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Alta – city of the Northern Lights

A timeless place of aurora, ancient rock art, an ice hotel, and a rich cultural heritage. This is the place for winter adventures.

Alta is so far north it’s closer to the North Pole than central Europe. Held in the grasp of the long Altafjord, it backs onto the Finnmarksvidda, Norway’s largest plateau and home to Europe’s longest dog-sled race.

Those big skies, minimal light pollution, and its position beneath the Auroral Oval make Alta one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis.

A short history of Alta

Some 7,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers took primitive chisels to the rocks around Alta and made markings of reindeer, elk, bears, whales, and wolves and detailed their hunts, dances, and shamanic rituals. For thousands of years, these artworks were hidden by moss and lichen until they were discovered in 1973. Spread across four sites at the head of the Altafjord, they now make up Northern Europe’s largest and richest concentration of rock art.

From the 18th century, the indigenous Sámi started living side by side with southern Norwegians and Kvens – a tribe of Finnish fishermen who migrated to northern Norway to escape famine. The Kvens made up the majority of employees at the copper plant in nearby Kåfjord, while the Sámi continued to herd reindeer.

There were occasional clashes. Most notably, the Kautokeino Uprising in 1852 that lead to the terrible death of two Sámi leaders and, more recently, in the 1970s and early 1980s during the Alta Conflict, in which Sámi activists fiercely but unsuccessfully opposed the construction of a hydroelectric power plant that would disrupt reindeer migration paths and destroy a Sámi village. The 2023 film Let the River Flow gets to the heart of what was at stake for the Sámi people.

A Sami herder and his reindeer in Alta, Norway. Copyright: Katelin - Sorrisniva
A Sami Lavvo tent in Alta, Norway. Copyright: Katelin - Sorrisniva

In 1892, a year before Hurtigruten’s maiden voyage, thanks to Alta’s reputation for clear skies, the first ever photo of the Northern Lights was taken here. Not long after, thanks for the efforts of Norwegian professor and inventor Kristian Birkeland, the world’s first permanent Northern Lights observatory was established just outside Alta. It had a lasting impact on the city’s identity.

Today, Alta is one of the most northerly cities in the world, and the biggest in Finnmark county. Known as the city of the Northern Lights, people travel here for Arctic adventures beneath the aurora, as well as for the UNESCO-listed rock art and the area’s living cultural heritage. Near the heart of the city is Alta’s most iconic building, the modern Northern Lights Cathedral.

Locals are working hard to heal the wounds of the past. Both the Kven and Sámi culture and languages are being revived with the construction of language centres, the week-long Alta Sámi Festival in February, and family-owned businesses that introduce their customs to a wider audience.

The best things to do in Alta

Looking at the Northern Lights from the deck of a Hurtigruten ship in Alta, northern Norway

1. Chase the Northern Lights

The world’s first permanent northern lights observatory was built just outside Alta, in 1899, for very good reason. The wide-open skies above the Finnmarksvidda and long dark nights and relatively mild climate of 70°N make Alta one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis.

Bram Bril from the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel says, “Many people think we only have the Northern Lights in wintertime, but here’s an insider tip: in many ways, autumn is a better season to enjoy this natural phenomenon because the equinox produces more geomagnetic storms.”

The Northern Lights Cathedral in Alta, northern Norway

2. Visit the Northern Lights Cathedral

Spiralling toward the Arctic sky like a metallic aurora, this unmissable town-centre church houses a unique bronze carving of Christ framed by beams of light. In the basement, there’s a multimedia Northern Lights exhibition chronicling Alta’s long history with the aurora.

UNESCO-listed rock art on display at the Alta Museum in northern Norway. Copyright: CH - VisitNorway.com

3. See UNESCO-listed rock art

Rich in meaning and message, Alta’s UNESCO-listed rock carvings and paintings – some dating back 7,000 years – are spread across four sites.

The largest concentration is at Hjemmeluft where the Alta Museum/World Heritage Rock Art Centre is located. The museum provides a detailed insight into the rituals and real-life events of these long-gone artists.

Doglsedding in Alta. Copyright: Kristin Folsland Olsen, Visit Norway

4. Try dog sledding

Finnmarksløpet, Europe’s longest dog-sled race, starts and ends in Alta every March. Have a taste of what it’s like to cross Finnmarksvidda on a sleigh led by these canines of the Arctic. And don’t worry if the snow hasn’t set in; wheels can be attached to the sled to give the same experience.

Enjoy a frozen shot at the magical Sorrisniva Ice Hotel in Alta, Norway

5. Toast your trip in the ice hotel

Day visitors are welcome at Sorrisniva, the world’s northernmost igloo hotel, carved from Alta River ice anew each winter. Join a guided tour of the artistically carved ice suites and snow-hewn chapel, and have a drink in the bar, where the glasses are made entirely of ice. The design changes from year to year.

Alta - Anita 2
We’re obsessed with nature up here and spend time outside in all kinds of weather. There’s just so many activities: from skiing and ice fishing to mountain biking and hiking without seeing another person for hours. All this space just for you. It makes you feel so alive.”

Anita Tapio

Alta Museum

What is the weather like in Alta?

JanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctNovDec

Min temp (night) °C

-14.7

-14.1

-10.9

-5.6

-0.6

5.2

9

7.4

3.5

-2.6

-8.7

-12.3

Max temp (day) °C

-9.1

-8.8

-5

0.7

5.9

11.2

15.2

13.2

8.9

1.8

-3.6

-6.8

Here, at the top of the world some 400km north of the Arctic Circle, dark and light affect the days in dramatic ways. The Midnight Sun illuminates the sky from the end of May to the end of July, with 24-hour daylight allowing more time to explore the surroundings by husky or snowmobile. 

From the end of November to mid-January, Polar Night takes over - when the sun never rises. These hours of never-ending night set the stage for dancing displays of Northern Lights. Some of Norway’s clearest and boldest shows occur above Alta. Be sure to pack your thermals because the temperatures never reach double digits, but happily, it rarely feels too cold thanks to the Gulf Stream that warms much of Norway.

July tends to be the wettest month and February the driest, with everything frozen solid. It’s when the landscape wears its white cloak that Alta is probably at its most enchanting.

Visit Alta with Hurtigruten

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Southbound on The North Cape Line

In port: 9 hours

We stop at Alta on the southbound leg of the North Cape Line, our premium, all-inclusive Signature voyage that sails from Oslo to the top of Europe and back.

Getting to Alta from your ship

As we sail into the foot-shaped bay of Altafjord, you’ll notice that everything here is made to withstand the cold. The hills, the trees, the buildings – all of them are built down low to escape the northern wind.

The port and the airport sit on the eastern outskirts of town. It’s a 50-minute walk along the road from here to the town centre, so we recommend using the minibuses provided or walking for 10 mins to the bus stop and taking any of the buses No. 42, 43, 45, and 110 that depart regularly from the port for the 20-minute journey into town.

Port address: Havneveien 4

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Excursions in Alta

Whether you want to discover the surrounding area by snowmobile or husky sled, you can explore Alta on a variety of excursions.

Neighbouring ports of call

Honningsvåg in northern Norway is the gateway to the North Cape

Previous port

Honningsvåg

The gateway to the North Cape, the town of Honningsvåg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Norway.

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