help with first time Norway itinerary

On the basis purely of my own trip research rather than actual travel experience in those countries:

Stavanger would not remotely be one of my top targets in Norway. Are you perhaps interested in the Petroleum Museum (or whatever thy call it), or are you planning to go to Pulpit Rock? If not, I'd scratch Stavanger, add a night to Bergen and fly from there to Copenhagen. I think Bergen is clearly the #2 city in Norway for tourists (and I suspect some might rank it #1). The second night from Stavanger can be used in one of the other countries if you don't think you need it in Oslo. I see lots to keep me occupied in Oslo for much more than two full days, but I'm into art and 20th-century history museums. I realize it's not a huge city as capitals go, and the Viking Ship Museum, usually one of the top tourist targets, is currently closed.

I don't know what to tell you about secondary cities in the other countries because I'm still reading guidebooks for them. The places I'm looking at in Sweden that might be of general interest include Goteborg, Helsingborg, Lund, Malmo (art museums being a primary driver here; by all accounts there are a number of more attractive options), Ystad, Kalmar and Uppsala.

I'd want more than a day-trip to Tallinn. That might be the first place I'd throw one of those Stavanger nights, actually.

By the way, I'm generally a "fast" traveler

That's not surprising based on your planned itinerary. You should really add some more non-capital cities, but your itinerary looks a bit rushed as it is an unless you have time, I'd rather suggest cutting down on the number of stops. Are your flights in and out booked?

Regarding Stavanger, I don't think it is that uninteresting. But one night in Bergen and three nights in Stavanger is a bit odd in my opinion. However, don't fly from Bergen to Stavanger, take the bus or the ferry. The views are worth it.

For the rest of the trip, ferry to Tallinn and a day trip to Helsinki is in my opinion a better idea. Helsinki is the bigger of the two, but Tallinn is in my opinion the more interesting one. But, consider skipping the two and adding more time in Scandinavia.

I concur with acraven and Badger. Even if you're a fast traveler (I am as well, as a solo traveler who doesn't like to linger over meals), you are allowing just about the minimum acceptable time for fully appreciating Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, and not really enough time for Bergen, Helsinki, or Tallinn.

I didn't go to Stavanger, so I can't comment on whether it's worth visiting, but based on my research, if I went back to Norway, I'd visit Geiranger fjord and the Lofoten Islands.

We did a wonderful 6 port cruise of Norway up to the North Cape in 2019. I highly recommend it. It was with Royal Caribbean, but NCL has one as well.

Going up the fjords in a ship is something not to be missed.
Stavanger was not the best fjord on our trip, but it was scenic and worth visiting.

Here is my detailed review of our trip.
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=659526&et_cid=3214772&et_rid=17221689&et_referrer=Boards

Thanks so much for the replies! I have nothing booked and can add days as necessary. I thought 2 days Oslo, 3 days Copenhagen and (almost) 3 days Stockholm would be enough but I can add. Let's say I can extend this trip by seven days (though I can add more if necessary). Where would you add the seven days? What other sites (if any) would you add?

The days in Stavanger are there purely to do two hikes, pulpit rock and kjerag (sp?). Are they not worth it?

And acraven, thanks so much for your prior help and advice regarding my italy/spain trip I just came back from. I'm so grateful! :)

pulpit rock is awesome, we saw it from the river. Not sure that I would want to be up on that rock.

Yep. Not doing Pulpit Rock, but I can see why it's a thing for many others.

We need Badger's suggestions for good ways to use some extra time in that area.

thanks so much for the replies!

As I look into it, I'm thinking I should postpone this trip to may/june next year when the sun will set close to 11 pm(!) which at least sounds pretty cool. I'm also thinking maybe I should just follow Rick Steves 21 day scandinavia itinerary (https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scandinavia-itinerary) as a base and then add days to Norway and where people here suggest and maybe add Iceland and turn it into a 30-35 day trip. Does all that seem like a good idea?

