One of the most beautiful (if not the most beautiful) countries we visited in 2018 was Norway! The country really left us speechless with its natural beauty, which we had heard so much about. We found the fjords to be very imposing and loved driving through mountains and never ending rivers, lakes and waterfalls. Our journey in Norway started in the capital city of Olso and ended in Aalesund. Hopefully we will go back to Norway one day, to explore the country's northern part.
This six days itinerary can be easily adjusted to one's personal paces and tastes and covers cities sightseeing, scenic train rides, driving through real life postcard landscapes and enjoying the Norwegian nature at its best.
Here we go...
Day one: Oslo
Fly into Oslo. Once you land you have the budget friendly option of taking the train which will take you to the city. Look for the red NSB vending machines, grab your tickets and head to your platform. The ride is short and will cost you an approximate of 10 € per person.
Check in at Comfort Hotel Xpress Hotel, ideally located only a few steps away from Oslo’s central train station. Some of Oslo’s highlights include the Opera Hall, the Royal Palace, the Akershus Fortress, the Viking ship museum and the Oslo Cathedral. If you have an extra day, make sure to visit the Vigeland Park, an open air, free to enter exhibition of 212 granite and bronze sculptures.
You can see our one day Oslo suggested itinerary, here.
Day two: Oslo-Bergen
The Oslo-Bergen train ride is said to be among the prettiest ones in Europe, so on your second day in Norway grab the chance and hop on the train. The journey lasts around 6-7 hours and the ticket costs approximately 100 € per person. Once you arrive in Bergen, check in at Magic Hotel Xhibition, which is only a ten minute walk away from the train station and really close to all the main attractions too. Lose no time and go explore one of Norway’s most charming towns. The port of Bryggen is definitely Bergen’s most popular area to visit and you simply can’t miss it. Make sure to also wander through Bergen’s less visited neighborhoods though, as this is where the real charm is found.
You can see our Bergen photo diary, here.
Day three: Bergen’s surroundings
Bergen is the perfect getaway to the country’s deepest and longest fjord; Sognefjord. The best way to see the fjord is by taking a cruise which will take you from Bergen to the picturesque village of Flam. The cruise is six hours long, so you’d better have a second battery for your camera, in hand! The landscape is imposing and the small coastal villages you’ll see along the way will test your cuteness levels.
Once in Flam, you can grab a bite from one of the village’s numerous food stalls or just walk around until your next activity which is hopping onto a second cruise, this time from Flam to Gudvangen through Naeroyfjord. Sit back and enjoy the smooth ferry ride. You can opt for a tour which will then take you from Gudvangen back to Flam by road, if you wish to save some time.
Your third day in Norway ends with a spectacular one hour train ride from Flam to Myrdal, with the world famous Flamsbana railway. The antique train will take you through more stunning Norwegian landscape and will make a stop at Kjosfossen, a legendary 225 meter tall waterfall. The train will leave you at Myrdal, where you can take the train back to Bergen from.
Day four: Grab your rental and go
Train and ferry rides can be such a pleasure, but in a country as beautiful as Norway, the best way to enjoy the landscape is driving through it so that you can go with your own pace and stop whenever you feel like taking a photo. So, on day numero four, take your rental car and hit the road. Alesund being your final destination, the whole journey will take you a good seven hours of non-stop driving. Apparently, breaking records or testing your tiredness levels is not why you’re going to Norway, so you’ll most probably need to break this road trip into two parts, the first one being from Bergen to Fjaerland, a cute book town where you can find, read and buy books literally anywhere! This trip will normally take you around four to four and a half hours, not including the stops you’ll make. One of our favourite parts of this route was crossing Laerdal tunnel (which is 25 km long and is the longest road tunnel in the world!) and spending some time in the small town of Laerdal itself, as well as getting off the route for a while to enjoy the views from Stegatsein viewing platform.
Day five: Fjaerland-Alesund
Grab one of the books you’ll find in Fjaerland and go read it by the lake, sipping a hot cup of coffee to kick off the day and get ready for the second part of your mini road trip. Having in mind that it’s better to travel well than to arrive, remember to take route E39, which will take you to Aalesund through Loen. At Loen, don’t miss the Skylift, which might just be the best skylift ever created. Not even kidding. The view from Mt Hoven will be one that you’ll remember! The adult roundtrip ticket, during summer months, costs 505 NOK (53€), but it’ll be the best 505 NOK you’ll spent in Norway. Promise. The stop at Loen will increase your travelling time by a minimum of one hour but it’s really worth it.
Your next stop is Geiranger. Look for Flydalsjuvet and Ornesvingen viewpoints on your GPS. Make a stop at both of them and soak in the spectacular views over Geirangerfjord.
Your final stop will be Aalesund, where you’ ll spend the night. The Geiranger-Aalesund route also contains a ferry ride from Eidsdal to Linge, which runs until 23.00 during summer, so make sure to be at the port on time.
Day six: Explore Aalesund
Aalesund is this itinerary’s final destination, and can easily be seen within one day thanks to its small size. Two of the things you can’t miss while in Alesund is wandering through the Art Nouveau district and walking up (or taking a taxi) to Fjellstua for the best views of the city.
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