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4 days - Independent tour by rail, bus and ferry.
The Norway in a Nutshell® tour takes you through some of Norway’s most beautiful fjord scenery that includes the breathtaking experiences on the Bergen Railway, the Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the Nærøyfjord and the journey to Bergen. In the comfort of your train and cruise boat, watch fjord scenery with beautiful waterfalls, flowing rivers, deep valleys and mountains.
The Norway in a Nutshell® section is available all year round and can be taken as a day tour or as we recommend, with one or more overnight stays to break up the journey. Take your time and enjoy the scenery by hiking, kayaking or biking. Or a longer stay beside the fjord. This tour can be custom-built for you depending on your budget and style of travel.
Read our detailed explanation about how the Norway in a Nutshell tour works here.
As a Certified B Corporation, 50 Degrees North has designed this tour using handpicked local hoteliers and suppliers who share our ethos of delivering services and activities of high social and environmental standards.
The CO2-e per person per day of all tours is carefully measured following each season. We fully offset all emissions of our tours on your behalf, and we constantly look at ways to reduce emissions where possible.
Train, boat and bus. Kayak and bikes are optional.
International flights, lunches and dinners not detailed in the program and items of personal nature.
We can upgrade your room to one with a fjord view in Bergen.
Arrive Oslo and make your own way into the city via the airport train. Oslo is a nature centric city, with greenery and wooded areas never far away. Besides enjoying these spaces, it is recommended to take the ferry down to the island Bygdøy to see the many museums there and stroll through Vigelandsparken, the largest single artist sculpture garden in the world.
Discover the new area of Bjorvika with the new Opera House and Munch Museum and then explore the charming shopping streets, cosy cafés and exciting eateries of Grünerløkka. After going shopping at numerous design boutiques, vintage shops and flea markets, head to the Mathallen food hall for local specialties. Lastly, visit the new National Museum of Norway down by the harbour before finding a spot in one of the local fish restaurants for dinner.
Pack a small bag for tomorrow night and leave the rest of your luggage with hotel reception. Porter service will be by early tomorrow morning to transport it directly to your Bergen hotel.
Depart by train this morning, a spectacular journey over Northern Europe’s largest mountain plateau. Arrive into the small, mountain station of Myrdal and after a short layover, transfer to the famous Flåmsbana (Flåm Railway). This hour-long historic train ride will take you through some of the most beautiful parts of western Norway, slowing down and even stopping at the most scenic spots. Arrive in the well-known fjord village of Flåm where you will be spending the night. Walk the short distance to your hotel for check in and enjoy your evening in the fjords.
Optional afternoon activity: Join a Heritage Food Tasting 3-hour rib boating safari.
Use your morning to hike and explore Flåm on your own before your boat departs. Cast off from Flåm for a two hour fjord cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage listed Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen. In Gudvangen you change to the connecting bus to Voss, taking you through the beautiful scenery and the magnificent Nærøy valley. In Voss you change to a train that takes you to Bergen. Transfer independently from the train station to your hotel, meeting up again with your luggage.
Please note that you are able to add an optional visit to the Viking Village Gudvangen today, however, you will not arrive into Bergen until 20.40pm.
Before departing, head out for some sightseeing in Bergen. A hike or Fløibanen Funicular journey up to the top of Mount Fløyen is a must for first-time visitors to the city. There is great shopping in the old Hanseatic wharf Bryggen, as well as numerous fascinating museums and historic sights.
Independent transfer to the airport.
All prices listed are per person, based on two people sharing a room. Prices are indicative due to the current uncertainty across Europe with increasing energy and volatile fuel costs.
There are many different 'Norway in a Nutshell' itineraries and it is advised that you contact us to discuss what suits you best. If you are travelling in April or October, the weather will be colder and snow might be on the ground.
The tour can be run from Oslo to Bergen or vice versa. You could also change your stopover point, and stay at the historic Stalheim Hotel or the Fleischer´s Hotel in Voss instead of Flåm.
The Norway in a Nutshell® itinerary runs in a variety of alternative ways;
• Bergen-Voss-Gudvangen-fjord cruise-Flåm Railway-Myrdal-Oslo
• Bergen-Myrdal-Flåm Railway-fjord cruise-Voss-Bergen
• Voss-Gudvangen-fjord cruise-Flåm Railway-Myrdal-Voss
• Oslo-Myrdal-Flåm Railway-fjord cruise-Voss-Bergen-Oslo
Please note these suggestions regarding how the trip runs:
• In Bergen the train departs from the Bergen Railway Station and in Oslo from Oslo Central Railway Station.
