The Hurtigruten ship stops at sea so excursion participants can transfer to a smaller tour boat that navigates between islets and skerries on its way to Svartisen. Along the way, a knowledgeable guide tells you all about the area and its remarkable scenery. The stunning views are best enjoyed out on deck. Also, keep your camera handy because we are now in the realm of the sea eagle. After arriving at Svartisen Tourist Centre, you can admire this enigmatic ice world while enjoying a warm drink and the Norwegian “lefse” (griddle cake) buffet. Afterwards, you continue by boat along the beautiful Helgeland coastline to Bodø where you rejoin the ship.

Important information

Transportation: Boat

Meals during the excursion: Coffee/tea and buffet with flatbread

Clothes/footwear: Comfortable shoes and warm clothing

Note: We do not go all the way up to the glacier. Not bookable on board MS Lofoten and MS Vesterålen.

Physical requirement: Level 2 - Most are able to participate on this excursion, however it does require some physical exertion. This includes moderate physical activity on relatively even ground and easy terrain. The excursion is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility.

4B Arctic Coastal Walk (Bodø)

Join us for a guided walk along the coast in Bodø and learn why devotion to nature is integrated in the Norwegian culture.

Highlights of the excursion

• Discover Bodø, the second-largest city in northern Norway
• Explore the famous Eagle landscape at Bodø
• Experience Saltstraumen, the strongest tidal current in the world

Our excursion starts with a sightseeing tour through the city of Bodø, which lies just north of the Arctic Circle. We then drive some six miles through fantastic coastal landscape to Saltstraumen – the strongest tidal current in the world with water speeds reaching 22 knots. Saltstraumen has fascinated people for generations. Author Jules Verne even wrote about it in his famous novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Up to 13 billion cubic feet of seawater forces its way through a 1.9 mile long passage that is just 150 metres/490 ft wide and 31 metres/100 ft deep. Vortices known as maelstroms, up to 10 m/33 ft in diameter and 5 m/16 ft in depth, are formed when the current is at its strongest. After seeing Saltstraumen, you receive a complimentary box of salt flakes produced from the water here. Like snowflakes, salt crystals are unique. Water temperature, season and humidity at Saltstraumen stamp a unique footprint on each and every salt flake. Take your salt home and add authentic Arctic flavour to your cooking.

Important information

Transport: Bus

Physical requirement: Level 2 - Most are able to participate on this excursion, however it does require some physical exertion. This includes moderate physical activity on relatively even ground and easy terrain. The excursion is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility. Landing is by tender boat. Getting on and off the tender boat will be difficult for people with impaired mobility.

Clothes/footwear: Hiking shoes, warm and windproof clothing

4D RIB Safari to Saltstraumen (Bodø)

The giant maelstroms of Saltstraumen have captured the imagination of artists and authors for generations. Join us on a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) safari to witness these wondrous forces of nature.

Highlights of the excursion

• See the world's strongest maelstrom
• See the Caledonian Fold Belt (more than 250 million years old mountains)
• A chance to see the sea eagles

Jules Verne wrote about Saltstraumen in his famous novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Edgar Allen Poe penned a whole story about the whirlpools in A Descent into the Maelstrom, and Herman Melville described Saltstraumen through his character Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. No wonder. Saltstraumen is the world’s most powerful tidal current. Four times a day, some 13 billion cubic feet of water are forced in and out through a passage that is 150 metres/490 ft wide and 31 metres/100 ft deep.

The conditions cause such an intense churning and downward pull that it can be dangerous to sail through Saltstraumen outside of specific windows of time. On this tour, we sit safely and comfortably in sturdy rubber boats with high-powered outboard motors, operated by highly experienced and knowledgeable pilots. There is also a good chance to observe sea eagles during the trip. You can also see parts of the Caledonian Fold Belt, one of the world´s oldest mountain ranges dating back more than 250 million years. This is a day packed full of exciting nature adventure.

Important information

Transport: RIB-både (inflatable boats)

Clothes/footwear: Comfortable shoes and warm clothing. Suitable protective clothing is provided.

Physical requirement: Level 3 - The excursion requires physical activity on uneven and/or hard terrain. You must carry your own backpack and equipment. This excursion is not suitable for anyone with limited mobility. It is not possible for wheelchair users to participate on this excursion. The excursion is not suitable for anyone with back problems.

Note: The strength of the maelstrom varies with the tide.

Fakta

4E Lofotr Viking Banquet, Winter (Stamsund-Svolvær)

Experience how the Vikings lived at Lofotr in Borg, Lofoten, where the largest Viking building ever discovered has been replicated.

