Alta
UNESCO Rock Art and Northern Lights Cathedral
Excursion
Price from $199
Difficulty level
Easy
Booking code
HRS-ALF6
Duration
3h
Notes
Read the practical information below
Take in the exhibition at Alta Museum featuring nearby prehistoric rock art discoveries, the largest collection in northern Europe
Learn more about the history of Alta and enjoy views of Altafjord
Visit the landmark new Alta Cathedral, also known as the Northern Lights Cathedral.
Understand the history and science of the northern lights through a fun and immersive exhibition and a unique presentation.
You’ll meet your local guide and board the bus for a short tour of Alta’s city center, learning about daily life in what is often described as one of the northernmost cities in the world.
Your first stop is the Alta Museum, home to Northern Europe’s largest collection of prehistoric rock carvings, discovered near Altafjord and now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Exhibits include carvings from the nearby Hjemmeluft site—among them “Pippi,” the first rock carving ever discovered in Alta—alongside displays covering Sámi and Kven heritage, the local slate industry, and the history of the Alta River.
From there, you’ll continue to the striking Alta Cathedral, whose titanium-clad spire spirals skyward in a design inspired by the Northern Lights. During the long Arctic nights, the façade reflects the aurora as it dances overhead. Inside, the immersive Borealis Alta exhibition explores both the science and Sámi mythology behind the Northern Lights, one of nature’s most extraordinary phenomena.