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The Russian Border – Hurtigruten land excursion

Russian Border Finnmark by Orjan Bertelsen, Hurtigruten

The only town in Norway where East meets West, Kirkenes represents the turning point of the Hurtigruten voyage.

This is an optional land excursion which you can add to your Hurtigruten cruise booked through Fjord Travel Norway. The land excursion will appear during the cruise booking process, with prices and details.


At the Russian border by Orjan Bertelsen, Hurtigruten

At the Russian border

Border to Russia by Orjan Bertelsen, Hurtigruten

Border to Russia

You start with a short tour of the town, before the bus takes you deep into the surprisingly fertile landscape. Here you can take in the expanse of green hills, dotted with scrubs, birch and pine trees that manage to survive despite the harsh Arctic climate. The region has experienced an exciting and at times a hugely dramatic history, so this also promises to be an educational morning.

Next up, you make a stop at Storskog – the  border station between Norway and Russia. Unfortunately, you cannot cross the Russian border itself, but you are permitted to take pictures. Then the tour continues to Gapahuken Restaurant with a spectacular view of Russia. Here you learn more about Russian culture, and get tastings of food from Russia. It is also possible to shop for Russian crafts. From here you travel to the small mining community of Bjornevatn, and visit the cold miner’s monument.

Back in Kirkenes you make a stop at the impressive Prestfjellet mountain, which overlooks both the town and the waiting Hurtigruten ship.

Souvenirs at the Russian border by Orjan Bertelsen, Hurtigruten

Souvenirs at the Russian border

Practical information:

Duration: 3 hours
Transportation: Bus
Clothes/footwear: Comfortable shoes and warm clothing
Available: All year
Land excursion #7A

Midnight Sun North Cape by Bjarne Riesto, Nordnorsk Reiseliv

Midnight Sun at the North Cape



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What our customers say:

  • I wanted to thank everybody. We had a wonderful trip. Everything went well and fortunately we had the chance to see the lights while on the cruise. All my friends in Turkey would like to go on a similar trip. So I will be in touch with you. Thanks again and best wishes to all of you.

    Candan, Turkey

  • Thank you for assisting us with our trip to Norway. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Kirkenes and the Snow Hotel. The arrangements you made for us were perfect. The lodging was comfortable and the excursions were fun. Tom and I rarely use the services of a travel company when we travel; you enriched our trip and made the planning easy.

    Alison, United States

  • On behalf of the group I would like to thank you and your colleagues for organizing our wonderful tour of Norway. Everything went very well including the weather, which was spectacular. We enjoyed all the hotels, the central locations you chose and the amenities, especially the lavish breakfasts. Three extra days in Oslo allowed us to tour the city at our leisure and to enjoy more of the important sights including the newly opened National Museum. The Norway in a Nutshell tour was amazing and made much easier by using your recommended porterage service between hotels in Oslo and Bergen. Both the train journeys and the boat trip were spectacular, and combined with a night in the beautiful Kviknes Hotel made for an unforgettable two days. We were very impressed by the Hurtigruten cruise, particularly the way they combined a working ship with a cruise ship, the comfortable accommodations, the food and service. It was fascinating to visit all the various ports, islands and fjords and the two included tours were excellent and informative. In the end we were glad to have the extra night in Kirkenes, to visit their lovely museum and take a trip to the Russian border. It was a good way to end the tour. Again, thank for staying with us through 2 years of pandemic postponements and changes. We certainly will recommend Fjord Travel in the future.

    Marilyn, United States