Bergen Sognefjord
3
Day Itinerary •
Norway
Three days in Bergen and the Sognefjord take you to the gateway of the Norwegian fjords and out into the most extraordinary fjord landscape in the world. From Bergen's extraordinary UNESCO Bryggen wharf and the Floibanen funicular to the Sognefjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway at 204km and 1,308 metres, the extraordinary Flam Railway and the Hardangerfjord with its apple orchards and waterfalls. This route covers the essential Bergen and fjord region. Bergen's extraordinary Hanseatic Bryggen wharf, the Floibanen funicular to Mount Floyen, the extraordinary Norway in a Nutshell route by train, bus and ferry through the Sognefjord and Naeroyfjord, the extraordinary Flam Railway descent through Myrdal, and the Hardangerfjord with its extraordinary Steinsdalsfossen waterfall walk.
Best Time To Visit
May to September
Getting There
Fly into Bergen from most European cities
Getting Around
Bergen Card for city. Norway in a Nutshell ticket for Sognefjord day
Budget Per Day
Approx 1,200 to 2,000 NOK per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, walking, trains and ferries
DAY 1
BERGEN
MORNING
BERGEN OLD TOWN AND THE BRYGGEN WHARF
Bergen is the most extraordinary small city in Norway, its extraordinary Bryggen Hanseatic wharf a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the extraordinary row of colourful timber buildings the finest surviving example of a Hanseatic trading post in the world. The buildings date from the early 15th century after the great fire of 1702. The Hanseatic Museum within gives the most extraordinary insight into medieval merchant life in Scandinavia. The extraordinary narrow passages between the buildings are outstanding. Museum entry approx 150 NOK. Travel: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
THE FLOIBANEN FUNICULAR AND MOUNT FLOYEN
The Floibanen funicular rises from the heart of Bergen to Mount Floyen at 320 metres in 8 minutes, giving the most extraordinary panorama over the city, the seven surrounding mountains and the fjords beyond. The extraordinary views over the Bryggen wharf and the harbour below are the finest in Bergen. The summit has extraordinary walking trails through birch forest to the Skarsdalen valley. The funicular runs every 15 minutes. Entry approx 115 NOK return. Travel: 20 min walk to fish market
AFTERNOON
THE BERGEN FISH MARKET AND THE OLD TOWN
The Bergen Fish Market is the most famous outdoor market in Norway, its extraordinary display of fresh Atlantic salmon, cod, shrimp and crab the finest in Scandinavia. Buy fresh shrimp and eat on the harbour wall with a view of the Bryggen. The Torget market square beside it has the finest concentration of local produce. The Rosenkrantz Tower and Hakon's Hall in the fortress beside the market tell the extraordinary story of Bergen as a medieval capital. Entry approx 100 NOK.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Theta Museum in a secret room above the Bryggen is the most extraordinary hidden museum in Bergen, the tiny concealed room used by the Norwegian resistance during the German occupation, discovered by chance in 1980. The extraordinary collection of resistance materials in the original room is outstanding. Tours by appointment. Entry approx 80 NOK. The finest hidden story in Bergen.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Opera, Bergen Outstanding cafe on the Engen street. Coffee and Norwegian pastries before the Bryggen opens. | Lunch: Fish Market, Bergen Fresh shrimp bought directly from the boats. Eat on the harbour wall with the fjord view. | Dinner: Pingvinen, Bergen The finest traditional Bergen restaurant. Local fiskesuppe and klippfisk with extraordinary Norwegian wine.
