BODØ/HAMARØY   LOFOTEN   VESTERÅLEN    HARSTAD    SENJA/TROMSØ     INDRE TROMS    FERRY

The mountains of the Lofoten Wall rise up in front of you
during the ferry crossing over the Vestfjord...

...it’s as though they are paddling in the sea,
and you are sailing through the Alps.

You are underway, you are moving, and it is the Whale Route that is moving you.

On the journey between Bodø and Tromsø, The Whale Route will unveil the very best of North Norway: Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja.

This outlying coastal highway allows you to see a lot of the North Norwegian
landscape without having to drive too far. See a lot of countryside, but make haste
slowly. Make sure your soul is with you each time you get into your car to find out
what lies around the next bend. There are many bends in the road.

From Røst and Bodø in the south to Tromsø in the north, the Whale Route will
provide you with a marvellous experience of land and sea, and present a wide
range of activities for you to choose from. Bodø is renowned for its Aviation
Museum and for its glass-covered high street. There are several ferries from there
that will take you across the Vestfjord to Lofoten, where Lofotr, the Viking Museum
of Borg and the Lofoten Aquarium are two obvious places to stop. But do stop at
other places, too. Enjoy a walk along the quayside in the fishing villages of
Henningsvær, Kabelvåg or Svolvær. Smell the flowers that welcome you everywhere
you go. Pay a visit to one of the many galleries.

Vesterålen is gentler, greener. As the ferry docks at the quayside, you may hear
applause after a philosophy lecture at the Summer Melbu festival, or the strings of
violins echoing from mountain to shore. It’s only a short distance from here to
Stokmarknes with its coastal voyage museum «Hurtigrutens Hus», and to the blue
town of Sortland. Try the arcticwhalewtours from Stø, or follow the outer coast of Andøya northwards, feel the Gulf Stream on one of the beaches - nowhere else does it come closer to land. The same applies to the whales, to «Moby Dick». Andenes offers classical whale safaris,
and you will also find the Whale Centre there, the HISNAKUL centre of history,
nature and culture, and the Northern Lights Centre.

«The most amazing coastal landscape in Norway, south of Svalbard,» writes
«Lonely Planet» about the ferry trip from Andenes to Senja. «You will not be disappointed,» this reputable travel guide concludes. The same applies to Senja, an
unexplored world of adventure where Gryllefjord welcomes you and a few miles
further on, Hamn and the Senja Troll are natural places to stop at and see.
The Malang-crossing is the last ferry, after which it’s an hour’s drive to Tromsø,
famous for its Arctic Cathedral, cafes and Polaria.