Western Norway & Oslo Cultural Adventure - 15 Days

Highlights

• Ride a high-speed, adrenaline-pumping boat along the famous Geirangerfjord
• Hike Jotunheim National Park, home to two highest mountains
• Drive the world's most beautiful car journey, the Atlantic Ocean Road
• Ride the scenic railway from Flåm, then mountain bike back down
• Soak up culture with free time in Oslo, Bergen, and Ålesund

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Oslo

Welcome to Oslo! Norway's capital city prides itself on being green, with more than half the municipality covered in forests and parks. It's easy to get around the mostly car-free city center on foot, by bike, or with efficient public transport. Take a comfortable and scenic train ride between Oslo Airport and the city to check in to your hotel. There's no rush to explore, as you also have all day tomorrow in Oslo. 

Day 2: Free Day in Oslo

Despite being Norway's rapidly growing capital, Oslo is still considered a small city, and the surrounding mountain scenery and sea only heighten its charm. Start the day with a walk along the Havnepromenaden, a 5.5-mile (8.5 km) waterfront park that combines sightseeing, history, art, and architecture in the city's heart. While in the center, pass by City Hall, the 19th-century Royal Palace (official residence of Norway's monarchy), the National Museum (where you can view Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's masterpiece, "The Scream"), and along the Karl Johans gate shopping street. 

Day 3: Oslo Open Air Museum

On your second day in Oslo, take a short bus ride to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History in Bygdøy. This open-air museum is more like a big park filled with 160 historic buildings that show how people lived across Norway from the Middle Ages to now. Go from cities to sod-roofed farmhouses in the countryside and see how the locals faced more challenging times. Wander an old town of homes, stores, and workshops, and visit the Gol stave church, built in the 1200s. If you're lucky, the museum will have events on, such as storytelling, live folk dancing, markets, or traditional lefse baking.

After the museum visit, the rest of the day is yours to explore. Return to Oslo city center, or stay on the Bygdøy peninsula and explore the Norwegian Maritime Museum or Fram Museum.

Day 4: Train to Ålesund

Today, you'll take an epic train journey northwest of Oslo toward the mountaineering base of Åndalsnes, a scenic town in the Romsdalen glacial valley. Along the way, you'll pass some of Norway's most dramatic landscapes, including the beautiful twisting emerald-green Rauma River, steep mountains, waterfalls, and famous bridges. The first four-hour train ride takes you from Lillehammer to Dombås, where you will switch trains. On the second 1.5-hour train to Åndalsnes, the conductor slows for photo stops at the famous Kylling Bridge and Trollveggen, Europe's highest perpendicular mountain wall.

The final stretch is a two-hour bus to Ålesund, one of the most charming cities in Scandinavia. The breathtaking city is perched on the Atlantic Ocean and filled with Art Nouveau architecture due to rebuilding after a devastating fire in 1904. The region's cultural center, you'll find an array of museums, a sea park, a lighthouse (Alnes), and charming streets to explore on foot. When it's time for dinner, consider Café Lyspunktet for a hearty and authentic Norwegian meal. Sometimes the café has live music and local art exhibitions too.

Day 5: Drive the Atlantic Ocean Road, Explore Kristiansund

Pick up a rental car and one of the world's most beautiful car journeys—the Atlantic Ocean Road. Expect coastal scenery, culture, and history as you roll along this National Tourist Route and what's considered Norway's Engineering Feat of the 20th Century. The road connects Averøy with the mainland via a series of small islands and eight bridges over 5.4 miles (8.3 km). Building the road took six years, finally opening in 1989 after facing as many as 12 hurricanes during construction! The drive is about the journey, so make time to stop at Atlanterhavsveien svevestien, Eldhusøya, and Askevågen lookouts.

Once you've completed the Atlantic Ocean Road, you can turn around or continue to Kristiansund, a unique colorful city set across four islands. Stroll around town, and pay a visit to the Bacalao Museum and the Grip Stave Church if there's time. Return to Ålesund for dinner, or find a restaurant here and drive back later.

Day 6: Drive to Geiranger via Trollstigen

Jump back behind the wheel—today, you're making the journey to Geiranger via the famous Trollstigen road. This zigzag road offers up to 11 twisting hairpin bends as it climbs to Stigrøra (2,814 ft or 858 m above sea level). Expect to see lush valleys, sheltered strawberry farms, steep mountains, and viewpoints guaranteed to make you dizzy. Allow enough time for stops along the way, whether to embrace the challenge of a summit hike or to enjoy various viewpoints.

Once you reach Geiranger town, park the car and explore on foot. Here you can experience open-air restaurants, sidewalk cafés, and shops and galleries for souvenirs. The town's restaurants and eateries take pride in creating fresh food with a local twist, like Geiranger Brewery, which is partly located in a boathouse, so you can enjoy more of those views.

Day 7: RIB Boat & Waterfall Walk in Geiranger

Wake up to a grand adventure this morning. Meet your captain and board a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) for a high-speed, adrenaline-pumping ride along the famous Geirangerfjord. Expect an hour of humor, good stories, photo stops, and high-speed cruising as you zip up close to the fjord's cascading waterfalls. Your captain will share cool facts about the locals who used to tend fjord farms, and if you're lucky, you'll even see porpoises. Later in the afternoon, climb up 327 steps until you reach the viewpoint by the surging Storfossen waterfall. This waterfall walk combines natural beauty and architecture. 