Rick's tours move way too fast for me. I'd argue that they move faster than nearly any independent traveler should move. Remember, they have dedicated transportation, usually door-to-door. On days when lunch is included, it has been pre-ordered, and I'm sure the guide calls ahead so it will be ready for serving shortly after the group arrives; service in European restaurants isn't normally that fast. The tours have professional drivers and guides who know the best way to get from Point A to Point B. Amateur travelers like the rest of us just aren't going to be that efficient.

are you referring to Rick Steve's guided tours or the suggested itineraries he posts online for independent travelers (or both?)? What I linked is, i think at least, for independent travel. It has an itinerary for ravel by and boat. That being said, the itinerary might still be too fast, I'm not the one to ask.

Sorry. You're right; he does have suggested itineraries for independent travelers. I've looked at those and had the reaction that they do not allow enough time at any major destination to cover more than a few of the highlights, however they might be defined.

The one-night stops may well be fine; there are certainly places where that's enough time to see most of what's there.

If you want to post the itinerary you're looking at, the more knowledgeable folks here can perhaps suggests which places are OK-ish with the time Rick allots and which need more time. Is it this one, from the website? (I think there may be something more detailed in his Scandinavia guidebook.)

4 days: Copenhagen, Stockholm (connected by a 5.5-hour express train)
[Here you have a total of less than 3-1/2 days for two major capital cities.]
6 days, add: Oslo
[Less than 2 days for Oslo, too.]
8 days, add: Norway in a Nutshell fjord trip, Bergen
[The Nutshell is a long day. How early are you going to get started the next day in Bergen?]
10 days, add: Overnight cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki
[That "overnight cruise" is a 17-hour ferry trip, giving you at best 1-1/2 days in Helsinki.]
14 days, add: Ærø, Odense, Roskilde, Frederiksborg (all in Denmark)
17 days, add: Aarhus (Denmark), Kalmar (Sweden)
21 days, add: Tallinn (Estonia) and more time in capitals
24 days, add: More Norwegian countryside or Stockholm's archipelago

I would point out that Oslo in particular has done a great deal of work on its waterfront. There's a fancy new Munch museum ("MUNCH"), and the consolidated/new National Museum is said to be the largest art museum in Scandinavia; it also has decorative arts.

These are the places Rick makes a point of recommending in Oslo (triangles are his ratings; I've edited his comments to save space):

▲▲▲ City Hall--Oslo's artsy 20th-century government building, lined with huge, vibrant, municipal-themed murals.
▲▲▲ National Gallery--Norway's cultural and natural essence, captured on canvas. [Now part of new National Museum.}
▲▲▲ Frogner Park--Sprawling park with works by Norway's greatest sculptor, Gustav Vigeland,.
▲▲▲ Fram Museum (Arctic exploration ships)
▲▲ Norwegian Folk Museum--Norway condensed into 150 historic buildings in a large open-air museum.
▲▲ Norwegian Resistance Museum.
▲▲ Viking Ship Museum Impressive trio of ninth-century Viking ships. [Currently closed]
▲▲ Kon-Tiki Museum .
▲ Oslo Opera House.
▲ Akershus Fortress Complex
▲ Norwegian Maritime Museum
▲ Ekeberg Sculpture Park--Hilly, hikeable 63-acre forest park with striking contemporary art and city views
▲ Edvard Munch Museum [New museum now open, probably larger]
▲ Grünerløkka--Oslo's trendy former working-class district.
▲ Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen--Oslo's harborfront promenade, and nearby trendy neighborhood with Astrup Fearnley Museum, upscale galleries, shops, and cafés.
▲ Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Ski Museum
Norwegian Holocaust Center--High-tech look at the rise of anti-Semitism, the Holocaust in Norway, and racism today.
Nobel Peace Center Exhibit

How many of Rick's recommendations are you not interested in? Could you cover your Oslo hit list in 1-1/2 days and also have time to move from sight to sight and have lunch? Are there places not on Rick's list that might align with your personal interests? There are for me, so I have to allow extra time If I don't want to feel disappointed about missing key things.

