2 weeks exploring Norway's Fjords!

This August, we spent two weeks in Norway, exploring the beautiful mountains and fjords in the country’s southwest corner. It was a magical two weeks, and Norway is definitely on our “want to return” list!

For this trip, we flew in and out of Bergen, and rented a car for the journey in between (making a loop first driving East):

Our itinerary was as follows:

Day 1-3: Stayed in Bergen (3 nights)

Day 4-5: Tyssedal/Trolltunga Hike (1 night in hotel, 1 night guided camping)

Day 6: Overnight in Aurland (1 night)

Day 7-8: Gjendesheim (2 nights)

Day 9-11: Åndalsnes (3 nights)

Day 12: Norangsfjorden (1 night)

Day 13: Loen (1 night)

Day 14: Bergen (1 night)

We felt like this itinerary was almost perfect, the only change I’d make would have been to stay one more day at our amazing hotel in Norangsfjorden. Click on the above for full blog posts on each area, with some general tips/good-to-knows below if you are ever planning your own trip:

General tips & thoughts

• All hotels in Norway have breakfast included (at least according to my Norwegian friend, and consistent with our experience), most are very good with a wide variety of food!

• Book your activities/tours in advance; I thought we could play it by ear and book things day-of, but when I tried doing so, things were full. 

• Hotels are mostly small/local/independent and are not available on major credit card points sites, so Norway is not a great place to go if you’re hoping to pay with points for hotels.

• Some hotels have dinner available/as part of the room rate. When booking, you may want to see if you have to include board in your room rate; one hotel required that you pay for dinner with the room (and I had only booked for one person which led to some confusion in check-in when we actually had two people). Another had it as optional, but I thought it was required.

  • Many hotels’ included dinner is a set menu; if you have any dietary restrictions of preferences, tell them ahead of time (and if you don’t want to eat reindeer, definitely tell them as this is guaranteed to be on the menu)

  • For the most part we loved our hotel dinners- they’re usually tastier (and a better value) than what you’d get at a restaurant. We paid about $65-75 per person for a 3-course meal which felt reasonable to us as San Franciscans.

• Hotels in Norway do not have AC, it’s not usually very warm there so not a huge deal, but some nights we were a bit hot!

• Renting a car is a great way to get around, but be advised that many of the roads (at least on our itinerary) are narrow and winding. The “M” signs along the way are designated places where you can pull over to let other cars pass. 

  • Gas is as expensive as you’ve heard! It cost us over $100 to fill up our tank (by our calculations, gas was about $9/gallon while we were there)

Bergen

Lodging: 

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz. 

We loved the location of this hotel and the breakfast, however our room was very small! Overall, I definitely recommend this hotel, but would spring for a bigger room.

Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport (stayed here our last night before departure)

Probably as good of an airport hotel as you could hope for! Just a 5 minute’s walk to the terminal (and the tram that goes into the city). Clean & comfortable room and great breakfast. Recommended if you want to stay by the airport ahead of your flight (and bookable using Chase credit card points)!

Activities: 

Rode the Fløibanen funicular up the hill for great views of Bergen, and some nice paved walking/hiking trails.

Walked around the Bryggen area (old wooden buildings dating from the 1700s), there are some tourist shops/cafes, a pleasant area to spend a couple of hours.

Walking tour (we did one through AirBnb, it was good enough but not the most amazing walking tour I’ve ever been on). I wanted to check out this one, but it was all sold out.

We also spent some time in the big mall downtown, not the most culturally enriching activity but was a good way to pass some time on our last day before our dinner plans!

Eats & Drinks:

Cafes

Kaffemisjonen - good coffee spot close to the center of town

Daily Pot - Apparently this is #1 on TripAdvisor, it’s a casual and healthy spot with bowls and soups, we had a yummy lunch there!

Løvetann cafe - Located a short walk outside the most touristy part of the city center, they had brunchy food and salad, in a cute neighborhood. A nice spot for lunch.

La Taqueria - My boyfriend was really curious to try tacos in Norway but as you might expect they were not the best tacos we’ve ever had. 

Dinner spots

Fresco Hallen- This spot, inside the elegant Hotel Bergen Børs has recently opened. Beautiful dining room, great cocktails, and tasty dinner!

