives you everything organised from start to finish, with the protection of Hurtigruten's ATOL licence. Flights can be arranged from a wide choice of UK airports, with connections and airlines varying by route. If you prefer to book your own flights, transfers can still be arranged on certain routes, along with pre and post tours, excursions and hotels.
Package
Arrival in Norway
Departure from Norway
Price
Classic Voyage North
Flight UK to Bergen, transfer to ship
Transfer ship to airport, flight Kirkenes to UK
Call
North with Bergen extension
Flight to Bergen, transfer to hotel, one night B&B in Bergen, transfer to ship
Transfer ship to airport, flight Kirkenes to UK
Call
North with Kirkenes extension
Flight UK to Bergen, transfer to ship
Transfer to hotel, one night B&B in Kirkenes, transfer to airport, flight to UK
Call
Prices are per person based on two sharing. Extra nights in Bergen can be booked, prices on request. Call 0333 405 0194 for a tailored quote.
Your voyage price includes the voyage in your chosen cabin category on a full board basis, and an English speaking tour leader on board. Not included: flights and transfers, travel insurance, optional excursions, luggage handling and fuel surcharges. You can arrange travel insurance online here.