DAY 2
SOGNEFJORD AND FLAM
MORNING
THE NORWAY IN A NUTSHELL TO MYRDAL
The Norway in a Nutshell route is the most extraordinary combination of transport in Scandinavia, combining the Bergen Railway to Myrdal with the extraordinary Flam Railway descent and a fjord ferry. The Bergen to Myrdal train takes 2 hours through extraordinary mountain scenery, the extraordinary Finse plateau at 1,222 metres the highest point on the main railway network in Norway. The Myrdal mountain station gives extraordinary views over the Aurland valley below. Travel: 55 min Flam Railway descent
MIDDAY
THE FLAM RAILWAY, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST SCENIC
The Flam Railway descends 865 metres from Myrdal to Flam in 55 minutes on one of the steepest normal railway lines in the world, its extraordinary 20km route passing through 20 tunnels and giving extraordinary views of the Kjosfossen waterfall, where the train stops for photography. The waterfall drops 225 metres directly beside the railway in extraordinary spectacle. The extraordinary Flam village at the bottom on the Aurlandsfjord is the finest fjord base in Norway. Travel: 2 hour fjord ferry
AFTERNOON
THE NAEROYFJORD BY FERRY
The Naeroyfjord between Gudvangen and Flam is the most extraordinary fjord in Norway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed alongside the Geirangerfjord as the finest fjord landscape in the world. The 17km fjord is only 250 metres wide at its narrowest, the extraordinary vertical walls rising 1,400 metres directly from the water on both sides. The ferry from Flam to Gudvangen or Flam to Bergen passes through this extraordinary landscape in extraordinary silence.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Aurlandsvegen mountain road above Flam, known as the Snow Road, is the most extraordinary mountain drive in western Norway, its extraordinary views over the Aurlandsfjord and the Naeroyfjord from 1,300 metres the finest panorama in the Sognefjord region. Open June to October. Drive takes approximately 1.5 hours from Flam. Entirely free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Bergen station Coffee before the early morning Bergen Railway departure. Pack provisions for the day. | Lunch: Aegir Brewery, Flam Outstanding fjord microbrewery restaurant in a Viking longhouse. Local ales and Norwegian food. | Dinner: Enhjorningen, Bergen Outstanding fish restaurant in a 17th-century Bryggen building. Local halibut and Atlantic seafood.
DAY 3
HARDANGERFJORD
MORNING
THE HARDANGERFJORD AND APPLE ORCHARDS
The Hardangerfjord is the most extraordinary fruit-growing fjord in Norway, its extraordinary south-facing slopes covered with apple, pear and cherry orchards that blossom in extraordinary pink and white in late April and May. The village of Ulvik at the head of a side arm of the Hardangerfjord is the most extraordinary, its orchards running directly down to the water. The drive from Bergen to Ulvik takes approximately 1.5 hours through extraordinary mountain and fjord scenery. Travel: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
THE STEINSDALSFOSSEN WATERFALL WALK
The Steinsdalsfossen waterfall near Norheimsund on the Hardangerfjord is the most extraordinary accessible waterfall in western Norway, the path behind the waterfall allowing visitors to walk directly behind the 50-metre curtain of water in extraordinary closeness. The mist and sound are extraordinary. The extraordinary Hardangerfjord spreads below the waterfall with the orchard villages on the far shore. Entry entirely free. Travel: 45 min drive to Bergen
AFTERNOON
VOSS AND DEPARTURE
Voss on the way back from the Hardangerfjord to Bergen is the most extraordinary adventure sports town in Norway, its extraordinary position between the fjords and the mountains making it the finest base for kayaking, rafting and paragliding in Scandinavia. The 13th-century Voss Church is the finest medieval building in the region. The extraordinary Voss Gondol cable car gives a panorama over the entire Voss valley and the surrounding peaks.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Osafjord road above Ulvik gives the most extraordinary undiscovered panorama in the Hardangerfjord region, the extraordinary view over the entire Hardangerfjord from 800 metres entirely free of tourists. The drive from Ulvik takes 20 minutes on an extraordinary mountain road. The view of the apple orchards below with the fjord stretching to the horizon is the finest in Hardanger.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bakeri in Bergen Coffee and Norwegian bread before the drive to Hardangerfjord. | Lunch: Restaurant in Ulvik Outstanding fjord restaurant. Local apple cider, freshwater trout and Hardanger lamb. | Dinner: Lysverket, Bergen Outstanding modern Norwegian restaurant in the Kunstmuseum. Local ingredients, extraordinary quality.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Bergen City Centre Hotel Oleana or Grand Hotel Terminus. Walking distance to Bryggen. Approx 1,200 to 2,500 NOK. Budget Option Marken Gjestehus or Bergen YMCA. Near the fish market. Approx 600 to 1,100 NOK per night.
Top Tips
1. Book the Norway in a Nutshell tour well in advance, especially July and August. Seats on the Flam Railway fill months ahead.
2. Take the Floibanen funicular at 8am before the tour groups arrive. The view over Bergen and the fjords is extraordinary.
3. The Bergen Fish Market is best early morning when the catch is freshest. Buy a bag of fresh shrimp and eat on the quay.
4. The Bryggen Hanseatic Museum is the finest in Bergen. The extraordinary medieval merchant quarters are extraordinary.
5. Hardanger apple orchards blossom in late April and early May. The most extraordinary free natural spectacle in western Norway.
6. The Flam Railway is one of the steepest normal railway lines in the world. Sit on the right side going up for the best views.
Total Budget
1,200 to 2,000 NOK/day