Current as of: August 19, 2025 - 16:28
Current as of: August 19, 2025 - 16:28
3 out of 7 - Moderate
The Norwegian fjords are one of the natural wonders of the world: a cinematic landscape of snow-capped mountains, steep green hillsides and powerful waterfalls plunging into calm, clear fjordic waters. Purposefully avoiding the tourist hotspots, we stay at a guesthouse in the fjords, providing easy access to some of the most picturesque walking trails in Norway. There’s also time to take a ferry through the sheer cliffs of Nærøyfjord (Narrow Fjord) and ride the Flåm railway, one of the most scenic train journeys in the world.
Want to travel this year? Discover Walking the Fjords
Highlights
This trip is graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.
Difficulty: We walk on well-maintained trails, which may be steep in places. On average, we walk for three hours in the morning and two in the afternoon including stops. On the longest day, we may walk for up to seven hours including stops.
Itinerary flexibility: The itinerary for all departures may be altered or modified depending on the weather, route conditions, group’s abilities, or other local factors. The tour leader will discuss these changes with you if they occur.
Water safety: This trip includes time by a lake, river or sea, where there may be opportunities to swim. You should always seek local advice before deciding whether to swim. Open-water or wild swim spots should be treated with extreme caution. Information on how to keep yourself safe while swimming is shown here.
Adult min age: 16
Min group size: 4
Max group size: 15
Begin your adventure in the picturesque coastal city of Bergen, deep in fjord land and wrapped by seven mighty mountains.
Around 4pm, say hallo to your tour leader and fellow travellers in the hotel lobby, where we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
This is also an excellent time to take your first fika, Scandinavia’s traditional coffee and snack break, with the free homemade pastries and freshly brewed tea and coffee available at the hotel.
After, we get our bearings with an orientation tour of the city, before your tour leader ensures a big Norwegian welcome by arranging a group dinner at the hotel.
Want more time in Bergen? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Accommodation: Home Hotel Bryggen (or similar)
Board the minibus after breakfast and begin our journey into the fjords. After 2hr 30min on the road, we reach the village of Gudvangen, where we hop on a ferry for a two-hour scenic cruise through the wild sheer cliffs of Nærøyfjord.
Arriving in the village of Flåm, we jump back in the minibus and continue to Nes Gard, our hideaway in the fjords for the next five nights.
Accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
After a short transfer, embark on a picturesque walk to the top of Molden (3,360ft/1,116m), where we can marvel at the profound chasm that is Sognefjord, nicknamed the King of the Fjords.
Molden is often called the finest viewpoint in Sogn, with an amazing fjord view. With 1,970ft (600m) of elevation gain over 2.6mi (4.2km), the path is neither too steep nor strenuous.
Halfway, we stop at the mountain farm of Svarthiller, where we get the first scenic views of the fjord. After, we visit Urnes Stave Church, the oldest stave church in Norway and a World Heritage site.
Accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
After breakfast, we have an approximately 40-minute transfer to Jostedal National Park, the home of Jostedal glacier, a mammoth ice cap covering vast swathes of the park itself.
It has nearly 30 glacial arms and today we visit two, starting with a walk to the Nigards Glacier, where we get really close to the glacier. If you’d like to get even closer, you can join an optional guided walk on the glacier, using crampons and an ice axe to help you navigate.
After, drive to the Bergset Glacier, a mighty ice wall covering the upper part of Krundalen valley. Here, we have a short walk towards this glacier fall before we head back to Nes Gard.
Accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
Hike into Mørkridsdalen today, one of the most scenic valleys in Norway. The walk starts in a narrow canyon dominated by a waterfall. As we continue, the canyon opens into a wide valley of moorland with wildflowers and traditional Norwegian summer cottages.
After, we return to Nes Gard for another evening to enjoy our scenic location on the banks of the Lustrafjord.
Accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
Start the day with a one-hour transfer to the start point of today’s hike. The route (which takes three to four hours) is one of the most popular in the area and when we reach the top of Besshovden viewpoint, we see why. From the summit, enjoy majestic views of the Fjærlandsfjorden and Jostedal glacier. During summer, you may even see people securing hammocks here to spend the night under the stars.
Then take a short transfer to the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærland, an angular slice of modern architecture backdropped by the ancient mountain peaks. Here, we can spend 1hr 30min enjoying a fascinating insight into the local landscape, the glaciers and how the climate crisis is impacting them.
After, enjoy free time in Fjærland, Norway’s book town, where old cow sheds and pig pens have been converted into book shops.
Please note: the order of this day may be reversed, depending on the weather.
Accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
Bid a fond farewell to our fjordic home and transfer (2hr 15min) to Flåm, where we ride the Flåm railway, one of the most beautiful and steep train journeys in the world. Our journey takes us to Myrdal railway station, where we get out and take a zig-zagging path back down. The car-free route is reserved for walkers, offering fantastic views of waterfalls and the valley.
After, we jump back on the railway, normally at Blomheller station, and return to Flåm, where we catch a transfer (1hr 15min) to our hotel in Voss. Arriving around 4pm, there’s free time to explore before our farewell dinner.
Accommodation: Fleischer’s Hotel (or similar)
You’ve hiked through Norway’s stunning fjords, ridden one of the most scenic railways in the world, and taken a boat onto a glacial lake, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home.
Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.
