Norway & Svalbard Alta & Hammerfest
Finnmark’s two western towns: Alta for stable aurora weather, rock art and an ice hotel; Hammerfest for a harbour on the edge of the Barents Sea.
North Cape: things to see
The headland itself, the town that serves it, and four smaller places that most coach passengers miss.
1. The North Cape plateau and globe
A bare, wind-scoured plateau ending in a sheer cliff. The steel globe, put up in 1978, marks the edge; nearby stand the Children of the Earth monument and a column commemorating a royal visit in 1873. Walk along the fence in both directions for the best views of the cliff face.
2. North Cape Hall
The visitor centre is built partly into the rock, with a panoramic film of the seasons, exhibitions on the Cape’s history, a small chapel, a Thai pavilion recalling the King of Siam’s visit in 1907, a restaurant and a post office with its own postmark. It is the place to wait out bad weather.
3. The midnight sun
From about 14 May to 29 July the sun does not set at North Cape; around midnight it hangs low over the sea to the north. From roughly 18 November to 24 January it does not rise at all, and the plateau is lit by twilight, moon and, on clear nights, aurora.
4. Honningsvåg
One of Norway’s northernmost towns, rebuilt after 1944, when only the wooden church was left standing. The North Cape Museum on the quay explains the fisheries and the war, there is an ice bar, and a short walk leads up to a viewpoint over the harbour. Fishing boats and the coastal ship keep it busy all year.
5. Gjesværstappan bird cliffs
A group of steep, grassy islands off the fishing village of Gjesvær, home in summer to one of Norway’s largest seabird colonies: hundreds of thousands of puffins, with gannets, razorbills, kittiwakes and white-tailed eagles overhead. Boat safaris circle the islands from about May to August; landing is not allowed.
6. Kirkeporten and Skarsvåg
From Skarsvåg, which calls itself the world’s northernmost fishing village, an easy path leads over a low hill in 20–30 minutes to Kirkeporten, a natural rock arch framing the North Cape cliff and its horn-shaped outcrop. One of the best photographs of the headland is from here.
7. Knivskjellodden
The low peninsula just west of the Cape actually reaches about 1.5 km further north. A marked trail of roughly 9 km each way starts from a car park on the E69; allow five to six hours for the round trip over wet, stony ground. Do it only in summer and in settled weather.
Destinations
Combine it with
Norway & Svalbard 
Norway & Svalbard Kirkenes
The end of the Norwegian coastal route, a few kilometres from Russia and Finland: king crab, a year-round snow hotel, border history and the bird cliffs of Varanger.
Norway & Svalbard Tromsø
The lively capital of Arctic Norway: northern lights and whales in winter, midnight sun and fjords in summer, and flights onward to Svalbard.
Plan your trip
Book North Cape tours
Compare real-time prices and availability on GetYourGuide. Most tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead.