Welcome to the Ålesund cruise port guide. Ålesund is a city in Norway with about 45.000 inhabitants. It is a famous fishing port in the country, although it is most famous for its Art Nouveau style. In the night of 23rd of January 1904 a fire broke out and it completely destroyed the city centre. Out of 12.000 people that lived in Alesund, 10.000 were left homeless within one night. When the German troops under the command of Wilhelm Keizer arrived for support they chose to rebuild the city in the Art Nouveau or Jugendstil style. It took them 7 years to rebuild it all, but the result is amazing. Alesund is rather small although it is officially considered to be a city. There are a couple of nice places to visit in town although there are definitely some sights outside of town you don’t want to miss. The area of Alesund is dotted with islands. The ice ages ripped the land apart and created thousands of islands that you can visit today. Go to the islands of Godoy or Giske for the ultimate Norwegian experience or hop to the other islands where you can find the famous open air museum or aquarium. Find out underneath what it is you want to do in this Cruise Port Guide Ålesund – Norway.

Ålesund cruise port – fast facts

– Cruise ships dock right in the center of Ålesund
– Hop on hop off bus is available at the cruise dock
– The art nouveau center of Ålesund is right at the dock and easily explored by foot
– Ålesund cruise dock is located next to the main bus station
– Tourist information is usually provided upon arrival

This is cruise dock of Ålesund. Right in front of the dock you will find a hop on hop off bus service waiting for cruise passengers. There are also a limited amount of taxis, public transport and a tourist train.

This is your view from the ship over Ålesund. As you can see there is a large parking lot with all kinds of facilities like local buses, hop on hop off bus, limited amount of taxis and the tourist train.

From the ship you will also see this building. This holds the public library where you will find free wi-fi to get up to date on your e-mails and messages.

Travel information Norway

Official currency – Norwegian krone
Accepts Euro / US dollars – sometimes in souvenir shops
Creditcards – are widely accepted

Drives on the – right
Timezone – UTC +1

About Norway

Inhabitants – 5,1 million
Official language – Norwegian and Sami
Capital city – Oslo

Kingdom of Norway
Government – Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Norwegian language

Good day – God dag
How are you? – Hvordan har du det?
Thank you – Takk
Cruise ship – Cruiseskip
Port – Havn

Cruise Port Guide Ålesund – Norway: docked

In Ålesund the cruise dock is located at a very convenient spot in town. It is literally a 2 minute walk from cruise port into the city. You have 2 options of where to dock, find option number 1 and 2 on the map above. As you can see they are right next to one another and all cruise ships will still use the same exit. From where you dock the town is only a couple of minutes away by foot. Ålesund is famous for its Art Nouveau centre, which you will find right in front of you after your ship docks. At the exit of the cruise dock you’ll find a small tourist information centre that provides you with maps and all the local tour operators and attractions will advertise their products via leaflets and brochures here.

Public bus system in Ålesund

Ålesund’s main bus station is located right in front of the exit of the cruise port. All blue buses are local buses that go to the main sights in and out of town, with the exception of Fjell Stua / Mount Aksla.
We recommend that you purchase your ticket in advance or use a travel card. If you choose to pay by debit/credit card or cash, onboard charges will apply. The cost on board is NOK 20 for adults, NOK 10 for students and first-time military service personnel, NOK 0 for children and elderly/disabled persons.

The following buslines will get you to the following sights in and around Ålesund.
The bus to Moa (largest shopping centre) is 628, 608, 618 and 624.
The bus to Atlantic ocean park is 614 or 618 (but doesn’t stop in front of Atlantic Ocean Park)
The bus to Sunnmore open-air museum is 618 or 624.
The bus to Giske and Godoy is 662 or 664

All of the above buses depart from the bus station in front of the cruise terminal. Most buses depart every half an hour.

Find the local bus schedules
Fram is the local bus service in Alesund. To plan your trip ahead of time and consult schedules you can simply visit their English travel planner which should give you all the details you need ahead of time.
Click here to start planning your bus tripvisit the bus operators website by clicking here.

The official taxis in Ålesund

Taxis are generally available in the morning right outside the port. Keep in mind though that they are expensive. Find out the fixed taxi prices underneath.
in town
To the aquarium: 120 NOK (+/- 18 USD)
To the Fjellstua – Mount Aksla viewpoint: 150 NOK (+/- 22 USD)
2 hour highlight city tour by private taxi: 1400 NOK (+/- 200 USD)
out of town
Rent by the hour: 700 NOK (+/- 100 USD)
Trip to the Trollstigen, Trollpath up to 6 hours: 3500 NOK (+/- 515 USD)

Prices might have been updated in a meanwhile. If so, be sure to let us know. We’d love to keep all the information up to date.

Hop on hop off bus

There is a hop on hop off bus available in Ålesund. You can spot it right from the ship. It is one of those red double decker buses. It is a nice option if you are planning not just to stay in town, but also if you are planning to visit the aquarium and open-air museum which are outside of town. Their bus is also wheelchair accessible.

Ålesund City Train Sightseeing

For 150 NOK you can join the tourist train. It is one of those trolley trains that will give you a guided tour of the city of Ålesund. It takes about 1 hour and it will also take you up to the viewpoint. Narrations are in Norwegian, English and German.

