A Kirkenes king crab safari between ship arrival and departure
Plenty of people meet Kirkenes from the deck of a ship, with a few hours ashore and a fixed time to be back on board. The king crab safari fits into many of those calls, but not all of them. The arithmetic is simple once you know the length of the trip and where it starts.
Why so many visitors arrive by ship
Kirkenes is the turning point of the Hurtigruten coastal route, where the northbound ships end and turn south again. Havila ships on the same coast call here too, and cruise ships add their own visits in summer.
The town lies about 400 km (250 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, a few kilometers from the Russian border. For many passengers it is the most remote stop of the whole voyage, and the king crab is the excursion people talk about at dinner.
Ship times change with the route and the line, so this page gives none. Check your own itinerary for the arrival and departure times, then work backwards from the boarding time.
How long the safari takes, door to door
GetYourGuide lists both trips at 3 hours, while Viator says about 4. The difference is mostly the transfer, which is included in Kirkenes on both trips, and the time the meal takes.
The winter trip runs from the Snow Resort at Bjørnevatn, a 15-minute drive out of town. The summer trip starts at the King Crab pier in the town from May to mid-September, which is a short trip from the quay area.
Plan around 4 hours from the moment you leave the ship to the moment you are back at the gangway. On a call shorter than about 5 hours, the safari gets tight.
Getting from the quay to the start
Both listings offer pickup from hotels in Kirkenes, not from the ship. Before you book, ask the operator through the booking page whether a pickup at the quay is possible for your date.
In summer there is a second option. The GetYourGuide listing gives 1:15 pm at the King Crab pier on Johan Knudtzens gate for guests who skip the transfer, so you can make your own way there.
Several other tours in Kirkenes on GetYourGuide do offer pickup from the Hurtigruten and Havila ships. That makes a quay pickup a reasonable thing to ask about, though the crab listings do not promise it.
Matching the booking calendar to your time ashore
The start times live in the booking calendar, and they can vary by date. Compare them with your ship's times before you pay, using these steps.
- Note the time you can step ashore and the latest time you must be back on board
- Open the calendar on the listing for your date and read the start times shown
- Add the trip length and the transfer, then at least 45 minutes of buffer
- Book only if the finish plus buffer lands well before the boarding deadline
If the times do not fit, do not try to squeeze the trip by cutting the buffer. A late return is the one problem on a cruise stop that nobody can fix for you.
A winter call with a free afternoon?
The ice safari runs from the Snow Resort, and its listing offers pickup in Kirkenes or a meeting point at the resort. Compare the calendar with your port time first.
Booking yourself or through the ship
Cruise lines and the coastal ships sell their own king crab excursions on board and on their websites, at their own prices. Their main advantage is that the ship knows about the excursion and plans around it.
Booking the summer RIB safari from ~$284 or the winter ice trip from ~$376 yourself gives you the same operator's trip and the reviews to judge it by. You also take on the timing yourself, which is the trade.
Our price breakdown for both safaris lists what the fare includes, from the transfer to the meal and entry to the Snow Park. Compare that with what the ship charges before deciding.
If the ship runs late
Both listings allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. That protects you if your itinerary changes days ahead, but it does not help on the day if the ship arrives late.
A late ship can mean a missed start and a lost fare. Choose a later start time when the calendar allows it, and keep the operator's contact details from the booking confirmation on your phone.
Weather on the coast can delay arrivals in any season. A long port call gives you room for that, and a short one is better spent in town.
The safari has its own moving parts as well. Pulling the pots and then eating the crab at a relaxed pace both take time, and a guide will not rush a table of guests because one of them has a ship to catch.
Tell the operator your boarding time when you book. A guide who knows you must leave by a set hour can seat you on the first transfer back, which a surprise announcement over the crab legs cannot arrange.
Summer or winter from the ship
Summer calls suit the RIB trip, with fishing boats, wartime battle stations in the fjord and a meal in a boathouse across the water. Our RIB safari walk-through covers each stop.
Winter calls by the coastal ships suit the ice trip, as long as the fjord ice holds. Read the winter ice safari guide before booking, and pack the layers from our clothing guide in your day bag, since your suitcase stays on board.
If your call is too short for the crab, a walk through the town or a visit to the wartime shelter fits better. The full-day plan for Kirkenes lists what else the town offers.