Hammerfest Cruise Port

Hammerfest, Norway

Hammerfest, or Hammarfeasta is a town in the far north of Norway that is the largest settlement in Finnmark.

Despite that, it only has a population of around 8,000 people, so it retains a remote feeling that is just what you are after if visiting the northern coast of the country.

It has an ice-free harbour, which is invaluable in the Arctic Ocean and that makes it a hugely popular port of call for cruise ships looking to give their guests the chance to experience the Midnight Sun in summer or the Aurora Borealis in winter.

In this guide, we take you through all that you need to know about the town and what you can expect from a visit there on a cruise holiday.

Cruises To Hammerfest

Our Visit

We were lucky enough to visit the port in June 2019 onboard the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship, pre its redevelopment.

We were on a round-trip cruise from Southampton to the Norwegian Arctic to see the Midnight Sun and with a great itinerary that took in many of the most famous cruise ports in Norway, I have to admit that Hammerfest was a port we new next to nothing about before going.

Sadly, I would injure myself just a couple of days before setting sail and would be on crutches for the whole cruise.

For our day in Hammerfest, I was simply in too much pain and would need to simply stay onboard and rest up ahead of a pre-booked excursion we were going on the next day.

Thankfully, the cruise dock location gives a great overview of the city and for our visit, Hvaldimir the beluga whale would be in port and would swim past the ship.

My wife did go ashore, which h involves a 15–20 minute stroll from one side of the harbour to the other, where the town centre of Hammerfest is.

There are a few shops, some interesting buildings including a wooden church but the highlight of a visit to the town is a climb up to the Toke Hammerfest viewing deck on top of the hill that surrounds the town.

After walking back down the hill, there is a small harbour to explore before walking back around to the ship for lunch onboard our ship with a great view.

Hammerfest Cruise Guide

If you have already booked a cruise holiday calling into Hammerfest, this guide should give you all that you need to know to make the most of your time onshore.

If you are still at the research stage and are wondering if an itinerary calling into the port is right for you or not, this guide should give you all the information you need to decide.

The guide is based on our own experience of visiting the port and also on the research that we did before visiting there.

Type of Cruises Available

Hammerfest offers no turnaround facilities and due to its remote location, the options for visiting there are limited compared to most other ports in Norway, but in our opinion, it is well worth the extra effort.

There are two main ways to visit Hammerfest with the first been on round trips from Northern European ports including Oslo, Southampton, Rotterdam and Copenhagen.

Those journeys will visit during the summer months, and most will take advantage of been high in the Arctic Circle to allow cruisers to experience ethe Midnight Sun.

The second main option is to cruise onboard the Norwegian coastal service offered by the likes of Hurtigruten that sail all year around, so you can choose to see the Midnight Sun in summer or the Aurora Balearic in winter.

There is a third option and that is a repositioning journey that is cruising around the Arctic, but these tend to be on smaller more luxurious lines and come at a steep cost. These will often start or end in ports such as New York or Reykjavik and end in a main European cruise port such as Southampton, Barcelona or Rotterdam.

Hammerfest Cruise Port Location

The cruise terminal in the Hammerfest is located to the north of the town centre and at the other side of the bay the town sits on.

It is around a 15-20 minute walk around the bay which is completely flat but some cruise lines will offer shuttles, although Norwegian didn’t when we visited.

The dock is well sheltered from the worse of the Arctic Ocean and give you a great view from the top deck of your ship over the whole of Hammerfest.

If you are visiting onboard a coastal cruise ferry, such as Hurtigruten you will dock right in the centre of town and just a short stroll from all of its facilities.

Hammerfest Cruise Facilities

As Hammerfest is only a port of call, it offers next to no facilities, but it really doesn’t need to as the town is only small and easy to explore by simply walking off of your ship and heading off for an adventure.

Hammerfest Attractions

If you are wanting to visit a bustling city, full of attractions or if you want to spend the day going from shop to shop and from bar to bar, a port such as Hammerfest is not for you.

The biggest attraction of visiting somewhere such as Hammerfest is the chance to visit somewhere so few people have before you, enjoy the remoteness of an Arctic town and of course take in the history, culture and stunningly beautiful setting you are in.

There are some attractions for those visiting the town including a museum dedicated to the redevelopment of the town after World War 2, a museum dedicated to the Polar Bear Society and a tourist information office.

One of the highlights of a visit to the town is a walk up to the Salen lookout observation deck on top of a hill behind the town centre where you can get great views of the area and there are also some huts and lakes to explore up there.

Near to the cruise dock is the Struve Geodetic Arc, which is not just a monument but is also part of a huge survey triangulation.

The towns church is a great example of a wooden Scandinavian church and whilst the town isn’t particularly known for its greenery, there is a small park complete with a fountain near the small marina in the centre of town.

Hammerfest Shorex

There are only a couple excursions on offer to those visiting the port on a cruise holiday including a chance to spend time with local Sami people and learn about their culture.

You can also enjoy meeting some of the local reindeer that live around the town.

Best Time To Visit Hammerfest

It is possible to visit the port all year around onboard coastal cruise ferries but unless you want to experience the Arctic winter and want to see the Aurora Borealis, we would recommend visiting in summer to have the best chance of dry weather whilst there.

The main cruise season for mainstream ships starts in June and ends in August, so with such a short season, any time during that is a great time to visit.

Transport

There is no transport in the town which can make it tricky for those with mobility problems as most will dock some distance from the town centre, although it is a flat walk.

Hammerfest Cruises From UK

If you want to visit the town on a direct cruise from the United Kingdom, you can do and best of all, the country offers one of the widest ranges of itineraries sailing there.

Hammerfest Cruises From Southampton

The port of Southampton offers the widest range of itineraries, ships and lines.