Norway - Aurora - R321 departing 15 Nov 2023

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.

People have been cruising to Andalsnes for more than 120 years because of its stunning location. For, an Alpine town as well as a cruise port, Andalsnes nestles where the towering Romsdal Alps meet the northern end of the sparkling Romsdalfjord.

A small, friendly town with shops and markets, Andalsnes is also close to the famous Trollstigen road. This leads through pretty villages, past scenic fjords and majestic mountain peaks and across the stone bridge over the cascading Stigfossen waterfall to the Trollvegen (Troll Wall) which – at nearly 6,000 feet – is the highest vertical drop in northern Europe.

Another way to see the Troll Wall and even more dramatic Alpine scenery besides is to take the Rauma Railway steam train which leaves from a station right by the cruise port.

Please note snow based shore excursions are not available on autumn cruises.

It is easy to make the most of a day in Norway’s most northerly city and cruise port Tromsø because, in summer, the ‘midnight sun’ shines around the clock. The best way to see its full glory is to take a cable car 480 metres up to the top of Mount Storsteinen, which affords spectacular views out over the city to the surrounding mountains. You’re just 400km from the Arctic Circle in Tromsø, but there’s no need to get out your polar gear. Thanks to its position on the Gulf Stream, this lively city (said to have the greatest number of bars per capita in Norway) is relatively mild for its latitude.

If you’re fascinated by the world of snow and ice, the city’s Polaria Science Museum is the place to find out all about it. Within its iceberg-shaped walls, you can meet the local wildlife at a vast aquarium, experience an Arctic snowstorm or take a virtual trek through the frozen wilderness to encounter polar bears and see the mystical Northern Lights.

Tromso also has a centuries-old heart and some impressive modern architecture, including the beautifully austere, peaked Arctic Cathedral with its icy shards of concrete and glass.

Please note snow-based shore excursions are not available on autumn cruises.

Home to the Cathedral of the Northern Lights, Alta is also the site of the world’s first Northern Lights observatory, built in the late 1800s. This is one of the spots you’re most likely to catch a glimpse of the unpredictable polar light show, earning Alta the title, ‘ The Town of the Northern Lights’.

Other sights of interest include the rock carvings at Hjemmeluft – the first of which was discovered just 60 years ago. The site is now UNESCO protected due to its significance and size and comprises carvings and paintings made between 1800 to 6200 years ago.

Please note snow-based shore excursions are not available on autumn cruises.

Home to the Cathedral of the Northern Lights, Alta is also the site of the world’s first Northern Lights observatory, built in the late 1800s. This is one of the spots you’re most likely to catch a glimpse of the unpredictable polar light show, earning Alta the title, ‘ The Town of the Northern Lights’.

Other sights of interest include the rock carvings at Hjemmeluft – the first of which was discovered just 60 years ago. The site is now UNESCO protected due to its significance and size and comprises carvings and paintings made between 1800 to 6200 years ago.

Please note snow-based shore excursions are not available on autumn cruises.

Haugesund, homeland of the Viking kings and birthplace of Norway, is a place where you can inhale the Viking spirit. Surrounded by beautiful coastline, spectacular waterfalls and majestic fjords it’s no wonder the kings called this extraordinary setting home. Populated for thousands of years, you can walk in the footsteps of the great kings at the Nordvegen History Centre and travel back over 3,500 years. St Olav’s Church, dating from 1250 AD, is a monument to the former days of glory, and next to the church stands one of Norway’s tallest pillars, Virgin Mary’s Sewing Needle. In nearby Rehaugene you can explore the ‘Pyramids of the North’ – six intriguing Bronze Age, earthen burial mounds. And if you are feeling like a spot of retail therapy, you’re in luck – not only is Haugesund filled with charming markets it’s also home to Norway’s longest pedestrian street.

The city center is a charming mix of old city walls and a large modern shopping centre. With multiple restaurants, museums, cinemas and theatres there is plenty to be explored. Time spent at embarkation and disembarkation ports may be limited which may restrict availability of shore excursions.