16-Days The Svalbard Express – Full Voyage

Welcome to Norway! You’ll arrive in Bergen, a beautiful city on the west coast of Norway. Admire views of the majestic peaks that famously surround the city, giving Bergen its nickname, “The City of Seven Mountains”. After collecting your luggage, you’ll be met at the arrivals gate and taken to your hotel located in Bergen.

What began as a small village was developed by King Olav Kyree in 1070 AD, and is now Norway’s second largest city. Nestled in the centre is Vågen Bay, the historic core of the city, and home to the UNESCO-listed Bryggen quarter. There, you can wander down charming cobblestone streets and peruse local boutique shops. Across from Bryggen, you’ll find the fish market, which cooks up fresh and delicious seafood dishes to feast on.

After waking up in your hotel, you might have a bit of time in the early morning to explore more of Bergen before a transfer meets you at your hotel to bring you to our comfortable guest lounge at the Bergen Terminal.

With Bergen being the start point for many Norwegian Coastal Express voyages for generations, the stylish guest lounge here is exclusive for our guests. You can sample finger-food from our Norway’s Coastal Kitchen or talk to staff about securing a spot on any optional excursions still available.

Once we’ve welcomed you aboard, you’ll meet your ship’s Coastal Experience team, who will be your hosts and guides to the Norwegian coastline and Svalbard. Get acquainted with your shipmates, and take some time to get comfortable in your new home-away-from-home.

Enjoy your first meal aboard the ship, and watch the row of colourful buildings on the seafront get smaller behind you as you sail into the Norwegian Sea.

Located along Isfjord at the end of Romsdalsfjord, Åndalsnes is our first port of call. After docking in the morning in the town centre, you’ll get the chance to explore this picturesque coastal town, home to about 2,000 people.

From 1838 until 1964, the village of Åndalsnes served as the administrative centre of the old municipality of Grytten, during which time it had to be completely rebuilt after an attack during World War II. Now, Åndalsnes is a modern town with its own local newspaper, in one of Norway’s most stunning natural locations.

The literal highlights of Åndalsnes are the mountains that tower over the town. Experience the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv – a love of the outdoors – through a variety of activities, such as hiking to Rampestreken viewpoint.

For a more sedate way to take in the sights, sit back for a relaxing ride on the Romsdal Gondola or travel the winding Trollstigen Pass by bus. Whichever activities you choose, this day will bring you the best views of Isfjord and Romsdalsfjord, and the surrounding peaks.

We’ll sail along the coast of the Helgeland region in the morning. When you see islands rising out of the water in the distance, you’ll know we’re almost at our next destination.

Træna is an archipelago that sits at the edge of the Arctic Circle, 33 nautical miles northwest of the mainland. Made up of around 500 islands, islets and skerries, with only four inhabited year-round, Træna is a quiet municipality, with birdlife thriving on the mostly uninhabited isles.

Though small, this archipelago has a long history, with archaeological finds indicating that the islands have been inhabited since the Stone Age. Some of these ancient relics have been found in a cave on the island of Sanna, which is now used as a venue for an annual music festival.

Spend the afternoon in one of Norway’s oldest fishing communities. If weather permits, you might be able to enjoy such activities as hiking and biking, or even island hopping.

Spend a full day in Vesterålen, an archipelago just northeast of Lofoten. This island chain is the namesake of our very first Coastal Express ship to sail Norway’s rugged coastline in 1893.

We’ll dock in the historic town of Stokmarknes. This town holds a special place in our hearts, being the birthplace of Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express. Today, we go right back to where it all began.

Tromsø is Northern Norway’s urban Arctic hotspot, boasting impressive architecture, hip restaurants, and the world’s northernmost university. Rich in polar history, it makes for a natural stopping point before we go further north and into the High Arctic.

This modern city has a long legacy, with artefacts being found nearby that date back to the Ice Age. The city grew in importance after being declared a kjøpstad, or “market town” in 1794, despite only being home to 80 people. It became a centre of Arctic hunting in the mid-1800s, and by the end of the 19th century, Tromsø was an established Arctic trade centre.

