There is no wrong way to see Norway's fjords, but we think there is a right way, and it uses all three of the country's great forms of motion: ferry, train and your own two feet. Norway's west coast is a maze of drowned valleys where cliffs rise hundreds of metres out of dark green water. The two most famous of these inlets, Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and both are best seen from the water, with a long hike thrown in for perspective. Base yourself in Bergen and the entire western fjord country opens up around you.
Why Bergen Is the Right Base
Bergen is the natural starting point, and not just because it has the region's biggest airport. The old Hanseatic wharf at Bryggen is a UNESCO site in its own right, a row of crooked wooden gables that has survived fires since the 1700s. From here, express boats, trains and buses fan out across the fjord country, and nearly every tour company routes through the city.
Give yourself two nights in Bergen: one for the Bryggen waterfront, the fish market and the funicular up Mount Fløyen, plus a buffer before you head north. The city is famously rainy, so treat clear mornings as gifts and ride the funicular early.
Ferries, Trains and Mountain Roads
The Flåm Railway
The Flåm Railway, or Flåmsbana, is the centrepiece of almost every fjord itinerary. It climbs 863 metres over 20 kilometres of track between Myrdal and Flåm, making it one of the steepest standard-gauge lines in the world. The 55-minute ride passes 20 tunnels and hairpin switchbacks, and stops at the Kjosfossen waterfall so passengers can feel the spray.
Sit on the left side of the carriage for the best views, and book ahead in summer, when the line fills up days in advance. Expect to pay around €50–60 one way, with a small discount if you buy a return.
Express Boats and Car Ferries
Two kinds of boat matter here. Express catamarans shuttle between Bergen and the fjord villages — the run from Bergen to Flåm through the Sognefjord takes about five hours and costs roughly €60–80. Then there are the humble car ferries that stitch the coastal roads together; these are cheap, often under €15 for a car and driver, and some short crossings are attractions in themselves.
The Two UNESCO Fjords
Nærøyfjord
The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest of the pair, pinching to just 250 metres across in places, with waterfalls tumbling straight into the water and farmsteads clinging to impossible ledges. The classic move is the two-hour ferry between Flåm and Gudvangen, which costs around €45–60 and sells out on summer mornings; book a day ahead. The steepest views come in the first and last 20 minutes of the crossing.
Geirangerfjord
Geirangerfjord is the showier sibling, famous for the Seven Sisters waterfall and the cascade opposite, the Suitor. Cruise ships arrive from May to September, which makes July and August busy at the water's edge — but the viewpoints above, Dalsnibba and Flydalsjuvet, are where the real drama lives. Most visitors reach Geiranger by car over the Trollstigen mountain road, which opens only for the summer months, or on a day cruise from Ålesund.
Hikes Above the Water
Norway's best-known fjord hikes cluster around Lysefjord near Stavanger, a day's travel south of Bergen, and all three are day trips best done from a base in Stavanger:
- Preikestolen, the Pulpit Rock: a 604-metre cliff that hangs flat over the fjord, reached by a well-marked four-hour round trip. The bus and ferry from Stavanger cost around €25–30.
- Trolltunga: the rock tongue over Ringedalsvatnet, a 27-kilometre round trip that can take 10–12 hours. It runs with guides from Odda between June and September, once the snow has cleared.
- Kjerag: the boulder wedged between two cliffs above Lysefjord, a steep, chain-assisted route that rewards the fit with the best photo in Scandinavia.
Give each of these hikes its own day, and check the weather twice before setting out; fjord forecasts change fast, and rain on a 600-metre cliff is no joke.
Paddling the Aurlandsfjord
If you want to get closer to the water, kayaking is the fjord experience that beats every boat tour. Flåm rents sea kayaks for about €60–70 for a half day, and the sheltered arms of the Aurlandsfjord are calm enough for beginners. Paddle out early, past the ferry terminal, and you will have waterfalls, sheep pastures and silence largely to yourself. There is also a guided sunset trip in summer that ends with coffee brewed on a tiny island — the single best-value evening we know on the fjords.
Norway in a Nutshell or DIY?
The famous Norway in a Nutshell tour strings together the same legs most visitors want: the Bergen–Voss train, the Flåm Railway, the Nærøyfjord ferry to Gudvangen and the bus back through the mountains. The official package costs around €150–180 in summer.
Doing it yourself, leg by leg, costs about the same and gives you freedom:
- Book trains at vy.no and the ferries at norled.no or fjord1.no, usually a few days ahead.
- Skip the tourist coaches between Bergen and Flåm; the rail route is cheaper and more scenic.
- If the weather turns, reshuffle your day — the individual tickets are flexible.
What It Really Costs
| Item | Rough price (EUR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flåm Railway, one way | €50–60 | cheaper as a return |
| Nærøyfjord ferry, Flåm–Gudvangen | €45–60 | book a day ahead in summer |
| Express boat, Bergen–Flåm | €60–80 | about five hours |
| Sea kayak hire, half day | €60–70 | gear included |
| Fløyen funicular, return | €12 | the walk down is free |
| Norway in a Nutshell package | €150–180 | summer prices |
When to Go
May to September is the window, with June and July bringing endless daylight and the fullest boat schedules. Our favourite months are late August and September, when the light turns golden, the cruise ships thin out and hotel prices drop noticeably. Winter is for the committed: some ferries stop, the mountain roads close, and the fjords turn brooding and quiet — beautiful, but only if you came for that.
Our rule of thumb: give the fjords a week, not a day, let the boats do the heavy lifting, and save your legs for the cliffs above the water.
