Norway Itinerary Questions - 10 Days in August

Hi, moss, that sounds like such a great trip!

For the sea kayaking trip, do you recommend a) keeping my hotel base in Bergen and taking the train and returning that night, b) renting a car and driving to Voss and then exploring beyond and not going back to Bergen, c) something else?

If you're doing the sea kayaking trip that I talked about, that's actually in Gudvangen, which is about a 15-minute drive from Voss. I know there is a bus that goes there from Voss, but honestly, if it were me, I would probably just rent a car in Bergen, drive to Voss and spend the night there, and then in the morning drive to Gudvangen for the sea kayak tour. They have a half-day option or a full-day option, but if you were staying there, that would make it easier.

Whether or not you drive immediately back to Bergen or explore somewhat, if you return the car back in Bergen you won't have any of the high drop-off fees that are standard in Norway, and it shouldn't be that expensive. That way you could stop and enjoy the scenery as you're driving back and forth. And my opinion, would be to spend some time driving around and possibly doing the NIN on your own or just exploring. That's kind of what we're doing. Norway doesn't seem like it's that difficult to drive through, and I'm looking forward to seeing all the beautiful scenery there.

If I fly out of Oslo instead of Bergen at the end of the trip, and I do the self-guided Norway in Nutshell tour between Bergen and Oslo, how hard is to book this all independently? I don't usually take tours, am experienced at booking my own travel, am traveling solo and will have minimal luggage, just a carry on bag. In particular, if I want to stay overnight half-way through the NIN itinerary, where is a recommended area to stop?

I will leave this up to others to answer, but jeanm, who has posted here before, booked everything independently with her husband and said it was fairly easy. I'll try and find the post, but I'm sure she will pop in and respond.

Just an FYI, here is a thread that I started when I first started planning my trip, and I received a lot of really good information in here that might help you make a decision: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/norway/need-help-with-driving-route-from-oslo-to-bergen-via-morgedal

One last thought: I don't really think that you will need three to four days in Oslo. From everything I can understand, you can easily see most of the city in one to two days. We're only spending two nights there and then three nights in Bergen. You really want to be where the nature is if you've got the time, so why spend it in the city?

I'll just note that if you mean this August, you will very likely have difficulty finding accommodations at any of the NIN mid-point towns like Flam. Things do sell out and at least one recent poster had difficulty finding a place to stay that time of year. And if there are big ships docked in Flam it's not the most fun place to be (https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/flam-port-1361?month=2026-08#schedule).

The NIN is not difficult to book on your own (I did it), but as August is peak season you may find the Flamsbana fully booked for some time slots (especially if there's a cruise ship in port). So you might want to look at dates. I personally loved the unique train ride and the fjord cruise and the crazy hairpin turn bus ride down from Voss. You can use the Fjord Tours website as a guide for picking times/routes on your own.

As for flights, if you have the option to fly from Bergen to wherever you're going in Spain, I'd suggest that. Backtracking to Oslo by train will eat up half a day (6.5 hours on high speed train).

My personal preference was a shorter time in Oslo and more in Bergen, but that is just me of course.

We booked through Fjordtours for the NIN. I normally do things like this on my own, but my mom had just passed and I was not in any shape to focus so I took the easy way out and it worked out well. I did make some changes to their route, and added a few days in Stavanger which we absolutely loved! We did a sea kayaking trip from there. We also went to this garden and it was a huge highlight for us! https://florogfjare.no/en/ They take you out to the island on their own boat, and get get a really nice tour of the gardens, a wonderful dinner, time on your own to wander and the boat ride back. For the garden tour, they do small groups according to what your language is, and we were the only 2 Americans the night we went. The history of the place is fascinating as well. My daughter and I absolutely loved this! The photos do not do it justice at all.

As Mardee mentioned above, we did a DIY Norway in a Nutshell in May 2023 with an overnight in Flåm.

Starting with your last question: is the NIN itinerary worth your time? Yes. I personally wouldn't do the train between Oslo and Bergen without including the ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen, the highlight of the Nutshell.

First, it is not a real "tour". Whether you DIY or purchase the package with FjordTours, you are on your own. It is a series of public transportation (trains, bus, ferry) linking Oslo and Bergen. You can customize your trip by adding overnight accommodations and/or activities.

As far as "group trips", this is public transportation. Not everyone will be tourists or traveling on your exact schedule. There is no tour leader. It's the same kind of a "group trip" as your flight from the US to Europe is a "group trip". You're all traveling together, but you're not an official group. Those traveling on the package will be in designated carriages in the train portion. If you DIY you will choose your own seat when reserving your tickets. On the Flåmsbana you will choose any open seat on the non Nutshell designated carriages.

