Vardø is the easternmost town in Norway, and is actually east of Istanbul. The eastern part of Finnmark is in the same time zone as the rest of the country, even if it is more than an hour at odds with daylight hours.

The port of Vardø, on the Barents Sea, remains ice-free all year round thanks to the effect of the warm North Atlantic drift. Vardø is usually referred to as Norway's only mainland town in the Arctic climate zone, although this is not strictly correct since the town is located on an island about 2 km off the northeastern coast of the Varanger Peninsula. July 24-hr average temperature is only 9.1°C, while January average is a modest -5.1°C *. However, the average July temperature for the 1996 - 2005 period is 11°C according to the climate robot at weatheronline, so it seems that global warming is moving Vardø out of the arctic climate zone.

The island is connected to the mainland via an undersea tunnel (Norway's first such structure); the town's airport and the settlement of Svartnes are located on the mainland opposite the tunnel entrance. Vardø is a port of call on Norway's Hurtigruten ferry service. The town is the northern termination of European route E75, which starts in Sitia, Crete.

Fishing and seafood processing remain Vardø's major sources of income, although tourism is starting to become an important economic factor.

Vardø's tourist attractions include Vardøhus Festning, a fortress dating back to the late 13th century, although the present structure dates from 1734, several bird colonies, two museums: one about the Pomor trade and the other about local history and birdlife, and remnants of German fortifications from World War II. The Yukigassen competition in Vardø is unique in Norway.

Vardøhus Festning is home to two rowan trees which are diligently nurtured and warmed in winter since these trees cannot normally survive in Vardø's cold climate, north of the Arctic tree-line. Originally, seven trees were planted in 1960; the one that survived managed to blossom twice, in 1974 and 1981. The tree finally succumbed to cold weather in 2002, but two new saplings have been planted in its place.