Bergen to Kirkenes Coastal Express: Northbound vs Southbound vs Round Trip

The coastal express is the oldest way to see Norway from the water, and it is not a cruise in the resort sense. It is a working coastal line that has run from Bergen to Kirkenes since 1893, carrying locals, cars and cargo to 34 ports along the whole Norwegian coast. Two operators run it now, Hurtigruten and Havila, under the same government contract, on the same route, with the same daily rhythm. You can sail the whole thing, Bergen to Kirkenes and back in 12 days, or you can sail one leg: seven days northbound, or six days southbound. The choice changes what you see, when you see it, and what it costs, so it is worth deciding before you book.

This guide compares the three options, northbound, southbound and round trip, port by port and pound by pound, so you can pick the one that fits your trip.

The route in one paragraph

The route runs from Bergen, on the west coast, to Kirkenes, in the far north-east, a few kilometres from the Russian border, and back again. It covers about 2,500 nautical miles, calls at 34 ports, and runs all year, in the midnight sun and in the polar night. Hurtigruten Coastal operates seven ships on the route. Havila Kystruten operates four newer ships, Havila Capella, Havila Castor, Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux, each carrying 640 passengers in 179 cabins, running on LNG and battery power. Both operators include full board, and both sail the same timetable: a ship leaves Bergen every day, and a ship leaves Kirkenes every day, so the departures are daily, not weekly. The best fjord cruise guide compares the coastal voyage with the big-ship round trips, and the Complete Guide explains how the coastal voyage fits the whole fjord trip.

Northbound: seven days, Bergen to Kirkenes

Northbound is the classic direction, and the one most first-timers choose. You board in Bergen in the evening and wake up sailing north through the fjords, with the scenery getting wilder every day. The ship calls at 34 ports on the way up, and the days build towards the Arctic: Ålesund on day two, Trondheim on day three, the Arctic Circle on day four, Lofoten and Tromsø on day five, Honningsvåg and the North Cape on day six, and Kirkenes on day seven.

The northbound leg has the best fjord sailing. In summer, the ships detour into the famous fjords: Havila sails into the Geirangerfjord from April to August, and Hurtigruten detours into the Geirangerfjord in the summer months, June to August. In autumn, the detour switches to the Hjørundfjord: Havila from September to October, Hurtigruten in spring and autumn. The Geirangerfjord guide covers the fjord in full, and the Hjørundfjord guide covers the quieter alternative.

Northbound also has the longest port calls where they matter. Ålesund gets about ten hours, so you can climb the 418 steps to the Aksla viewpoint and walk the Art Nouveau town properly. Tromsø gets about four hours northbound, enough for the cable car up Mount Storsteinen. Honningsvåg gets the long stop for the North Cape excursion. The Ålesund guide covers the town in full, and the Tromsø northern lights guide covers the Arctic city.

Northbound ends in Kirkenes, and the ship turns around after about three and a half hours in port. If you are sailing northbound only, you fly home from Kirkenes, which has flights to Oslo, and that is the tidy end to the trip. The one-way rhythm suits travellers who want the fjords and the Arctic in a single week, and who do not mind flying back.

Southbound: six days, Kirkenes to Bergen

Southbound is the same route in reverse, and it is not simply the northbound sailing played backwards. It takes six days, not seven, and calls at 33 ports, not 34, because the timetable runs differently in the southern direction. The ship leaves Kirkenes and sails south through the Arctic, then down the coast, and the ports you passed at night on the way up are the ones you see by day on the way down.

Southbound has the best nature sailing. The Lofoten Islands come by day, and the ship attempts the detour into the narrow Trollfjord, weather permitting, where sea eagles nest on the cliffs. The Torghatten mountain, with its famous hole through the rock, passes by day. The Hurtigruten Museum at Stokmarknes, where the old MS Finnmarken is preserved, is a southbound stop. The 14-day Arctic Circle itinerary covers the Arctic ports in full.