The difficulty you may find is available lodging. Flåm, in particular, books up far in advance. If you can get 2 nights along the NIN route (maybe even 2 different locations depending on availability and your schedule) you could incorporate your kayaking with the Nutshell route. And also have time to go to Stegastein Viewpoint (and maybe the Borgund Stave Church.

We had 2 nights in Oslo giving us about one and a half days. We could have used another day. In Bergen we had about the same time and would have liked another day at least.

I personally wouldn't do the train between Oslo and Bergen without including the ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen, the highlight of the Nutshell.

Does the Oslo-Bergen train stop in Flåm? Can I just get off and do the ferry and get back on? It looks like staying overnight in Flåm, as you confirmed, is not going to be an option because most of the lodging is full or extremely expensive. The part of NIN that I most do not want to do is a bus segment. I hate bus tours, even self-guided ones.

And can I do this all in one day -- train from Bergen, get off in Flåm and take the Flåm to Gudvangen ferry and then get back on the train to Bergen? It looks like the Flåm to Gudvangen ferry takes about two hours each way. Or do I have to get off in Myrdal then take the Flåmsbana and then the ferry. Do I then have to reverse this or is there a ferry from Gudvangen to Bergen?

And which is more scenic, the ferry from Gudvangen to Bergen or the train from Myrdal to Bergen?

If you can get 2 nights along the NIN route (maybe even 2 different locations depending on availability and your schedule) you could incorporate your kayaking with the Nutshell route. And also have time to go to Stegastein Viewpoint (and maybe the Borgund Stave Church.

If I go to Bergen from Oslo via Flam, does it make sense to then spend a couple of days in Bergen and then head to my kayaking day in Gudvangen and spend a night or two somewhere driving around to see some more places before I return to Bergen and fly out on the 10th? Or is it maybe preferable to keep the base in Bergen and do day trips?

Thanks again for you assistance.

Does the Oslo-Bergen train stop in Flåm?

No it does not. You have to transfer in Myrdal and the Flamsbana train gets you from Myrdal to Flam.

The part of NIN that I most do not want to do is a bus segment. I hate
bus tours, even self-guided ones.

Unless you take a taxi, I think the bus is the only way to get from Voss down to Gudvangen. It's not a bus "tour" it is just a regular bus ride. There is no narration or guide of any kind. As noted by a prior poster, it is not a "tour" despite the fact the name of the company that sells the tickets to do the NIN has "tour" in it.

Do I then have to reverse this or is there a ferry from Gudvangen to
Bergen?

As far as I know there is no ferry from Bergen to Gudvangen, thus the need to use train and bus to get to the ferry stop there.

Whatever route you decide, I do recommend buying tickets for whatever transit you choose. August is a very busy time.

Here is the original Norway in a Nutshell route. It can be done in either direction. The "scenic" commentary is solely my own opinion.

• scenic train from Oslo to Myrdal
• very scenic train from Myrdal to Flåm
• spectacularly scenic ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen
• very scenic bus from Gudvangen to Voss
• scenic train from Voss to Gudvangen

What are you hoping to see and do during your time in Norway besides kayaking? Maybe there are better ideas for your trip. Unless you are renting a car or walking, most of the interesting fjords and sights in Norway require some bus travel.

If you don't want to include any bus travel, then it is probably best to take the train directly between Oslo and Bergen. If your kayak trip is in Gudvangen, then you will be on the Naeroyfjord, which is the most scenic part of the ferry journey.

Thanks for the lengthy advice

Based on this, I’ve reassessed and this is my new tentative itinerary:

Day 1: arrive AM in Oslo from Copenhagen on ferry
Day 1: immediately fly to Bergen
Day 2 and 3: Bergen
Day 4: train to Voss
Day 5: Kayaking
Day 6-7 or just Day 6: NIAN route toward Oslo. Probably have to do all in one day because there are no accommodations available in Flam.
Day 7, 8 and 9: Oslo
Day 10: Fly out of Oslo

May adjust to have one more day in Bergen and one less day in Oslo.

My objection to bus tours has been from a few experiences where I had no choice but to take a bus and it seemed like the itinerary was always way too little time stopping at cool scenic areas and way too much time stopped at restaurants and gift shops, neither of which interest me much. It sounds like these buses are different.

Do you see any glaring problems with this new plan?

Where are you staying the nights of day 4 and 5?

If staying in Gudvangen you could take the 9am ferry to Flåm on August 6. You would have time to visit Stegastein Viewpoint to see the Aurlandfjord from above before taking the Flåmsbana to Myrdal and continuing on to Oslo.

If staying in Voss, you could take the 10:10 FjordTours bus that connects with the 12:10 ferry and continue on.

Have you looked into starting your Norway trip in Oslo and flying from Bergen to Spain on August 10?

BTW, the bus from Voss to Gudvangen is either the regular local bus that makes stops on demand or the nonstop FjordTours bus (new this year). The FjordTours bus is 200nok and must be purchased in advance.