Day 8: Drive to Lom

Lom is your gateway to Jotunheim National Park, a protected area with 135 peaks, including the two highest in Norway—Galdhøpiggen at 8,100 feet (2,469 m) and Glittertind at 8,084 feet (2,464 m). Naturally, there are hundreds of hikes to enjoy, but beyond the national park, Lom is known for its Stave Church, timber dated to 1158. Still in use as the main church, inside, you'll find an extensive collection of paintings from the 1700s and a lot of beautiful acanthus carvings. Use your afternoon to visit the church, walk around the village, and enjoy local food at Smak i Lom.

Day 9: Hike in Jotunheimen National Park

After breakfast in Lom, it's time to hit the trails. Choose your hike, from easy and family-friendly to more extreme and advanced, in Jotunheimen National Park—Home of the Giants. A 45-minute drive away, this largely undisturbed mountain area includes rivers, valleys, lakes, waterfalls, more than 60 glaciers, and the largest concentration of mountains (more than 275 summits) higher than 6,000 feet (1,829 m) in Northern Europe.

Choose to embark on an easy half-day hike in the afternoon, and you'll still get to climb a mighty peak. Those after a full-day hiking experience can combine a glacier and summit tour. And for the more advanced mountaineer, there's an option that includes glacier-crossing and summiting as many as 10 peaks! If you're unsure which hike to do, how about the moderate, family-friendly Bøverbrean glacier hike that takes 5-6 hours? When you return to Lom, visit the area's farms to learn about local herbs, cured meat, sausages, cheese, jam, and bread.

Day 10: Drive to Fjærland, Mountain Hike

After the 3.5-hour drive to Fjærland, you'll be ready to stretch your legs. Lace-up those hiking boots for a brilliant mountain hike to Nesahaugen, with fjord and glacier views. Start either at Mundal or 1.6 miles (2 km) south at Homrane. The first part is steep, trekking through a forest and past an old summer farm. After 30-40 minutes, you'll finally reach Nesahaugen to enjoy the beautiful view. Pause for a picnic lunch here before heading back the same way again.

Day 11: Drive to Aurland

Once you reach Aurland, it's time to change pace. Here, you will check into 29|2 hotel, a small boutique hotel proud of its history as a high-end fishing lodge for the British lordship. Brought back to life in 2014, the family-run lodging honors traditions alongside modern luxury. Use your time here to relax, feel at one with nature, and let time pause. It's a space to feel the serenity of Norway, surrounded by lush mountains and free-falling waterfalls.

Day 12: Local Tastes Tour in Aurland

Enjoy a slow breakfast in Aurland before you spend the day immersed in local culture. The family of Aurand 29|2 has curated a day of surprises for you, including a "Walk & Taste" experience that introduces you to the local flavors. You'll explore by bike, in a kayak, on foot, or in a traditional rowboat, visiting local farms with a guide, discovering summer pastures, and tasting local lamb sausage, goat's cheese, or a classic Norwegian "svele" pancake. Hike along the World Heritage shores, picnic by a waterfall, and visit the most northern and award-winning winery.

Day 13: Train & Bike in the Flåm Valley, Transfer to Bergen

Grab rental bikes and board Norway's most famous train journey. Travel from the village of Flåm up to Myrdal, following a vertiginous valley in the heart of the fjords. This steep train journey carries you up to the top so you can pedal the 12.5 miles (20 km) back down to Flåm. Soak in amazing views of the Kjosfossen, Kårdalsfossen, Rjoandefossen, and Brekkefossen waterfalls, and snake through 21 hairpin bends at Myrdalsberget. Along the route, take a snack break at Rallarrosa dairy, a traditional mountain farm in Kårdal that sells homemade goat cheese.

It's easygoing once you reach the valley floor, following the Flåm river back to town. In Flåm, explore the 1667-built church before getting back behind the wheel and driving to Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. Surrounded by ocean, mountains, and fjords, Bergen is a beautiful, easily walkable city filled with cultural highlights, outdoorsy activities, and vibrant nightlife, thanks to a substantial student population. Check in, then immerse yourself in the city's downtown. Try traditional food at Bryggeloftet & Stuene or local seafood at Lysverket.

Day 14: Free Day in Bergen

Wake up in Bergen and spend your last day exploring the port city. Start with the Fløibanen funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen—one of Bergen's seven peaks—for the city's best views. Then, enjoy a stroll back down, discovering hidden troll sculptures along the way. Next, wander the downtown Bryggen area to view the colorful wooden houses along the waterfront. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 1700s.

If you want more adventure, zip line through hilly forests near Bergen at Mt. Ulriken Zip Line, book an evening Segway tour or join a guided hike. If you love culture, hit Bergen's museum scene, including the KODE 4 art gallery, Bergen Maritime Museum, and Bergenhus Fortress Museum. Finish the day at Altona Vinbar & Kjøkken, Bergen's oldest known tavern, or Restaurant 1887, a modern eatery in Bergen's old meat market.

Day 15: Depart Bergen

It's time to say goodbye to Norway! Hop aboard ByBanen, Bergen's light rail system, for your ride to the airport, or organize a taxi or private transfer. Safe travels!

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