Norway yacht charter
Norway is for scenery rather than beaches: calm fjords under mountains, waterfalls and long summer light. June to August is the season. It suits couples and families who would rather hike than swim.
Norway is a charter for people who want scenery rather than beaches. Mountains rise straight out of deep, calm water, waterfalls come down the cliffs, and in high summer it hardly gets dark. The fjords are sheltered, so the passages are smooth even when the open coast is not. In the evening you are moored below a farm or a village that is reached mostly by boat.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
Norway suits families with children old enough to enjoy hiking, kayaking and fishing more than swimming. The sea is cold, so this is not a beach holiday. The water in the fjords is calm, and the days are long enough to fit in a lot.
Couples and honeymoons
For a couple who would rather walk to a glacier than lie on a sunbed, there is little like it: dinner on deck at eleven at night in daylight, and a different fjord each morning.
Friends and celebrations
Norway suits a group that likes the outdoors: hikes, kayaking, fishing and long dinners. It is not the place for nightlife.
Less suited to anyone who wants warm water and sand. For that, go to the Mediterranean in the same months.
The areas
Norway is one of our destinations in Northern Europe and the polar seas. Its coast has three parts for a yacht.
The western fjords
Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord are UNESCO-listed. They are reached from Ålesund or Bergen, and the Sognefjord, Norway's longest, is between them. Hjørundfjord, below the Sunnmøre Alps, is quieter. This is where most yacht weeks in Norway are spent.
Lofoten and the north
A chain of steep islands above the Arctic Circle, with fishing villages of red cabins, white beaches, and the midnight sun from late May to mid-July. Tromsø and Bodø are the gateways. It is further and more exposed, and it suits people who have done the fjords, or want the light.
The south coast
Small islands and white wooden towns between Kristiansand and Oslo, a gentler landscape than the fjords or the north.
When to go
- June to August is the season. July has the warmest weather and the longest days.
- Late May and early September are quieter. Late May has snow still on the peaks and full waterfalls, and September brings autumn colour and the first dark evenings. In the north, the first northern lights can show from mid-August, and the dark evenings that suit them return from mid-September.
- The weather changes quickly. Rain is part of a Norwegian summer. The fjords stay sheltered when the open sea is rough, so the captain plans the days around the forecast.
Months | Weather and light | Crowds | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
Late May | Snow still on the peaks, waterfalls full | Quieter | The midnight sun begins in Lofoten |
June and July | The longest days, hardly dark; July the warmest | The season | Midnight sun in the north until mid-July |
August | Summer, with rain part of it | The season | The first northern lights can show in the north from mid-August |
Early September | Autumn colour and the first dark evenings | Quieter | Dark evenings for the northern lights from mid-September |
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season. Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
- Tax. Norway is outside the EU. Its VAT is 25% at the standard rate and 12% for passenger transport. Ask us which applies to the yacht you are considering.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. It is money held by the captain for fuel, food, drinks, berths and similar costs, spent on your instructions and accounted for at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee; long or remote passages can need more.
- Fuel. Distances between the fjords and the islands can be long. On a motor yacht, fuel is a large part of the APA.
- Delivery. If the yacht has to come to meet you, a delivery fee (fuel, crew, berths) can be added, stated before you sign.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Round trip from Ålesund
The yacht, the weather and what you like on the day decide the real route.
Board in the afternoon. The town was rebuilt in Art Nouveau after a fire in 1904, and the viewpoint on Aksla is a short climb.
A narrow fjord under the Sunnmøre Alps, with farms and the hotel at Øye, open since 1891. Kayaks off the stern.
Pass the Seven Sisters falls, and anchor or moor in Geiranger for the evening.
A morning walk or drive to a viewpoint above the fjord, Flydalsjuvet or Dalsnibba, and a farm lunch at one of the cliff farms. The afternoon is on the water.
Quieter water, waterfalls and the farms of the Valldal valley.
An island off the coast with seabird cliffs, where thousands of puffins come each spring to breed. The day depends on the open-sea forecast.
Back in the morning, then disembark.
The yachts that cruise here
We arrange crewed yachts in Norway and look across the market for the ones that fit each enquiry. Tell us the month and how many of you there are.
The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
How cold is it?
Summer days in the fjords are mild rather than hot, and cooler in the north and on the water. Bring layers and a waterproof jacket.
Can we swim?
Briefly. The sea is cold, even in summer. Some yachts carry a hot tub or sauna; ask us which do.
How dark does it get?
Hardly at all in June and July. North of the Arctic Circle there is midnight sun from late May to mid-July.
Which airports do we fly to?
Ålesund and Bergen for the western fjords. For Lofoten, Bodø or Harstad/Narvik (Evenes), or the small airports at Leknes and Svolvær in Lofoten itself. Oslo has the most international flights, with connections onward.
Is the sea rough?
Inside the fjords it is usually calm. The open-sea passages, such as to Runde or out to Lofoten, depend on the forecast, and the captain chooses the day.
Do we eat on board or ashore?
Mostly on board: the crew provisions the yacht, and the cost comes out of the APA. A meal ashore, at a farm or a village restaurant, is easy to add, and the crew books it.
What is there to do besides cruising?
Hiking, kayaking, fishing and glacier walks with a guide. The crew arranges the guides.
Can we combine the fjords and Lofoten in one week?
Usually not. They are far apart. Most people choose one, or plan two weeks.
How far ahead should we enquire?
The season is short and the yachts that come north are few, so start early. Tell us the dates you have in mind, even loosely, and we check with the yachts that fit.
If you are also weighing Iceland or Scotland
Iceland and Scotland (pages to follow) are wilder and more exposed, with fewer yachts. The western fjords are the gentlest introduction to a northern charter. For ice and wildlife at the other end of the world, Antarctica is an expedition rather than a week.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Norway.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.