8 Days in Norway - 8 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Itinerary #1: Oslo, Bergen & the Hardangerfjord

Get your fill of spectacular scenery between Norway's two biggest cities, utilizing the nation's efficient network of ferries, trains, and buses, with this classic adventure. 

This itinerary starts in the up-and-coming capital of Oslo. You can hit the ground running with perhaps a walk to Aker Brygge, an area on the Oslofjord made up of beautiful, modern buildings, or Vigeland Sculpture Park where 200 larger than life sculptures are placed throughout this green lung in the middle of the city. 

The next day, get ready for some scenic views as you travel by train and bus to Geilo and Eidfjord, respectively—a journey that offers mountainous scenery and photo ops of two of the country's best national parks: Hallingskarvet and Hardangervidda. You'll be based for two nights in the small village of Eidfjord along the Hardangerfjord, often considered one of the most beautiful fjord-side towns in Norway. You can check out hiking trails, go kayaking, or visit Kjeåsen Mountain Farm, a historic farm and settlement with outstanding views. Next is a two-hour fjordcruise headed west for the town of Utne where you can relax, visit a local museum, or accomplish a challenging full-day hike to Trolltunga (Troll's Tongue) rock formation.

After two nights in Utne, t’s time to travel by ferry and bus to get to Bergen, arriving in the early evening. Finish the adventure by exploring top sights in Norway’s 2nd largest city on your own and with a local guide, including optional hikes in the surrounding mountains. Bergen's cobblestoned streets are compact and walkable, so get out and explore the city's lively restaurants and nightlife. Learn more

Itinerary #2: Wild Islands in Norway's Arctic

This unique road trip focuses on two archipelagos above the Arctic Circle loaded with hiking trails, peaceful beaches, rock formations, and seaside teeming with whales, not to mention extended daylight hours to soak it in by land and sea.

This road trip kicks off much further north in the port city of Bodø where you’ll pick up your rental car. Spend a little time checking out the local sites including the largest aviation museum in Scandinavia and the world’s strongest tidal current in Saltstraumen. The next day you’ll jump on a car ferry to Svolvær where you can spend the afternoon walking through the windy streets with centuries-old wooden houses and buildings surrounded by mountains and sea.

Next is a drive to Vesterålen, an archipelago known for its green islands, marine life, rich history, and friendly locals. Spend your next few days enjoying the colorful moors, alpine peaks, silent marshes, and many deserted natural beaches. You can join a whale watching tour (your chances of spotting whales are very high due to the fact that the area is rich in whale nutrition), or follow designated trails along mountains and meadows, like the 10-mile Dronningruta (Queen’s Route).

You’ll also stay a night in Reine in the nearby Lofoten Islands—an archipelago that is close by, yet offers a different landscape of jagged mountain peaks and brightly-colored rorbuer cottages, which have housed fishermen and traders for centuries. Bridges connect most of the islands, so you can get around easily by car.

Back in Svolvær, you'll catch a ferry on the Hurtigruten where you can enjoy overnight quarters at sea as you make your way to the lively city of Tromsø. A good place to start is taking a ride on the cable car. From the viewing platform at the upper station, you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Tromsø and the surrounding islands, mountains, and fjords. Learn more

Itinerary #3: Western Norway Self-Drive Adventure

This relaxed road trip loops around peaceful islands, fjord-side villages, and hiking trails in Western Norway including the remote island of Værlandet and stunning branches of the Sognefjord for your choice of outdoor activities that capitalize on the views. 

Day	Highlights	Overnight
Day 1	Arrive in Bergen	Bergen
Day 2	Explore Bergen with a Local	Bergen
Day 3	Drive from Bergen to Værlandet	Værlandet
Day 4	Self-Guided Bike Tour in Værlandet	Værlandet
Day 5	Drive from Værlandet to Solvorn, via Fjærland	Solvorn
Day 6	Hiking in the Lusterfjord - Return to Solvorn	Solvorn
Day 7	Ferry to Urnes - Drive to Bergen	Bergen
Day 8	Depart Bergen

This beautiful road trip starts and ends in Bergen where you’ll have a few days to enjoy the city. You can spend hours wandering Bryggen, a UNESCO-listed area of downtown with old wooden houses dating back to the 1700s. On the third day, you'll pick up a rental car and begin your drive northward to the coastal island of Værlandet where you can explore the beautiful archipelago at your own pace. 

