Trondheim Cruise Port

The city of Trondheim offers a quintessential Norwegian city experience, with multi coloured houses, beautiful scenery and a strong Viking history which all helps it in the modern era to be a popular cruse port of call for many cruise lines.

The city sits just to the north of the main fjordland region of the country from a cruising point of view, so it is a port that features mostly on longer itineraries heading to the north of the country, but still sits in the entrance to a fjord and offers a beautiful entrance.

There is lots to do in this very photogenic city that is the sort of port where you can simply walk from your ship into the city centre and enjoy all that is on offer.

Cruises To Trondheim

The city of Trondheim is one of the most popular cruise ports of call in Norway, form both a cruise line and cruiser point of view and after our visit there, we can understand why!

Our Visit

We were fortunate to visit the city onboard the Norwegian Spirit, pre its upgrade, in June 2019 when we sailed on a roundtrip from Southampton to the Norwegian Arctic.

Unfortunately, a couple of things worked against me for my visit there as I injured myself just before setting sail and would be on crutches for the entire getaway and we would be the second of 2 ships to arrive in the port on the day we visited.

With only room for one ship at the cruise dock, we would have to dock on the outskirts of town, in an industrial area and with a long walk back to the centre.

That proved to be a walk too far me but thankfully, the picturesque city soon came to my aid and I set up camp in a small park overlooking the harbour whilst my wife went off exploring and to take in the numerous sites of interest in Trondheim.

Trondheim Cruise Guide

In this guide, we take you through all that you need to know before visiting the city on a cruise and how to make the most of your time on a shore.

If you are yet to book a cruise to the city and are trying to decide on whether a visit there is right for you or not, this guide should give you all you need to make an informed decision.

The guide is based on our visit to the cruise port of Trondheim and the research we did before heading there.

Type of Cruises Available

Trondheim doesn’t offer any turnaround facilities, but there are still a few options available to those wanting to visit there.

Firstly, the port features on numerous roundtrip itineraries from Northern European cruise ports including the likes of Southampton and Copenhagen.

These journeys can be split into two separate types with some sailing around the west of Norway and the main fjordland region of the country and some itineraries heading furtherer north and up to the Norwegian Arctic.

Another option is to take a repositioning cruise between Northern European ports and Reykjavik in Iceland whilst another popular option is to take a Norwegian coastal journey with a line such as Hurtigruten who usually sail from Bergen.

Trondheim Cruise Port Location

The main cruise dock in the city, known as Quay 68, is located on the edge of the city centre of Trondheim, around a 15-minute walk from the main pedestrianised centre and a 10-minute walk form the modern waterside development in the city that offers some cafes, bars and shops.

It is right next to the cities train station for those wanting to go off and explore the region and is also just a short stroll from the main harbour offering boat rides into the Trondheim fjord.

Hurtigruten ships will dock next to the main quay, a in a smaller sheltered dock whilst if you are the second cruise ship to arrive in the port, you may have dock at the western end of the town, next to the Skansen Gjestehavn marina.

That is an industrial part of town and around a 30-minute walk back to the centre and whilst some cruise lines will offer shuttles, there weren’t available for our visit.

Trondheim Cruise Facilities

Even if you dock at the main cruise terminal in Trondheim, there are few facilities on offer but as only a port of call that is close to the city centre, it isn’t too much of an issue for most.

Trondheim Attractions

There are lots of great attractions in the city, with a few of them been some of the most iconic in Norway and often used for promotion material for cruise lines and tourism agencies.

One such attraction is the simply stunning Nidaros Cathedral, which took hundreds of years to build, 150 years to renovate and is now one of the iconic medieval cathedrals in the world.

The next big iconic sight in the city is the district of Bakklandet which the brightly coloured wooden houses that run along the bank of the Nidelva river and features narrow streets that take you back in time.

The river winds itself through the heart of the city centre and visitors will find themselves constantly coming across it and with the need to get from one side to the other to see any of the attractions in Trondheim, it is perhaps fitting that that can be an attraction in its own right.

That includes the Old Town Bridge that makes for a great photo opportunity as do many of the city’s historic building and churches that can be found throughout the city and are great to just stumble across as you wonder around it.

If the weather is poor for your visit, there is a huge indoor swimming pool complex known as the Pirbadet, which also offer great views out of the water in the city.

The Sverresborg Trondelag Folk Museum on the outskirts of town offers an insight into the history of the city and to the culture of those who have lived there through time, whilst the Kristiansten Fortress offer great views of the city and a chance to understand the military past of Trondheim.

Whilst been a working transportation network, the cities trams also make for an attraction in their own right, with some of the journeys offering incredible views and a chance to explore the city at your pace.

Trondheim Shorex

There are few shore excursions offered to those visiting the city including the chance to pre-book boat tours of the Trondheim fjord and a coach ride to the aforementioned Folk Museum.

Many of the shore ex opportunities are simply coach tours or guides walking tours of the main attractions of the city which make for a good option for those who want an in-depth knowledge of the history of the city.

Best Time To Visit

Thanks to Norwegian coastal cruises, it is possible to visit the city all year around and it is a popular option for those wanting to take in the northern lights during the winter or for those who are looking for a winter wonderland at Christmas but it the main, it is during the summer when most will visit the port.

The main cruise season for the region is between April and October but with the majority of attractions in the city been outside and part of the fun of cruising this part of Norway sitting out on deck and taking in the incredible views, we would recommend visiting during the summer months, from June and August, as that will likely give you the warmest and driest weather.

Transport

As one of the biggest cities in Norway, there are a few options for those wanting to go off and explore Trondheim on their own.

Buses take you from the centre to the outskirts of town and has stops near some attractions including the open-air museum but for many, the only transport you may want to take is a ride on the one of the cities trams as it is an attraction in its own right.

For most visitors, you will be able to simply walk from your ship and take in the key sights and attraction but if you want to explore more of the region, there is a train station close to the main cruise dock.

There are two lines offered from their including the famous Nordline, that goes from the city up Bodo into the Arctic Circle and the Dovre line that runs to Eidsvoll.

Trondheim Cruises From UK

If you want to sail to Trondheim directly from the United Kingdom, not only can you but the UK has one of the widest choices of trips doing just that and from a number of different cruise ports around these shores.

Trondheim Cruises From Southampton

The widest range of itineraries, ships and lines that visit the city from the UK start their journeys at the country’s leading cruise port of Southampton.