Norway in HoursAll guides

Cruise ports · Northern lights · Honest guides

Norway,
by the hour.

How long it takes, what's worth paying for, and when to skip the booking and just walk.

30 min

margin before all aboard, built into every port plan

4·6·8 h

a ready-made plan for every length of stop

0

tracking cookies. Just pages that load fast on a ship's wifi

Free

options first. We say when the walk beats the tour

Summer

Cruise ports

Which quay your ship uses, how long it takes to reach town and what fits into your time ashore.

Colourful wooden houses along the harbour in Bergen Western Norway Bergen Wooden wharf, fish market, a funicular up the mountain. And yes, probably rain. Shuttle from some quays A boat on a wide fjord with mountains behind Western Norway Eidfjord A village at the very end of the Hardangerfjord, and Norway's most visited waterfall up the road. Walk from every quay Houses below steep, forested mountains in western Norway Western Norway Flåm A tiny village at the end of a fjord, with one of the steepest railways in the world. Bring your camera. Walk or tender Water winding between steep mountains in western Norway Western Norway Geiranger A tiny village at the end of a famous fjord. Getting ashore is the first thing to plan. Walk or tender View over Haugesund with mountains in the distance Western Norway Haugesund The town where Norway's first king is said to be buried, and his Viking farm is just over the bridge. Walk from every quay The globe monument at the North Cape, against a bright sky over the ocean Northern Norway Honningsvåg A small fishing town, and your way to the North Cape. Book your seat on the bus before you arrive. Walk from every quay People in the town square of Kristiansand Southern Norway Kristiansand Sunny south-coast town with a city beach, white wooden houses and a brand new art museum in an old grain silo. Walk from every quay Houses along the shore of a fjord Western Norway Molde The town of roses and jazz, with a view of 222 mountain peaks from the hill behind it. Walk from every quay A Viking-style longboat with two people aboard on calm water Western Norway Nordfjordeid A Viking ship by the quay, an old wooden street, and the home of the Norwegian fjord horse. Walk from every quay A valley with a lake between steep green mountains Western Norway Olden A blue glacier at the end of a valley, and a cable car straight up the mountain next door. Walk or tender The Oslo Opera House by the fjord Eastern Norway Oslo Your ship parks right in the middle of town. Lucky you. Walk from every quay Still water between steep, wooded mountains Western Norway Skjolden The innermost village on the Sognefjord, below the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe. Walk or tender White wooden houses along a cobblestone street Western Norway Stavanger Dock right in town, walk into the old wooden streets, and take a boat to the Lysefjord if you've got the time. Shuttle from some quays Water surrounded by snow-covered mountains Northern Norway Tromsø The big town of the Arctic. Which quay you get decides how you start your day. Shuttle from some quays An old port crane by the water in Trondheim Central Norway Trondheim A cathedral, an old bridge and a neighbourhood of painted wooden houses, all on foot from the ship. Walk from every quay A wooden jetty on the fjord at Ulvik, with mountains behind Western Norway Ulvik A fruit-farming village on the Hardangerfjord, with cider farms a short walk up the hill. Tender port A town spread across islands and the water around it Western Norway Ålesund A whole town rebuilt in one go after a fire, and 418 steps to the best view of it. Walk from every quay A green valley with high mountains behind Western Norway Åndalsnes A small town in a huge valley, with a gondola from the quay and Trollstigen up the road. Walk from every quay

Winter

Northern lights

When it's dark enough, the darkest weeks this season, and where to stand.

Northern lights over a Sami lavvu tent in the snow Finnmark Alta Smaller than Tromsø, fewer tour buses, and the sky has more than one way out of the clouds. 52 days without sunrise View over Kirkenes and the fjord Finnmark Kirkenes The end of the line. Further east than Istanbul, with king crab under the ice and huskies at the airport. 50 days without sunrise Green northern lights above snowy mountains Northern Norway Lofoten Mountains straight out of the sea, beaches, red fishing cabins. And then the sky joins in. 30 days without sunrise Green and purple northern lights above a snowy mountain Troms Senja Tromsø's wild neighbour. Peaks straight out of the sea, tiny fishing villages, and hardly anyone around. 44 days without sunrise Two people standing under green northern lights near Tromsø Northern Norway Tromsø The lights are up there. Your job is to get under a clear bit of sky. 48 days without sunrise

All year

Guides

The big trips people ask about, and whether they're worth it.

A narrow fjord between steep mountains All of Norway Fjord cruise ports Comparing itineraries? Here's what each port is really like, from someone who lives here. Compare the ports before you book Waterfalls running down a steep fjord wall Western Norway Hellesylt Two stops, one fjord, and a plan that's easy to misread. Here's how the day usually works. Two stops, one fjord A town lit up at night with a mountain behind Tromsø Last day in Tromsø Out of the room by eleven, ship at half past one in the morning. Here's how to fill the gap without dragging a suitcase round town. Bags, the terminal and a long winter day A green train on the Flåm Railway in a steep valley Western Norway Norway in a Nutshell Train, mountain railway, fjord boat, bus, train. Is the famous package worth it, or can you do it yourself? The package or do it yourself

Photos from Unsplash by Agent J, Joshua Kettle, Michael Fousert, Sven, Rob Barber, Klaus Schneider, Gunnar Ridderström, Barnabas Davoti, Steinar Engeland, Richard Hatleskog, Vidar Nordli-Mathisen, Cami Dobrin, Katja Ano, QQ Z, Bananna Wintour, Andrei Ionov, Cyprien Da Silva, Ken Cheung, Hans-Joachim Kaiser, Petr Slováček, Lukas Seitz, Lightscape, Meriç Dağlı, Mike Benna, Dana Andreea Gheorghe, Daniele D'Andreti.