Travel Itineraries for Norway

Travel Itineraries for Norway

5 to 7-day tour to the Fjords and Oslo

A dream trip for those who want to visit Norway in the summer is to tour the fjord region. It is a large region so to enjoy it calmly, we suggest 5 to 7 days. This was also the itinerary we did.

Day 01 – To start your trip by the fjords, you can arrive directly in Bergen, where there are direct flights from several places in Europe. It is a charming city, with a good infrastructure, a good information center, and from here you can start your trip driving north. From the airport to the center you can take the Light Rail, a train that costs around 5 dollars. The big companies that exist all over the world are also here. Our car was rented at Avis.

If you want to take a day to stay in Bergen and adjust to the time zone. We walked around the city but picked up the car and already we were on our way north. We drove along the beautiful scenic Vikafjellet road to Vik. Take the guided cultural tour in Vik on the shores of the Sognefjord and take the ferry across to Vangsnes – Hella – Dragsvik (Balestrand). A good option for spending the night is the Kviknes Hotel. Dinner is a unique experience as well as the wonderful view from the hotel.

Day 02 – Before heading out, still in the small town of Balestrand, visit the small Cider Huset and do some cider tasting and learn more about the process. For those driving there are several non-alcoholic options. Drive from Balestrand to Førde on the scenic Gaularfjellet road and stop in Utsikten and the Likholefossen waterfall. Drive to the open-air Sunnfjord Museum, a charming museum showing how Norwegians used to live. Have dinner and spend the night in Jølster, at the Thon Hotel.

Day 03 – Today the day is promising, your destination will be the Briksdalsbreen Glacier, which is part of the Jostedalsbreen National Park. You can either hike the trail to the glacier or take one of the trolleys that takes you closer to the glacier. Enjoy the immensity of the glacier. On the way back an option is to have lunch at the restaurant there, Briksdalsbre Mountain Lodge, it is a buffet, simple, but with very good food.

The next stop is Loen and the Loen Skylift. The cable car opened in May 2017 and the view is amazing, there is also a restaurant at the top, so you can have dessert with a beautiful view. Continue to Geiranger and stop at Dalsnibba, record amazing views at Flydalsjuvet. Spend the night at the Union Hotel in Geiranger and enjoy the heated pool overlooking the fjords. If you are tired, enjoy a massage in the spa or the famous saunas that Norwegians love.

Day 04 – Depending on your mood, it is possible to visit the chocolate factory in Geiranger or even do some activities such as kayaking before continuing your journey. We had a delicious breakfast at the Hotel Union and then went on the famous fjords cruise from Geiranger to Hellesylt. The fjords are a world heritage site and on the cruise you will see several waterfalls and they will tell you several stories about abandoned farms and a little more about the local culture.

From Hellesylt you can drive to Stranda. Stranda is the sports capital of the Fjord region. Although it is famous for its ski resorts, in the summer it is possible to do some very nice hikes. We took the Stranda Fjord Gondola to the top of the mountain and had lunch at Panoramic, with a beautiful view. In the afternoon we made a one hour trek to the top of the mountain, starting from the restaurant. We slept in the Stranda hotel and had dinner there. For the beer lovers, the hotel restaurant has a beer list with more than 70 beers.

Day 05 – Take the ferry from Geiranger to Liabygda and drive to Valldal. From there take the time to drive the Trollstigen Road, one of the most beautiful roads in all of Norway. Stop at Trollstigen Kafe where there is a wonderful lookout. Continue on to Åndalsnes and venture out on the Via Ferrata, a rock climbing tour overlooking the fjords. Spend the night at the Grand Hotel Bellevue.

Day 06 – Take the train to Oslo from Åndalsnes. The train station is five minutes from the Grand Hotel Bellevue. The train ride is beautiful, with incredible scenery passing by the window. Take advantage of the afternoon to already walk around Oslo following the Oslo itinerary above.

15-Day Tour Itinerary – Oslo, Fjords and Tromsø

If your plan is to vacation in Norway and experience all the best that the country has to offer, this is the perfect itinerary.

You can start in Bergen and follow our itinerary above the fjords to experience what is the most beautiful region in the country and one of the most scenic in the world.

Since your trip ends in Oslo, you can fly to Tromsø and if your goal is to try to see the aurora borealis, set aside at least 5 days for this region. Maybe you will see the northern lights on the first day maybe on the last.

But during the day there are other things to do in Tromsø. There are two important fjords in the region: Ullsfjorden and Lyngen. Take road E8 towards Fagernets. Then take road 91 towards Breivikeidet. Once there, get in line for the ferry across the Ullsfjorden to the village Svensby. At Svensby turn off the road and head north towards Lyngstuva. Stop at various viewing points, especially at Jægervatnet, a lake with stunning scenery.

In Lyngseidet take the road to Koppangen, where you will find a beautiful bay with crystal clear water. Back in Lyngseidet, take road 868 towards Nordkjosbotn. From there take road E8 and return to Tromsø for dinner.

To experience the Aurora Borealis, get ready for adventure. Take the E8 road again towards Norkjosbotn and then the E6 towards Helligskogen. On this route you will find many cars and vans stopped. On the map from Visit Tromsø, there is a purple symbol with a white arrow that indicates a good spot to watch the auroras.

We also did a post with some tips on when we photographed the aurora borealis in Iceland and Alaska, click HERE to check it out.

Remember that the days you go chasing the aurora borealis, are days that you can stay up all night long, so don’t book any tours for the next morning.

After five days, return to Oslo to finish your trip, stretch the Oslo itinerary to do it in two days, because you will be exhausted after this intensive Norway.

A day in Oslo, capital of Norway

If you are on a stopover in Norway or on a cruise ship that only stops for one day in the Norwegian capital, these are the places you can’t miss to get a taste of the local atmosphere.

Oslo is a small city with a condensed downtown. Start the day at Oslo’s main street: Karl Johans Gate. Only pedestrians are allowed on it, and you will find many stores and restaurants. But the really nice thing about this street is to see the local people.

Head for Oslo Domkirke – Oslo Cathedral – and enjoy one of the most important churches in the country. Straight ahead you will find another square, Stortorvet.

Then it is time to visit the city’s most emblematic building: the Operahuset Oslo or Oslo Opera House. A few meters away is the Forsvarsmuseet, the Armed Forces Museum, which tells the military history of the country since Viking times.

Behind the museum is Akershus Festning, a medieval castle that during the summer it is possible to see its interior through guided tours.

Continue to Rådhuset, the City Hall, and across the street is Nobels Fredssenter known as the Nobel Peace Center. Behind is Aker Brygge, an area filled with restaurants and stores, where you can stop for lunch.

From there you can take one of the boats to Bygdøy Island, where five other museums are located: Maritime, Fram, Viking Ship, Kon-Tiki, and Cultural History.

For the evening you can visit the Royal Palace, which has no railings and has a delightful park around it, the Slottsparken.

End your day in the bohemian neighborhood of Grünerløkka, close to the locals.