Honningsvåg and North Cape: Base Town Guide
Honningsvåg is the town most visitors use as a base for visiting North Cape (Nordkapp), Europe's northernmost point accessible by road. It's a small fishing town of around 2,500 people on the island of Magerøya, connected to the Norwegian mainland by the E69 highway and the 7km Nordkapp Tunnel.
Getting to Honningsvåg
By air: Honningsvåg Airport (HVG) has daily flights from Oslo via Tromsø or Alta. The airport is small but reliable. Flights from Oslo take about 2.5 hours with a connection.
By car: Drive the E6 north from Alta (about 2 hours), then turn onto the E69 which takes you through the Nordkapp Tunnel to Magerøya island and Honningsvåg (another 1.5 hours from the junction).
By Hurtigruten: The coastal ferry stops at Honningsvåg year-round on its way between Bergen and Kirkenes.
Where to Stay
Honningsvåg has a handful of accommodation options. Rica Hotel Honningsvåg is the main hotel, centrally located near the harbour. Nordkapp Camping offers cabins for budget travellers. Several small guesthouses operate in the town and outlying areas.
For North Cape specifically, the Nordkapp Visitor Centre has a restaurant and serves as a waypoint, but most visitors return to Honningsvåg for the night. Some tour operators offer guided overnight experiences at North Cape in winter for aurora viewing from the clifftop — spectacular if you can get a clear night.
North Cape vs Knivskjellodden
North Cape (Nordkapp) at 71°10'N is the most visited "northernmost point" and accessible by car year-round (the road is open in winter although conditions can be severe). However, technically the northernmost point of mainland Norway is Knivskjellodden, a 9km round-trip hike from the North Cape area — only accessible on foot and closed in winter. Most visitors are happy with North Cape itself.
What to Do Around Honningsvåg
- Visit North Cape — mandatory, especially at midnight sun (May-July) or for winter aurora
- Nordkapp Museum in Honningsvåg town
- Sea fishing tours on the Barents Sea
- Birdwatching at Gjesværstappan (puffin colony in summer)
- Snowmobile and dog sled tours in winter
Best Time to Visit
For midnight sun: mid-May to late July (the sun doesn't set for weeks). For northern lights: November to March. For birdwatching and hiking: June to August. Winter visits to North Cape require planning — the road can close temporarily in severe weather, and the view from the cliff in snowstorm conditions is dramatic but disorienting.