Damsgård - This was a steakhouse, of everywhere we ate in Bergen we felt this was the only place that seemed overpriced. We went there as it was close to where my local friend lives, but it’s not worth going out of your way for.

Spisekroken - Very cute tiny spot with a small menu, but was the only place we ever saw chicken on a menu in Norway! All three of us ordered the chicken and it was delicious, tasted like a Thanksgiving meal :) 

Bars

No Stress bar- Cute and cozy spot with inventive cocktails

Dark & Stormy - Possibly trying too hard to be Instagrammable, but we enjoyed some tropical beverages here on our last night.

Note on transit to/from the airport:

• Taxis from the airport to Bergen center are very expensive! We paid $90 for ~11 miles of driving, about a 20-25 min. drive.

• If you don’t mind a longer commute, the metro is only about $5 per person, and takes about an hour and runs every 15 min (we took it twice, it was as clean and pleasant as you’d expect)

• We never took an Uber, but looked at prices and they were about $60 to/from the airport.

Our first stop was Bergen, which has a great combination of natural beauty and historical old buildings. 

Selfie by the Bergen waterfront

We arrived late at night our first day, so went right to bed to rest up for our next day’s adventures! We started with a delicious and plentiful breakfast at our hotel, and then set off for some slightly better quality coffee and some exploring. 

Right in the city center, there’s a funicular that we took up, to enjoy beautiful views of Bergen from above.

Views from the top of the funicular

We were also pleasantly surprised to discover several paved easy hiking trails, it was so cool to get out into nature just steps from the city. We opted to walk down from the top, where we saw tons of school groups- what a fun field trip!

Nature at your fingertips in Bergen!

From here, we wandered around, Bryggen, a historical and touristy area of the city based around buildings that originally housed fish traders. Today it’s mostly souvenir shops but was charming nonetheless. 

Beautiful Bryggen

Years ago, on a trip to Argentina, I met Lars- a native Norwegian who gave me tons of tips for our trip! We were lucky enough to hang with him several times on our trip, pestering him with all our Norway questions and enjoying some fun restaurants and bars together.

Dinner with Lars in the beautiful restaurant Fresco Hallen

Our second day in Bergen, we got to experience the city’s characteristic rainy weather. Not ideal for a walking tour, but we survived thanks to our waterproof clothing. We learned about the history of Bryggen and its Hanseatic traders, and learned a bit about modern-day Norway.

Surviving our walking tour

After lunch in a cute neighborhood a bit outside the center, we had a jetlagged-induced nap! Well-rested again, we met up again with Lars and his friend for another fun dinner at a Norwegian steakhouse (who knew!).

Picturesque houses in Bergen

Our final day, we packed up our bags and took the convenient metro out to the airport to get our rental car (Hertz was extremely disorganized, very surprising to us as most things in Norway seem to run much more smoothly!).

From here, we set out for our road trip adventures! Our first stop was Tyssedal to do the famous Trolltunga hike!

Tyssedal/Trolltunga Hike + Aurland

Lodging: Tyssedal Hotel

There are really not many hotel options in this area, and this was probably the best you could get, though nothing to write home about. The hotel was a totally fine place to rest our head, and surprisingly had a big and modern bathroom! 

Activities:

You come here for one reason: to hike Trolltunga! Most people do the hike in one day, but we did an overnight camping trip with Trolltunga Adventures. 

Eats & Drinks:

Fjoren - A surprisingly great dinner experience in the tiny town of Odda. Recommend booking in advance (can do so via email)

Stuo Eting og Drikking - Cute cafe in Odda, food was good (not great), except for the potatoes which were amazing!

We drove from Bergen to Tyssedal, home of the famous Trolltunga hike. You may have seen photos of this one before, it’s a big skinny rock that juts out over breathtaking views of a lake and mountains.

Our route had us cruising along the scenic Hardangerfjord. This was where we got our first taste of the beautiful Norwegian countryside (fjordside?). An hour or so into our drive, we reached Steinsdalsfossen, a waterfall right off the main road that you can walk behind! 

