Silver Dawn - Northern Europe & Arctic Circle

Where this cruise calls, day by day

6 ports and 7 sea days over 12 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Copenhagen

   DenmarkDepart

   Denmark's capital works as both a Baltic turnaround port and a day call, and which berth you get changes the day completely. The city is flat, cycle-mad and easy to cover on foot once you reach it: harbour swimming pools, the pastel warehouse fronts of Nyhavn, and a royal quarter at Amalienborg where the guard still changes at noon.

   • Nyhavn canal and a harbour boat tour from its head
   • Tivoli Gardens, opposite Central Station
   • Rosenborg Castle and the crown jewels
   • Christiansborg's tower, free and the best rooftop view in the city

   Getting ashore

   Most large ships dock at Oceankaj, about 6 km north of the centre and needing a shuttle or bus (roughly 20-25 minutes); smaller ships use Langelinie, a 10-minute walk from the Little Mermaid and 25 minutes from Nyhavn.

   Best months

   May-Sep

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Oslo

   NorwayPort

   A fjord-head capital that has rebuilt its whole waterfront in the last twenty years - the angular Opera House you can walk up, the Munch museum tower, and the Deichman library all sit within sight of the cruise berths. Older Oslo is uphill and inland. Note that the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy is closed for reconstruction, so ask before booking anything that promises it.

   • Vigeland Sculpture Park's 200-odd granite and bronze figures
   • The Fram Museum at Bygdøy, built around Nansen's polar ship
   • Walking the roof of the Oslo Opera House
   • Holmenkollen ski jump and its viewing deck above the city

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock alongside at Akershus (Vippetangen) or Revierkaia, both a 5-15 minute walk to Akershus Fortress and Aker Brygge; larger ships sometimes use Filipstad, about 25 minutes on foot.

   Best months

   May-Sep

4. Day 4 · At sea

5. Day 5

   Bergen

   NorwayPort

   The usual start or finish of a Norwegian fjord itinerary, wedged between seven mountains and a deep harbour. Rain is the default - locals hand out umbrellas without comment. The draw is Bryggen, the row of leaning wooden Hanseatic trading houses on the north side of the Vågen inlet, and the funicular that climbs straight out of the old town to a mountain plateau.

   • Bryggen wharf and the alleys behind its facades
   • Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen, 8 minutes from the centre
   • The fish market at the head of Vågen
   • Troldhaugen, Edvard Grieg's lakeside villa and composing hut

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at Skolten, a 10-minute walk from Bryggen, or at Dokken/Jekteviken further south, which is 25-30 minutes on foot and usually shuttled.

   Best months

   May-Sep

6. Day 6 · At sea

7. Day 7 · At sea

8. Day 8 · At sea

9. Day 9

   Tromsø

   NorwayPort

   At 69°N, 350 km inside the Arctic Circle, and larger and livelier than people expect - a university town with bars, a brewery and a working fishing fleet. Summer calls get 24-hour daylight from about 20 May to 22 July; winter calls come for the aurora. The Arctic Cathedral's white concrete triangles are across the bridge on the mainland side.

   • Fjellheisen cable car to Storsteinen, 421 m above the strait
   • The Arctic Cathedral (Tromsdalen Church) and its stained-glass east wall
   • Polaria's Arctic aquarium and bearded seals
   • Polar Museum in an old customs warehouse on the quay

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock alongside at Prostneset in the centre, a two-minute walk to the main street; the largest ships use Breivika, about 3 km north, with a shuttle.

   Best months

   Jun-Aug for midnight sun; Oct-Mar for northern lights

10. Day 10 · At sea

11. Day 11

    North Cape (Honningsvåg)

    NorwayPort

    Honningsvåg is a small fishing town on the island of Magerøya at 71°N, rebuilt after the German retreat burned it in 1944 - only the church survived. Nearly everyone boards a coach for Nordkapp, the cliff plateau marketed as the northernmost point of Europe, where a steel globe stands over a 307 m drop to the Barents Sea.

    • The North Cape plateau, globe monument and underground North Cape Hall
    • A king crab safari with a catch-and-eat lunch
    • Puffin and gannet boat trips from Gjesvær to the Gjesværstappan islands
    • A Sami camp visit with reindeer on the road out to the cape

    Getting ashore

    Ships usually dock alongside in Honningsvåg with the small town a short walk away; North Cape is 34 km north, about 45 minutes by coach, and larger ships occasionally tender.

    Best months

    Jun-Aug (midnight sun mid-May to late Jul)

12. Day 12 · At sea

13. Day 13

    Tromsø

    NorwayArrive

    At 69°N, 350 km inside the Arctic Circle, and larger and livelier than people expect - a university town with bars, a brewery and a working fishing fleet. Summer calls get 24-hour daylight from about 20 May to 22 July; winter calls come for the aurora. The Arctic Cathedral's white concrete triangles are across the bridge on the mainland side.

    • Fjellheisen cable car to Storsteinen, 421 m above the strait
    • The Arctic Cathedral (Tromsdalen Church) and its stained-glass east wall
    • Polaria's Arctic aquarium and bearded seals
    • Polar Museum in an old customs warehouse on the quay

    Getting ashore

    Ships dock alongside at Prostneset in the centre, a two-minute walk to the main street; the largest ships use Breivika, about 3 km north, with a shuttle.

    Best months

    Jun-Aug for midnight sun; Oct-Mar for northern lights