Port of Vardø seen from the seaside.
Reindeer in Vardø. Photo: Jarkko Autero, nordnorge.com

The snowstorms are fierce here, but hearts are big, even towards the town's only tree which is wrapped and cared for throughout the winter. The town is known for its colourful houses and frequent festivals. One of them is Yukigassen, a snowball-fighting festival with teams from the four neighbouring polar countries that border each other in the North Pole.    

In Vardø, they have fought against many forces, and you will find the world's northernmost fortress here. From the star-shaped Vardøhus fortress, you can see far beyond the Barents Sea over to Russia.  This is where Domen (The Witches' Mountain) is.

The fishing fleet passes on its way to and from the open sea here, and the island of Hornøya, which is within rowing distance of Vardø, has one of Norway's largest seabird colonies. You can get close to the bustling birdlife either on foot or by swimming in the Arctic Ocean.

Vardø. Photo: Terje Rakke, Nordic Life, nordnorge.com

Our voyages

North- and southboundRound Voyage

Bergen → Kirkenes → Bergen

Havila castor seen from Skageflå in the Geirangerfjord. Photo: Oclin
The classic

NorthboundVoyage North

Bergen → Kirkenes

North cape
7 days

SouthboundVoyage South

Kirkenes → Bergen

Reine in Lofoten. Photo credit: Marius Beck Dahle/Havila Kystruten
6 days

NorthboundNorthern Tip of Europe

Tromsø → Kirkenes

toppen-av-europa
3 days

SouthboundThe Arctic Dream

Kirkenes → Tromsø

den-arktiske-droemmen
2 days

Book port-to-port

Click on the button to book. This will take you to our service which will walk you through the booking process.

Top 3 things to see in Vardø

  1. Snorkelling with guillemots in the Arctic Ocean.
  2. Steilneset, a memorial site for 91 victims who were burned at the stake during witch trials
  3. The road to the end of the European continent with lunar landscapes and abandoned fishing villages