Hurtigruten Northern Lights Cruises Southbound Excursions

Our extensive programme of excursions take full advantage of local, English-speaking guides and the fact that our ships call at ports larger vessels cannot reach. Most excursions are pre-bookable and only remaining places can be booked on board. See also Northbound Excursions

8A BREAKFAST AT THE NORTH CAPE, HONNINGSVAG

Honningsvag
Available Dates: 8 May - 7 Oct
Duration: 6 hours, Price 2013: £129pp, 2014: £143pp
The North Cape plateau stretches 307 metres (1,000 feet) above the churning Arctic Ocean. Here, at the very top of Europe, we will enjoy a hearty breakfast and see an impressive 180° panoramic film about the North Cape region through the four seasons. On our return we make a short stop to visit a Sámi family. From Honningsvåg, we drive through an underwater tunnel that connects the town with the mainland. The bus will then travel south along the majestic Porsangerfjord before heading back towards the coast to Hammerfest – the world’s northernmost town, where we rejoin the ship

8B THE NORTHERNMOST TOWN IN THE WORLD, HAMMERFEST

Available Dates: 1 Jun - 15 Sep
Duration: 1 hour, Price 2013: £26pp, 2014: £29pp
Home to the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, Hammerfest is the northernmost town in the world. You’ll visit the Meridian Monument, a column symbolising the first official measurement of the exact size and shape of the earth, learn about Europe’s first Liquid Natural Gas factory and stop at Mount Salen for a view over the town.

8C MIDNIGHT CONCERT IN THE ARCTIC CATHEDRAL, TROMSØ

Available Dates: 15 Nov - 15 Mar &
22 Apr - 30 Sep
Duration: 1h 15mins, Price 2013: £44pp, 2014: £49pp
Set in the stunning Arctic Cathedral, this is an awe-inspiring midnight concert where a varied programme of folk music, hymns and classical pieces will be performed against the backdrop of the largest stained-glass window in Europe.

8F SNOW MOBILE IN THE POLAR NIGHT

Mehamn - Kjollefjord
Available Dates: 15 Dec - 10 May
Duration: 1h 30 mins, Price 2013: £277pp, 2014: £288pp
Drive through the beautiful Arctic landscape during the polar night. You might see the Northern Lights in a clear, starlit sky. Make a pit-stop at a real Sami tent for some hot drinks by the campfire, before you return to your ship. Valid driving licence is require.

9A A TASTE OF VESTERÅLEN, HARSTAD

Available Dates: All year
Duration: 4h 15 mins, Price 2013: £64pp, 2014: £71pp
In this outing, discover Viking history, breathtaking scenery and wonderful sights. The trip begins in Harstad where you begin the morning with a little sightseeing through the town streets and then stop at a viewpoint. A few kilometres outside town, in Trondeneshalvøya, stands the white medieval church, Trondenes Kirke. In addition to housing several art treasures, the church is a premier cultural heritage site from the late Middle Ages. Next door, Trondenes Historical Centre offers an in-depth exhibit complete with sounds, scents and objects that capture the region’s dramatic span from the Viking Age and Middle Ages to the present day. The bus then takes us across Hinnøya, an island, where you can enjoy views of the beautiful fjords, steep mountains and fertile farms. You then cross the Gullesfjord by ferry and have coffee, tea and freshly baked cakes. Ferry along the Sigerfjord and in Sortland, the centre of the Vesterålen islands, you rejoin the Hurtigruten ship. Idyllic in summer, picture perfect in winter, this is an eventful tour filled with scenery and Viking culture.

9B LOFOTEN ISLANDS, SVOLVÆR

Available Dates: 1 Apr - 8 Sept
Duration: 2h 45 mins, Price 2013: £59pp, 2014: £61pp
The sheltered bays and glorious mountain landscapes of the Lofoten Islands are home and workplace to thousands of fishermen who have learned to live in harmony with the changing moods of sea and sky. The charming port of Henningsvær displays a collection of art and photographs that capture the very essence of life in these islands, past and present.

9C SEA EAGLE SAFARI, SVOLVÆR

Slovaer
Available Dates: 1 Apr - 5 Oct
Duration: 2 hours, Price 2013: £81pp, 2014: £88pp
The area surrounding Trollfjord is the realm of the mighty sea eagle. Boarding the small MS Orca we sail into this narrow fjord, passing through a narrow sound enclosed by steep mountains. Usually excellent numbers of sea eagles circle above the boat, giving you an intimate view of these rare and beautiful birds. Rejoin the ship in Svolvær.

9E RIB ADVENTURE IN LOFOTEN, SVOLVÆR

Slovaer
Available Dates: 1 Jun - 30 Aug
Duration: 2 hours, Price 2013: £88pp, 2014: £97pp
Join a speed-filled excursion with RIB-boats into the fantastic Lofoten archipelago. There is a good chance to spot eagles and you will also visit the fishing village of Skrova.

10B UNESCO ISLANDS VEGA, SANDNESSJØEN

Sandnessjoen - Bronnoysund
Available Dates: 1 Jul - 30 Aug
Duration: 3h 50 mins, Price 2013: £134pp, 2014: £148pp
The Vega archipelago was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2004 and you will travel to the main island Vega by boat. Visit the E-house, a museum about eider ducks where you can learn more about these animals and the tradition of keeping them as domestic animals. We return to the ship in Brønnøysund.

11C THE ATLANTIC ROAD, KRISTIANSUND

Kristiansund - Molde
Available Dates: 1 May - 15 Sep
Duration: 4h 30 mins, Price 2013: £91pp, 2014: £98pp
Beginning with a short city sightseeing tour in the klippfish town of Kristiansund, our tour heads to Bremsnes and on to visit Kvernes Stave Church, which was believed to have been built in the early 13th century. This church, a one-nave stave church of the Møre-type, is beautifully located on Averøy. Afterwards, make a stop at the local tavern Bjarmars Favorittkro, where you can enjoy the speciality of the house – Bacalao made from local ingredients, served with bread, followed by dessert, coffee/tea. Continue along the Atlantic Road, taking in all the sights in this breathtaking area , before reaching Molde where the excursion will finish.