Checking out the waterfall

Along the way, we enjoyed another scenic view at our lunch stop, Øvreviken Pizzeria which had a nice patio looking out onto a fjord, and seemed to be a popular spot for locals. We also stretched our legs in the little town of Kinsarvik, which is also the home of our silverware! The silverware shop was closed, but it was a trip to recognize the name so far away from home.

Since we took the “scenic route” it was about 3.5 hours to Tyssedal, but worth every minute! Our hotel was perfectly serviceable, but nothing to write home about. Since it was my boyfriend’s birthday the next day, and we’d be spending it in a tent, I made us a dinner reservation at Fjoren, a few miles down the road in Odda, which pleasantly surprised us. 

It was early to bed for our big hike the next day! While most people do the Trolltunga hike in one day, we opted to do an overnight adventure with Trolltunga Adventures. In addition to trying something different, the benefit of this tour is that you get the chance to see the main photo-op rock twice and without crowds. Because the hike is so long, people all depart to do it around the same time (in order to make it back before sunset). As a result, everyone reaches the end at the same time and there can be long lines to get your photo on the “tongue.”

When camping overnight, you can start later (we started around 11 AM), and reach the rock after everyone else. Then, the next morning, you can be the first one there. You also get two opportunities to see the tongue, which was great for us since we had horrible weather the first day! It’s expensive (about $350 per person), but a very unique experience! If you are up for a night in a tent, I recommend it. 

The first day of our hike started out sunny, but quickly the weather turned to rain…which didn’t let up for the entire day! While the hike was undeniably beautiful, the weather made it a lot less enjoyable. Luckily, we were pretty well-prepared with our clothing, with the exception of my gloves, which were definitely not waterproof, resulting in really cold fingers all.day.long. 

Before I got soaked

Views along the trail

Our lunch spot

This is fine.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, it was still a breathtaking sight when we reached Trolltunga! Our group took some hasty photos, eager to make our way to the shelter of camp. 

We made it

The camp itself was perched on a mountaintop, with amazing views all around. Each couple had their own personal tent, stocked with warm sleeping bags. The guide’s tent had a full stove inside, where they cooked a very-welcome hot dinner of reindeer stew (perhaps not a meal I’ll recreate at home, but hit the spot after a long day of hiking in the rain). Because it was Nick’s birthday, they gifted him some socks and a game of travel Yahtzy (or Yahtzee, as we say here in the states). 

Our home for the night

The views were gorgeous, but it was way too cold to keep our door open for long!

After dinner, we retreated to our tent to stay warm, play some Yahtzy, watch Princess Diaries 2 on Nick’s iPad, and hunker down for a night of uncomfortable sleep (we aren’t camping people!!). All in all, quite an adventure for his birthday!

The birthday boy, ready to return to civilization!

Luckily, the next day, the skies had cleared! While it was still cold, we were all so relieved to not be wet. We also got to see a different view from Trolltunga, and took plenty more photos before heading down to the trailhead (~5 hours hike back).

Wait for meeeee

wowowowow!

We stopped in Odda again for a bite to eat before hitting the road to our next destination, Aurland.

Aurland

I’d booked Aurland for our next night because it’s only about 2.5 hours away from Tyssedal, but unfortunately there was a rock slide closing the road, so we had to take the long way, making our total commute a lot longer. Since we didn’t really do much in Aurland, I’ll just summarize briefly: 

Lodging: Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

We didn’t love this hotel, but for us it was just a stop-over on our way further north.

I was really interested in staying here, but it required a 2-night min and was booked for our dates. Hotel Aurlandsfjord is another option in the area that was also sold out for our dates.

We had a long drive ahead of us, so didn’t get the chance to do any activities in Aurland, but the famous Nærøyfjord (Narrow Fjord) is close by, and you can take a tourist ferry through it. Unfortunately for us, the boats were all booked up for the morning times when we looked into booking day-of. There are also kayaking tours that can take you through the fjord!

We did get the chance to enjoy this viewpoint/walkway on our way out of town!

Eats

We ate at the restaurant in our hotel, which was not very good!

Also noteworthy, there was a good grocery store right in town, where we stocked up on some lunch supplies for our next hike.

Gjendesheim

Lodging: Hindsæter Hotel

We really loved this hotel, and were glad that we spent a little more for the bigger room option after several nights in really cramped quarters in other hotels (our room even randomly had two bathrooms in it, lol). The hotel has a sauna/hot tub which was very relaxing, and was only a 15 minute drive to the trailhead of the hike we came for.

