Witness the extraordinary phenomena of the ‘Midnight Sun’ from the top of Mount Floya in Tromso, Norway’s ‘Paris of the North’. Enjoy the effervescent atmosphere of the world’s most northerly university town, sample the freshest fish dishes in myriad local restaurants and experience numerous excursions options to make your trip one to remember.
The Bergensbanen is one of the great rail journeys of the world: the highest line in Europe it climbs up to 4000 feet across the barren, snow flecked Hardangervidda mountain plateau before descending through lush valleys to the coast. You can enjoy it in a single day; stop off in the mountains or take the Flåm mountain spur down to the Sognefjord.
Enjoy the Gaudi like swirls, medieval ornamentation, story book spires and mannered chic of the Art Nouveau style in which Ålesund was built. Perfect for a town and country break: you can wander the streets of this fairy tale city, dine on fish that’s been landed on the quayside that day and cram masses of dazzling experiences into a day guided out to and through the Geirangerfjord.
The Bergensbanen is one of the great rail journeys of the world: the highest line in Europe it climbs up to 4000 feet across the barren, snow flecked Hardangervidda mountain plateau before descending through lush valleys to the coast. You can enjoy it in a single day; stop off in the mountains or take the Flåm mountain spur down to the Sognefjord.
Take a zodiac cruise to the Bird Mountain; hike up over a glacier; cruise down the fjord to Barentsburg; kayak on Adventurefjorden or trek over to Kap Linne from Longyearbyen, the jumping off point for some of the 19th c Arctic explorers. The settlement’s 3 pubs, 1 shop and cinema that opens only on Sunday all add to the frontier feel in this remote Arctic region.
Drive and discover the Norwegian Sea’s unique archipelagos: Lofoten and Vesterålen with their spectacular glacial rock formations dominating the seascape. Here clustered fishing hamlets picked out in burgundy and white along the coastline have attracted artists down the centuries. Your tour takes you to Sortland on Vesterålen and down to Svolvær on Lofoten. Overnight accommodation is in a mix of hotel and converted Rorbuer with opportunities for both whale and bird watching along the way.
Explore Oslo, the Viking capital, before driving up along Norway’s mountain spine to Dombås on the edge of Dovrefjell , a habitat for protected flora and fauna that some botanists believe to have survived from the Ice Age; continue on to Ålesund, one of Europe’s finest examples of art nouveau architecture before driving South alongside lakes and across fjords, staying overnight at some of Norway’s finest fjord hotels, before ending up in the Hanseatic port of Bergen with its indelible maritime atmosphere, clapboard houses and fish market.
Join one of our exclusive flights high up above the Arctic Circle to Northern Norway’s Lofoten/Vesteralen archipelago for a unique adventure spotting Whales under the Midnight Sun, sailing out to the country’s most populous puffin cliffs, hiking on mountain tops under the shadow of passing puffs of cumulus and walking on white ribbon beaches fringing the cobalt blue ocean. And spend each and every night under the glow of the Midnight Sun.
Some of Norway’s spectacular scenery reveals itself on this tour: the dramatic Geirangerfjord with its overhanging waterfalls, the emerald green waters of Lake Loen, the unparalleled Kjendal Glacier and the Sognefjord. Overnight hospitality is at two of Norway’s most famous fjord hotels, renowned for their night time buffets and family atmosphere.
Discover the contrasts between Norway’s three great fjords: the fertile Hardangerfjord, majestic Sognefjord and the vertiginous sided Geiranger. En route take in vast mountain plateaus; the Fjærland glacier; Lake Jølster, waterfalls and a kaleidoscopic mix of fjord Norway’s most dramatic sights. Round off your trip with a day in Alesund with its Art Nouveau old town complete with turrets, gargoyles, spires and medieval ornamentation.
Drive up to Stalheim peak for one of Norway’s great panoramic views; down to the inner reaches of the Nærøyfjord and then cross the Sognefjord for a couple of nights at the Walaker Hotel. Continue on and up to Dalsnibba via its serpentine road before plunging down to the head of the Geiranger Fjord and continuing on to the turquoise green waters of Lake Loen. Cap off this itinerary of dramatic mountain-scapes, fjords and tranquil lakes with a drive over the mountains and a final night at the Kviknes Hotel.
Somewhat incongruously meaning ‘fast route’ Hurtigrutten is a fleet of 11 packet ships operating a 12 day, 34 ports of call round trip service along the Norwegian coast from Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the North at the junction of the border with Russia. Along the way you have unrivalled views of the country’s most spectacular geological attractions and a real dose of Norwegian life: many of the ports visited are little more than coastal hamlets where Hurtigruten is freight service, postman and waterborne taxi.
Follow in Amundsen’s footsteps to these islands of extraordinary beauty with their glacial landscapes, migratory bird life and remote settlements. Here, where the sun never sets in summer, you lose touch with time, whilst slowly savouring a mountainous beauty unmatched anywhere in the world.
