Ultimate Norway

Tromsø, perched 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle on its own island in a fjord-carved landscape of breathtaking severity, is the world's finest base for witnessing the northern lights — a phenomenon that illuminates the polar night here from late September through March with an intensity unmatched across Scandinavia. The city's striking Arctic Cathedral, vibrant university culture, and excellent Polar Museum trace Norway's heroic age of polar exploration, while dog sledding, snowshoeing, and whale-watching expeditions provide exhilarating encounters with the high Arctic wilderness. Summer's unbroken midnight sun offers an equally otherworldly experience beneath skies that never darken.

Senja is Norway's second-largest island and its best-kept Arctic secret, offering Lofoten-caliber mountain and fjord scenery without the crowds, including the dramatic 'Devil's Jaw' granite peaks plunging into the Norwegian Sea. Must-do experiences include hiking to the Segla summit for panoramic Arctic Ocean views and tasting freshly caught king crab at a waterfront fish camp. Visit late May through July for the midnight sun, or September through March for northern lights.

Stokmarknes holds a singular place in Nordic maritime lore as the birthplace of Hurtigruten, the legendary coastal express that has connected Norway's remote northern communities since 1893. Situated on Hadseløya island in the serene Vesterålen archipelago, the town offers gentler fjord scenery than its famous Lofoten neighbors — and the extraordinary reward of whale watching in nearby Andfjorden, one of the world's most reliable spots to encounter sperm whales and orcas. Visit from late October through March for the northern lights, or June through August for the luminous midnight sun.

Senja is Norway's second-largest island and its best-kept Arctic secret, offering Lofoten-caliber mountain and fjord scenery without the crowds, including the dramatic 'Devil's Jaw' granite peaks plunging into the Norwegian Sea. Must-do experiences include hiking to the Segla summit for panoramic Arctic Ocean views and tasting freshly caught king crab at a waterfront fish camp. Visit late May through July for the midnight sun, or September through March for northern lights.

Tromsø, perched 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle on its own island in a fjord-carved landscape of breathtaking severity, is the world's finest base for witnessing the northern lights — a phenomenon that illuminates the polar night here from late September through March with an intensity unmatched across Scandinavia. The city's striking Arctic Cathedral, vibrant university culture, and excellent Polar Museum trace Norway's heroic age of polar exploration, while dog sledding, snowshoeing, and whale-watching expeditions provide exhilarating encounters with the high Arctic wilderness. Summer's unbroken midnight sun offers an equally otherworldly experience beneath skies that never darken.