Activities:

This area is right by Jotunheimen National Park, which I’m sure has many great hikes, but the one we came for was Besseggen.  

Eats

Our hotel offered dinner, which we partook in both nights. It was a 3-course prix fixe, and included things like reindeer tongue and goat, so if you have any dietary preferences, be sure to let them know in advance!

Despite some of the more unusual foods, overall the food here was great and a special traditional experience.

We included Gjendesheim on our itinerary at the recommendation of my Norwegian friend, Lars, who suggested that we might enjoy the Besseggen hike, known for its view at the top of two different colored alpine lakes.

What can I say? I look glamorous when I hike!

Along the way to Gjendesheim, we saw a glimpse of snow, as well as an interesting small art exhibit in the middle of nowhere. We stopped at an unexpected Ethiopian restaurant along the way for some tasty falafel, before checking in to our cozy hotel.

Snow! In August!

An art exhibit along the way! It’s a bear on…trash?

There were several short hiking trails right from the hotel, so we took a short stroll to a beautiful river and small waterfall.

Beautiful rushing river!

That was about all my legs could handle, still recovering from Trolltunga! I loved our stay at Hindsæter Hotel, it’s been a lodge since the 1800s, but has been recently remodeled and is definitely Instagram-ready. Our room included access to their “Mountain Spa” with a hot tub and sauna- very relaxing after a long day of hiking!

Obsessed with the rugs at this hotel

Tasty breakfast spread in the dining room

The main event here was the Besseggen hike which was a real burner! Of the three “big” hikes we did, we felt this was the third most beautiful, and  the most grueling in terms of uphill effort. 

For most people, this is a one-way hike, and the most common way to do it is to park in Gjendesheim, where you take a free shuttle to a boat. The boat drops you off in Memurubu, and then you hike back to Gjendesheim, where you get the free shuttle back to where you parked. There is lodging in Memurubu, so you could also hike to Memurubu, and take the boat back (the same day if you are a fast hiker, or the next day if you are less fast). Boat booking here if you’re planning your own trip.

Our ride to the hike

This hike was relentlessly uphill, and includes a spot where you have to basically rock climb  (in a very beginning kind of way- even with no rock climbing experience, I could do it). Along the way, we were treated to beautiful views of a glacial lake. At the top is where you see the view this hike is best known for: two different colored lakes on either side of a mountain ridge. Wow!

A tale of two hats

Climbing up the ridge!

Double lakes!

The hike back featured hours of us just walking through cloudy mountaintop. It was pretty boring to be honest, but at least it was flat! I’ve never hiked as fast as I did to get back to the parking lot and make the shuttle back to parking. I was ready to relax after this one!

Not impressed by the cloudiness

When I spotted the end of the hike

Almost to the end!

Starving from our day of hiking, we relaxed in the hot top, and were looking forward to dinner at our hotel. When the chef described the menu and it included reindeer tongue and a trio of baby goat, I was less than excited. Luckily for me, I had specified some dietary preferences that excluded these exotic meats, and had some veggies instead…in addition to a deliciously prepared mountain trout. Nick did have the traditional menu, but he will not be ordering these delicacies again.

After a good night’s rest, we were off to our next stop: Åndalsnes!

Åndalsnes

Lodging and eats: Hotel Aak

A very cool historical hotel that has been hip-ly remodeled. We loved this hotel, it had many cozy areas to relax after a hike and great food. When we booked they didn’t have an online booking system, but I think they may now.

When we booked, the price we were quoted was per-person, because it included “full board”: breakfast, packed lunch, afternoon snacks/drink, and dinner. I assumed that this was the only option, but I think the “full board” was actually optional. So if you are not interested in having all meals at the hotel, you could explore that option! I believe you can also book dinner at the hotel even if you aren’t staying there.

Activities: The hikes we did here were:

• Storaksla: A nice short hike we did when we got it, beautiful views for very little effort

• Litlefjellet: Allegedly has great views, but it was so cloudy when we did it that all we saw was white  

• Romsdalseggen: We actually didn’t originally have this on our itinerary, but decided we could probably handle it! We are so glad we did, it was our favorite hike of the three big ones we did. 

