We visited Nordkapp as an excursion from the Hurtigruten ferry. Driving up to the overlook in a convoy following a large plow gave you something to think about -- it is the wind, as much as the snow, that is at issue. You will also experience that if you venture out to the point overlooking the sea. It really felt as if you were at the end of the world, and not just the northernmost point in continental Europe. Definitely something to experience.
The visitor centre is really tastefully done. It's also informative without an overload of it. Absolutely well worth the visit to this symbolic cliff plateau stretching out into the Arctic Ocean.
Well, top of the world in Norway. Honningsvag is the most northern of Norway cities about 330 miles above the artic circle. Somebody said that it was the most northern city in the world, but I cant confirm that. The most northerly spot in Norway was very near Nordkapp, probably the most northerly tourest trap in the world. The official line from the Prinsendam was everything in Honningsvag was closed on sunday, and Honningsvag was so small they had no internet access. They said that the only thing to do was to take their excursipon to Nordkapp (600 NOK) and pay for enterence fee in the tourest trap (240 more NOK). I could enjoy the drive to NordKapp through the barron tundra in good weather, but pay to enter a tourest trap...well no way. It was also raining very hard taking away the enjoyment of the tundra trip.Well, why waste a port of call at the top of the world so we went to Honningsvag wearing heavy clothes and good rainware we purchased special for this trip. Well Honningsvag was a real city with some semi high rise buildings and many old time quaint nice buildings. There was shops open as we stopped at the first coffee shop for some cappuccino. That also got us some free unlimited internet service. We talked with some locals that spoke english and had a real good time. There is something special about chatting with nice people from a culture so different from ours.We returned to the Prinsendam and talked with a number of the passengers who took the excursion to Nordkapp. They said that the rain was so bad they couldnt see the tundra and did not enjoy the tourest trap. They were someware between being very dissappointed to being ticked off.I think we made the right choice on that port.
North Cape (北角),人类能够居住的最北端,也是欧洲大陆的尽头,北纬71度10.21分,正所谓地球的天涯海角。在现在这个季节,只有每日的11:00整,外面13公里处的“闸口”才打开对机动车发行,到此的车辆自动排成一个车队,在一辆铲雪车的开路下,缓缓驶向前方13公里的北角。过了11:00这个时刻便不再放行了。13:45 车队再在铲雪车的开路下驶出这个区域。夏季,这里没有黑夜,到此处的游人可欣赏“半夜的太阳”,太阳在北冰洋落下的瞬间后又从洋面升起。北角的大厅内有一具挪威著名的“人型动物”,过去玩过电脑游戏Lemming(相似)的人就知道这个动物了。
We were part of the huge numbers of Hurtigruten passengers who get bussed up here, and convoy the last 13Km behind a snowplough, to reach the North Cape Hall. You may or may not get here dependent on the weather, and you may or may not see anything outside if its especially cold, windy, rainy or snowy. The Hall itself is nothing special other than the fact that they built such a large structure in such an exposed position so far north. The exhibitions down in the bowels of the hall are OK but the rolling film, in a very nice cinema on level -3, was disappointing, presenting a photo diary of the locality through the year. You don't spend much time up here as you have to get down at specified times behind the snowplough. An expensive excursion, but a must if you have to say you got (or at least as close as you reasonably can get) to the northernmost part of Europe.
On October 14th, 2014, our cruiseboat, MV Funchal, docked at Honnigsvag in light snow. By the time we got a bus up to Nordkapp, the northernmost inhabited place on mainland Europe, the snow was falling thick and fast. By the time we got through the interesting museum and filmshow there was a whiteout outside - magic!
Entry is expensive, something around the Euro 25 mark per person I think, but if you've driven 2,750 miles to get there, the weather is perfect and the view is endless (see my profile photo) the price is irrelevant. As is everything else !
I was amused at reading the other reviews of this attraction saying it's expensive and not worth it, considering this is the #1 reason why people come to Honningsvag and Nordkapp. We went in June and the weather was really horrible; so much fog that you couldn't even see anything past the fence. People were joking that we could really be anywhere because of the heavy fog. I walked around quite a distance (about 15 minutes out in the bitterly cold winds) and found an area a little further down the pathway that allowed me to see out to the ocean. I'm sure on a clear day it would have been even better, but it was a nice experience even with the fog.The drive from Honningsvag was interesting to see the almost barren terrain. A couple of times we saw wild reindeer, once even having to stop the tour bus for them to cross the road. That definitely added to the experience.Once we arrived, there is the small tourist information area. As we had been traveling north of the Arctic Circle for over a week, we were used to either no or very slow internet connections. There is amazingly fast wifi that is free at the tourist center. There is also a cafe with local foods (whale meat, various other seafood, reindeer, etc.).
This was in search of Northern lights.We had an optional excursion on the New Year's day .On the journey from the shore to Nordkapp was unforgettable.I realised that day what darkness means and why the stories trolls have emerged from this land.We enjoyed a live classical opera over some delicious food and bubbly in the visitors centre.but the weather changed suddenly,one coach had it's windscreen been blown off.They has to rearranged us in the remaining two coaches and we were escorted by a snow blower back to the port.this visit is a must .
I was on a ship tour as we weren't there long enough to take the local bus. It was on a Sunday and the little town was kind of depressing - like it has seen better years. This was in August - even the ICE Bar was closed. The security guard was counting the hours till he could go back to his home in Tromso - he had been there all Summer and I guess our cruise ship was one of the last to come there. There was 1 gift shop open in town. I really enjoyed the ship tour. They said there would be no narration out to the North Kapp but did I luck out (Bus #9). The bus driver talked the entire trip - he made it special. He stopped on the road so we could take pictures of the reindeer. He talked about the history and culture of the area. His wife was from that area. The land was barren but he made it come alive. The Sami stop was "cheesy" but the couple seemed really nice and I'm glad they can make a living doing that every day for all of us tourists. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride out there and back. I thought the museum was outstanding. I took in all they had to offer. I bought a magnet and each time I open my fridge I laugh when I think how much I spent to be in so much fog - unreal!!! I would do it again - just in case the sun was shining and I remind myself not very many people get to go that far North.