Cruising to Alta, Norway

Alta, Norway

The town of Alta is the largest in the Norwegian region of Finnmark, and it is a great base from which to explore the region’s winter wonders, midnight sun, mountains, Sami culture, reindeer, and World Heritage rock carvings. Tree-filled valleys, mild temperatures, and less rain than portions of the Sahara Desert can be found in Alta, which is located midway between a bleak and desolate mountain plateau and a rainy and stormy coast. Enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of Alta at any time of year. Alta is a great city to visit and live in thanks to its established public facilities and beautiful surrounding countryside and terrain. This opens up a wealth of options for those who value outdoor activities like hiking, riding, and fishing.

Alta tourist attractions

Alta, Norway, is renowned as the “City of the Northern Lights” due to its prime location immediately under the northern lights oval and the abundance of clear evenings that are necessary for watching the aurora. This is also a place where the first observatory to study the Northern Lights was built around the turn of the 19th century.

Prehistoric rock carvings

The town’s main draw is a trove of rock sculptures, dated to between 4200 and 500 BC and now protected by Unesco. Alta is home to five distinct rock art sites, with the largest being Hjemmeluft/Jiepmaluokta, where the Alta Museum may be found. Only this section is open to the general public. Guided tours of the rock carvings are available throughout the summer months.

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

If you’re going to go through the bother of traveling to northern Norway, you might as well go all the way and spend the night in a snow room complete with thermals, a woolly cap, and a sleeping bag. In order to maximize your chances of viewing the Northern Lights, stay at the 2,500-square-meter igloo hotel that Sorrisniva offers, which is conveniently located just outside the Northern Lights city of Alta.

Port order and/or content may vary, please check specific sailing date for details at official cruise line website. Port arrival and departure times are approximate and subject to change without notice. For more information please visit the official cruise line website.