Hurtigruten
Norway - The Classic Voyage South
Classic Voyage South
Oslo • Kirkenes • Bergen8 days 7 nights / Full board on ship
Seeing the magnificent Lofoten Islands by day is a highlight of the voyage
Our Classic Voyage South takes you from Kirkenes, near the Russian border, to Bergen, the Gateway to the Fjords. This voyage is very popular among travellers who may not have time for the full round voyage but wish to enjoy watching the transitions along the coastline as we sail from the sparse northern landscapes, deep within the Arctic Circle, to the populated, lush southern regions of the fjord-filled coast.
Day 1
Arrive in Oslo and stay overnight at an airport hotel on bed & breakfast basis.
Day 2
Morning flight to Kirkenes, where you join the southbound voyage. From Kirkenes the ship hugs the coast as it visits the remote settlements it continues to serve more than a century after the Hurtigruten was created. Still providing a vital link with the rest of the country, Hurtigruten gives us the opportunity to see Norway as the Norwegians see it.
Day 3
Hammerfest, the world’s most northerly town boldly claims to be the first in Europe to have electric street lighting. Starting point of Bill Bryson’s journey described in Neither Here Nor There, this is the first major call. Continuing south, our night stop at Tromsø offers the opportunity to enjoy the Midnight Sun summer concert in the Arctic Cathedral.
Day 4
The memorable sights of the Lofoten Islands will stay with us forever as the ship meanders gently through this stunning network of inlets and isles. Moving on we reach what is the highlight of the voyage for many, where we hope to make a detour into spectacular Trollfjord. Sailing through the beautiful, mountainous island chains, rising to 1,000 metres in places, we can see fishermen’s cabins built on stilts along the waterfront, whilst in the air around us fly a wide variety of seabirds such as puffins, kittiwakes, cormorants and sea eagles. This remarkable day is completed with an evening return to Svolvær and a farewell to the islands at Stamsund.
Day 5
There is further excitement today as the ship crosses the Arctic Circle. Sailing past the famed peaks of the dancing Seven Sisters mountain range, folklore merges with the facts of nature – look out for Torghatten, which still bears the hole made by Hestmannen’s arrow in one of Norway’s popular legends. The award-winning new museum at Rørvik celebrates the important part the sea has played in defining today’s Norway.
Day 6
We have an early arrival in the fascinating medieval city of Trondheim, where the Norwegian Explorer passengers leave the ship to follow their own itinerary (see pages 32 and 33). The voyage continues out of the Trondheimsfjord past Hitra Island to make brief calls at Kristiansund and Molde, known as the City of Roses and surrounded by 87 snow-capped mountains, before the midnight call at Ålesund and a last night at sea.
Day 7
The landscape becomes increasingly lush as the journey weaves through the islets and beautiful Bergen comes into view again. Before long it’s time to say good-bye to the ship and på gjensyn (until we meet again) to friends, fellow passengers and our crew, as we disembark from our magnificent journey on the Norwegian Coastal Voyage.
Day 8
Depending on the time of your return flight you may have some free time to take a stroll around the old Hanseatic warehouses at Bryggen, visit the fish market or take the Funicular Railway up to Mount Fløyen, from where you have panoramic views of the city
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