We aim to dock here in the morning, giving you a whole day to explore this historic Arctic city and its surroundings. Take your pick from a number of optional excursions. Learn more about the culture and polar history of Tromsø on a city walk. Or go watch graceful seals at the Polaria centre, one of the world’s northernmost aquariums where you can see various species of Arctic marine life up close.

Around mid-morning, we arrive at Honningsvåg, the northernmost city in mainland Norway. Honningsvåg is a fairly young city, having only been declared as such in 1996, and it remains one of Norway’s smallest cities today.

You have several optional excursions to pick from here. These could include king crab fishing, meeting an indigenous Sámi family, birdwatching, or a guided tour of what life is like at 71°N.

Honningsvåg is also the gateway to the North Cape, the famed “northernmost point of Europe”. The plateau stands 307 metres above the sea, and is just over 1,000 miles south of the geographical North Pole. Take a moment to gaze out across the sea from a top the soaring cliffs, watching the waves crash against the rocks below.

The southernmost island of the Svalbard archipelago, Bjørnøya sits just past the halfway point between mainland Norway and Spitsbergen. We’ll be viewing this inaccessible land from the ship in the afternoon, so think of this as the prologue to your Svalbard adventure.

Upon seeing the island, you might notice the lack of trees, and even bushes. Very little grows here, with the land partly being covered only by a layer of moss and lichen. Whatever does grow here is fertilised by the abundant birdlife that nests on the sea cliffs. Get your camera ready to capture Little Auks, Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and Northern Fulmars flying over dramatic cliff tops and steep slopes, alongside many other seabird species.

Contrary to its name, which means “Bear Island”, the only native mammals are Arctic foxes. The island was named after a polar bear was spotted swimming in the waters nearby, but this is an unlikely sight this far south.

Today, we arrive at the Svalbard archipelago and make our way up to Spitsbergen, the largest of the three main islands. Magnificent brown and green mountains rise and ripple up from the High Arctic tundra while rivers of snow-melt trickle through the valley plains, glistening under the summer sun.

Take a moment to just be here, now, in Svalbard. You’re at a latitude more than 78°N and under 820 miles / 1,500 kilometres from the North Pole itself. The air of this Arctic desert is fresh and pure, and temperatures in summer average between zero and eight degrees Celsius thanks to a warm northern branch of the Gulf Stream.

We find Longyearbyen nestled on the banks of a sweeping, large fjord. It is the biggest settlement in Svalbard and pegged as the world’s northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000.

As we sail from Longyearbyen, you’ll want to be up early to enjoy impressive views of Kongsfjord, one of the largest fjords in the area. Its entrance is guarded by two colossal creaking glaciers that regularly deposit ice into the fjord.

This stretch is also a good place to look out for walrus basking on the shores and for many different species of migrating birds, including puffins, king eiders, pink-footed geese, and guillemots.

Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer can sometimes be spotted on land while the white beluga whale has been known to surface in the waters here too. If we’re very lucky, we might even see a polar bear prowling the coast for bearded and ringed seals.

At the tip of Brøgger peninsula, on one of Kongsfjord’s shores, is Ny-Ålesund. Like Longyearbyen, it began as a coal mine but became host to scientific stations from the mid 20th century. During the summer, there are over a hundred researchers based in the town, representing 20 glaciology and climate institutes from more than 10 countries.

Unfortunately, it’s time for us to say farewell to Svalbard and to Spitsbergen. If time allows, as we sail south back to mainland Norway, we might be able to detour to Recherchefjord, a small fjord to the south of Bellsund.

On board the ship, use the day to relax. If skies are clear, enjoy some summer sun out on deck and keep on the lookout for whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Or if it’s not too warm out, head to the sauna for a soothing steam.

