Hurtigruten – classic round-trip voyage

Beginning your trip with complimentary airport lounge access, you’ll fly out to Bergen’s beautifully timbered Hanseatic wharf and spectacular ring of seven mountains. An included transfer and the first of your full-board dining will then greet you at your Hurtigruten ship. Throughout your sailing, you’ll enjoy menus that showcase the best in fresh ingredients from the coast. Today, you’ll follow the Viking route along the green-clad Hjeltefjord – scenic views that are best taken in with the sun deck and pair of observation lounges. Further facilities include a bar, café, library and fitness centre, while destinations are brought to life by a superb lecture programme.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Waking early, you’ll be treated to the snow-peaked beauty of Nordfjord as the ship navigates past skerries and islands to arrive at Ålesund. Entirely rebuilt at the turn of the century, it’s an Art Nouveau gem of spindling spires, imposing towers and highly ornate buildings. There’s also the option of visiting the resident penguins at the Atlanterhavsparken – one of Northern Europe’s largest saltwater aquariums. If you're sailing in summer, perhaps take a side trip into the Western Fjords, calling in at beautiful Geiranger, before retuning to Ålesund to set sail again, winding through the Hjørundfjord to be treated to giant views of the Sunnmøre Alp en route to Molde.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Today you’ll arrive in Trondheim, an ancient city founded by a Viking king. Its Nidaros Cathedral is a particular highlight, a lesson in Gothic architecture complete with spectacular views over the city. There’s also the superb Ringve Museum of Musical History. This manor house and botanical gardens hosts yet more pretty vistas. Back on board, you’ll set sail northwest, passing the beautiful Kjeungskjær lighthouse among countless charming islets and rocky outcrops. Then, after navigating the narrow Stokksund strait, you’ll arrive late into Rørvik.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Crossing into the Arctic Circle with a fun ceremony on deck, you’ll be entering into Midnight Sun and Northern Lights territory. And, if you're travelling over winter, you can request a wake-up call if the aurora makes an appearance. Your days will be action-packed too, with this morning given over to Svartisen – Norway’s second-largest glacier. Then, optional RIB safaris will see you witness sea eagles and the world’s most powerful tidal current. The kilometre-high mountains of the Lofoten Islands then usher in the afternoon. These granite giants look down white sandy beaches and cute villages alike where you’ll stroll among stockfish racks and rorbuer fishermen huts. You can also visit Lofotr Viking Museum’s traditional banquets and chieftain’s house before ending the day with deckside fishcakes and views of the mighty Trollfjord.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Short stops at remote towns will then see you to the ‘Polar Capital’ – Tromso. The base for many an Arctic expedition, it’s the perfect launchpad for a range of wintry fun, from dogsledding and snowshoeing to cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and whale-spotting cruises. Otherwise, if you travel over summer, you'll find the snow melted into spectacular hiking trails. But, whichever season you set sail in, there's the chance to meet the Samí – the region’s indigenous reindeer herders. Then, as you continue north, the captain will invite you to taste stockfish on deck, as you look skywards for the Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

As you sail through magnificent sub-Arctic landscapes, further remote port stops will bring you to Honningsvåg. Here, you’ll have the option of an trip to the  northernmost point in Europe – something included on summer sailings . Other than the chance to stand on the edge of the world, there are also puffin and birdwatching safaris along with fishing-community tours that showcase the local way of life. Continuing north, you’ll pass the Samí’s ancient and sacred rock formation, Finnkirka, before dropping anchor at Kjøllefjord. This colourful fishing village is the backdrop to a spectacularly wild landscape and yet more Samí heritage. Over winter, there's also the exciting opportunity to chase the Northern Lights on a snowmobile.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

The views become increasingly dramatic as you approach Kirkenes. Here, the road signs are in Cyrillic and Norwegian, evidence that the Russian border is just a few miles away. The unique, frontier-town history of this remote outpost is evidenced in a collection of interesting museums, while winter snowmobiling bring you out into its frozen surrounds. You can even catch and eat king crabs or visit the famous Snow Hotel and its nearby reindeer. Alternatively, swap dogsledding for a husky-accompanied hike in summer. You’ll then start the journey back south, docking at the ports you missed the first time round. After perhaps an ice dip at Vardø – Norway’s easternmost port – you’ll cruise along the spectacular Varanger peninsula to Båtsfjord.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Docking at Mehamn in the middle of the night, you’ll have another opportunity to hunt winter's Northern Lights by snowmobile, travelling through snow-clad valleys. Then, having perhaps taken the chance for a sunrise breakfast at North Cape, you'll sail on to Hammerfest and its UNESCO-listed Meridian Column – a 9th-century monument that commemorates the first precise measurements of the globe. You can also join a mini-mountain expedition to experience the Arctic wilderness and learn about local explorers of old. Lyngenfjord’s alpine scenery will then see you back to Tromso where you'll have the chance to enjoy a midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral, explore the coast on a Midnight Sun cruise or take a craft beer with locals at a pub on the island of Olhallen. In winter, see why this is Norway's aurora capital.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Arriving into Harstad, you’ll have the option of heading out to Vesterålen, taking in the island scenery and the Trondenes Church – the world’s northernmost medieval building. Otherwise, you can admire it from the ship as you glide through shallow channels to pair little fishing villages with giant mountains. One such stop is tiny Stokmarknes where you can visit the Hurtigruten Museum. 1,000-metre-high mountains then shepherd you into Trollfjord, its dramatic, eagle-plied cliffs conjuring fairytale images of hunching trolls. Back on Svolvær and the Lofoten Islands you’ll have the option of everything from fishing trips and village walks to RIB excursions and horseback rides on white-sand beaches.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Steep granite walls, hundreds of islets and fertile farmland will see you to Torghatten, a folkloric mountain famed for its 160-metre-long ice-age hole. The Seven Sisters are a further vertiginous highlight, these kilometre-high ladies dwarfing your exploratory ship. A stop at Nesna, a quintessential trading post, will then bring you to the UNESCO-listed Vega Islands to learn of its traditional down-duvet production. Another optional excursion will bring you to the museum at Alstahaug. Its 18th-century vicarage is dedicated to the life of Petter Dass – a famous Norwegian poet.

Stay: Hurtigruten ship (Standard)

Today, you’ll have a further opportunity to explore Trondheim and its Nidaros Cathedral before sailing through dramatic fjords to Kristiansund, a thriving port famed for its cod industry. Other than tasting its dried-fish delicacies, you can also join excursions to a historic stave church or the Atlantic Road, an eight-bridge rollercoaster that hops between open sea and picturesque islands. A visit to the Bergtatt Marble Mine is another option, bringing you by boat into its great, eerily lit caverns. Views of the Romsdal Alps will then see you to Molde’s pretty coastal setting.

Stay: MS Richard With (Standard)

Overnight the ship will dock at Ålesund, Torvik and Måløy before you wake to picturesque views of the Nordfjord, framed by the might Jostedal Glacier. Pretty archipelago vistas will then see you back to Bergen. You’ll be met, on arrival, by an included transfer to the airport for your flight home.