Norway (Bergen to the Arctic) · October 2023
Norway: A Coastal Voyage to the Arctic
Some trips are about going deep; this one was about going north. We crafted a solo Norwegian adventure built around the country's legendary coastal voyage, sailing from the fjord-side city of Bergen up into the Arctic in pursuit of jagged peaks, plunging waterfalls, and the otherworldly green glow of the Northern Lights.
Day by day
Days 1-3
Bergen, gateway to the fjords
We began in Bergen, the colorful, rain-washed gateway to the fjords, wandering its historic wharf, riding up Mount Ulriken for the view, and easing into the slow, cozy rhythm of a Norwegian autumn before setting off up the coast.
Days 4-6
Fjords and the road to the Arctic
The voyage threaded some of the planet's most spectacular scenery: the sheer walls of the Geirangerfjord and Hjorundfjord, the art-nouveau town of Alesund, and the royal city of Trondheim, before crossing into the Arctic at Bodo, near the churning maelstrom of Saltstraumen.
Days 7-10
Northern Lights and the North Cape
This was the heart of it: night after night scanning the dark sky for the aurora, a visit to learn the science behind the lights, and the windswept cliffs of the North Cape, the very top of Europe, with nothing between you and the pole.
Days 11-15
Lofoten and the journey south
The return leg delivered the dramatic spires of the Lofoten Islands and a mountain hike in the far north, a final run of fjords and Arctic light before the long, contented journey home.
From the trip
Towering fjords, the green fire of the aurora, and the lonely cliffs at the top of Europe. A reminder that an SXT adventure can take you to the ends of the Earth, dry land very much included.
Want to do this one yourself?
We run trips like this every year. See where we're headed next and grab a spot before the group fills up.