For me all the capitals--plus quite a few of the smaller cities, like Bergen--have more sights to interest me than I could fit into twice the time Rick allows, and I like time to walk around the cities, too. If you spend all your time at museums and historic sites, how do you even know you're in a foreign city?

the Rick Steves itinerary i was referring to is below. I'm thinking of it as a pre-made base and then I can adjust it/add days in certain places as suggested by others or other travel sites/books. I bet it is rushed since it seems like the itinerary was designed to be exactly 3 weeks. I can also see Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo each needing an extra day than what is allotted. It also seems like the itinerary is trying to avoid any flights (look at days 13, 14, 15) while I wouldn't mind flying between places when necessary.
As I think I said earlier, my current thought is to add Iceland and turn the whole thing into a 30-35 day trip.

Day 1: Arrive in Copenhagen (sleep in Copenhagen)
Day 2: Copenhagen (sleep in Copenhagen)
Day 3: Copenhagen (sleep in Copenhagen)
Day 4: Roskilde, Odense, Ærø (sleep in Ærøskøbing)
Day 5: Ærø (sleep in Ærøskøbing)
Day 6: Ærø to Kalmar (sleep in Kalmar)
Day 7: Kalmar (sleep in Kalmar)
Day 8: Kalmar, early train to Stockholm (sleep in Stockholm)
Day 9: Stockholm (sleep in Stockholm)
Day 10: Stockholm, night boat to Helsinki (sleep on boat)
Day 11: Helsinki (sleep in Helsinki)
Day 12: Helsinki, afternoon boat to Tallinn (sleep in Tallinn)
Day 13: Tallinn, night boat to Stockholm (sleep on boat)
Day 14: Stockholm, afternoon train to Oslo (sleep in Oslo)
Day 15: Oslo (sleep in Oslo)
Day 16: Oslo (sleep in Oslo)
Day 17: Train and boat to Aurland (sleep in Aurland)
Day 18: Aurland to Bergen via fjord cruise (sleep in Bergen)
Day 19: Bergen (sleep in Bergen)
Day 20: Free day: more fjords, resting, or whatever
Day 21: Trip over; consider splicing in an extra day for sights in and near either Copenhagen or Stockholm

The ferry between Helsinki and Tallinn will be much faster than flying; it takes just 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Although the Stockholm-Helsinki and Tallinn-Stockholm ferries are rather long trips, they run overnight, so I'm not sure you'd gain a great deal of usable sightseeing hours by flying, once you add the time required to get to and from airports and the suggested two-hour allowance for check-in pocedures. You could gain an evening (or early morning) to take advantage of the extremely long daylight hours of summer, though. I don't know how much time to factor in for getting to and from the ferry ports. I think foot passengers (even those who've pre-purchased their tickets) may be told to show up at least 30 minutes early.

I wonder about that Copenhagen - Roskilde - Odense - Aero day if this is to be a public transportation journey. Lots of connections to be made there, and you'd (I presume) have to stop to store and later retrieve your luggage in Roskilde and Odense. Would there really be time to see two places in transit that day?

I am puzzled about the Aurland to Bergen fjord cruise. That sounds like the express boat, which by all accounts is not remotely as scenic as the Naeroyfjord ferry from Flam to Gudvangen followed by the scenic bus from Gudvangen to Voss and the (I think less scenic) train from Voss to Bergen. Aurland is reportedly less tourist-clogged than Flam, but surely the point of not simply flying from Oslo to Bergen is to see the fjords, and you're not getting the best of that area if you just take the express boat from Aurland straight to Bergen. I wonder why this deviation from the classic Nutshell routing is being suggested.

I brought up days 13-15 because it seems like the goal is to get from Tallinn to Oslo but rather than fly, they're turning it into two ferries to/from Stockholm which has already been visited on the trip so it seems very inefficient.

Let's say I can extend this trip by seven days (though I can add more
if necessary). Where would you add the seven days? What other sites
(if any) would you add?

Gothenburg is close to a must see in my opinion, but Malmö can be skipped. Uppsala should also be on the list, although it can be done as a day trip. Visby should also be on the list. But that is just the start, it depends on what you are looking for.

