This scenic archipelago is brimming with jagged peaks that rise directly from the sea and dotted with red wooden fishing huts (known locally as rorbuer) that rest upon stilts along rugged, rocky shorelines. It’s a landscape that’s truly remarkable, especially when viewed from the deck of a classic Hurtigruten ship. These small-cruise vessels bring passengers face-to-face with some of the archipelago’s most impressive sights.
In fact, for well over a century, Hurtigruten has been sharing their story. Since 1893, Hurtigruten has traced Norway’s fjord-carved shoreline, carrying travelers along the same waters that have connected coastal communities for generations. Here, the voyage isn't separate from the destination—it is the destination.
With a maximum of 500 passengers, Hurtigruten’s purpose-built vessels are compact enough to navigate narrow straits, sailing right alongside towering cliffs. They can hug the country’s extensive coastline, reaching shallow docks that larger cruise ships cannot. Along the way, passengers have opportunities to meet Norway’s people, experience its traditions, and feel the rhythm of the coast.
From the Arctic wonders to world-class hiking, roaring waterfalls, and deep-blue fjords, there are so many reasons to visit Norway. Doing so aboard Hurtigruten offers an authentic connection to the country's coastal communities, helping create a lifetime of memories in the process. Here are five of our favorite ways to immerse yourself in Norwegian culture and the country’s wondrous way of life.
Long before Norway’s roads existed, Vikings traversed the land’s rocky and fjord-laden coastlines in clinker-built wooden boats. They navigated along sheltered inshore channels, bypassing treacherous seas to trade goods, fish for substance and transport people and supplies. Since the late 19th century, Hurtigruten has been traveling many of these same routes.
Its ships make their way between Bergen in the south and Kirkenes in the far north on a 2,500-nautical-mile round-trip journey that includes 34 coastal ports. This 12-day classic Coastal Express, which carries both passengers and goods, has been called “The World's Most Beautiful Voyage.” Save Stops along the way include Trøndelag, Norway’s historic Viking capital and home to the original 1893 departure point of the iconic Hurtigruten Coastal Express, as well as Ålesund, whose pastel-colored Art Nouveau architecture looks straight from a fairy tale. Above the Arctic Circle there’s Stokmarknes, the birthplace of the Coastal Express and home to the Hurtigruten Museum.
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