This is the first chance I've had to read your outstanding TR with gorgeous photos! We haven't been to Scandinavia yet. Do you have a favorite Scandinavian country or city?

Thank you Adelaidean, Cherthor and esm.
.
tripplanner001 I'd say Norway is similar, if not slightly more expensive, than Denmark.

KarenWoo Norway, without doubt. Norway has some very attractive cities (and villlages) as you will see later in this TR, but the experience is really around the mountains, fjords and natural landscapes. If I had to pick my favourite Scandinavian city, that would have to be Stockholm.

Yes, Norway is undoubtedly my favorite of the Scandinavian countries, especially the western coast with its fjords and little towns, some barely hamlets.

ANUJ, we were in Stavanger in August 2022, but it had been raining heavily the past few days, with more rain forecast. So we decided against Pulpit Rock, much to my chagrin. Though I was rather apprehensive about the whole excursion as I have vertigo and am terrified of heights. But I still regret not being able to do the trek, highly unlikely I will go back, and I am only getting older!

However, I did get to do something similar in Cambodia this January. Kulen Mountain, with a steep cliff like Pulpit Rock, only you just walk a short distance on mostly even surface, easy peasy. But the photos look just as dramatic! 😉

We woke up late today, exhausted after a marathon of a previous day. We stepped out for a short walk towards Nordnes (the tip of the west side of the Bergen harbour) and one last stroll by the harbour itself, before heading to the ferry terminal.


Bryggen, viewed from across the harbour


Bergen fortress, viewed from across the harbour. The ferris wheel was new, possibly ahead of the forthcoming Constitution Day celebrations


By the harbour


Passing the acquarium, on the way to the park


At the park


At the viewpoint, at northern edge of the park


I don’t like cruises, but I'm only willing to make an exception for Norway. In truth, Havila (operating since 2021) and Hurtigruten (the long-established incumbent) are not cruises, but working ferries. Infact, Havila resents the usage of the term “cruise”, they call themselves “the world’s most beautiful coastal voyage”. They transport cargo, mail and essential supplies along Norway’s west coast, providing a vital lifeline to remote communities – and also carry passengers. No onboard entertainment, no buffets - this is simply purposeful transport, offering a unique perspective of Norway’s coastline from the water — and that is exactly what we wanted. More commentary on environmental aspects of Havila to follow, later in my trip report.

Both operators run the same route, alternating days of the week, calling at 34 ports between Bergen in the south and Kirkenes in the north (right by the Russian border). Twenty years ago, we travelled only the Bergen–Bodř stretch with Hurtigruten — you can choose anything from port-to-port sailings to shorter segments. This time, we opted to try Havila and selected their “short voyage” from Bergen to Tromsř, much farther north from Bodo.


The traditional Norwegian Coastal Route map. The stretch maked with a red bracket represents our journey.


We were very impressed with our ship, the Havila Castor.


View of the port, from Nordnes


Boarding our ship, the Havila Castor


We spent most of our time on the top deck lounge and bar


.. as it had large panoramic windows with a wrap around deck outside


The cafe


The gym


The restaurant, which is where we ate almost all our meals


The dining concept on Havila is a-la-carte with small plates (you are free to re-order more), to avoid food wastage. Here is our first dinner on board, a three course menu which perhaps looked better than it tasted - but we were relieved to be well-catered over the next 4 days as vegetarians.


Charred cauliflower


Roasted fennel, celeriac puree


Chocolate mousse


Finally around 8.30pm, we set sail from Bergen. Bon Voyage, or as the Norwegians would say God reise!


Leaving the ship terminal


The terminal


The city


And we're away ...


Farewell Bergen !

geetika If it was raining when you visited Stavanger, you made the right call to skip Pulpit Rock. I just looked up Kulen Mountain - what an uncanny resemblance ! Never say never - Norway may find its way into your future plans !

Following a night of sound sleep (and adjusting to the ship motion), we headed for breakfast. Our very first port of call was Torvik.


Morning on the high seas


Calling at Torvik, a short cargo halt


After a (short) halt at Ĺlesund, the ship sails through the Geirangerfjord, returning to Ĺlesund for a much longer stop later in the evening (allowing time to explore the town, more to follow). We enjoyed the bird's eye view over the Ĺlesund rooftops, from the ship's deck.


Arriving at Alesund


Views from the deck


Views from the deck


Leaving Alesund, for Geiranger


Havila takes its environmental commitment very seriously, operating four of the most eco-friendly ships in the world. The ships use a flexible hybrid system running on LNG, which switches to large battery packs (charged by hydropower) for zero-emission sailing in protected areas. This is why Havila's fleet is permitted to sail into the pristine fjords, like Geiranger - which is otherwise restricted to smaller boats only. By 2030, the fleet is expected to run entirely on hydrogen. There is no engine noise and no smoke — just stillness and silence.