Ascents, descents and distances: All ascents, descents and distances listed in the daily itinerary have been measured by our local partners or tour leaders, in many cases with satellite-based mapping software. However, different GPS measuring devices can give differing results, particularly on winding paths or in mountainous terrain. Measurements stated throughout these Trips Notes are given to help you understand the types of terrain and distances you will encounter. Timings stated will vary depending on the pace of your group.
We aim to secure locally owned accommodation that is well located, offers good value for money, and plenty of comfort. To help you find your ideal adventure, each trip is given a Comfort Level rating, which indicates the overall standard of accommodation. For more on our ratings, see our Comfort Level guidelines.
Bergen: Home Hotel Bryggen (night 1)
Begin our Norwegian adventure in the historic Bryggen district of Bergen. It’s in the perfect location to explore with the Fisketorget fish market, St Mary’s Church and Bergenhus Fortress all within walking distance. The hotel itself has modern rooms, a gym and sauna, plus free fika in the afternoon – fresh tea and coffee accompanied by homemade baked goods.
Lustrafjord: Nes Gard (nights 2-6)
Enjoy five nights on the banks of Lustrafjord, staying in a welcoming private guesthouse. It’s situated on a family-run farm, now managed by seventh-generation custodian Anders, who ensures “good food and good experiences” to all who stay there. The 20 individually decorated rooms, some of which have sloping ceilings, are split across several farm buildings, a mix of double rooms with private facilities and two-bed apartments with shared facilities.
Voss: Fleischer’s Hotel (night 7)
Ideally situated mid-way between Flåm and Bergen, Fleischer’s is a contemporary hotel with a historic atmosphere, housed in a 19th-century building by Lake Vangsvatnet. It includes a wellness area with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, solarium and gym, and the restaurant has one of the best wine lists in the region. A perfect hotel for a relaxed finish and a warm farewell to the fjords.
Single supplement from £ 675
Seven breakfasts, seven packed lunches (made yourself from the breakfast buffet) and seven three-course dinners are included.
An evening meal at the hotel is included on the first night in Bergen and on the last night in Voss. At Nes Gard, the owner prepares excellent home-cooked food, often with fruit from their own farm. There is a strong focus on locally grown produce.
Transport via private bus, train, and ferry to/from Lustrafjord.
From June to September, Lustrafjord has about 15 days a month with some kind of precipitation. When the sun shines, temperatures are around 18C-22C (64F-72F). Expect some rainfall, even though warm and sunny weather is not infrequent in this area. Summer rain is also common.
Start hotel: Home Hotel Bryggen, Rosenkrantzgaten 8, 5003 Bergen
Phone: +47 53 05 15 00
Recommended arrival time: Check-in is from 3pm and the welcome briefing will be at 4pm, followed by the orientation walk of Bergen
Airport: Bergen Airport (BGO)
The start hotel is approximately 30 minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
There’s one group transfer to the airport, which you can join at no extra cost. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer.
If the group departure transfer, which leaves the hotel at 4.30am, does not suit your flight time, you can also make your own way to the airport using the train from Voss to Bergen or to Oslo, and finish with public transport.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Bergen
Location end: Voss
Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Norway. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies (bat lyssavirus) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.
If you’re a UK citizen, please note that your UK-issued European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) are still valid and offer the same cover as the Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) in the EU. This gives you medical care at a reduced cost, and in some cases for free, in many European countries, but should not be considered a substitute for adequate insurance. Once your EHIC has expired, replace it with a GHIC.
Norway's time zone: Europe/Oslo (UTC +02:00)
Norway's electricity: Plug types C (two round pins) and F (two round pins) – 230V, 50Hz
Norway's currency: Norwegian krone (NOK)
Credit or debit cards are useful for paying for drinks, souvenirs and extra excursions. ATMs are found throughout Bergen and are available in Voss, but there are none close to Nes Gard.
Norway is the most cashless of the Nordic countries, so we recommend you mostly pay using credit or debit cards. Please note, you can only pay by credit or debit card at Nes Gard.
Optional activities:
Although optional, a tip for the tour leader at the end of the trip is greatly appreciated. As a guideline, we recommend around 300-360 kroner per person.
As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.
We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.
This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.
Your Safe Participation
When booking this trip, you should be confident in your ability to participate in all activities described in these Trip Notes. If you have any doubt about your suitability, please call us and ask to speak to one of the experts on this itinerary.
Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely take part in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity.
By booking this trip you agree to our Booking Conditions which clearly state that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these rare instances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.
Seatbelts
All vehicles used by us should be equipped with working seatbelts, except where approved by us based on the vehicle type or journey. Wherever seatbelts are available, we require our customers to use them for their own safety, even where it may not be a legal requirement.
Speak to our friendly team of experts to plan your adventure:
After booking
You will receive a confirmation document and invoice, which includes extra information and guidance about your travel arrangements. Our dedicated Customer Operations team will help you with any pre-travel questions or arrangements and can easily add extensions or extra accommodation to your booking. Final Joining Instructions will usually be sent out two to three weeks prior to departure.
Adding transfers to your booking
If you have arranged your own flights and would like to add transfers to your booking, please provide your arrival and departure details to our Customer Operations team around four to six weeks before departure.
Trip Note validity
Trip notes may be updated after booking; if any updates significantly impact the inclusions or itinerary you will be advised in writing. A link to the most up-to-date Trip Notes will be sent out with your Final Joining Instructions before departure.
The information in these Trip Notes is given in good faith. All holidays can be subject to unexpected changes, and occasionally it may not be possible to follow the itinerary as planned. In these circumstances we will make the best-possible alternative arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.