For some fascinating insights into local history and wildlife, catch a lecture delivered by the Coastal Experience Team. They may also offer a photography workshop to help sharpen your eye to capture stunning shots in the days to come.

Enjoy the sumptuous food and drinks on board, courtesy of our Norway’s Coastal Kitchen concept that features the finest, most flavoursome, local Norwegian produce. As a treat, there might be tastings of regional specialities or demonstrations by our skilled onboard chefs in the show kitchen.

We’ve arrived back to mainland Norway and our first stop of the day is Tromsø. The ship will drop off any cargo from Svalbard and pick up cargo bound for ports to the south.

Calling back into Tromsø after being up at Svalbard follows in the footsteps of history. Most explorers and sailors returning from their Arctic expeditions would descend on the city. The fashion and food they found there seemed so stylish and refined compared to the stark frontier towns that they nicknamed Tromsø ‘the Paris of the North’. Maybe you’ll have a similar impression?

From Tromsø, the ship will continue south to the fairytale island of Senja, one of Norway’s largest islands. You’ll be able to embark on optional excursions in Tromsø that will then meet up with the ship in Senja. One we recommend is a scenic tour that traverses the island of Kvaløya leading to a ferry ride to Senja, before rendezvousing with the ship on the island’s west side.

Today is all about exploring the Lofoten archipelago. Hailed as one of the most spectacular areas in all of Norway, you’ll understand why as you see its jagged green cliffs rise dramatically out of the ocean, climbing high into the sky like giant teeth.

Pretty fishing villages appear as strings of red-roofed houses on stilts that cling picturesequely to the edges of mountainous islands. Here and there, single fishermen huts known locally as rorbuer dot the islands, specks of red amidst a ceylon blue sea and the lush mountainside greens.

You’ll find that life in Lofoten is supremely calm and peaceful. Time seems to stand still here, as if stopped in its tracks by the islands’ sheer beauty.

The beating heart of the archipelago is the town of Svolvær where the ship will be based for most of the day. There are shops and restaurants to enjoy, and hours can be spent exploring and getting to know the town yourself. 

To experience the mountains, islands, and villages that can be discovered around Svolvær, you’ll have a variety of handpicked top Lofoten excursions that will help you do just that. 

The ship continues south and reaches the midpoint of the Norwegian coast. This is the Helgeland Coast, a well-known stretch full of distinctive mountains that have inspired many a charming myth and local folklore.

We will base the ship in the town of Brønnøysund which features a lovely marina and a Neo-Gothic stone church from 1870. Spend your time exploring the town or joining optional excursions such as kayaking, cycling, or a cruise by RIB.

One highlight of the area is a visit to the Vega archipelago, a cluster of some 6,500 islands, skerries, and islets. There’s a UNESCO world heritage centre on the island of Gardsøy which showcases how highly prized eider down is harvested from the local eider ducks by providing little huts for them to build their nests in.

The ship will make a brief stop in the town of Ålesund, known for its Art Nouveau architecture and picturesque position on a peninsula below Mount Aksla. We’ll offload any cargo here as well guests who are joining excursions.

Near to Ålesund, cutting through the peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps, some 1,700 metres high, is magnificent Hjørundfjord. Its picture-perfect position embedded in the Sunnmøre Alps means it is the area’s hidden gem and a secret from most other ships.

Those who do discover Hjørundfjord rank it as a serious contender for their favourite fjord in Norway. Its deep blue waters and verdant mountainsides seem perfectly proportionate and aligned, as if sculpted deliberately by nature’s artistry.

We arrive back in Bergen in the morning. It’s time to disembark the sip and take a transfer to the airport, but not before saying fond farewells to your fellow passengers and to the crew of MS Trollfjord who made your Svalbard Express journey such a comfortable one.

You’ve travelled as part of this historic, iconic voyage to pieces of paradise along the Norwegian coast you won’t soon forget. If you’ve engaged in optional excursions, will you have photos to share of you kayaking, hiking, fishing, cycling in some of the most beautiful scenery ever seen?