NO
Norway
Midnight sun over dramatic fjords
Midnight sun over dramatic fjords
The world’s deepest (1,308m) and longest (204km) fjord: the Flam Railway (the steepest normal gauge railway in the world) descends from 865m to sea level through seven U-turns in 20km.
A UNESCO World Heritage fjord of sheer walls with the Seven Sisters and Suitor waterfalls cascading into the water. One of the most photographed landscapes in Norway.
A UNESCO Hanseatic wharf of colourful 14th-century wooden merchants’ houses, with the Funicular to Mount Floyen (320m, panoramic view over the seven mountains) above the city.
Fishing villages of red and yellow cabins on stilts above the sea, with dramatic granite peaks behind them: the most photographed landscape in Norway outside the fjords.
A 25m x 25m flat cliff 604m above the Lysefjord: a 4h return hike from Tau ferry terminal. No railings. Extraordinary.
Norway’s Arctic capital: the most reliably accessible city for Northern Lights viewing (September-March), the world’s northernmost university and the ice hotel near Jukkasjarvi.
An Arctic archipelago 78 degrees north: 3,000 polar bears (more than people), walrus colonies, 24-hour summer sunlight and wilderness guided expeditions by snowmobile and dog sled.
The Viking Ship Museum (three intact 9th-century longships, the finest in the world) and the Munch Museum (The Scream, 1893, plus 26,000 other works by Edvard Munch).
Rakfisk: fermented trout, a Viking-era preservation method. Gravlaks: fresh salmon cured with dill, sugar and salt. Two Norwegian fish preparations at opposite ends of the intensity scale.
Norwegian meatballs in a brown gravy with lingonberry jam and boiled potatoes: the Norwegian equivalent of Swedish meatballs, richer and with a stronger gravy.
Salted and dried lamb ribs steamed over birch branches: the traditional Norwegian Christmas Eve dinner, eaten with mashed swede and potatoes.
A thin potato flatbread rolled with butter, sugar and cinnamon: the traditional Norwegian snack at any outdoor market or Christmas fair.
A Scandinavian spirit of potato or grain distilled with caraway and dill: Linie Aquavit is aged in sherry casks as they travel by ship across the equator twice. Drunk at celebrations.
Norway has an exceptional craft beer scene for its size: Haandbryggeriet, 7 Fjell and Lervig. Ringnes is the national lager.
A caramelised whey cheese with a sweet-salty profile: eaten on knekkebroed (crispbread) for breakfast. Intensely Norwegian and surprisingly addictive.
Norwegians are among the world’s highest per-capita coffee consumers. The filter coffee (drip) tradition is strong; specialty coffee is flourishing in Oslo and Bergen.
Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) is the main hub. Bergen (BGO), Tromsø (TOS), Stavanger (SVG) and Ålesund (AES) all have direct European connections. SAS and Norwegian serve most routes. For trip planning, see the Visit Norway tourism portal.
💡 Norwegian Air flies Gatwick–Oslo from £40 booked ahead — one of the best-value routes in Northern Europe. Bergen and Tromsø also have direct Gatwick connections.
💡 SAS flies New York JFK–Oslo direct in ~8 hours. Copenhagen is a practical hub for onward connections to smaller Norwegian airports.
💡 Book Norwegian trains at vy.no. Advance fares (minpris) are significantly cheaper — the Bergen Railway booked 3+ months ahead can be under NOK 200.
💡 The regional NSB/Vy train is half the price of the Flytoget express and takes only 3 minutes longer — departures every 10 minutes. Use it.
Summer (June–August) is the time for fjords, hiking and the Midnight Sun above the Arctic Circle. September for the Northern Lights beginning. October–March for Aurora hunting in Tromsø and Lofoten. Christmas markets in Bergen and Oslo in December.
Norway is among the most expensive countries in the world — regularly topping cost-of-living indices alongside Switzerland. Budget travel is possible but requires advance planning.
Norwegian supermarkets (KIWI, Rema 1000, Bunnpris) are significantly cheaper than restaurants — a supermarket lunch (smoked salmon, Ræcker crispbread, brown cheese) costs NOK 60–100 and is genuinely excellent.
A dinner of grilled Arctic char, new potatoes and cloudberry dessert at a Bergen or Oslo restaurant costs NOK 400–650 — the price is high but the ingredients (Norwegian salmon, reindeer, cloudberries) are exceptional.
The Juvet Landscape Hotel (the setting for the film Ex Machina) and the Budir Hotel on Snæfellsnes are two of the most architecturally distinctive places to stay in Scandinavia — from NOK 3,000/night.
