Our staff will respond to your query promptly and provide detailed information to your questions.
8 days - Independent journey from Bergen to Oslo. Enjoy staying at boutique hotels and touring in our premium 50 Degrees North mini-coach.
On this short tour through the Norwegian fjords from Bergen to Oslo, visit the stunning Geiranger fjord and enjoy the mountain landscape of Sognefjellet which makes its way up to the summit at 1,434 metres. Our premium 50 Degrees North mini-coach will take you along the stretch of breathtaking mountain roads between Lærdal and Aurland before reaching the Aurlandsfjord, one of the most picturesque fjords in the world, where you will stay fjordside! Read about visiting Northern Europe's highest and arguably the most striking mountain pass, along the road over Sognefjellet here.
Travelling on our premium 50 Degrees North mini-coach, cross the mountains to visit the traditional Stave Church of Lom and the magnificent Luster and Sognefjord. Experience the valley of Gudbrandsdalen, surrounded by national parks, an abundance of locally produced food, old architecture, and good hiking trails. Arrive into Oslo and wander through the Vigeland Sculpture Park and explore the hidden gems of Norway’s capital, Oslo. Discover the Akershus Fortress and the many harbour side restaurants along Aker Brygge.
The trip runs weekly from May to September with fixed departures from Bergen every Monday between May 2023 to Sep 2023 and likewise for 2024. It isn't a group tour as such but for a few days during this itinerary, everyone shares the same mini-coach, you make friends and enjoy the company of our Norwegian bus driver!
Please note that all our itineraries, inclusions, dates and prices displayed on this website may change at any time. If you book an itinerary today and have this confirmed it will be the itinerary that is delivered to you. However, the online itinerary on our website may change in the meantime.
All transportation (by buses, trains, and boats) between destinations is included in the price. This includes travel between Aurland and Lillehammer by premium 50 Degrees North mini-coach, which will accommodate spontaneous photo stops, as well as food and rest stops.
International flights, lunches and dinners that have not been detailed in the program, and items of personal nature. A small tip for the bus driver will be appreciated.
Please note there is no guide for this tour. Your coach driver will offer help and answer questions when possible.
Arrive and transfer to your hotel.
Bergen offers many attractions and sights, many of them within walking distance. Recommended sights of interests are the Hanseatic harbour Bryggen, Fløibanen Funicular, Troldhaugen, the Fish and Flower market, Bergen Aquarium and Gamle Bergen (Old Bergen Open Air Museum).
This morning, board an express boat from Bergen to Flåm. Take in the fresh air on Norway’s longest fjord, the Sognefjord, during this 5-hour ferry-ride. Then take a trip on one of the world's best rail journeys, the Flåm Railway up to Myrdal Station. On your return to Flåm, you will privately transfer to Aurland to your centrally located hotel by the fjord.
Spend your day relaxing, hiking and taking in the views in the peaceful little town of Aurland. Enjoy the harbour area with unspoilt views of the fjord and surrounding gardens. Optional visits to local mountain farms, guided hikes or a fjord safari can be pre-booked (at additional cost).
Depart Aurland for another scenic journey through the spectacular mountain and fjord country of Breheimen and Jostedalsheimen. Firstly, your drive will take you over the old road and remote mountain region of Aurlandsfjellet, enjoying a stop at Stegastein. Stop at the charming Urnes Stave Church (an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest church in Norway) before lunch at the Skjolden Hotel.
Then it is time to be amazed at the old, narrow mountain highway as you share the roads with wandering sheep, crossing the Breheimen and Jostedalsheimen counties. Stop at Nedre Oscarhaug, the cubist stone at Mefjellet and Sognefjellshytta (approx. 1 hr drive) for a coffee/tea break.
Lom is a small town encapsulating the very essence of the Norwegian countryside. Situated in the famous Jotunheimen National Park, Lom is surrounded by majestic nature. Check into your charming historic hotel and then browse design shops, local cafes and galleries. Dinner is included this evening.
Join the 50 Degrees North mini-coach for a day tour to Geiranger, which is 1.5 hours’ drive away from Lom. On arrival, join a fjord rib boat cruise and experience the Geirangerfjord UNESCO World Heritage site. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. Take a closer look at the “Seven Sisters”, “Bridal Veil” and “Suitor” waterfalls, the majestic fjord cliffs and abandoned mountain farms. Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to see porpoises playing in the fjord.
Travelling back from Geiranger, the mini-coach can stop at the famous Lom Stave Church, constructed in Norman-style in 1170. It still operates as the local church today.
Please note that the Geirangerfjord visit is subject to change due to weather and snow conditions. The mountain road from Lom to Geiranger normally opens from end of May. Alternatively, have a day to yourself in Lom. We suggest visiting Brimi Bue, a popular Lom hot-spot for fresh local produce and traditional Nordic flavours, owned by renowned chef Arne Brimi -the lunch time slot has good value options to try. Indulge yourselves in the historic atmosphere of Lom open-air museum and its houses dating from the early 1600s and experience the old farmer culture. The Norwegian Mountain Centre is also worth a visit.
Sit back for the final 3-hour scenic drive to Lillehammer. This bus trip takes you through some of Norway’s most beautiful highlands and lush valleys. Experience the valley of Gudbrandsdalen surrounded by the national parks, an abundance of locally produced food, old architecture, and good hiking.
Arrive into Lillehammer, the small town that rose to international fame when it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1994. Check into your central hotel.
