Gorgeous Northern Norway in 10 Days

Arrive in Tromso, get your rental car (ask for a smaller vehicle), and get your bearings. Walk around the charming town to the Arctic Cathedral. Ride the Fjellheisen Cable Car to get panoramic views. Take a fjord cruise. Dine at Suva (duck or scallop sashimi) or any number of fabulous restaurants and eateries.

From May to July, you'll have to adjust to the Midnight Sun during the Arctic summer. The sun is out nearly all day, so there is no chance of seeing Northern Lights.

Leave Tromso in time to catch the small Brensholmen ferry to Senja at 10:45. Senja is packed with spectacular scenery and towns, along with twisty, winding roads and numerous dark and all-too-narrow tunnels.

Make the short detour to the pretty fishing village of Husoy--you can drive all the way up near the lighthouse.

If you have the energy, do the 4-hour Hesten hike on the way (otherwise, backtrack tomorrow). Park out by the school, the only lot in town. Then prepare for a slog of deep snow, mud and boulders to get to the amazing views at the top. Make sure to bring your hiking poles. (We went slowly and it took us five hours for 2.7 miles round-trip with 1,930 feet of elevation change.)

Another fun hike is up Husfjellet, which took four hours for 4.6 miles due to the tough terrain.

Accommodations are limited. You might stay at the picturesque Mefjord Brygge, a large complex with basic apartments and hotel rooms (no toiletries included). The fried halibut and entrecote steak at their restaurant were very good.

Head south, stopping often to gawk at incredible scenes, especially Tungeneset and Bergsbotn. If time permits, you could kayak from Skaland.

Stay in fabulous Hamn I Senja, with its own little harbor. Take a boat tour to see seals, birds, and your first sea eagles. Hike up nearby Sukkertoppen for views of Hamn i Senja from above. Indulge in their delicious soup, fish and blueberry pie.

Say farewell to Senja! Leave early to get to the popular (large) Gryllfjord ferry to Andenes, Lofoten, at 10 am You can park your car in line, and stroll around town.

If the timing is right, you can take a whale watching tour from Andenes. Then it's a beautiful six-hour drive (on wider roads than Senja) to the southern tip of Lofoten, past cows and sheep, fish-drying racks and more tunnels.

Near Reine, you can kayak among the spectacular fjords.

But you're here to go up 1,978 grueling steps to Reinebringen: the single best viewpoint I've ever seen. On a clear day, you can see Hamnøy, Sakrisoy and Reine amid the sea and mountains. Tips: Go early and park in the little lot past the tunnel for the closest access. Stop often to catch your breath and admire the vistas. It took us three hours round-trip with lots of stops.

Afterward, stop at Maren Anna's for a well deserved late lunch of luscious soups and more. For dinner, enjoy Anita's Seafood for fish soup, cod, salmon and sashimi.

You're staying at Eliassen Rorbuer's basic rooms because the images online are just spectacular! This is the oldest fisherman’s complex in Lofoten: the word rorbuer means traditional fishermen's cabins. And that's what you'll get. (Pick a room with mountain views rather than water views.)

On your last few days, drive to Svolvær, stopping for pictures or hikes at gorgeous Nusfjord, and at cool Uttakleiv beach.

Svolvaer is maybe best known for Svolærgeita, a vertical sliver of a high mountain split that can be climbed, even by beginners.

You might enjoy that. Or, like us, go for the water-level sea eagles cruise. You'll get suited up for the fast, bumpy, windy ride in the RIB (rigid raft) out to famed Trollsfjord. That's where fishermen won a three-day battle against big business by blockading the route, securing general fishing rights in Norway’s waters. Enjoy watching sea eagles swoop in for lunch, running on water.

Stay at the swank Lofoten Suiteapartments, with a great balcony and easy parking. Dine on Bacalao's fish soup--the best we had on our trip. And try the Kettle Blue Sky Thai food truck, which had surprisingly good pad Thai.

On your last day, load up on pastries from Bacalao, then drive to the airport in Evenes for your flight to Oslo via Tromso, and homeward. (Tips: Don't fret if there are no obvious spaces to park your rental car. Just drop off the key at the counter. The Wideroe plane to Tromso is tiny. You may have to tuck your bags beneath your feet.)

Admire the views as you fly out and begin planning your next Norwegian adventure!