Oslo for two days, the fjords (Bergen + Flam + Sognefjord) for three days, Tromsø for the Aurora or the Lofoten Islands for the landscapes.
Vigeland Sculpture Park (200+ granite and bronze figures by Gustav Vigeland, in a public park, entirely free — one of the most extraordinary public art installations in the world). The Oslo Opera House: walk up the sloped marble roof for the harbour view. Akér Brygge waterfront for dinner.
💡 The Oslo Pass (24h NOK 565 / 48h NOK 785) covers all public transport and entry to 30+ museums — good value if you’re doing the National Museum and the Munch Museum in the same visit.
The National Museum of Norway opened in 2022 — the largest art museum in Scandinavia, housing the original The Scream by Munch (one of the most recognisable paintings in the world). The Munch Museum opposite the Opera House for the full Munch collection.
💡 The Scream at the National Museum is behind glass and often crowded. The best time to see it without people blocking the view is within 30 minutes of opening (10am).
7h scenic train from Oslo to Bergen — one of the great railway journeys, crossing the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237m, passing snow even in summer. Bergen: the Bryggen Wharf (UNESCO wooden Hanseatic merchant houses from the 14th century), the Fløien funicular.
💡 The Bergen Railway is the most scenic train in Northern Europe — book a window seat on the right side going west. The high plateau section above the treeline is extraordinary.
The Norway in a Nutshell: Bergen → Myrdal by train, Myrdal → Flåm by Flåmsbana mountain railway (20km, 800m descent, waterfalls and hairpin bends), Flåm → Gudvangen by Aurlandsfjord & Nærøyfjord (UNESCO, narrowest fjord in the world), Gudvangen → Voss by bus, Voss → Bergen by train.
💡 The Nærøyfjord section of the fjord cruise is the highlight — the fjord narrows to 250m between 1,700m walls. The entire Norway in a Nutshell route takes one day and can be booked at norwaynutshell.com.
4h north from Voss: the Geiranger fjord — arguably the most dramatic in Norway, with the Seven Sisters waterfall (seven separate streams falling 250m) and the abandoned farms clinging to the cliff face at Skageflå and Knivsflå. The Dalsnibba viewpoint (1,476m) above the fjord.
💡 The viewpoint at Ornesvingen on the Geirangerfjord road gives the classic postcard view of the fjord. The mountain road closes in winter — check conditions outside June–October.
1h45 flight from Ålesund or Bergen to Tromsø — the capital of Arctic Norway, 350km above the Arctic Circle. Aurora season: September–March. Midnight Sun: May–July. Or: fly to Bodø and take the ferry to the Lofoten Islands (dramatic peaks rising straight from the Arctic Ocean).
💡 The Northern Lights require darkness (October–February in Tromsø), clear skies and solar activity (check spaceweatherlive.com). A forecast of Kp3 or above with clear skies is a good night.
Fly back to Oslo (1h45) for international connections — or extend to Lofoten for the landscape and the traditional rørbuer (red fishing cabins) above the sea.
💡 Lofoten in summer (June–August) is all Midnight Sun and dramatic light — one of the most photographed archipelagos in the world. In winter it’s all darkness and Northern Lights. Both are exceptional.
Bergen to Oslo via the Flam Railway, Sognefjord boat and Myrdal: a 1-day circuit of Norway’s finest scenery.
A restaurant meal: NOK 350-600 (EUR 30-52). Budget double what you would spend in Central Europe.
Norwegians hike, ski and kayak in all conditions. The culture is built around outdoor life.
The Bergen Railway (Oslo to Bergen, 7h) and the Rauma Railway are among the most scenic train journeys in the world.
The best Northern Lights are 30km+ from any city. Rent a car or join a guided excursion from Tromso.
Conversations don’t start spontaneously; once begun they are direct and warm.
The Hurtigruten ferry from Bergen to Kirkenes (6 days) is the finest way to see Norway’s entire coastline.
Rema 1000, Kiwi and Coop supermarkets make self-catering affordable in a very expensive country.
Norwegian State Railways app — buy intercity and regional train tickets; includes Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim routes.
FreeOslo’s official transit app — buy T-bane, tram and bus tickets; zone-based pricing across the city.
FreeRide-hailing in Oslo and major Norwegian cities — cheaper than local taxis.
FreeBook fjord cruises, Northern Lights tours, Bergen mountain hikes and Norwegian experiences.
FreeFerry and regional boat booking across Norwegian fjords and coastline — covers western Norway islands.
FreeExplore Norway’s top city destinations — from Bergen to Oslo, each with its own distinct character.
Norway sits within easy reach of several other destinations — each with a completely different character.
