The farther north you travel, the colder it becomes, and the more the skies put on a show. Sunsets blaze with surreal colours, the night skies thrill, and the seas roar beneath the winds that can reach nearly 100 mph—enough to make you grateful for your motion-sickness bands. We experienced a force 10 gale, winds clocking 97 mph, and somehow managed to sleep through it.
Welcome to Alta—the city of the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights. It’s a place where the extremes of nature meet the extremes of beauty. During the long winter nights, the aurora borealis lights up the sky, an electric dance of charged particles colliding with atoms in the upper atmosphere. Violent, zigzagging, yet breathtakingly graceful, the Northern Lights have drawn explorers and dreamers here for centuries. In fact, the world’s first Northern Lights observatory was built here at the end of the 19th century.
The famous blue aurora appears only during the winter months, from November to January, when the nights are at their longest. And if you time your visit right, you’ll also catch the magic of Alta’s husky sledge races, where ice sculptures line the streets in a sparkling celebration of speed, endurance, and tradition.
Alta isn’t just a place you visit; it’s a place you experience.
Alta is the largest town in Norway’s northernmost county, nestled at the inner reaches of the Altafjord. Just a 4 km shuttle from the town centre, the streets are lined with shops selling local crafts and souvenirs, often with vendors dressed in traditional attire. It’s a town made for strolling, but adventure awaits beyond the sidewalks—hiking, cycling, and fishing are all on offer for those seeking the outdoors.
If you’re planning to enjoy a drink at the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel or explore any of its ice bars, dress warmly—you’ll need it. History and culture are never far away, with the Alta Museum showcasing local geology alongside carvings and paintings dating from 1800 to 6200 years ago. In winter, thrill-seekers can try dog sledging or join a snowmobile safari, and the ship’s excursion desk usually offers all of these experiences.
Another must-see is the Alta Northern Lights Cathedral, an architectural marvel and a popular tourist magnet. For additional guidance, Alta’s information centres, as well as Norway’s broader tourist offices, can help plan your visit and point you toward the town’s hidden gems.
Below the Viking Sky before it got into trouble.
The Viking Sky, seen in #Alta from the deck of the P&O ship Aurora before it got into trouble. The #Aurora left first, it also encountered a force ten gale, 97 mph winds, but we slept through it and just heard about it from guests and on the captain’s report. The #Vikingsky which left later started to encounter harsh winds and got into trouble.
See our Viking Neptune film
Researching the destination before you go can help you choose, understand the port talk easier, save money and time. Or chat with others who have been there on one of our chat sites. ANDALSNES BERGEN FLAM OLDEN OSLOFJORD SKJOLDEN STAVANGER TROMSO REYKJAVIC AKUREYRI ALESUND ALTA BODO EIDFJORD KLAKSVIK TORSHAVNGEIRANGER HAUGESUND HELLESYLT HEIMAEY HONNINGSVAG ISAFJORDURKRISTIANSUND LOFOTEN ISLANDS LONGYEARBYEN NARVIK NUUK QAQORTOQ TRONDHEIM
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