Where are you staying the nights of day 4 and 5?

I'm hoping to stay in Voss if I can find a place because I am kayaking on Day 5 and the kayak company recommended Voss

Have you looked into starting your Norway trip in Oslo and flying from
Bergen to Spain on August 10?

I considered that, but decided doing the NiN route west to east was better since I'll already be in Voss for kayaking and don't want to have to back track to Bergen. I've also heard (in this video from a good travel content creator) that if you do NiN in one long day, going west to east is better because you can get an early start and avoid crowds. I'm also eager to see the west of Norway and the fjords at the start of the trip and save the big city for a few days at the end.

The air fare is about the same -- Oslo to Spain or Oslo to Bergen + Bergen to Spain and there are a few more flights each day from Oslo.

Is there a reason I'm not thinking about to go from Oslo to Bergen?

BTW, the bus from Voss to Gudvangen is either the regular local bus
that makes stops on demand or the nonstop FjordTours bus (new this
year). The FjordTours bus is 200nok and must be purchased in advance.

Good to know! thanks

I didn't do NiN so can't comment on that. But I visited the fjord and the ferry between Flam and Gudvangen which was a highlight. As well as the Stegastein Viewpoint which was incredible! I was on a roundtrip mini-van tour from Bergen and it included the drive, ferry, and viewpoint. If you can add Segastein to your schedule, it is worth it. I hope something opens up for that night stay in Flam.

Are you kayaking with Nordic Adventures?

If you can't find 2 nights in Voss, you could spend your first night in Voss and the second night in Gudvangen after your kayaking. The company website says they can store your luggage while you kayak. This would allow you to take the first ferry from Gudvangen to Flåm.

There would be a couple advantages taking the 9am ferry. You wouldn't have to travel back to Voss from Gudvangen (1 hour) and you wouldn't have to take bus back to Gudvangen the next morning. Also, the 9am ferry is too early for the day trippers on the official Nutshell route from Bergen. That would be a big plus.

FYI, there is another ferry company between Gudvangen and Flåm, Lustrabaatane. It operates older vessels and is a bit cheaper than the Norways Best electric ferry which is purpose built for sightseeing with large windows and wraparound decks.

Joy-

“was on a roundtrip mini-van tour from Bergen and it included the drive, ferry, and viewpoint. “

What mini van tour did you do out of Bergen?

Moss, I’m staying at the Voss Hostel with my daughter. It is technically a hostel, but they do have private rooms available. It seemed very nice and it includes breakfast. And it has a view of the lake. You might want to check with them. I originally found them on booking.com, but when I emailed them because I had a question, they said that you can book directly with them, which I would recommend. https://vosshostel.com/

You can email them at [email protected].

Jean, moss is kayaking with Nordic Ventures, which is the same outfit that Katie and I have booked.

@sdw - I used a company called Fjordrive tours. They have several different packages, this was mine: https://www.fjordrivetours.com/fjordrive-tours/naeroyfjord-tour
It worked perfectly for me as I didn't want to do the trains and was traveling alone. It's pricey (and mine was discounted I think because off season in September 2024, I think I paid around $250), but what isn't pricey in Norway?

But there was an option for add-on for those who wanted to return by train, so the mini-bus dropped a couple at the station for a segment of the NiN (at additional cost). I just rode the mini-bus back to Bergen. We left Bergen 8am and got back around 6:30pm.
I think another couple paid for the regular package but didn't return with us but stayed in Flam (their choice) for an overnight outside the tour package. I think they were headed to Oslo after and had suitcase.

Also, the guide is the driver and he didn't go on ferry with us. Just gave us the ticket and explained where to find the bus in Flam and time for pickup.

I wrote a little about it on my TR for Bergen: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/tr-bergen-norway-in-2-1-2-days-september-2024

To add: If I had more time, I would have loved to spend the night and do a kayak or fjord exploration. That will be for next time, and in the summer.

Thanks everyone for you assistance.

One additional question:

I will be in Norway for 9 nights and 10 days

Spending the first night in Oslo before heading to Bergen with a night in Aurland on the way.

Flying out of Oslo on Day 10.

How would you divide the remaining days between Bergen and Norway? I'm leaning toward 4 in Bergen and 3 in Oslo, but Chat GPT is trying to convince me to do 5 and 2, since I'll already have one day in Oslo at the start of the trip and at least one of the Bergen days will be taking up with an full day trip to Gudvangen.

Thank you Joy for that info!!!

I would listen to ChatGPT. From everything I've read, Oslo is a nice city, but you really don't need more than a day or two there. I'm spending three nights in Bergen and only two in Oslo, and I'm perfectly happy with that. If you have an extra night, maybe spend it on the road someplace. You don't necessarily have to stay in Flam. There are other places out there that you might be going through where you could just spend the night. At least I assume there are. 😊