Welcome to Norway! First stop: Norway’s thriving capital, Oslo. Take the transfer from the airport to your hotel, located in the heart of the city. The rest of the day or evening is spent at your leisure.

You’ll probably want to explore the many charms the cosmopolitan capital has to offer. Make your way to the city center and snap some photos of singular architecture at Rådhuset town hall, the Royal Palace, and Oslo Cathedral.

You can find popular eateries at Aker Brygge at the waterfront, along with the imposing Akershus Fortress and the gleaming new buildings around Bjørvika. The latter is where you’ll find modern attractions like the Oslo Opera House and the landmark new Edvard Munch Museum. As you’d expect, it hosts the world’s largest collection of works by the iconic Norwegian artist.

If there’s enough daylight left, you could even jump on the metro from Central station. A short 20-minute ride is all it takes to bring you to the edge of a tranquil alpine forest overlooking the city.

Today, you’ll discover more of Oslo at your own pace before you board the ship. Oslo’s small size makes it an ideal city to explore on foot. Learn about the city’s history and culture from several museums, including the popular Fram Museum and Kon-Tiki Museum.

A transfer will take you to the pier and your ship, MS Trollfjord, which will depart by early evening. Once we’ve welcomed you aboard and you’ve settled into your cabin or suite, you’ll meet your Coastal Experience Team. Meet each member of the team as they give lectures and organize onboard activities throughout your cruise.

Meet your fellow guests in the ship’s two-story panorama lounge and mark the moment as we make history by sailing from Oslo for the first time. Watch as the capital’s twinkling lights fade into the distance and admire the scenery and various points of interests along Oslofjord.

As we sail past the southern tip of Norway, we’ll begin heading north along the west coast. Just past Stavanger, we’ll reach Haugesund, the ‘Home of the Viking Kings’.

The nickname is inspired by sites such as St. Olav’s Church, built in 1250 by King Håkon Hå. We also have Haraldshaugen, a national monument reputed to be the first king’s burial site. Why not step back in time to the Viking Age at Nordvegen Visiting Center, which features exhibitions presented by a fictional Harald Fairhair himself.

After a short stop in Haugesund, rejoin the ship for some scenic cruising in Hardangerfjord. At 111 miles long, it is the second longest fjord in the country, and fifth longest in the world.

This stunning waterway is one of Norway’s finest. Mountain scenery is everywhere you look, with white peaks towering over the fjord and reflecting off the shimmering water below.

The region is famous for its apples, used in jams and juice to award-winning cider, which one food writer described as ‘Nordic champagne’.

Weather permitting, we may be able to dock at Rosendal or one of the other picturesque settlements that line the fjord’s shores. In the quaint village of Rosendal, the biggest attraction is the 16th-century Baronial manor, famous for its beautiful rose garden and landscaped grounds.

Surrounded by islands and water, Brønnøysund sits on a narrow peninsula that juts out from the mainland. Around 5,000 people live in this small town, many in colorful houses against a backdrop of gentle slopes and dramatic mountain peaks.

Enjoy the bustling atmosphere of the harbor and stroll along Havnegata. Drop into one of the pubs for a snack, or treat yourself to a meal in a local restaurant. Wander the visitors’ marina, or visit an 1870 stone church built in neo-Gothic style. For some extra excitement, you may be able to go kayaking or island-hopping on an RIB safari.

You can also look forward to visiting the Vega Islands. This island chain is made up of over 6,500 islands, reefs, and skerries, and signs of inhabitance date back to the Stone Age. The archipelago received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2004 in recognition of the sustainable lifestyle led by generations of islanders and their practice of farming eider down.

On an island south of Brønnøysund, you’ll find Torghatten mountain, recognizable by a natural tunnel that runs through the center. According to local lore, the hole is the result of a troll who fired an arrow at a young woman who rejected his advances. As the Troll King threw his hat to protect her, the sun began to rise, turning the hat to stone with a hole in the middle from the arrow.