• There is no guide on the tour. You travel on your own. The connections are all within close proximity of each other for easy transfer and the stops are always announced over the speakers.
• There are places to store your luggage on all transport. Please note that you need to carry your luggage between the vehicles. If you book hotels in combination with the tour, we include a porter luggage transport between the hotels on some legs on route (Oslo-Voss/ Bergen or vice versa)
We keep updated on local conditions to benefit your holiday. This may include; a) knowledge on which areas of town have building works taking place which may affect your good nights sleep; b) knowledge of which cruise ship may be docking in small fjord villages when you happen to be there seeking peace and quiet; c) alternative transport options taking you away from the crowds.
Read more about the Flåm Railway here.
Porter service offers safe and secure transportation of your luggage, allowing you to travel through the fjords between Oslo and Bergen with just an overnight bag. Please pack your overnight bag according to the number of nights you will be away from your main luggage. Bring any valuables and medications with you.
You leave the luggage at the hotel reception before 6:30AM and the Porter Service will pick it up and deliver it to your hotel in Bergen by 9:00PM that same day. It will be stored safely until you arrive in Bergen (up to three to four nights later as required).
Please note that 1 piece of luggage per person is included unless otherwise specified.
Optional Tour on Day 2: Experience the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage sight by RIB boat and taste local goat cheese from the charming fjord-village Undredal, that inspired the Disney movie Frozen. Join us from Flåm in the Aurlandsfjord and all the way in to Gudvangen, home of the vikings and end of the Nærøyfjord. Leaves at 4.30pm, back at 7.30pm.
Optional Tour on Day 3: Upon arrival at Gudvangen, you can decide to enter the Viking Village Njardarheim for an afternoon of education and insights into the Viking way of life. You have 3-4 hours and you can join one of the free tours of the village offered by one of the local Vikings. Activities such as axe throwing and blacksmithing differ each week and depend on the weather. If you decide to include this option, you will not arrive into Bergen until 20.40pm.
We can also add snow shoe hiking and a viking dinner or a winter fjord safari in winter.
Main image credit: Maren Solem and Moreten Rakke.
Our premium 50 Degrees North mini-coach represent a new style of travel: 2-12 independent travellers traverse exceptionally beautiful, yet hard-to-reach areas of Norway, thus experiencing something unique and authentic while contributing to more modest local economies.
Dreaming of exploring Scandinavian fairy-tale landscapes of blue fjords, fields covered in wildflowers, majestic mountains and steep waterfalls?
Travelling from Oslo to Bergen on the NSB train is comfortable and certainly enjoyable, if you have done a little planning.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours with 50 Degrees North. The safety of our travellers, staff and operators is a major priority of 50 Degrees North. With an operational office in Norway, 50 Degrees North has access to an up-to-the-minute flow of information regarding the countries we work in. We are also in regular contact with the various operators we use. Their in-depth knowledge and understanding of their various areas is vital.
Norway has a few items that typically surprise travellers when visiting Norway for the first time. Alcohol and luxury items are heavily taxed and therefore prices are higher than you would expect. On the other hand, necessities such as bread and milk, are taxed low and therefore are great value.
We recommend that you bring all the alcohol you’re allowed to bring into the country when you arrive. There are many lovely parks and balconies where you can enjoy your duty free. However, be sure not to bring more than you’re allowed!
As of May 2014, the allowances according to Visit Norway are:
Alcoholic beverages:
Minimum age: 18/ 20*
1 litre of beverages with more than 22% up to and including 60% alcohol per volume as well as 1½ litre with more than 2.5% up to and including 22% alcohol per volume or three litres with more than 2.5% up to and including 22% alcohol per volume
and
2 litres of beer with more than 2.5 % or other beverages with more than 2.5% up to and including 4.7% alcohol per volume.
This means that you may for example bring with you five litres of beer provided you do not have any other alcoholic beverages with you.
*For importing alcoholic beverages with more than 22% alcohol per volume the minimum age is 20.
It’s illegal to bring extra alcohol into Norway and can end up costing you. Another thing you should bring and not buy in Norway is razor blades. Good razor blades in Norway are expensive.
We include a porter service which offers a safe and secure transportation of your luggage between Oslo and Voss/Bergen (the Norway in the Nutshell component of the tour).
Please leave your luggage at the hotel reception before 6:30AM and the Porter service will then pick your luggage up and bring it to your destination hotel, where it will be available at 9:00PM the same day.
