What to do during two nights in Bergen

Posted by caroll.rwc on 07/14/26 01:32 AM

We're going on a Norway cruise (Viking) that ends in Bergen (40th anniversary). What do others recommend doing in Bergen? The Rosenkrantz Tower or Bryggen Museum? Our cruise has a pricey tour of those things, but I figure we can find our way there ourselves. Are prior tickets needed?

Our cruise company offers a Fjord Cruise costing $229/person from Bergen and lasting four hours. How does that price seem? Might we be able to book our own boat trip at a lower cost? We're told that the cruise includes Osterfjord toward Modalen, with a backdrop of Mt. Ulriken, then goes farther along the fjord into the more powerful currents of the Mostraumen Strait."

Also, the tour company touts a rail trip to Voss, calling it one of the most scenic rail journeys - true? The cost is quite high ($590 plus) - is that because the rail itself is costly? It includes the Voss Folk Museum - has anyone been there? Maybe we could do this on our own and make it back to the hotel. Your thoughts?

Thanks for your input!

Posted by isn31c

Lake District, England

07/14/26 02:24 AM

12062 posts

The train to Voss costs 278 Kr each way- £28 or $38 US. It is a commuter train, walk up at the station and buy. Not sure you'd use such hyperbole for the section to Voss, pretty enough but there are way better sections on the way to Bergen. Even if it was all the way to Flam that is 910 Kr - £90 or $120 US each way
Even if you were doing a Norway in a Nutshell, to get such a grand write up It is 910+665+200+278Kr = $2200Kr maximum cost, or £220= $290.
So over priced.

The Mostraumen Fjord trip is excellent, but can be booked yourself for 840Kr - £84 or $108, well worth the money, but their price is over egged.

Posted by jeanm

Chicagoland

07/14/26 04:04 AM

2453 posts

Do you have 2 full days in Bergen? Spend 1 day in Bergen and 1 day outside of Bergen.

The Rosenkrantz Tower will only take about ½hour to visit and climb to the top. Perhaps combine it with a walking tour of Bergen and the Bryggen.
I Love Bergen offers a 2 hour tour that starts just a couple minutes from the Tower just outside the Fortress.

To learn more about the Hanseatic League, book the 45 minute tour of the Schøtsteune that takes you into the assembly rooms.

If the weather cooperates take the funicular up to Mount Floyen for the views and maybe a walk.

Without knowing what fjords are included on your cruise, it's difficult to make a recommendation of fjord excursions.

There must be something more to the Voss tour for the price. IMO, the scenery between Bergen and Voss would not be described as "one of the most scenic rail journeys".

Now, if they are actually taking you on a modified Norway in a Nutshell trip that includes the ferry from Gudvangen to Flåm and the Flåmsbana from Flåm to Myrdal before returning by train to Bergen via Voss, that would be some spectacular scenery, especially if you add the Stegastein Viewpoint tour. You could book directly with FjordTours. It's a long day, but the scenery, especially the cruise on the Naeroyfjord, is worth it.

Posted by Cyn

Colorado Mountains, USA

07/14/26 07:12 AM

8975 posts

I’m guessing your cruise (especially since it’s Viking!) is taking you to other Norway ports, but we visited Bergen in 2023. The Bryggen Museum tour, which also took us out of the museum to show us some of the nearby Bryggen sights, was very enjoyable and worthwhile. We just showed up and they told us when the next tour would be gathering, and we showed up again then.

Didn’t do the Rosenkrantz Tower.

If you want to stretch your legs a bit, take the Bergen funicular up, then hike (walk) back down. Maybe you’re going to get to the Munch art museum in Oslo, but there are many distinctive Munch paintings all grouped together at Bergen’s KODE art museum, highly recommended! The museum is in four giant buildings - ask for the Munch collection and they’ll get to to the right one.

You may also get to a Stave Church, or might not, but the Fantoft church a little south of Bergen is reachable by light rail. Rick Steves’ guidebook has the details. The original church got burned down by an arsonist, but it was faithfully rebuilt using traditional materials and methods. It was one of the better Stave Churches we saw.

As for Voss, we stayed one night on our self-driving tour. There’s a gondola that will whisk you to the top of their mountain, but we didn’t do that. We could’ve stayed the next day for it, but we’ve been up a few mountains at home, and decided to move on. Might’ve been interesting, especially for anyone not from a mountainous environment.

A bonus experience in Voss, though, is the Kari Traa boutique shop. She’s a Winter Olympics multiple medalist from Voss, and she subsequently created her own sportswear line. Her very stylish thermal tops and buttons, and summer tops, are rather expensive in the U.S., but I got several pieces on sale in Norway, really at bargain prices. I’m bringing one top with me on our Trip to Wales tomorrow. If you live anywhere that gets cold, Kari Traa is what you should be wearing! And there’s no place better than Voss to score some deals.