Hurtigruten has announced the new, 12-day Voyage of the Vikings itinerary, which departs September 14 with fares starting at $2,989 per person, double occupancy.
The itinerary is an adaptation of the line's Classic Round Voyage along the coast of Norway, beginning and ending in the southern city of Bergen, sailing to the northern town of Kirkenes on the Russian border, and visiting a total of 34 ports in each direction. Viking expert Gareth Williams of the British Museum is the group’s guest host, giving lectures on board and leading tours and excursions on land.
Williams, who studied history at universities in St. Andrews, Scotland, and in Bergen, has been a curator at the British Museum in London for nearly 20 years and served as lead curator for the museum’s special Viking exhibition last year. He’s the author of several books about the Vikings and is a regular guest expert on television and radio programs.
Williams’ on-board lectures will delve into the stories of the Vikings, including a socio-economic look at the group; their various achievements; their drive for wealth; their tendencies to explore and discover; and the history of a chieftain named Ottar, who documented accounts of some of his adventures. A highlight of the voyage is a stop in the old Viking capital of Trondheim that includes a tour of the famed Nidaros Cathedral, where Viking King Olav Tryggason, Norway’s patron saint, was laid to rest.
Guests also have the option to participate in a Viking Feast excursion, in which guests will visit a "Viking chieftain" and his family in a reconstructed longhouse. Guests who want to extend their stay to visit Norway’s modern capital, Oslo, can enjoy a visit to that city’s Viking Museum, which is home to a full-size longboat and an array of Viking relics.
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