Svolvær; Monday, 04 May, 2026

Part of the reason for booking the route I had done from Bodø was so that I didn’t have lots of repetition on my journey, but with the change of routing the first 2½ hours of my journey back would be identical to the previous day with an hour forty minute bus ride to Leknes and then a 45 minute wait there for the bus to continue on to Svolvær.

As it was numbered 300, and the bus at Å displayed Leknes, Svolvær, Narvik, I’d assumed that it would be the same bus all the way through, just with a lengthy wait in Leknes as a buffer for the timetable. It turned out that wasn’t the case, or at least wasn’t the case today as we were all kicked off the bus in Leknes as it drove off to the depot, to be replaced 40 minutes later by a new bus and driver to continue the journey.

The journey north from Leknes was possibly more spectacular that the journey further south as there were more jagged peaks, mixed with wide farm fields and then dramatic bridge crossings. The roads were also that bit wider and faster, meaning that the journey of pretty much the same distance was a good 20 minutes quicker and we arrived in Svolvær just after 14:50.

It was a short walk across town to the hotel arriving just as check-in opened so I was able to get straight into my room, and after freshening up head back out to explore more of the town.

I’ve visited Svolvær on a number of occasions on Hurtigruten trips, but, apart from on cruise excursions, not ventured far from the harbour, but as I didn’t have to worry about missing a ship I was able to go for a lengthy wander, heading over to the islands that help create the natural harbour that Svolvær sits around.

A typical elegant sweeping Norwegian bridge links from the main part of town over to Svinøy, the island on which the town was first founded. And from there it was about a 25 minute walk down the connected islands to the harbour wall, passing along the way the fish drying racks, most of them with fish still tied to their wooden beams, being dried in the arctic air so they can be preserved without the use of salt.

At the end of the pier, looking out to sea is the Fishwives statue. Unveiled in 1999 it pays tribute to the women who supported the fishermen of the town and portrays a woman looking out to sea waiting for the safe return of her husband.

From the end of the pier I started the mile long walk back into town, taking a pause at a decent viewpoint to watch the southbound Hurtigruten service arrive into town for it’s two hour stop, before heading back to the hotel to freshen up before going out to grab a quick bite to eat.

Back in my room afterwards I watched the southbound leave and then about 30 minutes later the northbound service, this one operated by Havila, pull quietly into dock – the fully electric ship being substantially quieter than the much older Hurtigruten vessels.

It was due to depart at the same time as sunset, so I watched both before turning in for the night.