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The Sognefjord between steep rocky walls, with snowy mountains in the distance

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Norway's fjords by rail, road and water

Oslo, the Bergen & Flåm railways, the Nærøyfjord, the Sognefjord & Bergen

Photo: Bruna Santos / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

This is a journey about the travelling itself. The Bergen Railway climbs from the forests around Oslo to an almost treeless mountain plateau where snow lingers on the slopes even in summer. From Myrdal station the green Flåm train winds down past waterfalls to the edge of a fjord, and from there a ferry sails the Nærøyfjord, where the cliffs rise almost vertically from the water. Then road and boat carry you along the Sognefjord, Norway's longest and deepest, to Bergen.

The sample route moves steadily from east to west, with no doubling back, and leaves at least one free day in each place for a hike, a bike ride, a kayak or simply coffee by the water. It suits couples and families who enjoy trains and boats, and the pace, the stays and how active you'd like to be would be matched to you.

The route

The journey

  1. Oslo
  2. Bergen Railway to Myrdal
  3. Flåm
  4. Nærøyfjord
  5. Balestrand
  6. Bergen
  1. The white roof of the Oslo Opera House sloping down to the harbour water

    01Days 1–2 · Oslo

    A capital on a fjord

    Oslo is compact, green and easy to get to know on foot. You can walk up the roof of the Opera House as it slopes straight into the water, visit the folk and maritime museums on the Bygdøy peninsula or the Munch museum. In summer locals take the ferry out to the islands of the Oslofjord for swimming and picnics, and it's well worth doing the same.

  2. The green Flåm Railway train between rock and summer grass on the way from Myrdal to Flåm

    02Day 3 · The Bergen & Flåm railways

    Over the plateau and down to the fjord

    About five hours on the Bergen Railway: forests and lakes, then the open Hardangervidda plateau and Finse, the highest station on the line, surrounded by snowfields and a glacier. At Myrdal you change to the Flåm Railway, which drops almost 900 metres in under an hour, through tunnels and past the Kjosfossen waterfall. By evening you're on the shore of the fjord.

  3. The Aurlandsfjord from high above, seen from the Stegastein viewpoint

    03Day 4 · Flåm & the Aurlandsfjord

    A day above the water

    A free day in the Flåm valley. At a gentle pace, a walk past the farms on the valley floor or a guided kayak on the fjord. More actively, a bike ride down from Myrdal along the old navvies' road. In the afternoon it's worth driving up to the Stegastein viewpoint, which juts out 650 metres above the Aurlandsfjord, and in summer on along the narrow 'snow road' across the mountains.

  4. Gudvangen from the air: a river and village on the floor of a narrow valley between sheer mountains

    04Day 5 · Nærøyfjord

    The narrowest fjord

    The ferry from Flåm sails the Aurlandsfjord, then turns into the Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage fjord. In places it is less than 300 metres wide, with walls rising more than a kilometre and waterfalls spilling from them; old farms cling to the ledges. The sailing ends at Gudvangen, at the head of the valley, from where the journey continues by road and a short ferry across the Sognefjord.

  5. The wooden St Olaf's Church in Balestrand, with the Sognefjord behind

    05Days 6–7 · Balestrand

    A village of summer houses on the Sognefjord

    Balestrand is a small village where artists have summered since the nineteenth century: dragon-style wooden villas, the wooden St Olaf's Church and a wide view down the fjord. Two nights leave room to linger: a hike up the hill above the village, a boat to the glacier valley at Fjærland or bikes along the water. In the evening the light on the fjord changes every few minutes.

  6. The colourful wooden houses of the Bryggen wharf in Bergen under a cloudy sky

    06Days 8–10 · Bergen

    By boat to the city of seven mountains

    The express boat from Balestrand takes about four hours along the Sognefjord and past the coastal islands straight into Bergen harbour. The wooden merchants' houses of Bryggen, the fish market, the funicular up Mount Fløyen and cafés in narrow lanes. With more time, a day could go to the Hardangerfjord or a short trip out to the coastal islands. You'd fly home from Bergen airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Hardangervidda from the train window

    Hours across the open mountain plateau, with lakes and snowfields stretching to the horizon.

  2. 02

    The Flåm Railway

    Almost 900 metres down in under an hour, through tunnels and past waterfalls and mountain farms.

  3. 03

    Sailing the Nærøyfjord

    Sheer walls on both sides, waterfalls and a silence broken only by the boat's engine.

  4. 04

    An evening in Balestrand

    Wooden villas, the breadth of the fjord and a long summer evening that never quite ends.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With children

    Trains and boats are an adventure in themselves for children; we'd add more free time, shorter walks and a cycling day in Flåm.

  • More active

    Cycling the old navvies' road from Finse, a kayaking day on the Nærøyfjord or the hike to Trolltunga from Hardanger.

  • Further north

    After Bergen, the Geirangerfjord or a coastal ship heading north; the Lofoten Islands are best planned as a trip of their own.

  • In another season

    In winter the trains run through a world of snow and the fjords are hushed; some boats and mountain roads don't operate then, so we'd reshape the route.

Practical considerations

  • The full route works best from roughly late May to September; some boats and mountain roads, such as the 'snow road', only run in season.
  • The Flåm Railway and the fjord boats are busy in summer, so early or late departures are often calmer, and tickets are worth planning ahead.
  • Rain is frequent in western Norway even in summer: a waterproof jacket and flexible plans pay off.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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