The days in Stavanger are there purely to do two hikes, pulpit rock
and kjerag (sp?). Are they not worth it?

In that case, staying in Stavanger is worth it.

We need Badger's suggestions for good ways to use some extra time in
that area.

I'm happy to hear that my advice is appreciated! Maybe I should become a part time travel consultant :-)

I've looked at those and had the reaction that they do not allow
enough time at any major destination to cover more than a few of the
highlights, however they might be defined.

I agree.

the Rick Steves itinerary i was referring to is below. I'm thinking of
it as a pre-made base and then I can adjust it/add days in certain
places as suggested by others or other travel sites/books. I bet it is
rushed

Yes, it is in my opinion very rushed. Three nights in Copenhagen and two nights in Stockholm will only allow you to skim the surface of the cities.

Although the Stockholm-Helsinki and Tallinn-Stockholm ferries are
rather long trips, they run overnight, so I'm not sure you'd gain a
great deal of usable sightseeing hours by flying

And, they are pretty nice ferries that also give you views that flying won't give you.

what do you think of this itinerary? how would you change it? anything i should add or remove?

Day 1 – arrive oslo
Day 2 – oslo
Day 3 – oslo
Day 4 – oslo
Day 5 – oslo to flam (NIN)
Day 6 – flam to Bergen (NIN)
Day 7 – Bergen
Day 8 – Bergen to stavenger
Day 9 – pulpit hike
Day 10 – kjerag hike
Day 11 – stavenger to Copenhagen flight, hopefully an early one
Day 12 – Copenhagen
Day 13 – Copenhagen
Day 14 – Copenhagen
Day 15 - Roskilde, Odense, Ærø (sleep in Ærøskøbing) (straight from Rick’s itinerary, does seem like I’m carrying my bag all day)
Day 16 – Aero
Day 17 – Aero to Gothenburg (Rick has this as aero to kalmar but either seems like a really long day of transit)
Day 18 gothenburg
Day 19 gothenburg
Day 20 gothenburg to Stockholm, early
Day 21 stockholm
Day 22 stockholm
Day 23 stockholm – night ferry to Tallinn
Day 24 Tallinn
Day 25 tallinn to Helsinki early
Day 26 flight out of helsinki to either home or iceland

Looks somewhat short on time in Bergen--but it will be a big art-museum and walk-around-cute-neighborhoods city for me; one full day and some hours on the arrival day might be enough for most folks. If you intend to be outdoors a good bit, keep in mind that Bergen is an extraordinarily rainy city; I've read it's Europe's wettest. That Wikipedia link says Bergen averages 17 days with rain in September and the monthly average rainfall is over 10 inches (not exactly a fine mist). If you have only one full day there, you'll need to keep on truckin' even if it's pouring.

For me the major remaining issue is Tallinn. It's not easy to get to except by ferry from Helsinki. From my major gateway airport it's hard to avoid a two-stop flight itinerary. Therefore, I'd hope to get a good look at the city on what I'd expect to be my only trip there, and you're not giving yourself enough time for that. Really, are you going to have more than 6 to 8 hours by the time you allow for lunch on your arrival day? Then you're planning to leave on the early ferry the next morning? I know lots of travelers plan only one day in Tallinn, but it seems that many comment afterward that it was a mistake. It has a very large, atmospheric medieval center in addition to a variety of sights. I have over 3 pages of sightseeing notes for the city; I know I'm extreme in my love of art museums and 20th-century historical sights, but I think less than a full day in Tallinn is way, way short.

Rick's list is much shorter than mine, but I think it gives you a good sense of the breadth of the city's attractions. You'll note that these are mostly the sort of sights that call for multi-hour visits; they aren't quick stops:

▲▲▲ Tallinn's Old Town Well-preserved medieval center with cobblestoned lanes, gabled houses, historic churches, and turreted city walls.

▲▲ Russian Orthodox Cathedral Accessible look at the Russian Orthodox faith, with a lavish interior.