On an optional excursion, you can hike an hour up to the hole in the mountain. Peer through the tunnel and enjoy the view of the surrounding islands.

We’ll continue sailing north in the afternoon, leaving the Helgeland coast behind as we cross the Arctic Circle around midnight.

Today, you can explore the Arctic Capital. Often called the ‘gateway to the Arctic’, Tromsø is Norway's northernmost university city and the ideal place to enjoy winter activities like dog sledding and snowshoeing.

Sitting approximately 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø experiences polar night for just over a month in the winter, which gives you a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

This urban city is buzzing with life, with everything from trendy restaurants and cafés to boutique shops selling local crafts and produce. You can even find some high fashion. MS Trollfjord will be in port here for 10 hours, giving you plenty of time to join optional excursions and explore the city yourself.

The activities on offer include a guided tour of the Polar Museum, which chronicles the city’s legacy of Arctic hunting and trade. For live animals, head to the Polaria center. This is an aquarium home to different Arctic marine species, including seals.

Across the water from Polaria, you’ll find the Arctic Cathedral, whose striking design and impressive stained-glass window stands out in the cityscape. There may also be opportunity to visit some of Tromsø’s surrounding fjords and possibly the rugged island of Senja.

Alta is one of the bigger coastal towns we visit, with a population of over 10,000 people. A particularly famous part of the town is Alta River, one of Norway’s best salmon rivers. Large salmon are regularly caught here, with some even weighing up to 53 lbs. You won’t regret trying fresh grilled salmon in one of the local restaurants.

At 70 degrees north, this town is still far above the Arctic Circle. The area is known for particularly good northern lights visibility, so keep your camera ready. If the skies are clear and the conditions are right, you should be able to snap some amazing shots of the lights dancing above.

You can learn more about this incredible natural light show on a guided tour of the town. The Northern Lights Cathedral even has an exhibition showing how Alta became the epicenter of ground-breaking research of the aurora borealis between the 19th and 20th centuries.

Increased snowfall in the winter allows for some truly authentic Arctic excursions, like dog-sledding. The snow and climate of Alta also creates the perfect conditions to build and maintain the Igloo Hotel, located on the banks of river Alta.

You can tour the world’s northernmost ice hotel, built out of snow and ice every winter and carved with different artistic themes by local sculptors. Head to the hotel’s ice bar, decorated with handcrafted ice sculptures. Order a drink in an ice glass—no ice cubes needed.

Continuing south, we’ll leave the land of the polar night as we cross the Arctic Circle in the wee hours of the morning.

The Vikna archipelago is a chain of around 6,000 islands, islets, and skerries. The largest of the chain, Inner-Vikna, is our next stop. We aim to dock at the port town of Rørvik around midday and stay there for a few hours.

The town and its surrounding areas have a long history, with burial mounds that date back to ancient times. Rørvik’s museums document the area’s maritime, particularly the Norwegian Coastal Museum.

Similarly, at the SalmoNor visitor’s center, you can take a tour of a modern salmon farm and find out more about the Norwegian aquaculture industry that supplies the world with tasty Nordic salmon.

Another major export is cod, and the town even has an annual Cod Festival in March. Cod is especially common in the waters of the archipelago during winter. Why not indulge in some fresh cod cakes?

Return to the ship in the late afternoon for your second-to-last evening on board. Enjoy the ship’s facilities, such as the soothing panoramic sauna, or warm yourself up with some local aquavit in the top-deck bar.

From south to north and back down, reflect on your journey as you we approach Bergen, our last port of the cruise, in the early morning.

Say goodbye to the crew before disembarking and ending of your travels with us. This marks the end of your trip on the North Cape Express, exploring Norway’s coastal cities and villages all the way to the top of the European continent.

During the journey, you’ll have experienced Norway’s varied climate, seen majestic mountains and fjords, and maybe gazed up in awe at the northern lights.

We hope that you’ll cherish each of the memories that you take home from your voyage on the North Cape Express. Sail with us again soon on another iconic voyage through our spectacular home: the Norwegian coast.