HURTIGRUTEN - Bergen to Kirkenes in Winter! (Travel Guide)

It is, quite simply, the most beautiful voyage in the world. The coastal express (currently operated by both Hurtigruten and Havila) sails from Bergen to Kirkenes past some of the most jaw dropping scenery that the planet has to offer. This is not a "Norway cruise". The coastal express is a working boat. The length of the stops are determined more by cargo turnaround than tourist requirements. Given the incredible distances (by land) between ports the Hurtigruten coastal express has been a lifeline service for over 100 years. Sailings even continued throughout the pandemic despite a total lack of foreign tourists.
Join me for a voyage to the arctic in winter, through magical snowscapes and icy remote ports. This film is a "highlights package" of the 7 night voyage, focussing on the landscapes and the main ports. In a separate film I will be looking at the on board experience and Frequently Asked Questions. You can compare this voyage with the Hurtigruten Svalbard Express which I filmed for the channel last year.
Many of the ports are featured in this film (but not all - I had to get some sleep!). You will see:
Bergen
Torvik
Ålesund
Molde
Trondheim
Rørvik
Ørnes
Bodø
Stamsund
Svolvær
Stokmarknes
Sortland
Harstad
Finnsnes
Tromsø
Skjervøy
Hammerfest
Havøysund
Honningsvåg
Kjøllefjord
Berlevåg
Vadsø
Kirkenes
Filmed February 2024
Jonathan Wheeler
Travel Obscurer
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@TravelObscurer

[@jonathanwheeler4444]

I hope you enjoy this film as much as I enjoyed making it. The landscapes of NW Norway in winter are simply magical.

[@Blacknight1812]

thank you, great film!

[@SWORKS2012]

Thank you for the wonderful video ! In my next live i must go to the Lofoten - perhaps.....!

[@HendrikDaStar]

I truly enjoyed watching your journey. Norway is full of surprises and endless landscapes. A living artworks.

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you for the great feedback.

[@twinlights11]

Pleasant narration and a congenial soundscape. Lovely mum! I look forward to my opportunity to embark on this unrivalled voyage.

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you. She is a lovely mum!

[@twinlights11]

@@TravelObscurer 💗

[@peakybean]

Brings back lovely memories of our Hurtigruten BKB journey in December, I agree it was like sailing through a Christmas card. We ended up enjoying coffee and buns in Honni Bakes because our North Cape trip was cancelled because of impassable roads. It was a surreal experience because we arrived at the same time as a bus load of Japanese tourists whose North Cape trip had also been cancelled, it was cosy in the cafe!

[@TravelObscurer]

I think the owner of Honni Bakes secretly hopes for impassable roads to the North Cape :)

[@user-vi9uq3dz1z]

epic journey

[@soykatwobadger2963]

Вражаюче відео. Така велич природи! Неймовірно красиво! Як же я замерзла! ☺ Дякую вам! 🇺🇦

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you!!

[@anaalebic-juretic6509]

I did enjoy. I made the same trip last March, after Summer one in July 1979. I cannot decide which is better. And yes, The Norway had changed much in this period. There were no hotels up to the Nord except the SAS hotel in Bodo. Would I like to do it again? Of course, but it is hard to decide between the Winter and the Summer tour, maybe Spring?

[@TravelObscurer]

I bet there was a huge difference between 1979 and 2023!

[@anaalebic-juretic6509]

Yes, the coastal tour is more less the same, but the boat is now more comfortable. I sailed on the black boats where the cabins had no key- that was embarrassing for some travellers. There was no road after Trondheim, so the supply to the north was carried on by boat. We also had a coffin on board, but we were warned to. The food was exquisite, and more Norwegian, with a lot of fish, and less meat that was not that well prepared. We had sour milk for free, and we drunk it all before return to Bergen. Now the main meal is pizza (?), and are starting producing beer. All in all, Norway lost some of its original specificity, but it is still a great country.

[@TravelObscurer]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. @@anaalebic-juretic6509

[@rogerbird380]

Great stuff. I've seen all your Hurtigruten videos and I think I'd definitely choose to go in winter ❄️

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you. There are some disadvantages though - for example the Lofoten Islands are completely lost in the darkness.

[@rogerbird380]

​@@TravelObscurer Useful to know - I'll have to go twice then 😁

[@davidaarthur]

Beautiful stuff! It's still kind of incredible to think how many of these ships are in operation at all times, all year round, and back to the 1890s.

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you! Yes, I agree, it's a remarkable story. A northbound and southbound sailing every single day except in seriously adverse weather.

[@mariojsworld]

Great voyage from Norway.

[@Reddude1]

Great video, as always. Dreaming of a winter trip myself. Thanks for all the info.

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you. You're welcome!

[@helengregory623]

Thank you for a very informative video. We are booked on this trip in late November, going both ways and can't wait!

[@bangersnmash4856]

We did this trip in jan 2020, an unforgettable trip, the staff on the boat were fantastic. We flew onto tromso and went to the lyngen alps then back to tromso. Saw the lights 4 times we were so lucky, want to go back for the midnight sun next.

[@TravelObscurer]

Totally agree. It really is unforgettable.

[@alexandradawson9057]

Really enjoyed this and looking at booking a winter voyage. When do you think is the best month( want to see the Northern Lights). Also, in your experience would being a solo passenger be ok

[@TravelObscurer]

No problem at all travelling solo. As for the northern lights, any of the winter months. Enjoy your voyage!

[@kathrynsadventures]

We are sailing on Richard With tomorrow (14th March '24) Thank you for the very informative video :)

[@TravelObscurer]

Have a great time!

[@videocatalao]

Really loved this. What a coincidence, I read something about the Hurtigruten yesterday for the first time and now I am watching this. You've made my day. I wonder if there's an hop-in hop-off option. Really liked the video without much narration. The images are strong. I would scrap the music altogether but that's just silly old me speaking. I was up north in 1982 but have not been back since. Honningsvog and the North Cape. In Honningsvog a family let me set up my tent in their garden and invited me in to watch TV, They had beautiful dogs. Choosing the time of the year must be difficult. Norway is very special to me, a symbol of many things. Thank you so much for this. Warm hug to your mom from the Far-East. Oh, but I do have one question. Do you think it would be much more expensive if one stops here and there for 1 or 2 days? Instead of taking always the same boat?

[@TravelObscurer]

Thank you so much for the great feedback. As regards hopping on and off I'm not sure if that works out more expensive. Possibly not if you don't take a cabin every night. That said, it would take some planning to make sure that there was always space available in the high season.

[@chrisporter9491]

Great video, thank you! We are planning a trip for next year and this is very helpful. I assume it was February that you travelled? Also, what camera are you using? Great quality footage. Thanks

[@TravelObscurer]

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, we left Bergen on 16 February. I use a Sony handycam AX43 (although I have just replaced with a Panasonic LUMIX) and a DJI Pocket Osmo.

[@feiryfella]

When did you go exactly? We were thinking about it but were worried about it being dark all the time.

[@TravelObscurer]

We left Bergen on 16 February. We didn't want to go in December or January for precisely that reason - the days would be too short.

[@user-sd8ky4zm3l]

The proper name is CELSIUS not Centigrade!

[@NejBk]

Actually, they still use centigrade in the UK. It is exactly the same as Celsius but old fashioned.