Distance from port

Find a list of the main sights and their distances form the cruise port:

Alesund city centre: 200 meter walk
Jugendstil centre: 300 meter walk
Aksla Viewpoint: 1,5 km walk
Atlantic Ocean Park: 3,5 km west of the port
Sunnmore open air museum: 5,5 km east of the port
Giske: 14 km north west of the port
Godoy: 20 km west of the port

Currency:

The Norwegian krone is the official currency being used in Ålesund. Most places will not accept euros or US dollars. However creditcards are widely accepted throughout the whole of Norway.
If you are going on a Norwegian cruise we highly recommend you to get your hands on some local currency as it is just easier to pay for small things with the Krone in hand.

Shopping:

You will find that the city center of Ålesund is filled with great shops, boutiques and souvenir shops. It is a great city to get your shopping done and bu some unique work.
If you are looking for bigger shopping opportunities than be sure to take the bus to Moa.

We have listed places to see and things to do underneath. Be sure to check it out. We wish you a great day in this port of call.
And if there is anything on our page which you think needs an update than be sure to let us know!

Also visit our cruise port guides for:

Geiranger – Bergen – Eidfjord – Trondheim

In the middle of the ocean is where we find the bird cliff Runde. This island has the widest variety of sea birds species in Scandinavia. In the nesting season from February to August more than 500.000 sea birds take over the island. Around 100.000 pairs of puffins nest here but you will also find great skuas, gannets and shags here. It is quite hard to get to Runde. By public transportation it will take you too long. There is a company 62°Nord that offers daily departures from the city centre by boat to Runde. Order your tickets online on their website.

Place of interest

Bird island of Runde

Runde, Norway

Your ship will dock right in front of the city centre of Alesund. Walk right into town and explore this wonderfull art nouveau city. Read all about the Alesund cruise dock in our cruise port guide.

Cruise port

Alesund cruise dock

In front of Alesund there are thousands of islands. Especially Giske a famous one. The Giske church is a 12th century chapel and the only one in Norway built in marble. Ask the tourist information in port about their opening hours. The best way to reach the church is by public transportation. At the bus station in front of the ship you will find the bus marked “Giske & Godoy”.

Place of interest

Giske Church

giske church, alesund

Take a local bus to the islands in front of the coastline. Navigate the deep and famous underwater tunnels to reach them and enjoy the breathtaking scenery from the local bus. Find the local bus on the parking lot/bus station in front of the ship. The middle stop will say Giske and Godoy. Pay the driver for a ticket. From here it is about 15 km to the north west.

Place of interest

Islands Giske and Godoy

godoya, Alesund

Alesund is a unique town because the fire created to opportunity in 1904 for all of it to be rebuild in the Art Nouveau style. At the end of the 20th century, beginning 21st century this was the most popular architecture style, philosophy and way of life, because in Europe it was time for something new. This photo is a beautiful example of what the city looks like today. This picture was made in the city centre about 200 meters from the ship.

Art Nouveau

The Jugendstil museum is the best way to start any visit on Alesund. It is the old pharmacy that has been transformed into the museum that will show the importance and style of art nouveau. Make sure not to miss the exhibition from ashes to art nouveau. Find this museum within 300 meters of your ship.

Museum

Jugendstil centre

Jugendstil center, Alesund

This is the mandatory photo stop when visiting Alesund. From the +/- 150 meter high Mount Aksla you will get a beautiful panoramic view over the entire Art Nouveau city centre, your ship, the surrounding islands and the fjord. To get up to the viewpoint simply take the hop on hop off bus, trolley train or taxi from the parking lot in front of the ship or walk up the 418 steps. The steps start in the park in front of the hill.

Viewpoint

Mount Aksla

Mount Aksla, Alesund

This is one of the largest aquariums in Scandinavia. It depicts underwater life in the atlantic ocean and in the fjords. Make sure not to miss the penguins and the diving show. The park lies about 3,5 west of the port. Reach the Atlantic Ocean Park by public transport bus 614 or 618, 120 NOK taxi ride or hop on hop off bus.

Attraction

Atlantic Ocean Park

Atlantic ocean park, Alesund

Sometimes the local church will give concerts. Search for a sign like this in port to see if this is also happening during your stay in port.

Attraction

Church concert

alesund kirke, Alesund

Norway is famous for its open air museums and this is one of them. Take a step back in time and walk through the ages. This park shows you the typical houses that have been build in this part of Norway throughout the centuries. Make sure not to miss their boat collections. You’ll find Sunnmore Museum about 5,5 km east of the port. Take public bus 618 or 624 at the cruise terminal or the hop on hop off bus.

Museum

Sunnmøre Museum

Sunnmore museum, Alesund

In the city centre of Alesund you will find the Fisheries Museum in an old warehouse of 1861. This museum depicts the history of Alesund as a fishing port.

Museum

Fisheries museum

Fisheries museum, Alesund

There are certainly interesting city walks to take through Alesund, but there are definitely also a couple of challenging hikes surrounding the town. Ask the tourist information for the Sugar tops hike to make the most adventurous one.

Place of interest

Sugar tops

Sukkertoppen, alesund

Ålesund – Norway

Ålesund cruise port – fast facts

Travel information Norway

About Norway

Norwegian language

Cruise Port Guide Ålesund – Norway: docked

Public bus system in Ålesund

The official taxis in Ålesund

Hop on hop off bus

Ålesund City Train Sightseeing

Distance from port

Currency:

Shopping:

Also visit our cruise port guides for:

Find your port of call:

Bird island of Runde

Alesund cruise dock

Giske Church

Islands Giske and Godoy

Art Nouveau

Jugendstil centre

Mount Aksla

Atlantic Ocean Park

Church concert

Sunnmøre Museum

Fisheries museum

Sugar tops

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General

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