Next, make the beautiful drive to the idyllic fjord-side village of Solvorn where you can stop for lunch in Fjærland's village center, called Mundal. While here, visit the Norwegian Booktown, which consists of several second-hand bookshops, some that are combined with cafés, art galleries, and souvenir shops located in old farmhouses and sheds. Then continue to Solvorn and stay two nights at Walaker Hotel, the oldest family-run hotel in Norway, with over 370 years of history.

Spend your time in the area relaxing or hiking around the Lusterfjord—there's even a trail that heads through one of Southern Norway's most spectacular, untouched valleys with several scenic waterfalls. Instead of returning to Bergen the same way you arrived, you'll take a car ferry to Urnes to see a UNESCO-listed wooden church built in the 12th century before driving along the southern edge of the Sognefjord. Learn more 

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Itinerary #4: Tromsø & Alta Winter Tour

This exciting and less-traveled seasonal adventure (November to April) takes you deep into Norway's boreal territory for spectacular scenery, dog sledding, winter sports, and Northern Lights above the Arctic Circle.

Day	Highlights	Overnight
Day 1	Arrive in Tromsø	Tromsø
Day 2	Explore Tromsø & Chase the Northern Lights	Tromsø
Day 3	Transfer to Trapper's Farm - Overnight Excursion	Tromsø
Day 4	Breakfast at Trapper's Farm - Return to Tromsø	Tromsø
Day 5	Breakfast in Tromsø - Bus to Alta	Alta
Day 6	Dogsledding & Northern Lights	Alta
Day 7	Winter Activities in Alta	Alta
Day 8	Depart Norway

This exciting trip for snow-lovers is ideal for experiencing an authentic slice of life in Norway's Arctic. Start with several nights in and around Tromsø, the self-proclaimed 'Gateway to the Arctic'. You have the option to meet a local guide for a walking tour to visit—street by street—and take in its rich culture and beautiful architecture, including historic wooden houses dating as far back as 1789. You can also take a Northern Lights Chase with a guide who will be able to assist you in adjusting your camera settings for the best photographs.

There will be a break from the city with an overnighter at Trapper's Farm, less than two hours outside of Tromsø, for a unique all-inclusive excursion in the great outdoors. Each tour offered by the farm varies slightly depending on weather patterns, but you can expect to take part in a range of day-time trapping and fishing trips as you travel through the countryside by dogsled. Of course, you'll also get plenty of time to spend with the faithful Greenland husky dogs who join your adventures, while keeping an eye out for other species of wildlife.

Next, take the bus eastward to Alta to venture again into the wilderness with a stay at a cozy lodge in your own cabin with wood-burning stove. One section of the structure has been replaced with a floor-to-cieling window for viewing the Northern Lights. Learn more 

Itinerary #5: Oslo, Bergen & the Sognefjord

This summertime adventure includes Norway's two biggest cities and its longest and deepest fjord, using various means of transportation for a true Scandinavian adventure. 

For first-timers in Norway, it doesn’t get more iconic than this peak-season trip. It starts with two days in Oslo where you can join a guide at the Akerselva River, an important waterway that offers an abundance of local history. The river is 5 miles (8 km) long and passes waterfalls, swimming areas, forested areas, and wildlife. 

Next is a train ride (two trains, actually) that take you west to the fjords, including one of the steepest railways in the world. When you get to Flåm, sit back and have lunch at a café or the local microbrewery before catching your mid-afternoon ferry ride (approximately two hours) to the picturesque harbor town of Balestrand through the Sognefjord—Norway's longest and deepest fjord. Spend the next few days exploring hikes here and in nearby Fjærland.

Then it’s time for a fjordcruise through the Sognefjord where you’ll spend your last two nights in colorful Bergen. Enjoy the many activities in this historic waterfront city including hikes in the surrounding hills and an evening Segway tour that travels all over the city on two-wheeled motorized personal vehicles. Learn more 

Itinerary #6: Oslo & the Sunnmøre Region

This stunning road trip travels to the heart of the Sunnmøre region in northwestern Norway, where you'll pass through road trip through mountains, fishing villages, and dramatic fjords with a slew of outdoor activities and 11 hairpin turns on the 'Troll's Ladder'.