The ship left Ĺlesund to turn into the Stirfjord (the “grand fjord”). The scenery was magical, whether viewed from one of the lounges or out on deck.


The scenery unfolding before us


From the lounge


From the outdoor deck


We passed the mouth of Hjřrundfjord, flanked by the steep Sunnmřre Alps (with the historic Hotel Oye located at its very end). Havila and Hurtigruten sail here in autumn (instead of Geiranger).


The mouth of the remote, and undervisited Hjřrundfjord


At the village of Standa, the fjord branches off into Sunnylvsfjord, with the village of Hellesylt at its end.


The fjord gets narrower


.. with the vilage of Hellesylt in the far distance


The 15km final stretch is Geirangerfjord, in the lap of majestic mountains, cascading waterfalls, and pristine nature. It’s a grand spectacle.


Turning into the Geirnagerfjord


Deeper into the fjord


The Suitor (Friaren) falls


The Seven Sisters (De syv sřstrene) falls


The imposing cliffs


Entering the final stretch


View of the Řrnevegen (The Eagle Road), a steep mountain road featuring 11 hairpin bends leading up the mountainside towards Eidsdal


Approaching the village of Geiranger at the end of the fjord


A closer look at the village of Geiranger


A tender boat arrives to take passengers on some excursions


After transferring passengers to a tender boat for excursions, the ship returns to Ĺlesund. This time we had an hour to disembark and revisit the compact centre of one of our favourite cities (from our 2006 trip) in Norway. Ĺlesund has a distinctively colorful art nouveau streetscape, rebuilt from scratch after it was ravaged by a fire in 1904.


Walking down the east side of the canal


East side of the canal, with the floating docks


East side of the canal, with the kayaks


Views from the Helbroa bridge, across the canal


Art nouveau architecture along the west side of the canal


Art nouveau architecture along the west side of the canal


Along the Apotekergata street to the historic Hotel Brosundet (it's the yellow building you see in previous pictures)


More beautiful buildings


View of Alesund, with the mountains in the back, taken from the port


View of lighthouse, from the port


With a music quiz on board keeping us entertained tonight, we stayed up well past our usual bedtime to enjoy a 10pm Norwegian sunset, before calling on Molde - our final port for the night.


Farewell Alesund


A 10pm sunset


Calling at Molde, to pickup passengers from the excursions

Hahaha! Where you docked at Alseund was where we stayed at the sea view hotel. We were very happy at check in with the sea view room until we came back later and found the Havila cruise ship docking right by our window.
Luckily it was a short docking, so no harm done and we had a glorious sunset view from the hotel room after the ship left.

You are fortunate to have actually stayed in Alesund, Cherthor - what a gorgeous city !

After breakfast, we planned to visit Trondheim this morning where the ship docks for 3 hours. With light showers expected, we planned a tightly focused walking route including few points of interest - primarily the old bridge and Nidaros Cathedral. Nidaros is actually the historic medieval name of Trondheim, which was the first capital of Norway.


Crossing the Hurtigruten on its southbound journey, this morning


Passing the Munkholen Island, which has historically served as a Viking execution site, a Benedictine monastery, and a prison! It is now a summer recreational destination


Approaching Trondheim


Unlike Ĺlesund, where the ship docks near the centre, the Trondheim terminal is a 20 minute walk away from the action. We crossed the pedestrian bridge near the station.


Crossing over the bridge to the station


Passing the canal, we strayed into the Old warehouse district and Gamle Byro (“Old Bridge”).


Wandering through the old warehousing district


with some street art


Reaching the Old Bridge


With the inconic view of the colorful warehouses ("bryggene")


Lining the left bank of the Nidelven river


And the right bank


Frontal view of warehouses, many converted to homes, shops or cafes


View facing the other side of the bridge, Nidaros Cathedral rising along the skyline


Leaving the bridge, for the cathedral


We walked down the Marinen Park to reach the Nidaros Cathedral, which was closed for tourist visits due to a scheduled service. The Nidaros Cathedral is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world, built between the 11th and 12th century. It is also houses the tomb of St. Olav, the Viking king who brought Christianity to the country.


The ornate facade, Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles


Side view


Locals making their way to the service


Distant view from Munkegata, heading to the city square


Walking down from the Radhus to the main square (Torvet), we passed the Stiftsgĺrden - the Norwegian King’s official residence in Trondheim. It is made entirely of wood and is one of the largest wooden buildings in Europe.


The Radhus (City Hall)


The main city square (Torvet)


Stiftsgĺrden


On our way back to the ship, we passed the Rockheim Museum (dedicated to local pop and rock music) with floating saunas right across it.


On our way back


The floating saunas


The Rockheim Museum


Back on board


Back on board in time for lunch, we eased into the longest non stop sailing stretch of the Havila, exiting the Trondheim fjord and along the Trondelag.


Kjeungskjćr Lighthouse


With the weather improving, the captain took a minor detour through the narrow straight of Stoksund, making one final stop at Rorvik for the night.


