Visiting Norway feels like stepping inside a fantasy land. In summer, you can bathe in the warming glow of the beautiful midnight sun, as daylight hovers for more than a month in parts of the country, while in the pitch black of winter, you might see the sky light up with bursts of orange, green and purple. Polar bears bask in Arctic surrounds, fjords inspire awe, and fairytale houses dot mountain landscapes in tiny coastal villages. It’s an otherworldly beauty.
While cities such as Oslo and Bergen are full of charm and culture – think cobblestone streets, modern art museums and exciting fine dining – Norway’s best bits are in the natural world. After all, this is a country that loves the outdoors so much it created a word, friluftsliv, to describe the joy of being outside.
So what are the most magical outdoor experiences in a country full of them? Here’s a brief guide to Norway’s incredible drawcards.
The world-famous northern lights
The northern lights are one of those rare travel experiences that exceeds all expectations. Photos don’t do the natural phenomenon justice – you’ve got to be there to truly understand its majesty.
In certain parts of the world, seeing the lights can be hit and miss: they are a bucket list item that can be as fickle as they are astounding. However, they are dependably on display in cities such as Tromsø, about 350km north of the Arctic Circle, just off the tip of mainland Norway. This picturesque university town experiences polar night – 24-hour nighttime – for more than a month in winter, which gives you great odds of seeing the spectacular natural light show.
Cruise company Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express is so confident it can show you the northern lights that if the natural light show doesn’t appear on your voyage, it will offer you another six- or seven-day trip free of charge.
Hurtigruten’s North Cape Express trip, which launches in September 2023, is designed to seek out the lights. After Tromsø, it heads to the northerly towns of Honningsvåg and Alta, where you’ll get more time to see the sky light up in technicolour hues. In Alta’s winter wonderland you can even toast the experience in the world’s northernmost ice hotel, which is built out of snow and ice afresh every winter.
Remote beauty
At the very top of the world, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, is Svalbard. This Norwegian territory is one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, with a small local population that’s outnumbered by animal life including polar bears, reindeer and foxes. This Arctic archipelago is so remote that no indigenous people ever settled here. It’s a truly off-the-beaten-track destination that few will ever get to experience.
The best way to get to this intriguing archipelago is by boat. On Hurtigruten’s Svalbard Express, which launches in June 2023, you’ll have a week exploring Norway’s mainland coast before setting sail for Svalbard. In the small town of Longyearbyen, set dramatically between fjords, you’ll be able to try dog sledding or stay warm wandering through halls of the North Pole Expedition Museum. Hurtigruten will then take you through Kongsfjord, one of the area’s largest fjords, where you could spot walrus, reindeer and even beluga whales. Get lucky and you might even see a polar bear stalking the coastline.
You’ll come away from a trip to Svalbard awed by the beauty of the Arctic and sure of the need to preserve its incredible landscapes. By travelling with Hurtigruten you’ll also get to feel good about your visit, as the company has already kicked off Europe’s largest environmental ship upgrades, which will cut Co2 emissions by 25%. By 2030, Hurtigruten will also have launched its first emissions-free ship.
That commitment to sustainability extends to the menu on board, which is locally sourced and comes direct from farm or sea to plate.
Fantastic fjords
Norway is famed for its fjords: long, narrow bodies of water surrounded by steep walls of rock. Naturally, the best way to view these breathtaking natural creations is on the water. On Hurtigruten’s North Cape Express trip, you’ll sail between some of the largest and most impressive fjords in the country – such as the 179km-long Hardangerfjord. Weather permitting, you may even be able to kayak across its unspoiled waters.
Along Norway’s dramatic coastline you can also seek out sights such as the Vega Islands, a world heritage listed archipelago that has been inhabited since the Stone Age. There’s also the mysterious Torghatten mountain on the island of Brønnøysund, famous for the natural tunnel that runs through its centre, which you can explore on an hour-long walk.
Elsewhere, in the coast’s remote villages, you can set off on snowshoe hikes, horse rides or boat safaris, passing moody beaches and dramatic mountain peaks as you go.
In the summer, you’ll get to sail under the midnight sun: a golden hour that bathes everything in a heavenly glow. It’s a quintessentially Norwegian experience, and one you’ll never forget.
Discover Norway’s natural beauty on board the Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express.