Driving into Åndalsnes, the mountain landscape became more extreme, with tall peaks all around- it reminded me a lot of Yosemite. We arrived in the early afternoon to a warm welcome at Hotel Aak, another historic hotel with super friendly staff (the nicest we encountered in Norway).

Welcome to Hotel Aak!

The only reason to come here is for the outdoor activities! It’s a very famous rock-climbing spot, but we stuck to hiking.

Our first day, we were still in recovery from Besseggen, but felt up for a short hike, and did one recommended by our hotel, which was flat and a little muddy, but led to beautiful views. Following that, we relaxed at the hotel and enjoyed a game of Ticket to Ride alongside a glass of wine. 

Felt like the right moment for a “Sound of Music” twirl

Dinner at Hotel Aak is served at a communal table, and that night our companions were two Norwegian men who were there for some rock climbing, and who recommended that we do the well-known hike of the area": Romsdalseggen.

The loveliest dinner table

Our second day in Åndalsnes, we were hit with cloudy weather…we did another recommended sort hike, Litlefjellet, but all we could see was white clouds! Taking it as a sign to relax, we checked out the little town (which was pretty boring), then headed back to the hotel.

Not impressed by this vista.

Finally relaxing on this vacation!

Since it was a Friday, the hotel was much more crowded with Norwegians visiting for the weekend. We played some card games and then enjoyed another delicious Hotel Aak dinner where we met a Norwegian woman who had studied abroad in Lafayette, CA (Nick’s hometown)- what a small world!

Finally on Day 3 we were rested and recovered enough for another big hike! Romsdalseggen was one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done- we got lucky with the weather, and were able to soak in some truly amazing views.

Going up!

We considered taking the “family route” for this hike, which bypasses the steepest climb, but when we reached the juncture, we saw everyone else going for the hard way, and I decided I could handle it! I’m really glad we did, because I don’t think the family route has the same views. We spent plenty of time at the top taking loads of photos and enjoying a PB&J.

This hike, like Besseggen, included a section where you have to use your hands to “climb” up the rock a bit. I felt a bit scared, but it looked worse than it was, and I’d already done something similar at Besseggen so felt more confident that I could do it!

One of the steep sections of the hike

While the ascent of this hike was steep, I found it manageable overall. The descent, however, was so so unpleasant. I’d read about it online and thought maybe people were exaggerating, but it was truly a knee-killer; a lot of it is through trees, so for most of the way, there aren’t any views that make it worth it. There is a gondola that you can take down instead, which I would 100% recommend- you don’t miss anything on the downhill!

The face of an unhappy downhill hiker.

After cleaning up and relaxing, we enjoyed one more group dinner at Aak, where we met a mother-son duo who told us a bit more about Norwegian life (and I was secretly hoping the woman would adopt me as her niece, she was so chic and stylish!).

Thank you Hotel Aak!

Norangsfjorden (Hotel Union Øye)

Lodging: Hotel Union Øye

This hotel is so cool! It dates from 1891 but was recently totally remodeled. There are lots of cozy common areas to hang out in (including a library), and each room is named for a famous guest. It’s pricey, but definitely worth it. 

Eats:

We had dinner and breakfast at the restaurant in our hotel, you can eat lunch or dinner there even if you aren’t staying at the hotel.

Activities:

We didn’t do any! We just spent our time enjoying the hotel, but there are plenty of opportunities for biking, kayaking, etc. in the area.

The main event for us in Norangsfjorden was the historic Hotel Union Øye. This hotel is one of the most renowned in Norway and for good reason! According to their website, “It has been a place where visitors come to savor the good life and the tranquility in magnificent surroundings since 1891.” 

Our destination

We took a bit of a detour on the way there, stopping in Alesund, which seemed like a cute (if slightly touristy) town, but it was a Sunday, so everything was closed. 

Some quick touristing in Alesund

Unfortunately, on the route from Alesund to Norangsfjorden, Google Maps directed us to a ferry route that does not exist. If you are planning your own trip, be advised that there is no Leknes-Standal ferry.

