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Winter In Norway
Welcome to the magical coast of winter Norway, land of the enchanted polar night and the mystical Northern Lights.
The Northern Lights
Since humankind first experienced the Aurora Borealis, we have been spellbound by its extraordinary beauty, shimmering against the inky backdrop of a starry night sky. These celestial displays of green, yellow and red, dancing like a sheet blowing in the wind, have inspired artists and poets and aroused myths and legends for as long as people have looked up at them.
An aurora is an electrostatic phenomenon, caused by the collision of charged particles in the magnetosphere with atoms in the Earth's upper atmosphere, and is usually seen in the night sky of the polar zones. In the northern latitudes it is known as the aurora borealis, named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and Boreas, the Greek name for the north wind. It often appears as a shifting glow on the northern horizon, as though the sun were rising from an unfamiliar direction, and is visible only from the Northern Hemisphere, where it is better known simply as the Northern Lights.
Choose Your Hurtigruten Adventure
All three of these voyages sail deep into the Northern Lights season, each with something a little different built in, from included charter flights to an onboard astronomer.
Bergen · Kirkenes · Bergen · 12 Days · Flights Included
The full Coastal Express round voyage with charter flights from Manchester, London Stansted or Newcastle included, so the whole trip is arranged from door to ship.
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Bergen · Kirkenes · Bergen · 12 Days · With A Guest Astronomer
The classic round voyage with a guest astronomer on board, giving lectures on the aurora and the night sky, plus an exclusive visit to Tromsø's planetarium.
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Oslo · Honningsvåg · Oslo · 15 Days · All Inclusive, With an Expert Astronomer
The all-inclusive Signature North Cape Line, with an expert astronomer on board throughout for lectures, masterclasses and exclusive excursions.
View Voyage ›More Winter Voyages
These voyages are not built around the Northern Lights in the same way, but every one of them sails through the auroral zone in the dark months, between October and April. The longer sailings, of 11 days or more and departing between 20 September and 31 March, also carry Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise. The shorter ones do not, but they still give you nights in some of the best aurora country in Europe.
Copenhagen · Tromsø · 12 Days · All Inclusive
Hurtigruten's new winter route from Copenhagen to Tromsø aboard MS Trollfjord, with Lofoten, an overnight in Alta and the North Cape. Every departure carries the Northern Lights Promise.
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Tromsø · Copenhagen · 11 Days · All Inclusive
Start in the Arctic, with the North Cape and Alta in the first few days while the skies are darkest, then sail south through Lofoten, Ålesund and Bergen to Copenhagen.
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Tromsø · Honningsvåg · Tromsø · 8 Days
Eight all-inclusive days that never leave the Arctic Circle, from Tromsø to Narvik, Lofoten, Alta and the North Cape. Every night of the voyage is spent under the auroral zone.
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Oslo · Tromsø · 7 Days · All Inclusive
The northbound half of the North Cape Line, seven all-inclusive days from Oslo to Tromsø, with the second half of the week spent north of the Arctic Circle.
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Tromsø · Honningsvåg · Oslo · 9 Days · All Inclusive
Begin in Tromsø and head straight for the North Cape and Alta, the best aurora country on the route, before sailing south to Oslo aboard MS Trollfjord.
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Oslo · Honningsvåg · Copenhagen · 15 Days
One departure only, 17 December 2027: Christmas Eve at the North Cape in the depth of the polar night, Christmas Day in Alta and New Year in Copenhagen.
View Voyage ›Beyond The Aurora
Nature offers some of the greatest opportunities to see wildlife along Norway's shores in winter, alongside an exciting range of activities available both ashore and on board. Opportunities include spotting pods of orca, snuggling up warm in an ice hotel, being led by huskies on an unforgettable dog-sledge safari, snowmobiling across frozen land, or venturing through ice caves in the realm of the polar bear.
Whichever of these voyages you choose, you will also find opportunities to celebrate Christmas, New Year and Valentine's in style along the way, on selected departures throughout the season.
