In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Norway
Narvik
Give Narvik 2 nights if you ski or hike; 1 night if you are only breaking the Kiruna–Lofoten run. No car? Stay central, walk the town.
Narvik is an iron-ore port of about 14,000 people on the Ofot Fjord, 200 km inside the Arctic Circle, and the only Norwegian town on the Swedish Malmbanan railway. It is a winter ski town, a summer hiking and midnight-sun base, and a 1940 battlefield. The town itself is small and walkable; the mountains and the fjord are the reason to come.
- Country
- Norway
- Best months
- Feb–Apr for skiing; Jun–Aug for midnight sun and hiking
- Avoid
- Nov–Jan (polar night, little daylight, ice)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NOK
- Money
- Currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK, kr); the euro is not used. About 11.5 NOK to €1 — check.
- Daily spend
- Budget kr 700–1,100 excl. bed · Mid kr 1,100–1,900 excl. bed · High kr 1,900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EEA roaming applies: EU and EEA SIMs work at home prices.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Ambulance 113 · Fire 110 · Out-of-hours doctor 116 117
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Included; round up or add 5–10% for good service.; Café and bar: Nothing expected.; Taxi: Round up.; Guides: Optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent; streams in the mountains are usually drinkable, but avoid water below farms and grazing.
- Toilets
- Free or card-paid (NOK 10–20) in towns; trailheads often have pit toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | kr 40–60 |
| Lunch, soup or sandwich | kr 120–200 |
| Main course, mid-range restaurant | kr 250–400 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | kr 90–130 / kr 30–45 |
| Ski day pass at Narvikfjellet | about kr 400 |
| Local bus, short journey | kr 31 (kr 16 children and 67+) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | kr 200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EVE · Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes
- About 55 km from town; airport bus takes roughly 50 min. Also serves Harstad.About 34 mi from town; airport bus takes roughly 50 min. Also serves Harstad.
Typical fares
- Evenes airport → Narvik centre, airport bus
- about 50 min, roughly kr 100–300 (check)
- Local bus, short journey
- kr 31, kr 16 children and 67+
- Narvik → Kiruna, Malmbanan day train
- about 2 h 45 min, from about kr 195 booked early (check)
Get around
The centre is compact and walkable. Local buses run to Ankenes, Framnes and Beisfjord Monday–Saturday, with very limited Sunday service; short journeys are about kr 31 (kr 16 for under-16s and 67+). The cable car and the ski station sit above town. Trains and long-distance buses cover the region.
See and do
Known for
- Narvikfjellet ski slope above the fjord
- 1940 Battle of Narvik and its war museum
- Iron-ore railway (Ofotbanen/Malmbanan)
- Midnight sun and northern lights
- Ofot Fjord shipwrecks
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Abisko (Sweden) | Malmbanan train from Narvik station, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
| Kiruna (Sweden) | Malmbanan train, about 2 h 45 min | About 3 h |
| Bodø | Bus or connecting rail via Fauske, roughly 6–7 h | 6–7 h |
| Lofoten (Svolvær) | Two daily buses from Narvik, several hours | About 4–5 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (Kongensgate and around)
- Hotels, shops, bus station and the tourist office within a 10-minute walk; best without a car.
- Near Narvik station
- Quiet, 5 min walk to the main street; handy for early Malmbanan departures.
- Ankenes and Framnes
- Residential side of the fjord; local bus only, limited Sunday service.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Heihay |
| Thank you | Takktakk |
| Excuse me | Unnskyldun-shyld |
| How much is it? | Hvor mye koster det?vor mee-uh kos-ter deh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kan jeg betale med kort?kan yai beh-tah-leh meh kort |
| Where is the bus stop? | Hvor er bussholdeplassen?vor air booss-hol-deh-plah-sen |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names; avoid: Small talk that is too personal
- Nature: Greet other hikers, close gates, carry litter out; avoid: Loud music on trails
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring flowers or chocolates; 'takk for maten' after the meal; avoid: Arriving late
- Conversation: Modest, factual, humorous; avoid: Showing off wealth — Norwegians are rich but understated
- 17 May: Dress up, join the crowds, wave a flag; avoid: Treating the parades as a tourist show
- Queues: Take a number; avoid: Pushing in
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter ice on pavements and steps; bring studs or grip soles.
- Distances are long: Evenes airport is 55 km away and the last airport bus may not match a late flight.
- Narvik is not on the Norwegian rail network; the train only goes east into Sweden.
- Summer trails need real footwear; some routes cross fords and need a DNT key for huts.
- Check opening hours for the museums and the cable car before you build a day around them.
Narvik is a small, low-crime town and safe to walk by day and evening. The real risks are Arctic weather, ice, and mountain terrain: tell someone your route, carry a windproof layer and check the avalanche and trail reports before you climb.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Narvik yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Narvikfjellet ski slope above the fjord
- 1940 Battle of Narvik and its war museum
- Iron-ore railway (Ofotbanen/Malmbanan)
- Midnight sun and northern lights
- Ofot Fjord shipwrecks
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Destination Narvik: www.destinationnarvik.com
- Avinor — Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes: www.avinor.no/en/airport/Harstad-Narvik/
- Reis Nordland (bus timetables): www.reisnordland.no/
- Narvikfjellet: www.narvikfjellet.no/
- DNT Narvik: www.dnt.no/narvik
- Wikivoyage: Narvik, revision 5241084 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241084
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Narvik
Til denne adressen, takk
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Narvik; most countries are represented in Oslo, with consulates in Bodø or Tromsø (check).
English is spoken widely; card payment is normal almost everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/narvik). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.