Home / Itineraries / Fjords in Seven Days
Itinerary I1 · 7 nights · May–SeptemberOslo to Bergen across the Hardangervidda, down the Flåm Railway, along Nærøyfjord by electric ferry, then north to Geiranger and over Trollstigen. Car optional.
First: car or no car. Days 1 to 4 work perfectly on rail and ferry alone. Days 5 to 7, around Geiranger and Trollstigen, are far easier with a vehicle — hire one in Bergen or in Åndalsnes and drop it in Ålesund. If you refuse to drive, substitute the Bergen–Ålesund coastal route and take the Hellesylt ferry as a foot passenger.
Second: direction. We run west then north because the Bergen Line is best travelled westbound in the morning, and because ending in Ålesund gives you a cheap flight home. Reversing the whole thing works equally well.
Airport express to Oslo S in 19 minutes. Spend the afternoon on the Opera House roof and at MUNCH next door, then eat in Bjørvika. Sleep within ten minutes of Oslo S — you have an early train. Full detail in the Oslo file.
Take the 08:25 departure. Five hours later you are at Myrdal, 867 m, on the treeless plateau. Change to the Flåm Railway for the 55-minute descent — sit on the left going down. Overnight in Flåm; the village empties after 17:00 and becomes genuinely quiet. See Scenic Railways and the Flåm file.
Morning shuttle up to the Stegastein platform, 650 m above the fjord. Take the 11:00-ish ferry through Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen — stand outside on the top deck — then the bus to Voss and the train on to Bergen. Arrive in time for dinner on the harbour.
Bryggen's back alleys before 09:00, Fløibanen up Mount Fløyen, KODE or Troldhaugen in the afternoon. If the forecast is clear, reverse that order and get up the mountain immediately. Bergen file.
Collect the hire car and drive north via Førde and Stryn, or take the coastal express toward Ålesund and pick the car up there. Either way this is a 6–8 hour day with two ferries. Arrive in Geiranger for the evening light at Flydalsjuvet, when the cruise ships have gone.
Early fjord cruise past the Seven Sisters, then up the toll road to the Dalsnibba Skywalk. If you are fit, swap the cruise for the Skageflå cliff-farm hike — boat drop-off, then a 5 km walk back along the ledge. Geirangerfjord file.
Climb the Eagle Road out of Geiranger, cross to Valldal, then over Trollstigen with its eleven bends and 9% gradient. Stop at the viewing platform above the pass. Night in Åndalsnes under the Romsdal walls. See our Trollstigen dispatch.
Either ride the Rauma Line to Bjorli and back for the Trollveggen views, or drive straight to Ålesund, walk up the 418 steps to the Aksla viewpoint, and fly out in the evening.
| Item | Per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oslo–Myrdal train | NOK 299–899 | Minipris released 90 days ahead |
| Flåm Railway (one way) | NOK 450 | Book online July–August |
| Nærøyfjord ferry | NOK 450 | Gudvangen–Flåm or reverse |
| Geiranger fjord cruise | NOK 400–500 | 90 minutes |
| Dalsnibba toll road | NOK 175 per car | Late May to October |
| Car hire, 4 days | NOK 3,600–6,000 per car | Plus fuel, tolls and ferries |
| Accommodation | NOK 1,100–2,200 per night | Flåm and Geiranger are the expensive nights |
If one thing slips, let it be Bergen. The city is easy to return to; the Geiranger–Trollstigen window is only open four months of the year.
The timetable logic that should drive your whole western plan.
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