The luggage service allows you to travel between Oslo and Bergen with just a small day/overnight bag.
Please note that 1 piece of luggage per person is included unless otherwise specified.
Written by Jayde Kincaid, who married a Norwegian, and was happily (albeit with some hesitation) introduced to a world of Norwegian every day food habits.
At 50 Degrees North, we want to encourage our travellers to try local Norwegian food & drink. This may seem difficult in Scandinavia in general without a large budget, and in particular Norway. Some of the more remote villages you might visit have limited restaurants or cafes, some of which can be pretty expensive. There is certainly no street food! One way to get about sampling local food is by self-catering. You will find plenty of friendly locals in the small town grocery stores and supermarkets who will be happy to help you picking out local ingredients. Just don’t be shy – ask! And, don’t rush – make your local small town shopping part of your holiday experience. Read the local notice boards, and enjoy an ice cream out the front when you have finished. It is what the locals do!
Note: Statoil cups - a good idea to save money as you drive around Norway: purcahse a Statoil (petrol station) metal cup and you get free refills of coffee, tea and hot chocolate at the Statoil stations.
Norway has an extensive range of grocery stores, and in most small villages you will find at least one, if not two or three grocery stores. However, they do have limited opening hours, and except for ‘Bunnpris’, they are all closed on Sundays. You will see the weekend hours shown in brackets on the store sign out front. If you are arriving in a larger town, we do suggest you stock up with some staples before you head out into the mountains or on a coastal drive.
A few tips:
• Plastic bags are NOK1-2 and you will always need to pack your own shopping.
• You can recycle your bottles and cans for a receipt that you can cash in. Recycling points are found in all stores.
• Alcohol sold in food stores (mainly beer and cider) is restricted by government regulation to certain hours. This varies slightly, but on weekdays alcohol sales stop at 8pm regardless and on Saturdays at 6pm. Outside these hours and on Sundays you can only buy alcohol in licensed restaurants or bars.
• Any alcohol over 4.7% can only be bought at special government controlled liquor store (Vinmonopolet). These are very rare in smaller remote towns and villages, so stock up before you leave the city.
Meatballs or “meatcakes’: these come in all shapes, sizes and quality. They are generally really tasty and a bit better than what you find at IKEA. Also pick up a packet of dried ready-made brown sauce that goes with them. Be on the look out for Lingonberry sauce/jam, or even fresh lingonberries that you can use to make a fresh sauce (little red circular berries). Don’t add too much sugar, they are served quite tart.
If you want to try to make this brown sauce yourself, buy some ‘brunost’ (brown cheese), the required creams and follow the recipe below.
Hotdogs: known as ‘pølse’ in Norwegian, hot dogs are abundant in Norway. Cheap and cheerful – pølse is THE fast food of Norway. They are sold at service stations, newsagents, corner stores and fast food outlets. Pølse come with a dazzling variety of toppings and bread. Some of the pølse highlights would be the bacon wrapped ones, sprinkled with dried onion, mustards and mayonnaise. You will also find them wrapped in waffles (mostly in and around Fredrikstad) or the Norwegian pancake, ‘lompe’.
Note: there are strict requirements by the Food Safety commission for traditional pølse to be of the highest quality and they have even set requirements for what types of ingredients are allowed.
Like Norwegian beer, you will find seasonal pølse – Christmas pølse (Julepølse) is obviously found only in the lead up to the celebrations.
If you are planning to eat Norwegian style, use boil pølse on the stove and add to meals with potatoes and stew.
Note; steer away from tinned cheap pølse and meatballs.
Fish cakes: these also come in lots of variation and are generally served with a white sauce and lots of parsley. The Norwegians also use a basic white sauce on broccoli with cheese on top. These fish cakes are often found in fish shops, fried or steamed, ready to eat. A great fast snack.
Reindeer: we strongly suggest you try reindeer meat when you are travelling in the far north. It generally comes frozen, so look for finely cut reindeer meat in the freezer section. It is a more expensive option, but absolutely delicious albeit quite gamey. Be sure to get mushrooms, a small amount of brown cheese and rømme (crème fraiche). Fry it all up in a pan - a bit like a beef stroganoff. Serve with boiled potatoes or rice.
Mushrooms: if you are travelling in the chanterelle harvest season (mid/late August), be sure to try them. They are the yellow mushroom found in autumn. Or better still, have a look around the pine forests and pick some. Be sure to image search them before you head out so you know what to pick. They are really delicious with the brown cheese sauce and reindeer.