Spend the morning at your leisure: browse the local shops, visit open-air museum Maihaugen, the Norwegian Olympic Museum, and do not miss the impressive Garmo Stave Church.
Board your train to the Oslo Central Station. Make your way to your centrally located hotel in the heart of Oslo. The Norwegian capital has a great deal to offer for the observant traveller. We can recommend a walk around the centre of town to view the Parliament, the Castle, and the Harbour area.
After breakfast, take an easy direct express train ride to the airport.
All prices listed are per person. This itinerary starts selected Mondays from Bergen between June and September. Accommodation is subject to availability.
NOTE: These dates are not available: 3rd June, 24th June, 15th July, 12th August and 2nd September 2024.
Short of time? It is possible to leave this tour in Lillehammer on the evening of Day 6. There are direct trains to Gardemoen airport (1.5hrs). This tour also runs in reverse, departing in Oslo.
The side trip to Geiranger travels over mountains and is available late May, subject to change due to weather/snow conditions on the mountain.
An premium version of this tour is available - please ask us for details.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL:
As a Nordic specialist we are keen to show travellers the hidden gems of the countries we visit, and as an anti-dote to over-tourism to reduce the environmental pressures on the traditional and busy routes that most travel companies will take. This itinerary has been designed to do just that.
Our premium mini-coach tours are one way in which we are looking at how we can reduce carbon emissions over all styles of travel that we offer, not just on our group tours which by their nature have shared transport, but also on our private options. This tour is a private tour however the transport 'mini-coach' between destinations is shared (with more of our clients doing the same tour, max 12 pax), therefore reducing the overall carbon footprint for each traveller.
Throughout your stay we have hand-selected accommodations which are locally owned, have deep roots in their communities, and pride themselves on supporting local facilities and producers. This is done through shopping locally, and buying sustainably sourced options, so in the words of one of the chefs in the accommodation you will be staying in 'you should taste what’s here in the surroundings, from lakes, mountains and farms'
On this itinerary we also support Nordic Choice Hotels, a collection of hotels renowned for their environmental efforts. The hotels are ISO 14001 certified, have launched plastic free initiatives in partnership with WWF, where possible are powered by renewable energy and are taking great strides to reduce water consumption and reduce the use of chemicals. Even though access to water is not an issue in Norway compared to other parts of the world, this hotel group is conscious of the energy consumed for heating, and chemicals required for purification, so reduction makes up part of their overall environmental policy. In addition to this they provide sustainable, organic, fair-trade food, and only use sustainably produced palm oil.
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.
Our ‘Beautiful Norway’ tours along the Sognefjellet mountain road: A photographic journey through spectacular mountain scenery and contemporary landscape architecture.
Take a closer look at the boutique hotels and restaurants that we recommend as a part of our independent 'Beautiful Norway' tour across the fjords. We start in Lom, take a culinary stopover in Skjolden after having journeyed along the mountain pass across Sognefjellet, and finish at our beautiful accommodation in Aurland.
If you want to commit to a booking please use the Book Tour form below.
Oslo restaurants, in the tradition of the New Nordic Food Movement, have the depth and sophistication you would expect from the capital city of Norway. Read our options for places to try.
In Oslo you find restaurants in all price categories and genres.
Norwegian cuisine in its traditional form is based largely on the raw materials readily available in Norway and its mountains, wilderness and coast. It differs in many respects from its continental counterparts with a stronger focus on game and fish. Many of the traditional dishes are results of using conserved materials, with respect to the long winters.
For less expensive restaurants, head to the Grunerlokka district. It is great place to take in the city's pulse in the city's more ethnically diverse east. In this once working-class area, the vital signs of budget Oslo are most apparent, with low-cost restaurants, second-hand clothes shops and student bars grouped around the streets Markveien and Thorvald Meyers Gate. Among them, the café bar Fru Hagen has a legion of blond locals seeking cheap eats. On a Sunday evening, when much of the city is almost deserted, Fru Hagen is heaving.
Smoked Salmon or Røkt Laks
Kjøttboller - Meatballs
Krumkake - waffle-like pancake, which are then filled with whipped cream
In Oslo you find restaurants in all price categories and genres.
Norwegian cuisine in its traditional form is based largely on the raw materials readily available in Norway and its mountains, wilderness and coast. It differs in many respects from its continental counterparts with a stronger focus on game and fish. Many of the traditional dishes are results of using conserved materials, with respect to the long winters.
Here is few of our favourites to Oslo's wide variety of restaurants:
Lofoten Fish Restaurant
Kontrast
Tom Hem
Maaemo
Nedre Foss Gård
Theatercafeen
De Fem Stuer
Ekebergrestauranten
Engebret Café
Frognerseteren Restaurant: Finstua
Continental Hotel Oslo
For less expensive restaurants, head to the Grunerlokka district. It is great place to take in the city's pulse in the city's more ethnically diverse east. In this once working-class area, the vital signs of budget Oslo are most apparent, with low-cost restaurants, second-hand clothes shops and student bars grouped around the streets Markveien and Thorvald Meyers Gate. Among them, the café bar Fru Hagen has a legion of blond locals seeking cheap eats. On a Sunday evening, when much of the city is almost deserted, Fru Hagen is heaving.
When in Oslo try these local cuisines:
Smoked Salmon or Røkt Laks
Kjøttboller - Meatballs
Krumkake - waffle-like pancake, which are then filled with whipped cream
