Bodø
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Pack your warmest clothes (and your high heels) and experience the northern lights in the cultural city of Bodø, gateway to Northern Norway.
Get the best of both worlds with spectacular nature experiences and buzzing city life in Bodø, situated in the southern part of Arctic Norway. This is an excellent base camp for your Arctic adventures.
For the best northern lights experience, head out of town, to the surrounding area of Salten, where you can enjoy dramatic, pristine nature. Join a guided tour (local experts greatly increase your chances of seeing the northern lights and they know the best spots) or spend a few unforgettable days in a more remote spot. You might also be able to enjoy aurora with a cocktail in your hand at one of the city's stunning rooftop bars.
With its 50,000 inhabitants, Bodø is the hub of Salten. It has become a veritable cultural centre over the last years, thanks in large part to its award-winning new library and concert hall, Stormen. Bodø is gearing up to be the European capital of culture in 2024, so there is plenty to do and experience apart from the northern lights.
You can easily combine a few days in Bodø with some adventurous days in Lofoten or Vesterålen, or skiing in Narvik.
If you are the adventurous type, a RIB boat trip, dog sledding, or fishing are all strongly recommended. A visit to Saltstraumen, the world's strongest tidal current, is also a must.
The best places to see the lights
- Visit Bodø's rooftop bars
- Hike up to Keiservarden, close to the city centre
- Go to a remote beach, like Løpsstranden, Mjelle or the long beach at Sandhornøya (where you can go glamping in cosy domes at Følvika).
- Check out some unique places to stay on nearby islands.
By plane
Bodø Airport is located 2 kilometres from the city centre. The airport bus has many daily departures and covers the distance in about 5 minutes. A flight from Oslo to Bodø takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Transfer in Bodø for your trip to the Lofoten Islands.
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By road
Rv. 80 links Bodø to the E6, the main road through Norway.
Another alternative is the Coastal Route Rv. 17, which hugs the coast a few kilometres to the west and takes you all the way to Trondheim. Note that there are several ferry crossings on this route.
By train
There are daily train connections between Trondheim and Bodø. The trip takes about 10 hours, and Lonely Planet has named the 729-kilometre long railway one of the world’s most beautiful night train journeys.
Local travel
A bus network takes you around the city and municipality of Bodø.
By ferry
The Norwegian coastal express Hurtigruten calls at Bodø twice a day.
Fast passenger boats and car ferries take you from Bodø to several ports in the Lofoten Islands and along the Helgeland coast.
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