This trip was already booked before Corona, but then Corona came in between and so this trip only took place after Corona. It was lucky that the trip was booked through a travel agency. When it was clear that the trip could not take place because of Corona, the choice was either money back or wait. The decision was clear: wait, even if it might be a different date and ship than originally booked. And so it happened that this voyage did not take place until October 2021 and was the first voyage with the Kong Harald after the Corona break. There were still some Corona regulations, such as mandatory masks, and some excursions were not yet allowed. On the advice of the travel agency, only two excursions were planned, the excursion to the Geirangerfjord and the one to the North Cape. The excursion to the Geirangerfjord was cancelled. One reason was the regulations still in force and the other was that Hurtigruten does not sail to the Geirangerfjord in October.
The trip was planned as follows Flight from Zurich to Oslo. A one-day stay was planned in Oslo, then from Oslo with the Bergen Railway to Bergen with a two-day stay and then from Bergen to Kirkenes with the Hurtigruten ship “Kong Harald”.
The weather was typical for Norway at this time of year. Almost only rain and wind, but there were also small breaks and now and then even the sun came out. So always pack rainwear in autumn. An umbrella is only useful when there is no wind.
Unlike my other trips, this one is divided into highlights and not into individual days. Also, I didn’t know a word of Norwegian on this trip. I only started to learn it after this trip.
Now I hope you enjoy reading and/or listening about my first trip to Norway in October 2021.
Route with the Kong Harald from Bergen to Kirkenes