Norway's fjords in 8 days — Bergen, Flåm and Geiranger

Bergen

💬 The Bybanen light rail is cheaper but takes about 45 minutes.

Bergen

💬 Inside Bryggen's wooden buildings; creaky floors are part of the charm.

Bergen

Row of Hanseatic wooden merchant houses on Bergen's harbour, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

💬 Walk into the narrow wooden passages behind the façades.

Bergen

💬 Pricey; a fish soup or shrimp sandwich is the best value.

Bergen

💬 Go before 10 to beat the cruise-ship crowds.

Bergen

💬 Lake Skomakerdiket is an easy walk from the top; walk back down to town instead of riding.

Bergen

One of Norway's oldest fortresses, guarding the entrance to Bergen's harbour.

💬 The medieval royal hall is the highlight.

Bergen

💬 Try fish soup or seasonal cod (skrei in late winter).

Flåm

💬 One-way to Ålesund carries a drop fee; tolls and most ferries are billed automatically via the car's AutoPASS tag.

Flåm

💬 Right by the E16 north of Voss; a short stop.

Flåm

Architect-designed viewing platform above the Aurlandsfjord on the Aurlandsfjellet scenic route.

💬 Drive up from Aurland; the platform sticks out about 30 m, 650 m above the Aurlandsfjord.

Flåm

💬 Historic hotel steps from the station and the pier.

Flåm

One of the world's steepest standard-gauge railways, climbing 866 m from Flåm to Myrdal.

💬 Book the first morning departure; the train stops at Kjosfossen waterfall for photos.

Flåm

Cruise on the Nærøyfjord, a narrow UNESCO-listed arm of the Sognefjord.

💬 Round trip, or one way to Gudvangen with the bus back.

Flåm

💬 Local brewery in a Viking-style hall; try their own beers with a hearty dinner.

Geiranger

Norway's best-preserved stave church, built around 1180.

💬 Reached through the 24.5 km Lærdal Tunnel, the world's longest road tunnel.

Geiranger

💬 Runs frequently across the Sognefjord; no booking needed.

Geiranger

💬 Northern Europe's highest mountain pass (1,434 m); snow walls in early summer.

Geiranger

💬 Ask for a fjord-view room; the hotel sits above the village with views down the fjord.

Geiranger

Sightseeing boat on the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord, past waterfalls and abandoned cliff farms.

💬 Sit outside on the open deck for the Seven Sisters and the Suitor waterfalls.

Geiranger

💬 Toll road up to about 1,500 m; the view plunges down to Geiranger.

Geiranger

💬 Evening light over the fjord from the last hairpin.

Ålesund

💬 A short crossing on the way to Trollstigen.

Ålesund

Mountain road with eleven hairpins up a steep valley wall, with viewing platforms at the top.

💬 Eleven hairpin bends below the platforms; the road usually opens in late May.

Ålesund

💬 Stay near the harbour so you can walk everywhere.

Ålesund

💬 418 steps up from the town park; the classic view of the islands at sunset.

Ålesund

Museum about the Art Nouveau town rebuilt after the great fire of 1904.

💬 Explains why the whole town looks the way it does.

Ålesund

💬 Undersea tunnels to Vigra; allow about 25 minutes.