100% customisable travel idea
Oslo, Lofoten Islands and North Cape Norway along the Coastal Express
Norway - Oslo - Bergen - North Cape - Kirkenes
100% customisable travel idea
Norway - Oslo - Bergen - North Cape - Kirkenes
100% customisable for you
Take the train from the airport to Oslo Central Station. Stay for two nights in Bjorvika, a stone’s throw from the station. This vibrant district is full of modern architecture such as the white marble Opera House, the Munch Museum and Akrobaten pedestrian bridge. The hotel itself is part of Barcode, a complex of 12 tall, narrow buildings, on the site of the former docks, that resembles a bar code. Its style is very contemporary and elegant, very much at one with the vibe of Bjorvika. Here, art and culture are all over the place. The hotel itself is an art gallery, with a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions and events throughout the year. There is also a bar where you can whet your appetite with excellent cocktails and maybe some oysters. During the summer months, you can enjoy the sunshine on the outdoor terrace overlooking the fjord.
Nestled between fjord and forests, the Norwegian capital skilfully blends contemporary architecture with picturesque Scandinavian style. Tranquil and trendy, the city is the ideal destination for art lovers. It is home to a host of galleries and museums such as the Munch Museum, the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Contemporary Art, and the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design. On the Bygdøy Peninsula, the Fram Museum, named after the three-masted schooner of the same name, tells the story of her polar expeditions with Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen. The Vikingskipshuset viking museum is home to the famous 9th century Oseberg longship. At the Kon-Tiki Museum, you can see Thor Heyerdahl’s raft, which sailed from Peru to the Tuamotu Archipelago in 1947. It's a veritable ode to exploration!
In your itinerary - Oslo with a local. Your guide has lived in Norway all their life. They have a deep knowledge of culture and the arts, as they work in the arts sector, and occasionally act as a guide at the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art. Together you wander through the capital, at your own pace and depending on what takes your fancy, chatting along the way about everyday life in Oslo.
Train to Bergen. Stay for one night right next to the train station, in the city’s most prestigious hotel, which opened in 1928. Recently renovated, it retains its former splendour and takes you on a journey back in time. All you have to do is step through its doors and admire the entrance hall, decorated with dark woodwork and a magnificent chandelier that recalls the splendour of yesteryear. The whisky bar is a big draw, with its retro look and 1,000 different whiskies. It was here that the great polar explorer Roald Amundsen held his last press conference before vanishing without trace in the Arctic ice.
In your itinerary - Private tour of Bergen. Take a short tour of the city with a guide. Start by exploring the old Hanseatic harbour, Bryggen, and perhaps visit the museum that explains the city's history. Visit the Mariakirken from the 12th century, which served as the church for the German merchants. Have you heard about Dolk, the Norwegian graffiti artist? You will spot his works, inspired by Banksy, on walls all over the city. Troldhaugen is Edvard Grieg’s villa and now houses a museum dedicated to the composer of Peer Gynt. You could also take the funicular up to Mount Floyen, where the view is gorgeous!
In the late afternoon, transfer to the port and embark.
Day of sailing.
On the way - Stop-off in Ålesund. It was Wilhelm II, who used to come here on holiday, and brought Jugendstil architecture, the German equivalent of Art nouveau to the town. After the great fire of 1904, the emperor sent German workers to help rebuild the town. Together with their Norwegian counterparts, they rebuilt the town in the style in vogue at the time.
From mid-April to mid-September, the boat enters Geirangerfjord, Norway’s most famous fjord and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fjord's majestic calm, spectacular cliffs and waterfalls, such as the Seven Sisters (Syv Sostrene) and the Suitor (Friaren) are quite an experience. Continue on to Molde, nicknamed the City of Roses during the tourism boom in the 19th century, because of its numerous rose gardens. The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen used to spend his holidays here.
Day of sailing.
On the way - Stop-off in Trondheim Here you take a tour of Nidaros Cathedral. The cathedral was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, over the tomb of Saint Olav, the Viking king who brought Christianity to Norway and is the country’s patron saint. Restored several times, it has nevertheless preserved its richly decorated Romanesque and Gothic facade, making it one of the most important religious buildings in Scandinavia. You can also visit the Ringve Museum, Norway’s national museum for music and musical instruments. Set in a charming historical manor house and barn, it displays instruments from around the world. Its collection contains Hardanger fiddles, a Tibetan horn, as well as a cecilium (a cross between a cello and a harmonium) and a 1948 jukebox. The beautiful gardens are worth exploring too. The boat then leaves the Trondheimsfjord and heads towards Rørvik. You cross the Arctic Circle during the night.
Day of sailing.
On the way - Stop-off in Bodo, surrounded by stunning mountain ranges and jagged peaks. The cathedral, built between 1954 and 1956, and designed by Gudolf Blakstad and Herman Munthe-Kaas, is a fine example of modernist architecture. After that, the boat heads to the Lofoten Islands across the Vestfjord.
Also scheduled - Stop-off in Svolvær. A walk here brings you into direct contact with the nature and history of the archipelago, where fishing has always been a vital activity and remains so to this day. You see it all around you. There are old wooden houses with preserved interiors, haddock, cod and pollock drying in the wind on racks, and boats coming in and out of the harbour…
Day of sailing.
As you sail past Harstad, you can see the Anna Rogde, built in 1868, and the world's oldest schooner still sailing today.
On the way - Stop-off in Tromsø. In these northern regions, churches are usually the biggest buildings. Here, you’ll find Tromsdalen Church or the Arctic Cathedral, built by Jan Inge Hovig in 1965, with its striking layered triangular design, and Domkirke, the unusual neo-Gothic cathedral built of wood. The small church in Skjervoy, also made of wood, dates from 1728. Its staggered design could well have been the inspiration for Tromsdalen Church. Lutheran architecture reaches its northern limits here.
Day of sailing. The boat enters Finnmark.
On the way - Stop-off at Hammerfest. The church, built in 1961 by Hans Magnus, the fish-drying racks and the wind all seem quite familiar now. The meridian column in Hammerfest marks the northernmost point on the Struve Geodetic Arc, which stretches through Europe for more than 2,800 kilometres (1,740 miles), all the way to Ukraine and the Black Sea. The arc, created between 1816 and 1855, was used to establish the shape of the earth and measure its size. It is now on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Continue on to Magerøya and North Cape. As you round the steep 300 metre (984 foot) cliff, you leave the Norwegian Sea and enter the Barents Sea. The dramatic rocky landscape is covered by rough tundra. It’s one of those wild places that feels like it's at the end of the world.
You finally reach Kirkenes, the end of the cruise. To the east lies the Russian border. Disembark and transfer to the airport. Then fly home.
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