Things to do in Kirkenes

In Kirkenes there is no shortage of things to do. There are activities here that satisfy even the most adventurous, and many of them are of the kind that earn a well-deserved place in the memory banks.

As a guest at Thon Hotel Kirkenes you can choose to do the activities yourself or to participate in organised group tours.

Below are our top tips for a memorable visit to the north.

King crab safari in winter

Under the auspices of Barentssafari, you can join a king crab experience that offers both speed and great flavours. Participants first get to bring in king crab from the hotel’s pots and while a chef prepares the crabs, the others take a snowmobile trip on the Langfjord and into the Siberian taiga forest in the Pasvik valley. After the tour, food is served in a lavvo (Sami tent) and the freshly caught king crab is served with bread, mayonnaise and white wine. Throughout the evening, there will be fun with coffee and tea.

Happy ice fishing

The area around Kirkenes is an Eldorado for fishing! And in a place where winter lasts almost half a year, there is a lot of fishing through the ice. The main season for ice fishing is from February to May and the most common species of fish to catch on the hook are char, trout and perch. Join an organised tour to learn how it’s done – and to experience why many people think that Sør-Varanger is best experienced sitting on a reindeer skin on the ice while waiting for a bite.

Husky tours – join the dogs on an adventure

Experience northern Norwegian nature with a dog sled! Snowhotel Kirkenes offers husky tours adapted to the season and at different distances. Here you can take part in everything from a 5-kilometre walk along the fjord in beautiful Sandnesdalen to a complete Arctic dog sledding adventure out in the wilderness. The tour goes across the snow and it is wonderful to experience how the dogs almost float on the white surface.

Northern Lights Safari

The Northern Lights are perhaps one of the most beautiful natural phenomena you can experience and in Kirkenes you have very good conditions for seeing the beautiful colours that dance across the sky.
The hunt for the Northern Lights can be combined with several other types of tours:
You can go on a husky tour where the dogs take you on a sled up the mountain or a snowmobile tour where you drive around waiting for the lights to reveal themselves. If you’re happiest in the warmth, Aurora Express offers a bus trip along the routes where there’s the greatest chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Experience the midnight sun from a quad bike

Barents Safari arranges several tours on quad bikes. One of them goes to the Barents Sea, where you can visit the official border crossing at Storskog and head east, past the Jarfjord and across the mountain plateau, before arriving at the lush Grense Jakobselv valley. The village has been vacated and you are very close to the Russian border where you can experience Norwegian and Russian border guards. By the beach facing the Barents Sea is the King Oscar II chapel, built from stone in 1869 as border protection against Russia. Enjoy coffee and some food by the Barents Sea before returning home.

King crab safari in the summer months

With professional fishermen and a fast RIB, Kirkenes Snowhotel is proud to call this trip the "original king crab safari". In the warmer months of the year, this is a speedy and fun trip that takes you out into Varangerfjord. Fish for crab, get to hold them and take pictures. After the trip you will be taken to a boathouse by the fjord where the crab are prepared in true northern Norwegian style.

Fishing trip in the Barents Sea

Kirkenes Snowhotel takes you out to the Barents Sea in the RIB to one of the last stops before the North Pole. Out at sea, you get to experience a wide range of wonderful wildlife, and if you are lucky, you will see eagles, seals and birds. And, not least, there is good chance of a bite on the hook!

Snowmobile safari

Join a snowmobile tour! Barentssafari offers a range of snowmobile tours – whether you’re chasing the Northern Lights or fishing for king crab.

Snowshoe tours

Snowshoes are something that has been used by Arctic people for thousands of years. In Kirkenes, you have the opportunity to test this mode of transport and have an extraordinary hiking experience. Snowhotel Kirkenes arranges guided tours in untouched mountainous surroundings around the hotel and you get to trudge through the snow and look for animal tracks. The tour offers an increased pulse rate and possibly some beads of sweat on the way up the mountain, but at the top the reward awaits! Stop for a good break here and enjoy the fantastic view.

Winter cycling

Sollia Gjestegård arranges winter cycling! Here you have access to bicycles with winter tyres that get a good grip on the prepared trail. See the area from a new angle on the bike and if you are lucky, the Northern Lights will entertain you on your trip. The tour concludes with a hot soup and a relaxing hot tub.

Summer hunt for the Northern Lights

It doesn't have to be winter for the Northern Lights to make their appearance in the sky. In late summer and autumn you can join an evening trip to the Borealis camp under the auspices of Sollia Gjestegård.