Spend a night in Oslo where you can check out restaurants and bars in the Aker Brygge area. You'll then take an epic train journey to the mountaineering base of Åndalsnes, a scenic town located in Romsdalen glacial valley. The train passes some of Norway's most dramatic landscapes including steep mountains, waterfalls, and famous bridges.

The next morning, you'll grab your car and drive along the famous Atlantic Road to get to Kristandsund, an interesting and compact little city consisting of four main islands. Have a stroll around the Bacalao Museum and the beautiful Grip Stave Church before continuing to the island of Håholmen where you can pick from a number of kayaking, biking, hiking, fishing and golfing opportunities in the area.

Then, get ready for more glorious views as you make your way to the Hjørundfjord and its peaceful countryside. This driving route (with a ferry crossing) takes 4 hours, which brings you to Øye. This stunning town is located in the middle of the world's most breathtaking scenery including Geirangerfjord, now on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Finish with a drive on the Trollstigen with 11 distinct hairpin turns before you return the car and take the train headed back to Oslo. Learn more

Itinerary #7: Norway Fjord & Island Tour

Travel like a local on this adventure through some of Norway's best fjord-side villages, fishing towns, and remote islands where you can dive into pristine and peaceful environments. 

This is a great option for those who want to check out southern fjords and islands without renting a car. From Bergen, you’ll take a scenic fjordcruise through the Sognefjord to get to Balestrand and on to Fjaerland, a small village that boasts views of the largest mainland glacier in Europe. To give you a sense of the quaintness here, there are only 300 residents. It also holds the Norwegian Glacier Museum, said to be the country's leading center for the dissemination of knowledge with regard to glaciers and climate change. 

Then it's time to take the bus to Florø—the westernmost city of Norway, surrounded by fantastic landscapes and islands. Make sure to catch a sunset at the Utsikten viewpoint, about 20 minutes by foot from the center of Florø. You can also rent bicycles from the tourist information office and take a self-guided tour of this coastal area. Or simply walk pay a visit to the microbrewery Kinn Bryggeri that offers a range of non-pasteurized and unfiltered beers, tours, and tastings.

Continue the adventure with two nights on Værlandet island where you'll have time to enjoy the beautiful and peaceful landscapes at your own pace. To finish the trip, return to Bergen by way of two ferries (connecting in Askvoll) arriving with enough time to hit the city's charming cobbled streets for your last night in Norway. Learn more

Itinerary #8: Hiking in Geilo, Aurland & Bergen

Traveling by train and ferry, this adventure is the perfect mix of hiking and relaxation in three of the most beautiful areas of Southern Norway. 

Pack your hiking boots for this adventure. This outdoorsy trip starts with two nights in Oslo—just enough time to visit Nordmarka Forest during a guided tour that takes you to a beautiful island just outside Oslo's harbor, reached by tram. No cars are allowed here, so the island is full of recreation options. In the evening, explore the city's historic core buzzing with restaurants and cafés that stay cozy in cold weather.

Your first stop by train headed west is Geilo, a stunning area offering magnificent mountain scenery. There are several trails for every age and fitness level—some that are very easy (less than two miles) and some that are more difficult (up to 10 miles and more), so lace up your boots and pack a picnic for the afternoon.

From here, ride the Flam Railway as you make your way to Aurland and the Riverside Farm Lodge where you will spend the next couple of days. You'll hit the trails right away starting with an afternoon hike to Turlidfossen, a nearby waterfall. Feel the ice-cold spray from the falls as your guide shares local myths and stories related to the area and its nature. 

Following the hike, you'll say your goodbyes and then head to the quay to catch your fjordcruise to Bergen. Instead of staying in the city, you’ll be picked up and transferred to Solstrand—a hideaway by the fjords 18 miles (30 km) from downtown Bergen. The hotel’s location offers a staggering array of hikes with magnificent views of the fjord and surrounding mountains. Before dinner on your last night, swim in the heated outdoor pool or take a dip in the fjord at the bathing pier (year-round). Learn more

More Great 8-Day Norway Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your Norway trip? Check out these other 8-day Norway itineraries, ranging from active, to cultural, to luxury, or family-friendly trips.

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