▲ Tallinn City Museum Interesting overview of Tallinn's past, from medieval times into the 20th century.

▲ Museum of Estonian History High-tech exhibits explain Estonia's engaging national narrative.

Museum of Occupations Estonia's tumultuous, sometimes secret history under Soviet and Nazi occupiers from 1940 to 1991.

St. Nicholas Church Art museum displaying Gothic art in a restored old church.

Town Hall and Tower Gothic building with history museum (open only in summer) and climbable tower on the Old Town's main square.

▲▲ Kumu Art Museum The best of contemporary Estonian art displayed in a strikingly modern building.

▲▲ Seaplane Harbor Impressive museum of boats and planes — including a WWII-era submarine — displayed in a cavernous old hangar along the waterfront.

▲ Kadriorg Park Vast, strollable oasis with the palace gardens, Kumu Art Museum, and a palace built by Czar Peter the Great.

▲ Estonian Open-Air Museum Authentic farm and village buildings preserved in a forested parkland.

From that plan I'd honestly skip Helsinki and Tallinn. There is nothing wrong with them, but it's not worth the extra travel if you're just going to spend one day in each city. I'd also consider skipping Ærø, it is a bit overrated. And Ærø to either Gothenburg or Kalmar will be a long day of travel that you really can't speed up unless you rent a helicopter. If you are looking for small cute towns you can replace Ærø with northern Jutland, which would make transportation a bit easier. I would probably also remove one day from Oslo.

The removed days I would add to Copenhagen and Stockholm. And maybe an additional stop on the way.

Lodging can be expensive at many of those stops, but the one to really be careful about is Flam. If you're traveling during peak season, book something really early to be sure you have a place to sleep. I had trouble trying to find a single room there 2-1/2 months in advance. If you have to look elsewhere for lodging, it can make it difficult to manage the various Nutshell transportation links.

We only had one full day in Oslo, not nearly enough time! We crammed 4 museums with a visit to Frogner park. We were exhausted! Here is my trip report and photobook.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/10-nights-norway-for-family-of-4

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RhHm7QfVd5vZ5Vn6A

first, sorry for incredibly delayed reply. As I said earlier I'm leaning towards going in may/june when there's a ton of sunlight and going somewhere else in the fall so planning this trip isn't as pressing. I read all your replies (thanks so much!) and I added a day to Bergen and Tallinn as advised. For now I kept Aero but will research replacing it later.

I also looked into Badger's suggestions regarding sites in Sweden. I already added Gotenburg and Uppsala can be done as a day trip to Stockholm (maybe I'll add a day for that reason) but Visby seems really hard to get to given my itinerary (unless i fly there). I also don't mind if Oslo is a day too long given how I'll probably have jetlag coming from the United States. Right now, it's 3.5 days copenhagen and about 3-3.5 days stockholm. Does that seem alright?

here's what i have:
Day 1 – arrive oslo
Day 2 – oslo
Day 3 – oslo
Day 4 – oslo
Day 5 – oslo to flam (NIN)
Day 6 – flam to Bergen (NIN)
Day 7 – Bergen
Day 8 - Bergen
Day 9 – Bergen to stavenger
Day 10 – pulpit hike
Day 11 – kjerag hike
Day 12 – stavenger to Copenhagen flight, as early as available
Day 13 – Copenhagen
Day 14 – Copenhagen
Day 15 – Copenhagen
Day 16 - Roskilde, Odense, Ærø (sleep in Ærøskøbing) (straight from Rick’s itinerary, does seem like I’m carrying my bag all day)
Day 17 – Aero
Day 18 – Aero to Gothenburg (Rick has this as aero to kalmar but either seems like a really long day of transit)
Day 19 gothenburg
Day 20 gothenburg
Day 21 gothenburg to Stockholm, early
Day 22 stockholm
Day 23 stockholm
Day 24 stockholm – night ferry to Tallinn
Day 25 Tallinn
Day 26 Tallinn
Day 27 Helsinki day trip
Day 28 flight out of helsinki to either home or iceland