This is where you are away from the city, buildings and artificial light. The trip goes up into the mountains where the chances are great for experiencing the Northern Lights. Dinner is served over a campfire in a lavvo (Sami tent) and on the way to and from the camp you snugly put in a sled with warm clothing behind an ATV. A fantastic experience!

Perletur – the best hikes in the great outdoors

Finnmark Friluftsråd has put together a number of hikes throughout the county, which they have called "perleturer" (pearl hikes). This is a collection of the best hikes to go on or ride in the great outdoors. In Kirkenes we have many of these, and it is everything from short hikes of one hour to long hikes that can take a whole day. 

Routes from Sør-Varanger Touring Association

Sør-Varanger Touring Association is part of DTA (Norwegian Trekking Association) and has created several walks you can go on yourself. It is also possible to meet up with others and go with them

Visit a real snow hotel

Kirkenes Snowhotel is the first hotel to be completely made from snow and ice. You can step into a "winter wonderland" all year round here. The hotel is open 365 days a year and offers guided tours of the park, dinner, accommodation and various activities. 

Grenseland museum

The Grenseland museum is about 20 minutes’ walk from Thon Hotel Kirkenes. There are permanent and temporary exhibitions here about the border area, local culture and World War II. There’s also a museum shop with a varied selection and a bright and pleasant café, and outside there are benches, a playground and an exciting maze to explore during the summer.  

Andersgrotta

Visit Andersgrotta for a true historical experience that will take you back to World War II. Kirkenes was one of the most strategic places in Europe during the war and Andersgrotta was the largest bomb shelter in Kirkenes. The bomb shelter was constructed in 1934 and is well hidden under the centre. A short film about Kirkenes from 1941–1944 is shown here describing the 320 bombing raids the city was subject to. 

King crab safari in  winter

Under the auspices of Barentssafari you can join a king crab experience that offers both speed and great flavours. Participants first get to bring in king crab from the hotel’s pots and while a chef prepares the crabs, the others take a snowmobile trip on the Langfjord and into the Siberian taiga forest in the Pasvik valley. After the tour, food is served in a lavvo (Sami tent) and the freshly caught king crab is served with bread, mayonnaise and white wine. Throughout the evening, there will be fun with coffee and tea. 

Husky tours – join the dogs on an adventure

Experience northern Norwegian nature with a dog sled! Snowhotel Kirkenes offers husky tours adapted to the season and at different distances. Here you can take part in everything from a 5-kilometre walk along the fjord in beautiful Sandnesdalen to a complete Arctic dog sledding adventure out in the wilderness. The tour goes across the snow and it is wonderful to experience how the dogs almost float on the white surface.

Northern Lights Safari

The Northern Lights are perhaps one of the most beautiful natural phenomena you can experience and in Kirkenes you have very good conditions for seeing the beautiful colours that dance across the sky.

The hunt for the Northern Lights can be combined with several other types of tours: 

You can go on a husky tour where the dogs take you on a sled up the mountain or a snowmobile tour where you drive around waiting for the lights to reveal themselves. If you’re happiest in the warmth, Aurora Express offers a bus trip along the routes where there’s the greatest chance of seeing the Northern Lights. 

Experience the midnight sun from a quad bike 

Barentssafari arranges several tours on quad bikes. One of them goes to the Barents Sea, where you can visit the official border crossing at Storskog and head east, past the Jarfjord and across the mountain plateau, before arriving at the lush Grense Jakobselv valley. The village has been vacated and you are very close to the Russian border where you can experience Norwegian and Russian border guards. By the beach facing the Barents Sea is the King Oscar II chapel, built from stone in 1869 as border protection against Russia. Enjoy coffee and some food by the Barents Sea before returning home.

King crab safari in the summer months

With professional fishermen and a fast RIB, Kirkenes Snowhotel is proud to call this trip the "original king crab safari". In the warmer months of the year, this is a speedy and fun trip that takes you out into Varangerfjord. Fish for crab, get to hold them and take pictures. After the trip you will be taken to a boathouse by the fjord where the crab are prepared in true northern Norwegian style.

Snowmobile safari

Join a snowmobile tour! Barents Safari offers a range of snowmobile tours - whether you’re chasing the Northern Lights or fishing for king crab.

Visit a real snow hotel

Kirkenes Snowhotel is the first hotel to be completely made from snow and ice. You can step into a "winter wonderland" all year round here. The hotel is open 365 days a year and offers guided tours of the park, dinner, accommodation and various activities.