Due to the ferry mishap, we arrived to Hotel Union Øye a bit later than expected, but managed to make the most of our time at the hotel, exploring and enjoying its many sitting areas :) Staying in this hotel felt like the opportunity to hang out in a museum (but like in a fun way). Each room is named after a famous guest, we were in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) room. There is also a beautiful bar, and a cozy library. 

My reading spot!

Lovely spot for a cocktail

Taking notes for the blog!

We also enjoyed an elegant 3-course dinner in the restaurant; it was a bit more refined than the other hotel restaurants we dined in, and everything was delicious. 

My handsome dinner date

If I could change anything about our trip, I would have stayed two nights here- it was such a magical hotel, and there are many activities in the area that we just didn’t have time to fit in (guess we’ll have to return!)

Loen (via Geirangerfjord)

Lodging: Hotel Alexandra

We didn’t love this hotel, but it’s probably the best option in the area! I didn’t realize when booking that you have to pay “per person” because the room includes a buffet dinner. Overall I recommend it as long as your expectations are set appropriately.

Pros: Great location, right on a fjord, and less than 10 minutes’ walk from the Lown skylift. Our room was spacious, with a balcony that had a beautiful view!  It also has indoor and outdoor pools/hot tubs- we didn’t go in them but they looked enjoyable.

Cons: Outdated (common areas and rooms). The buffet dinner (which was required as part of the booking) was not really our thing, not great quality food and a lot of tourists! The buffet breakfast was better :)

Activities:

Loen Skylift: One of the world’s steepest gondolas! Views from the top are amazing and well-worth the steep price for the ride up. There is a restaurant and coffee bar at the top, and several hikes that are accessible from the top (ranging from easy to hard). 

To get to our next destination, Loen, we took a tourist ferry from Hellesylt across the famous Geirangerfjord. Geirangerfjord is one of the most-visited fjords in Norway and we were lucky to get a beautiful sunny day to admire it from the boat. 

Enjoying Geirangerfjord by boat

We’re on a boat!

If you’re planning your own trip, you can book the ferry here. We had 2 people in 1 car and ended up overpaying, but we couldn’t figure out the right tickets to buy online (we bought “Car package & driver” which was apparently for 5 people, according to the ticket-taker on site).

There are hikes, kayaking, and additional boat tours available to do in Geirangerfjord, but we didn’t do any of them as we’d had plenty of active adventures already. We drove up to a viewpoint- it was nice for once to enjoy some views with no effort!

Nick checking out the view of the fjord

We had considered staying in Geirangerfjord as part of our itinerary, but were advised against it by locals. I think it was the right call as it’s a lot more touristy than the other places we stayed. 

Another scenic drive took us to another fjord-side town: Loen!

Scenic Loen!

We arrived in Loen around lunchtime, and checked in to Hotel Alexandra. What I didn’t know when booking was that I had to pay per-person, because the rate includes dinner and breakfast, this led to a slightly awkward exchange at check-in which was quickly rectified. 

I actually didn’t know much about Loen, but had booked it as a partway stop between Union Øye and Bergen. We spent most of our day up a mountain (but this time, let a gondola do the work!). The Loen Skylift is one of the steepest in the world, and at the top is a visitor center with stunning views and a decent restaurant.

Views on views from the top of the Loen skylift

We had some lunch and decided to do one of the many hikes that are accessible from the top. I thought the hike was going to be way easier than it was (after three mega-hikes, I was tired!), and didn’t bring enough water or a good attitude! It was a lot more uphill than I expected, and we ended up seeing it through, but after the stunning vistas we’d seen earlier in our trip, it was hard for this hike to compare.

Reached the end of our hike (I’m so thirsty at this point!)

We discovered that the top of the skylift is a popular spot for paragliders- it was so nerve-wracking to watch them jump off a mountain, and a big relief to see them effortlessly glide down to a safe landing.

After our little hike, we decided to enjoy a rare sunny Norwegian day by soaking up some rays on our lovely balcony. Then, it was time for a weird buffet dinner! I suppose it wasn’t weird, exactly, it just was a buffet, and we are not really dinner buffet people. However, it was definitely fun to try ALL THE DESSERTS. 

Loen made for a great little stop and I’m glad we ended up there. From here, it was back to Bergen for our last night of vacation (crying face emoji).