Entering the narrow strait of Stoksund


Navigating the narrow strait of Stoksund


Navigating the narrow strait of Stoksund


The noticeably flatter landscapes of the Trondelag as we sail north

ANUJ, how do you create the maps of your trip? That's a good idea so that readers can see your route.

My driving routes are usually screenshots from google maps, with all the intermediate stops. Some maps are just saved as images and cropped, edited or overlaid with text to provide more context.

We had an early breakfast, in eager anticipation of our Arctic Circle crossing expected between 7.30-8.00 am. The crossing is marked by a globe monument on the Vikingen island, between the towns of Nesna and Ornes.

Fun fact : The Arctic Circle is constantly moving as the earth wobbles on its axis. The circle is currently about 1 km north of the globe on Vikingen Island here, but will return to this very spot in 33,000 years!


The morning rays of the sun streaming through the clouds


Passing the Vikingen Island


A closer look at the globe


And we are now officially in the Arctic !


Approaching Ornes


Docking at Ornes


Out on deck, the Arctic crossing was celebrated with a traditional baptism ceremony, followed by a special toast. It was a lot of fun.


We were joined by Njord, the Norse God of the Sea and Wind !


The previous night, we were asked to drop chits in a bowl with our best guess of the exact time we would cross the Arctic Circle. The winner of this contest was announced - who predicted it accurately down to the last second - 7:43am and the rest I cant remember


The traditional baptism by ice !


Our first major stop today was Bodř. In 2006, this is where we ended our journey on the Hurtigruten. With a tight onward ferry connection to Moskenes (Lofoten), we had largely overlooked the city. This time around, with a three hours’ stop, we had sufficient time to explore Bodř on foot.


Arriving at Bodo


View of the pier and lighthouse at Bodo


The city was completely destroyed during WW2, and rebuilt in a modernist style that prioritized functionality over charm. We followed the street art trail, a legacy of a 2016 art festival where several graffiti artists were invited to color the city with their work.


"Insomnia" at Dronningens gate 15 (Italian artist Millo)


"Butterfly" at Havnegata (Norwegian artist Martin Whatso)


"After School" at Kongens gate 18 (Russian artist Rustam Qbic)


"Maelstrom" at Moloveien 20 (Spanish artist David de la Mano)


Untitled at Sjřgata 18 (British artist Phlegm)


We passed the Bodř radhus and cathedral towards the jetty, and returned to the ship via the waterfront.


By the jetty


Bodř was one of the European Capitals of Culture in 2024, the first city located north of the Arctic Circle to be awarded this designation


Along the main street, view of the distinctive radhus in the back


Along the waterfront, past the floating saunas


Later this evening, we reached the Lofoten with a brief halt at Stamsund.


Arriving in Stamsund


The early views of the jagged peaks of the Lofoten rising out of the sea (the "Lofoten Wall")


Passing another Hutigruten ship on its southbound journey, as we approached Svolvaer


Our next major stop was Svolvaer, the commercial and cultural capital of the Lofoten Islands, and a major hub for exploring the archipelago. We had spent a night here in 2006. With an hour's halt post-dinner, we decided to step out and take a short stroll anyway. We walked along the waterfront, towards the Svinoya bridge, eventually returning to the main square (Torget).


Arriving at Svolvaer


View of the fish drying racks as we prepare to dock


Passing Lamholmen, the little islet with rorbus of Anker Brygge and Scandic hotel


Looking back at the waterfront


A cluster of rorbus (fishing cabins)


Svolvaer is famous for Svolvćrgeita, a jagged twin-peaked mountain famous among rock climbers. If you zoom into this photo, and follow the line of blue poles/bollards you can see it amidst the mountains - looks like two fingers or a goat's horns


The main square


The RIB excursion returns, with fellow travelers rejoining our ship


Farewell Svolvaer (view of the Fisherman's Wife monument as we depart)


At night, the ship sailed through the narrow Raftsundet strait while exiting the Lofoten, with a surprise detour through the beautiful Trollfjord. This is a dramatic, 2-kilometer-long fjord famous for its narrow 100-meter entrance and imposing cliffs. It is accessible only by a tough hike or by water - permissible only if conditions are favourable (no strong winds, no avalanche risks). It was a real test of skill for our captain to navigate in, turn at its end and exit.


Approaching the Trollfjord, around 11.45pm


Towards the end of the fjord


The ship takes a turn


And heads out


The fjord near its narrowest point, almost touching the cliffs


Midnight in the Arctic

I read a TR last year that made me think this type of trip might get me on a cruise, and yours is similar. Awe inspiring scenery.

This is the first time that I think a cruise might work for me! What a wonderful TR and pictures.

Wow is right. Your photos are just beautiful. Do you use a certain camera? I have really enjoyed reading your cider walk and voyage start this morning. We are just starting to plan a trip to Norway for next year.