Things to do in Narvik

7 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Narvik is a small town with a short list of big things. The Ofoten Line runs from the harbour up the mountainside to the Swedish border, the ski area of Narvikfjellet begins where the houses end, and the war of 1940 left a museum in the centre and a protected battle landscape in the mountains. Most bookable tours run in winter, and the season decides a lot here: huskies need snow, the aurora needs dark nights, and the gondola is shut until January 2027.

The Ofoten Line to the border

The Ofoten Line is about 43 km long and opened in 1902. It was built to bring Swedish iron ore to the ice-free port, and ore trains still make up most of its traffic. On the Norwegian side it climbs above the Rombakfjord with views of snow-covered mountains; its highest point, 521 metres, is at Vassijaure across the border. The line has no connection to the rest of the Norwegian rail network.

The Arctic Train is a return trip from Narvik station to Bjørnfjell, the last stop before Sweden, and runs all year. Departure times vary by day and are published by the operator, The Arctic Train AS. On the tour the ticket comes with an audio guide and wifi.

Reviews are more mixed than for any other tour around Narvik. Trees, tunnels and the side you sit on block part of the view, and in snow or low cloud there is little to see. Some trains left late or stood still between stations. If you want to continue to Riksgränsen, Abisko or Kiruna, SJ runs trains between Kiruna and Narvik every day, and the tickets have to be bought online in advance at sj.se. More on timetables is on the Ofoten Line page.

Northern lights from town

Visit Narvik puts the aurora in the dark half of the year and stresses that it can never be guaranteed: cloud, weather and activity in the sky decide what you see. What helps Narvik is the short distance from town to dark places with an open sky over fjord and mountains, and the option to drive into Sweden when the coast is cloudy.

The private aurora drive collects you at your hotel in Narvik or Harstad, starts in the afternoon and can cross the border. Guests report drives of 100 to 150 km in one evening. If you see nothing on the first night, a second night is free, though then you may share the car with other guests. Bring your passport or ID card for the border. Smaller groups with photographer guides and minibus tours from the cruise port are compared on the northern lights page.

Huskies at Isogaisa

Husky Isogaisa keeps its dogs about half an hour north of Narvik and is the only dog sledding operator listed for the town. The season runs from 1 December to 30 April, depending on snow, and the self-drive tour leaves on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 09:00 and 14:00. Two people share a sled pulled by four to six dogs; one drives, one sits, and you swap halfway. Lunch is served afterwards in a heated lavvu, the Sámi tent. You need to book online by 16:00 the day before.

There is no pickup. One reviewer found the return taxi expensive, and several mention that the time on the sled felt short and that split groups had to wait. A version with a Sámi ceremony, joik and traditional food runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The husky and Sámi page has both, plus the reindeer visits.

Narvikfjellet, skiing and the new gondola

Until January 2027 there is no gondola ride. The operator Norway's Best says the old gondola and the Fjellheis restaurant stay closed until the new gondola opens that month. Once it runs, it takes eight minutes from town to the upper station at 656 metres, where the renovated restaurant Skard is due to open in January as well. Updates are on the official gondola page.

The ski area opens daily from 3 January to 2 May 2027, depending on snowmaking, from 10:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 16:00 at weekends and on holidays. From 3 to 11 April 2027 the slopes are closed to the public for the Norwegian championships. Norway's Best lists 22 runs over roughly 16 km and up to 889 metres of vertical served by lifts, with peak season from early February. The lifts are being rebuilt for the Alpine World Ski Championships, which Narvik hosts in February 2029. Lift passes and opening hours are on the ski resort page.

A three-hour sightseeing tour by minivan ends with a gondola ride to the upper station and promises cruise guests a return to the ship. It can only include the ride once the new gondola runs, and one guest had the ride cancelled because of strong wind. The Narvikfjellet page follows the reopening.

The war museum and the town centre

The Narvik War Museum at Kongens gate 39 tells the story of the fighting in 1940 and the occupation with original uniforms, weapons and equipment. It began as the war memorial museum of Nordland Red Cross and has been run since 2014 by the Narvik War and Peace Centre. It is open every day from 10:00 to 16:00. Plan on one and a half to two hours. Visitor details are on the museum website, and an entry ticket is also in the table below. The war history page covers the battles and the memorials.

In the Seamen's Church in the centre, a 25-minute photo and film show called Narvik by Light follows a year in the region, from the aurora to the return of the sun. Shows start at 09:00 and 18:00, at 13:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, and a cup of coffee is included. Down at the harbour you can float in the water in a survival suit for an hour, all year, at 10:00 and 12:00 daily; you do not need to swim, and the minimum age is 12.

Fjords and the reindeer farm

Day tours by car follow the fjords around Narvik with photo stops. The four-hour fjord trip with hotel pickup stops at a stone church and includes entry to a Sámi reindeer farm. Reviews love the guide but describe the farm as small, in one case with only two reindeer in an enclosure.

Arctic Moments runs a daytime road trip at 10:00 with at most six guests; depending on weather and light it heads for Tysfjord, Efjord or Skjomen. Wind can shorten the route, as one reviewer found in February. All the road trips, the snowmobile ride in Bardu and the border tour are on the fjords and road trips page.

Summer in short

Over a flat horizon the sun stays up from 25 May to 20 July 2027, and Visit Narvik speaks of midnight sun from the end of May and into July, and the mountains hide the low sun from some places. Norway's Best lists hiking for the summer months. A private boat trip for up to four people looks for puffins under the midnight sun; the boat leaves from the Harstad area with pickup, is open to the weather and only goes out when conditions are good. The Arctic Train and the war museum run all year.

Bus 300 links Narvik with Svolvær in Lofoten. For tours on the islands, see lofotentourism.com.