Salmon, prawns & fish: always be on the look out for a chance to buy fresh fish. Yes, it is possible to smooth talk a fisherman at the harbour. Or look for the local fish-kiosk or fish-shop. Be on the look out for small signs pointing you in the direction of fresh fish sales – ‘reker’ (shrimps, not prawns) or ‘fersk fisk’ (fresh fish) are the words you need.
Norwegians are very proud of their shrimps – and of course completely justified. Their shrimps are small and tasty and harvested from the cool North Sea. Norwegians traditionally serve them with mayonnaise and lemon. Peel them and pop them on a fresh white slice of bread. Mayonnaise is layered on top with dill, pepper & salt.
Smoked Salmon: Norwegian smoked salmon is the best in the world hands down. Be sure to try all the different varieties you see – often, in larger supermarkets or delis, you can try before you buy.
Tubed ‘kaviar’ (caviar): this is a must try. It is cheap and perfect for the travellers pantry. This is what my husband craves like an Australian abroad would crave vegemite.
Norwegian pre-made dips and salads: the Norwegian supermarkets have a large range of premade salads and dips. They last quite a while and are good fillers for sandwiches. Our favourite are the cubed beetroot salad and the potato salads. They come in easy-to-carry and pack-up containers – perfect for picnics. Tubed mayonnaise is also handy for picnics.
‘Leverpostei’ (liver pate) in many variations can also be found in the supermarket. This pate is normally served on brown bread then topped with sliced red onions or sweet pickles. Protein rich and very tasty if you like pate – it is found on most Norwegian breakfast tables.
Yoghurt: now – this is an interesting one. Norwegian yoghurt comes in a variety of styles - some can be very runny, sour and low fat. There are varying names/codes for each sort. You might like to check with a local when you are buying yoghurt to be sure you are getting what you want. Some of the yoghurt comes as though it is milk, in normal milk cartons - sour runny yoghurt is NOT nice in your coffee.
Bread: the Norwegian supermarket bread generally comes un-cut. You can either cut it in the shop – ask for help the first time you do it. They have industrial bread cutting machines near the bakery section. The bread can be quite plain in the main supermarkets so be on the look out for boutique bakeries in the larger towns if you enjoy fancy bread. Also keep an eye out for the Norwegian flatbread, Lefse, which is similar to Mexican tortillas. Usually served with butter and sugar, sometimes cinnamon too. Occasionally made with potato.
Waffles: Norwegian waffle stalls are similar to the sausage sizzle or hot dog stand. It is the most common fundraising or community building food product. Don’t expect sickly sweet jams or whipped cream – you will find these fresh chewy waffles served with sour cream and home made tart berry jams. Never go past one!
Chocolate: we recommend that you try the ‘FREIA’ milk chocolate during your stay. It melts in your mouth.
Berries: if you travel in early autumn (mid/late August) this is berry season. Forest berries that is. Ask a local and head up into the hills or forest in search for berries. You may find; blueberries, lingonberries, rasberries and if you are up north or in the central mountains; the rare yellow cloudberries.
On a self-drive journey, always be on the look out for small farm shops or stands along the road. Things you cannot drive past:
Strawberries: if you are travelling in the strawberry season – you MUST try Norwegian strawberries. They are seriously amazing. Grown in the nutritious earth that has the chance to rejuvenate through a long winter.
_And if you go past a self-pick strawberry farm, put everything else on hold and enter! Norwegians wait all year for this event. _
New potatoes: be on the look out for new season potatoes – they are often sold in little stands beside the road. Often on an honesty basis; i.e. grab a bag and put the money in an allocated tin.
CLASSIC RECIPE:
Basic Brown Cheese Recipe – can be used with meatballs, reindeer, with added mushrooms.
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3⁄4 cup light cream
• 1⁄2 cup chicken broth (optional - just use water if you cannot find this)
• 1 cup shredded gjetost or brown goats cheese
• 3⁄4 cup rømme (crème fraiche)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or 2 tablespoons fresh dill
Method:
Using the meat dish that has been browned off, remove as much oil from the pan as possible and blend in butter and flour. Remove from heat and blend in light cream. Add chicken broth, bring to boil, stirring and cooking until thickened. Mix in Gjetost cheese. Turn heat low.
Blend some of the sauce into the rømme (crème fraiche), then return all to sauce. Add chopped parsley or fresh dill.
Happy shopping and cooking!
