How to Get to North Cape

If you're trying to figure out the best way to reach North Cape, we can tell you right away that there isn't just one way. The beauty lies in reaching this mythical place by choosing the solution that best fits the spirit of the journey.

North Cape is a symbolic place and a spiritual destination. Reaching North Cape in Norway means reaching the northernmost point of Europe.

In reality, this is a slight inaccuracy because on the island of Magerøya, where North Cape is located, there is an even more northern point. However, North Cape is the enormous cliff that drops straight into the Arctic Ocean and, even if not geographically correct, this record belongs to it.

On this cliff, there isn't much to see besides the dark sea stretching as far as the eye can see. The journey to reach it is, however, an epic adventure, discovering the most incredible finis terrae in Europe. If you're planning a trip to North Cape, here are the options to choose from.

The closest Norwegian airports to North Cape are those in Lakselv and Alta, accessible via a domestic flight from Oslo's main airport (Gardermoen, 30 km from Oslo). Keep an eye on the airlines like SAS and Norwegian. Widerøe also flies to North Cape.

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An alternative is to fly to Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden. This is actually the city with the nearest airport to North Cape. You could enter Norway from Sweden by renting a car in Kiruna. Another valid alternative is to fly to Ivalo Airport in Finland, located 421 kilometers from North Cape.

Arriving by car, you can take the national road N6 that connects Tromsø with Alta and Olderfjord. From Olderfjord, you take the E69 to Kåfjord, and from there a ferry to Honningsvåg.

The toll is quite expensive. It will be easy to rent a car in any city with an airport.

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The camper journey is an epic expedition. You start from Italy and drive straight to Norway to reach the far North. For a trip like this, a good amount of time is necessary along with a well-equipped camper for snow and low temperatures.

One of the best routes allows you to first go to Sweden and then descend through the Norwegian fjords for a spectacular return trip visually. Of course, there are many routes, stages, and alternatives; it all depends on the travelers' choices and the time available. One alternative to shorten the journey could be to load the motorcycle onto a train to cut through routes you consider uninteresting (for example, skipping the entire journey from Northern Italy to Germany using German trains).

The Hurtigruten is an old mail ship that travels along the entire coast of Norway, from Bergen to North Cape. The last stop is Honningsvåg, the closest settlement to North Cape. From here, you can take a bus or a taxi, or embark on a long trekking route (30 km, only feasible in summer). Those who prefer a less active option can also take another ferry, the Veolia, to Honningsvåg.

Another option is to choose the Hurtigruten from Tromsø to Honningsvåg. Departures daily at 6:30 PM, arriving the next morning at 11:45 AM; there's no need to book (unless you want a cabin, which is very expensive: for one night, you can comfortably rest in the lounge chairs of the ship).

Boreal Transport buses connect Alta to Honningsvåg. The Nor-way Bussekspress runs the route from Narvik/Tromsø to North Cape.

It's advisable to always keep some kroner handy because you'll need them to pay for the ferry to cross certain fjords. The Eskelisen Lapin operates the route from Rovaniemi to Honningsvåg, another valid alternative for those coming from Finland.