Semih
Travel editor at Reisedrop · 2026-09-15
There are travel moments that stay with you. The slow approach into Geirangerfjord – sheer cliffs on either side, waterfalls, silence – is one of them. The honest answer to the most common question: yes, a Norway cruise is pricier than the Mediterranean. And yes, it is worth it.
The route: fjords, cities, North Cape
Classic 7-night itineraries from Hamburg or Kiel take in Bergen, Geirangerfjord or Sognefjord, and usually Stavanger or Ålesund. The longer 11- to 14-night voyages continue to North Cape and Tromsø – midnight sun included. Rule of thumb: a week is enough for the fjords, but for the Arctic you need two.
When to go: a short window, spectacular rewards
June to August is high season: up to 20 hours of daylight, green slopes, and mild temperatures of 15 to 22 degrees. May is the insider tip, with snow-covered peaks rising above blossoming orchards «Hardangerfjord!». And from September to March, special Northern Lights itineraries set sail – cold, dark, unforgettable.
Here, a balcony is not optional – it is essential
Nowhere does a balcony cabin pay off more: the scenery drifts past the ship for hours, and the best moments «entering the fjord at 6 in the morning» are experienced in a dressing gown with a coffee in hand. Choose your side carefully – when sailing north, starboard is usually the side facing the land.
Getting there without flying – the Swiss way
Hamburg and Kiel are easy to reach from Basel or Zurich by train «including a night train option». That makes Norway the great nature cruise that works entirely without flying – a genuinely sustainable, and far less stressful, bonus.
Fancy exactly this? Zazou, our travel assistant, puts flights, hotels and a route together in seconds - and tells you honestly when it gets cheaper.
Plan this trip with Zazou