When to travel
Norway is special in that it has something extraordinary to offer in every season. Spring (March–May) brings thundering waterfalls surging with snowmelt and blossoming orchards in Hardangerfjord.
Summer (June–August) is the most popular time to visit, with long golden days, the Midnight Sun above the Arctic Circle, and ideal conditions for hiking, kayaking and fjord sailing. Autumn (September–October) offers quieter crowds, vivid foliage and the return of the Northern Lights.
Winter (November–February) transforms Norway into a snow-draped wilderness, perfect for dog sledding, snowmobiling, and chasing the aurora. Each season and month bring new opportunities to experience a Hurtigruten voyage in an entirely different light.
Locals refer to three distinct seasons on Svalbard: Polar summer, from mid-May to the end of September; Northern Lights winter, from October to February; and sunny winter, from March to mid-May.
Winter offers the best Northern Lights viewing: the sun doesn't peep above the horizon from 26 October to 16 February, making you as likely to see the aurora at lunchtime as at bedtime.
Summer is the best time for wildlife spotting and outdoor activities, with 24-hour daylight making hiking (always with a guide) possible at any hour. The Midnight Sun lights the archipelago from 20 April to 22 August. Hurtigruten's Svalbard Line operates from May to September, combining fjords, wildlife and the Midnight Sun.
The best time to see the Northern Lights is when the nights grow long and dark – from late September to early April along the Norwegian coast, especially north of the Arctic Circle.
Sailing with Hurtigruten gives you a significant advantage: our ships can move to find clear skies away from cloud cover and light pollution, while bridge officers alert guests the moment the aurora appears.
And Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise means that if you sail for more than 11 days during the season and don't see the aurora at all, you'll receive a free voyage to try again.
Most parts of Norway that experience the Midnight Sun do so from mid-May to mid-July. The exact dates vary by location: in Tromsø it runs from 20 May to 25 July, while at the North Cape it stretches from 13 May to 31 July. In the Svalbard archipelago, the sun can be seen for 24 hours a day from late April to late August – just over four months of constant sunlight.
A Hurtigruten summer cruise sailing north of the Arctic Circle is one of the finest ways to experience this extraordinary phenomenon, watching the sun dip toward the horizon at midnight before rising again without ever disappearing.
The Norwegian coastline is warmed by the Gulf Stream, giving most of southern Norway a temperate climate with dry, cold winters and comfortably warm summers, when temperatures often reach 20°C.
Winter brings short days, sub-zero temperatures and rapidly changing conditions, so layering is always advisable. Before you step ashore, particularly in icy and slippery destinations, make sure to wear suitable shoes and crampons (the latter can be purchased in our onboard shop).
Whatever the weather, Hurtigruten's voyages are designed to make the most of each season, with onboard activities and menus that change with the coastal conditions.
Norway rewards those who take their time. A minimum of 7–12 days allows you to experience a meaningful stretch of the coast, and Hurtigruten's classic Coastal Express roundtrip voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back takes 12 days, visiting up to 34 ports.
The Best of Norway self-guided tour spans 12 days and combines Oslo, the Flåm Railway, and our coastal voyage. If you want to include Svalbard, the roundtrip Svalbard Line is 15 days. Those short on time can sail a one-way leg of the Coastal Express in 6–7 days, but Norway's vast distances mean the more time you allow, the richer and more varied your experience will be — there is always more to discover.