Southbound suits travellers who have already flown north, or who want the Arctic first and the fjords last. It also suits photographers: the light on the southbound leg falls differently, and Lofoten by day is the shot most people come for. Tromsø gets less time southbound, about an hour and three quarters, so if Tromsø matters to you, northbound is the better leg.

Round trip: twelve days, and the whole coast twice

The round trip is the full voyage, Bergen to Kirkenes and back in 12 days, and it is the only option that shows you the whole coast in daylight. Every port the ship passes at night on the way up, it passes by day on the way down, and the other way round. That is the whole point of the round trip: nothing is left to the dark.

The round trip is also the only option that covers both fjord detours and both seasons of light in a single sailing. You get the Geirangerfjord or Hjørundfjord detour northbound, the Trollfjord attempt southbound, the midnight sun in summer or the northern lights in winter, and the long port calls in both directions. It is the trip for travellers who want the coast properly, not a sample of it.

The cost is the catch. The round trip costs roughly twice a one-way leg, not half as much again, and it takes twelve days, which is more holiday than most people have. If you have the time and the budget, it is the best version of the voyage. If you do not, one leg, chosen for what you want to see, is the better trip.

Northbound, southbound or round trip, compared

	Northbound	Southbound	Round trip
Route	Bergen to Kirkenes	Kirkenes to Bergen	Bergen to Kirkenes and back
Days	7	6	12
Ports	34	33	34, seen twice
Best fjord sailing	Geirangerfjord or Hjørundfjord detour	Trollfjord attempt, Lofoten by day	Both detours, both directions
Longest port calls	Ålesund about 10 hours, Tromsø about 4 hours	Lofoten, Stokmarknes museum	All of them, in daylight
Ends	Fly home from Kirkenes	Fly home from Bergen, or start there	Back in Bergen, no flight needed
Hurtigruten from	Around $1,940 per person, November 2026	Check the operator for your date	Around $2,155 per person, November 2026
Best for	First-timers, fjord lovers, the Arctic	Photographers, nature lovers, the Arctic first	Travellers with 12 days who want it all

Prices are starting prices for an inside cabin, and they change with the date and the cabin. Check the fare for your departure against the operator’s booking page.

Hurtigruten vs Havila

The two operators run the same route under the same contract, so the ports and the timetable are the same. The difference is the ships and the style. Hurtigruten has run the route since 1893, and its seven ships are older, smaller and more traditional, with a strong expedition team and a long history on the coast. Havila joined in December 2021 with four brand-new ships, all identical, all running on LNG and battery power, and all able to sail the Geirangerfjord on batteries alone, with no emissions at all.

Havila’s ships are newer and quieter, and the cabins are modern, with large windows and a clean Scandinavian design. Hurtigruten’s ships are more varied, and the cabins range from small inside cabins to suites, with more character and more history. Both include full board, and both carry the same mix of cruise passengers and local travellers, with cars and cargo coming and going at the ports.

Prices overlap, and the cheaper operator changes with the date. Havila’s round voyage starts from about $1,896 per person for an inside cabin, as listed in October 2026. Hurtigruten’s round trip starts from about $2,155 per person, as listed in November 2026. Havila’s northbound leg starts from about $2,384 per person, and its southbound leg from about $1,201 for an inside cabin. Compare the two operators for your dates, and compare what is included: meals, Wi-Fi, excursions and the drinks package differ, and the cheapest fare is not always the cheapest trip.

What it costs

The coastal voyage is not cheap, but it is predictable. The fare covers the cabin and full board, and the excursions are extra. A round trip in an inside cabin starts from about $1,896 to $2,155 per person, depending on the operator and the date. A northbound leg starts from about $1,940 to $2,384 per person. A southbound leg starts from about $1,201 per person for an inside cabin. Suites cost roughly twice the inside fare, and the top suites cost more again. The cost and budget guide covers fjord prices in detail.

Book early for the best price. The from prices apply to the cheapest cabins on the cheapest dates, and they rise as the ship fills. Winter sailings are the cheapest, and the northern lights season, from late September to March, is the best value for the Arctic. Summer sailings, June to August, cost the most, and the midnight sun sailings sell out first.

