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Fjord Norway Itinerary Advice

Posted by (San Francisco Bay Area) on

I'm putting together a driving itinerary for a trip to Southwestern Norway for August of next year and I'd love your advice. We're experienced travelers, active in our 50's and love nature, photography, small towns. We're not into big cities or museums. We've travelled all over Europe in the last 20 years but this is our first time in Norway. I'm trying to lay this out so that we can minimize one night stands and backtracking. Here's my ROUGH itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive Bergen airport, drive to Lofthus (Hardangerfjord)
Day 2 and 3: Explore Hardangerfjord area
Day 4: Drive to Aurland via Eidfjord, Voringsfossen, Tvindefossen
Day 5: Aurlandfjord-Nærøyfjord cruise and bus back to Flåm; Otternes farm and Stegastein viewpoint
Day 6: Ride Flåm railway and hike or bike down from Myrdal
Day 7: Aurland to Balestrand (via Laerdal tunnel to Berglund stave church, Galle Laerdalsoyri, and Kaupanger Stave church)
Day 8: Explore Balestrand and do some hiking in Gaudarfillet area
Day 9: Drive Balestrand to Loen (via Hella, Sogndahl, Fjaerland, Boyabren, Skei, Brkjelo, Invik)
Day 10 Loen to Geiranger (via Stryn, Djupvatnet lake, Dalsnibba and Flydalsjuvet viewpoints)
Day 11: Geirangerfjord (take Cruise on fjord, Ørnesvingen (eagle road) to viewpoint, boat/hike to Skahgefla farm?
Day 12: Trollstigen Day Trip (Geiranger to Eidsdal to bottom of Trollstigen and return same way)
Day 13 Geiranger to Skei via Hellesylt ferry
Day 14: Skei to Bergen Airport

We have the time add up to three extra days to this itinerary. I’d like to include some time in Solvorn and see the Urnes Stave Church across Lustrafjord as well as see the Hopperstad Stave Church in Vik (opposite Balestrand). Our overnights would be Lofthus, Aurland, Balestrand, Loen, Geiranger and Skei.

Any thoughts/feedback would be MUCH appreciated!

Posted by
391 posts

You will take a ferry thru Geiranger fjord on your route so no need for an additional boat ride.

Consider not backtracking from Trollstigen all the way to Bergen and dropping the car in Åndalsnes then training to Oslo, or driving on to Trondheim or Ålesund and dropping the car there.

Not sure to where you go after leaving Norway, but there are many one stop SkyTeam flights from either Trondheim or Ålesund back to the US via Amsterdam, and likely the same on Star Alliance via Frankfurt.

I thought Ålesund was a top sight for Norway so I would add that.

Top legal speed in the whole fjord area is about 45 mph, and it is often twisty and slow going.

Posted by
4082 posts

I would do boat rides through both fjords as well as the ferries to / from Utne (Hardangerfjord).

Not sure you already discovered the scenic roads of Norway website?

Instead of Balestrand I recommend to stay near Lustrafjord and drive via Sognefjellet route to Lom (stave church), Dalsnibba and Geiranger. If you want to add the Gamle Strynefjellsvegen be prepared todrive gravel road.

Maybe you want to add glacier experience? Various options along your route.

Take full insurance for the rental car. Damages also on tires can happen quickly.

Speed limit is most times around 80 km/h but sometimes you will not drive this fast due to narrow and curvy streets.

Care for a travelzoom camera with high optical range, not only smartphones. Make yourself familiar taking pictures with longer exposure time to do nice photos from rivers and waterfalls.

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