Hurtigruten's new northern lights cruises start at $899

'In Search of the Northern Lights' gives travelers the opportunity to see this natural phenomenon that fills the night sky with yellow, green or red belts of color on a voyage above the Arctic Circle.

They will also spend one night in Bergen or Tromsø, and have the option of taking excursions such as dog sledding and snowmobile safaris. Sailing between Nov. 25 and Dec. 10, and Jan. 24 and March 15, the cruise is priced starting at $899 per person, double occupancy.

The northern lights voyages run between the UNESCO World Heritage harbor city of Bergen and the Arctic Circle’s second largest city, Tromsø, and are available in both directions. On the northbound sailing, passengers will spend a night in Bergen where they can explore the Hanseatic wharf, Bryggen, and take the funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen for stunning city views before embarking on the voyage to Tromsø.

The sailing calls at the Art Nouveau city of Å̊lesund, the royal city of Trondheim and the Lofoten Islands.

Optional land excursions include a visit to Atlanterhavsparken, one of Northern Europe’s largest salt-water aquariums, a Viking feast complete with homemade mead
and the chance to go reindeer sledging, the traditional Sámi way of transport through the Arctic landscape.

Passengers traveling southbound will spend the night in Tromsø before heading out to the network of inlets and isles near Vesterålen and the Lofoten Islands, crossing the Arctic Circle and viewing the Seven Sisters mountains. They will visit Trondheim, Kristiansund and Bergen.

Optional land excursions include a midnight concert at the Arctic Cathedral, dog sledging across the Arctic landscape and a walk through historic Trondheim.

Travelers can learn more about the aurora borealis through on-board lectures and get photographic tips about how best to capture the light show. They can even sign up to be awakened during the night should the crew spot the lights.

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