In the fjords of Northern Norway, where the water sits black and glassy beneath mountains still carrying last winter’s snow, a small sailing yacht has begun attracting considerable attention.
Its name is Varg. At 62 feet, it is not large by maritime standards. By Arctic ones, it is positively modest. Yet this quietly refurbished Norwegian-built expedition yacht now sits at the centre of Norrøna’s most ambitious tourism play in nearly a century of operation.
Norrøna, best known globally for its premium outdoor equipment, has spent the past decade extending its reach from clothing into destinations. Varg is the sharpest edge of that strategy: a floating Arctic basecamp designed to take six paying guests into some of Scandinavia’s most inaccessible terrain with a level of intimacy that traditional cruise ships cannot offer.
“Varg is so much more than a yacht; it’s an expedition sailboat designed for adventures above the Arctic Circle, allowing us to bring our guests closer to nature than ever before,” says Jørgen Jørgensen, the fourth-generation steward of the family-owned company.
The ambition is as much philosophical as it is commercial. Where most Arctic tourism scales up, Varg scales inward, deliberately limiting numbers to preserve both experience and environment.
Luxury That Doesn’t Shout
Step inside and the design language is immediately Nordic: pale timber, clean lines, no ornamentation for its own sake. There are six guest cabins, each with a private bathroom. A compact combustion fireplace warms the saloon, its flame reflected in broad windows that frame the fjord like a moving mural.
At anchor beneath Arctic dusk, Varg waits patiently for tomorrow’s hard-earned adventure.
The recovery rituals are where the romance deepens. On the main deck sits a small, wood-fired sauna and an open hot tub. Guests move between ice-cold Arctic air and heat drawn from split birch logs. Steam drifts across the water. The effect is less Instagram fantasy and more elemental ritual.
“Norway is Norrøna’s inspiration and its home, and we’re proud to offer travellers such a unique way to experience it,” Jørgensen says. “Whether skiing snowy peaks, mountain biking from summit to sea, scouting for humpback whales or Northern Lights, relaxing in the sauna, or soaking up the views from the wood-fired hot tub, Varg is a home for explorers looking to embark on an unforgettable journey.”
Fire, Fjord and Food
Onboard dining is overseen by Argentine-born chef Demian Ufer, whose résumé includes fine-dining kitchens across Europe and South America. His approach to Varg is deliberately restrained: Arctic ingredients are prepared, cooked over fire when the weather allows, and eaten slowly.
King crab, sea urchin, wild berries, ocean botanicals and locally foraged herbs form the backbone of the menu. Guests eat either around the deck grill under open sky or inside the saloon while the boat slides silently past sheer rock walls.
It is, in essence, fine dining without theatre. The drama comes from the landscape.
Four Seasons, Four Personalities
Unlike most polar tourism operations, Varg sails year-round. The itinerary rotates with the seasons, each offering a different interpretation of Arctic life.
Bikes rest above a glassy fjord as Varg waits below, quietly anchoring adventure.
In winter and early spring, the focus is on Northern Lights, whale encounters and ski touring. One three-night program pairs aurora chasing with dog sledding through the Lyngen Alps. Another five-night “Ski and Sail” expedition allows guests to skin up untouched slopes that descend directly into the sea.
In summer, the narrative softens. A “Lofoten by Sea” itinerary traces remote island chains accessible only by boat. The July “Bike and Sail” program threads hidden fjord trails using the yacht as a moving support vessel.
All trips are guided by local specialists and deliberately capped at six guests.
A Floating Link in a Bigger Chain
The yacht is not a standalone indulgence. It is a strategic link in what Jørgensen describes as a planned Arctic lodge network, a series of remote outposts that Varg will one day connect.
“Beyond delivering adventures of a lifetime, the yacht is a key part of our vision to build the ultimate adventure network in the Arctic,” he says. “In the future, Varg will transport guests between a new Northern Norway lodge network opening access to some of the most untouched regions on earth. We are envisioning a true Arctic voyage; like our own take on the Orient Express.”
The comparison is deliberately evocative: slow travel, stitched together by experience rather than speed.
A Different Kind of Luxury Bet
For Norrøna, the risk is calculated. High-net-worth travellers are increasingly shifting away from overt luxury toward experiences that feel earned rather than purchased. Varg is calibrated precisely for that mood.
This is not expedition cruising at scale. It is quiet, physically demanding, service-heavy and weather-dependent. The yacht is not selling comfort alone; it is a part of the sale in the Arctic itself.
For Australian travellers chasing the outer limits of experiential travel, it offers something rare: not spectacle, but proximity.
Details and 2026 expedition programs are available at: https://destinations.norrona.com/en/varg/varg-s-y.
by Bridget Gomez – (c) 2025
Read Time: 4 minutes.
About the Writer
Bridget has never been one to sit still. Of Portuguese heritage, she first trained as a nurse. She threw herself into work at the Commonwealth Veteran Affairs Repatriation Hospital, tending to old soldiers with stories almost as colourful as her own would become. It was rewarding, steady work — but wanderlust has a louder voice than routine.
So, she swapped starched uniforms for a backpack and set off on a twelve-month gallop around the globe. Along the way, she scribbled in journals, capturing the dust, the laughter, the odd missed train, and the occasional glass of wine too many. Those notebooks soon became a travel blog, her way of reliving and sharing the journeys with anyone willing to read.
Eventually, Bridget stumbled across Global Travel Media and, in her words, “the rest is history.” Now she writes with the same mix of heart and mischief that fuelled her travels.