Highlights of the excursion

• Experience the history of the Vikings up close
• Visit the largest building ever found dating from the Viking Age
• Live performance with local actors
• A chance to experience the Northern Lights

The original Viking chieftain’s longhouse at Borg was built in about 500 AD and was inhabited until around 900 AD. Smell the tar that used to seal the timbers, feel the history inside the walls, and taste the food. The chieftain and lady of the house invite you to join them for an authentic and delicious Viking meal served with mead in the banquet hall. Experience the magic and excitement as the host Vikings make sacrifices to the Norse Gods, praying for good health, prosperity, a righteous death, and that the sun return to avert Ragnarok, the end of the world. Bridges were especially important sacrificial sites because they were seen as a threshold between the living and the dead. Viking settlements and burial sites were almost always close to water or connected by a bridge. After the Viking meal and sacrificial ceremony, we travel by coach to Svolvær and re-join the ship.  

Important information

Transport: Bus

Meals during the excursion: Dinner with mead

Clothes/footwear: Comfortable shoes and warm clothing

Note: Not available 24.-26., 31.12 and 01.01. The stay at Lofotr is approx.1 hour

4F Lofotr Viking Banquet, Summer (Stamsund-Svolvær)

Join us on an authentic journey through Lofoten´s ancient past at the Lofotr Viking Museum in Borg.

Highlights of the excursion

• See the largest building ever found from the Viking Age
• Experience a real Viking Banquet
• Get an insight into the history of the Norwegian Vikings
• See the beautiful nature in Lofoten.

On our trip to Lofotr, we learn from a guide about how life was for the Vikings who lived here more than 1,000 years ago. Upon arrival we are welcomed in to see and experience the chieftain’s house, which has been recreated in full size and features exhibits of finds dating back to the Viking Age. The chieftain and lady of the house also invite us to join them for an authentic and delicious Viking meal in the banquet hall. There is also entertainment featuring traditional costumes, singing and dancing. After the meal, served with mead, you travel by coach to Svolvær, learning more about the history of Lofoten along the way, before re-joining the ship. 

Important information

Transport: Bus

Meals during the excursion: Dinner with mead

Clothes/footwear: Comfortable shoes and warm clothing

4G Highlights of Lofoten

The Highlights of Lofoten excursion takes you to Lofoten's many picturesque fishing villages and towns, surrounded by a stunning backdrop of sea and mountains.

Highlights of the excursion

• See the beautiful nature in Lofoten.
• Stop at several small fishing villages.
• Visit Galleri Espolin and Lofoten Museum in Kabelvåg.
• See the beautiful Vågan church also known as Lofoten Cathedral.

After starting in Stamsund, our first stop is a photo stop at Torvdalshalsen. We then continue to Kabelvåg, the oldest fishing village in the Lofoten Islands and formerly the largest. It was here that Lofoten’s commercial fisheries started more than 1,000 years ago. In Kabelvåg, we visit Gallery Espolin, with the largest collection of works made by beloved artist Kaare Espolin Johnson, known for his depictions of the sea, Lofoten and the hard lives of fishermen.

Close to the gallery is Lofoten Museum where you can learn about the history of the local fishermen. At the site of the medieval town of Vågar, once an important community founded on the fish trade, we see authentic fishermen's cabins and boathouses featuring Nordland boats. Our last stop is Vågan Church in Kabelvåg, also known as Lofoten Cathedral. The church was built in 1898 in the Gothic Revival style and is one of Norway´s largest with close to 1,200 seats.

Important information

Transportation: Guided tour by bus from Stamsund to Svolvær

4I Farm visit in Lofoten

Experience life on a diverse working farm, Aalan Farm at Lauvdalen, Lofoten, renowned for its herbs and organic cheeses.

Highlights of the excursion

• Visit an authentic, working farm in Lofoten
• Taste food samples and get close to the animals
• Visit one of Hurtigruten's local food suppliers
• Buy farm products

Aalan Farms is operated by the Åland family who supply Hurtigruten ships along the coast with teas and tasty organic cheeses year round. It is the only local Hurtigruten food supplier that opens its gates to visiting ship passengers during a voyage. Here, you see, smell, touch and learn about real life on a farm in the far north of Norway. The Åland family shows and tells us about food production, animal husbandry, daily work routines and how they spend their leisure time. We also taste their many varieties of cheeses, herbs and other products made from scratch. Be sure and buy some for a savoury snack later. You also meet the farm's goats, dogs, cats, mini pigs, ducks, chickens… and if you're lucky, the free range cow, Victoria. It´s a down-to-earth experience that might even inspire you to pack up and move to the country.

Important information

Transportation: Bus

Clothes/footwear: Comfortable clothing and footwear

Meals on the excursion: No meals, only tastings