Bird Watching at Hornøya.

2026 SEASON

INFORMATION ABOUT TRIPS TO HORNØYA.

The government of Norway has made new regulations on how to visit the island from the 2026 season. This year you have to be part of a group and a guide is mandatory. (Blue area C on the map below) 

Vardø harbour has received a limited amount of trips counting only 450 people. Unfortunatly Vardø Harbour is fully booked for the 2026 season. Therefore it is unessecary for you to try to contact us to make a reservation.

The Tourist information office in Vardø is working on how to help people going to the island.

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The email adress to the tourist information office is: turistinformasjon@vardo.kommune.no

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Link to lovdata:(Norwegian laws, only in Norwegian) https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1983-01-28-120?q=Horn%C3%B8ya

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General information: 

Easternmost in Norway you will find the island Hornøya. The island is located in the Barents sea, approximately one kilometer from Vardø, just a 10 minute boat ride from Vardø Port. Already on the way up there you will get a feeling of what you are about to enter into. Looking up you will see full traffic with birds flying in and out as they are looking for food in the ocean.

From the dock on the island, the bird mountain will be seen right above you. Here you will find a wide variety of birds. For instance, you can experience colonies of polar lomvi, a known bird that only hatches in the arctic environments. Other birds you can spot include seabirds, puffins, auk, common murre, grebe, great cormorant, teal, crested cormorant and storm petrel.

Moving towards flatter areas, you will find the hatching grounds for lots of grey gulls, seagulls and great black-backed gulls. Hornøya and Varangerfjorden are also one of the most important winter dens for the arctic ducks.

Opposite to the arctic scenery on the north side of Varangerhalvøya, Hornøya has more flourishing vegetation as a result of fertilization from the birds on the island. The island is a protected nature reserve, therefore all areas are not available to the public. Some areas are restricted. Luckily, you can follow a path that lets you see nearly all of the birds up front.

Be sure to bring food, (very) warm clothing, a hot beverage and of course your camera! Use the path, always stay together with your group and follow the instructions from your guide.

Pets are not allowed on the island.

Unfortunately there are no toilet facilites on the island at the moment.

Please respect the rules of the nature reserve at Reinøya and Hornøya. You are only allowed to be in the marked areas on the map including the path that goes from the west side of the island to east side and the dirt road up to the light house.

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GROUPS USING BOATS PROVIDED BY VARDØ HARBOUR 

Safety policy:

Please read the safety information leaflet and watch the safety instruction video inside the tourist information office or at the departure place for the boat. Wait for signal from the boat driver before entering the gangway down to the floating dock.

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‍Weather Policy:

 No one, including the weather forecast accurately predicts the wind and current conditions on the day of your scheduled trip to Hornøya.

 If the conditions are challenging  we make the sole decision in the morning of the trip wether or not to go over to the island, depending on the waves, currents and wind conditions.

 If we cancel a trip due to inclement weather or challenging waves currents and wind conditions, we give our customers the option to reschedule their trip.  If a trip cannot be rescheduled, a full refund will be made.  

WE WISH YOU A PLEASANT STAY AT HORNØYA.

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