NORWAY TRIP – QUICK 4 DAY GUIDE

Norway is one of the most stunning places I have ever visited. The Norwegian Fjords and charming small towns are a site to see. While I feel I mastered Norway in four days, I highly recommend staying longer if your itinerary allows! My Norway trip was paired with a trip to Scandinavia. However, after visiting, I would love to rent a camper van and drive around the country. My itinerary includes Oslo, a Fjord Boat Tour, Hiking Trolltunga, and Bergen.

Travel Tip: Truth be told, I would skip Oslo all together. Since I came from Sweden, it was easy to pass through Oslo. Having gone, it is a very big city and I would have much rather spent more time in charming Bergen! That being said, if you prefer big cities, don’t miss out on Oslo!

Put your walking shoes on for this itinerary! While Oslo is the largest city in Norway, it’s still very walkable. Luckily, I found one day in Oslo to be plenty. Below is a list of places you should be sure to check out in Oslo.

• Oslo Cathedral
• Karl Johans Gate
• Royal Palace
• Royal Park
• Boat to the islands via the Oslo Ferry
• Dinner on the water near Aker Brygge

Start your Norway trip with a day in Oslo. You’ll want to start with the Oslo Cathedral from there, it’s an easy walk to the Royal Palace. Along the way you’ll pass the Parliament of Norway so be sure to check it out. Walk along Karl Johans Gate to get to the Royal Palace which is one of the main streets in Oslo as there are a ton of stores and restaurants along the street. Have your camera ready when you arrive to the Royal Palace because it is quite the palace! I really enjoyed walking around the Royal Park so be sure to allow time for this! When you’re ready, head down to Aker Brygge to catch a ferry to the islands. Although there is not much to do on the islands, it is fun to be on a boat and check them out! There are a ton of restaurants along the water so I highly recommend grabbing dinner before or after your ferry ride!

This will be a very long day, but a Norway trip isn’t complete without a trip through the Norwegian Fjords! There will be trains, boats, and buses involved, but it is the best way to check out the incredible Norwegian Fjords. The train ride from Oslo to Voss will be about 5 hours but it feels like an excursion in itself because the scenery is absolutely incredible. Hop on the earliest train from Oslo to Voss (click here for train times: https://www.eurail.com/en/plan-your-trip/eurail-timetable) to catch the Norway in a Nutshell Tour .

Choose the round trip from Voss which includes:

• Voss to Myrdal
• Mydral to Flam
• Flam to Gudvangen
• Gudvangen to Voss

I would recommend grabbing something to eat in Flam as it has the most restaurants and it will be late by the time you get back to Voss. From Voss, take the latest bus to Odda in order to hike Trolltunga in the morning! We stayed at Trolltunga Studios and the owners were very understanding of our late arrival. It is definitely a back packers hostel, but it did the trick.

Wake up as early as possible because Trolltunga is quite the hike. The hike takes most people anywhere from 8-12 hours, and is highly weather dependent. If it rains, be sure to allow extra time as it will be very slippery. When I hiked Trolltunga, it rained on and off all day which made the trail very muddy and slick. It was tough but doable and wound up being the best part of our Norway trip.

Quick Trolltunga Tips: Have your camera ready because you’ll be hiking through some incredible scenery. Pack plenty of snacks because you’ll be working up an appetite! Once you arrive to Trolltunga, plan to wait in line for about an hour to get your picture taken on the rock. Luckily, the hike from Trolltunga to the start is much quicker than the way there.

READ MORE: Full Guide to Hiking Trolltunga.

It takes roughly three hours to travel from Odda to Bergen. Here is a full list of ways to travel from Odda to Bergen (http://trolltunga-active.com/get-there/).

After three hectic days, it’s time to have a mellow afternoon wandering the streets of Bergen and soaking in the beauty of the fjords one last time. Be sure to check out the fish market, enjoy the colored houses, and relax with a glass of wine on the water. For great views of the city, be sure to check out Mount Ulriken.

So technically this is a five day itinerary, however, my flight out of Bergen was at 6am, so the last day doesn’t count in my book! If you have more time, I highly recommend staying in Bergen longer than a day. One day in Bergen just isn’t enough! Bergen is incredible and I can’t wait to go back.

Travel Tip: As I mentioned earlier, if you tend to enjoy smaller cities, my recommendation is to skip Oslo and therefore, your trip will start and end in Bergen. This will be a similar itinerary, however, you’ll start the Norway in a Nutshell tour in Bergen rather than Voss. Choose either the One-way trip from Bergen to Oslo or the round trip from Bergen. If you choose to follow this Norway itinerary and hike Trolltunga, you won’t be getting on the last train and therefore either tour works. Since these tours are primarily self-guided, you can really start and stop in whatever city works for your itinerary. To make this work, you’ll end in Voss and take a bus to Odda, rather than heading back to Bergen or taking a one way to Oslo.

I hope you enjoy your Norway trip as much as I did! I am counting the days until I can visit this beautiful country again.

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Safe Travels,

Sarah :)