Budget for the excursions separately. The North Cape excursion, the Sea Eagle safari in the Trollfjord, the dog sledding in Kirkenes and the RIB safaris are the expensive ones, and they are the ones worth doing. A realistic excursion budget for the round trip is £200 to £400 per person, and more if you do the North Cape and the safaris.

When to go

The coastal voyage runs all year, and the season changes the trip completely. Summer, June to August, is the midnight sun: the sun does not set above the Arctic Circle, the fjord detours run, and the ports are at their busiest. The Geirangerfjord detour runs in summer, and the Hjørundfjord detour runs in autumn. September is the best value month: the light is softer, the ports are quieter, and the northern lights start to appear.

Winter, late September to March, is the northern lights season. Both operators promise the lights: Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Promise covers voyages of 11 days or more departing between 20 September and 31 March, and Havila’s covers the Round Voyage departing between 1 October and 31 March. If the lights do not appear within sight of the ship, both operators give you a free 6- or 7-day voyage in a later season. The best time to visit the Norway fjords guide covers the seasons month by month, and the Tromsø northern lights guide covers the lights in full.

Shorter legs and port-to-port tickets

You do not have to sail the whole route. The coastal express is also a working ferry, and you can buy a ticket for part of it, from one port to another, as a local traveller would. Bergen to Trondheim is the most useful short leg: about 37 hours northbound, leaving Bergen at 20:30 and arriving in Trondheim at 09:45 two mornings later, and about 29 hours southbound, with one night on board. It is a cheap way to see the coast between the two cities, and it includes the fjord sailing north of Bergen.

Port-to-port tickets are also the way to use the ship as transport between fjord towns, for example from Ålesund to Trondheim, or from Tromsø to Honningsvåg for the North Cape. The tickets are sold by the operators, and the price depends on the distance and the cabin. Check the operator’s booking page for the leg you want, and book the cabin, because the cheapest port-to-port tickets are for a seat, not a bed.

Booking tips

Book the cabin for the direction you sail. On the northbound leg, the fjord side is the starboard side for much of the route, and on the southbound leg it is the port side. A sea-view cabin on the right side is worth the extra money on a one-way leg, and it is worth less on the round trip, because you see both sides. An inside cabin is fine if you spend your time on deck, which is where the views are.

Book the excursions that sell out early: the North Cape, the Sea Eagle safari and the Kirkenes dog sledding. For the rest, the ship’s excursions are convenient, and the ports are small enough to walk. Pack for layers and rain, not for summer, even in July: the coast is windy, and the deck is cold. The packing list guide covers what to wear by season, with a checklist, and the first-timer tips guide covers the booking mistakes to avoid. The visa guide covers the entry rules.

What to skip

Skip the idea that the coastal voyage visits the famous fjords the way a big ship does. It does not sail the Sognefjord or the Hardangerfjord, and it only detours into the Geirangerfjord or the Hjørundfjord in season. If the southern fjords are the reason you are going, the big-ship round trip or the Nutshell route is the better trip. Skip the suite unless you want the space: the views are the same from the deck, and the deck is free. And skip booking the cheapest inside cabin on a winter sailing without checking the size: the smallest cabins are small, and twelve days in one is a long time.

If you would rather skip the ships altogether, the public transport options are covered in full in the guide on this site on visiting the fjords without a cruise.

Finding your way around

Key map links for the ports on this route:

• Bergen, Norway, the gateway city and the start of the voyage
• Ålesund, Norway, the Art Nouveau town, day two northbound
• Trondheim, Norway, the old capital, day three northbound
• Bodø, Norway, the Arctic Circle crossing, day four
• Tromsø, Norway, the Arctic city, day five northbound
• Honningsvåg, Norway, the North Cape gateway, day six northbound
• Kirkenes, Norway, the turning point, day seven northbound
• Svolvær, Norway, the Lofoten capital, seen by day southbound
• Stokmarknes, Norway, home of the Hurtigruten Museum, southbound

Frequently asked questions