Welcome to Honningsvåg, Norway—the cruise gateway to the famous North Cape.

We originally booked an excursion to North Cape, but unfavorable weather forecasts made us reconsider. We had also heard mixed reviews from several experienced travelers aboard the ship, so we canceled the excursion and decided to explore Honningsvåg independently instead.

Was that the right decision?

We got off the ship later than planned and walked through this small Arctic town on our own. Along the way, we visited Honningsvåg Church, climbed partway up the hillside, found a statue honoring Norwegian filmmaker Knut Erik Jensen and walked toward the Nordkapptrappa—the approximately 1,000-step Sherpa-built staircase leading up Storfjellet.

Because we started late and the weather remained questionable, we decided not to attempt the complete mountain hike. We finished our visit by exploring Artico Christmas House, a two-story Christmas store near the waterfront that stays open for most of the year.
Honningsvåg Church turned out to have the most interesting story of our walk. Built in 1885, it was the only major building in town left standing when German forces burned Honningsvåg during their retreat from Finnmark in 1944. Returning residents temporarily lived inside the church while rebuilding their community.

We’ll be honest: there wasn’t a great deal to see or do in town, especially compared with some of Norway’s more scenic cruise ports. However, Honningsvåg offered an interesting look at everyday life above the Arctic Circle—and gave us a chance to decide whether skipping North Cape was ultimately the right choice.

Would you visit North Cape, hike the Sherpa Steps or simply explore Honningsvåg on foot? Let us know what you would have done.

We’re Ed and Mai, early retirees traveling the world while watching our budget.

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