Norway in a Nutshell! Oslo to Bergen 7 days

FROM ELEGANT CITIES TO FAMOUS FJORDS

This 7-day tour, starting in Oslo, takes you along the popular Norway in a Nutshell® train journey over the mountains to Bergen. Enjoy an exciting ride on the scenic Flåm Railway, catch fantastic fjord views and explore historic cities Bergen and Oslo. The leisure pace of this tour allows you to time for optional activities and the chance to soak in the scenery and stay two nights in each accommodation selected for you.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Board the Norway in a Nutshell® tour to experience breathtaking landscapes
• Experience the legendary Flåm railway, one of the world’s steepest railway lines
• Marvel at the impressive Kjosfossen waterfall, listening to the water thrash and tumble
• Sail through dramatic fjords like Aurlandsfjord and Næroyfjord, branches of the spectacular Sognefjord
• Explore the colourful, charming city of Bergen
• Enjoy a leisure day in each location so you can enjoy optional activities or relax
• Stroll through Norway’s grand capital, Oslo
• Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site Bryggen

DAY 1: WELCOME TO OSLO

When you arrive at Oslo‘s Gardermoen Airport, make your way into Oslo‘s city centre. Many travellers opt to take the express train to Oslo Central Station, but we can arrange a private transfer for you (at additional cost). For those arriving early, we recommend exploring Oslo by foot, spending the afternoon at sights including the Munch Museum, Akershus fortress, Oslo Opera House, and the Aker Brygge area.

Spend the night in Oslo.

DAY 2: EXPLORE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OSLO

This morning, get an early start to explore the Norwegian capital at your own pace. We recommend booking a guided bus tour that will take you along the famous landmarks of the city. Highlights include the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Royal Palace, Akershus fortress, and Oslo City Hall.

Another option is to tour Oslo on your own visiting some of the above attractions, or others like the Fram Polar Ship Museum and Karl Johans street. You will then have the rest of the day to explore at your own leisure.

Spend the night in Oslo.

DAY 3: NORWAY IN A NUTSHELL – THE FLÅM RAILWAY

Get an early start and head to Oslo Central Station, where you’ll begin the Norway in a Nutshell® railway journey towards Bergen, with an overnight stop in Flåm. This train ride takes you over Norway’s “mountainous rooftops”, through charming villages like Gol and Geilo. In Myrdal, you’ll switch trains to the famous Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) for an incredible ride to the beautiful village of Flåm. Enjoy a relaxing day in Flåm, where you can follow one of the many hiking trails in the mountains around the village.

Spend the night in Flåm.

DAY 4: EXPLORE SCENIC FLÅM

Spend the day exploring the beauty of Flåm and its surroundings. In this tour package, you get free admission to the Flåm Railway Documentation Centre, where you can learn about the construction of this railway. It is also recommended to join an optional tour to the Stegastein viewpoint. The viewing platform extends about 30 metres from the cliffside and 650 metres above the fjords, offering extraordinary and unbeatable views. For those who want to explore the fjords even further, you can enjoy an optional fjord safari or kayaking tour.

Spend another night in Flåm.

DAY 5: NORWAY IN A NUTSHELL TO BERGEN

Spend the early part of the day at leisure, either relaxing at the hotel or taking a walk along the fjord. 

At noon, you’ll board a boat to sail through Aurlandsfjord into the World Heritage-listed Nærøyfjord, the narrowest fjord in all of Europe. This is perhaps the most beautiful arm of Sognefjord, with its mighty waterfalls and small farms clinging to the steep mountainsides. The boat docks in Gudvangen, from where you’ll be transported by bus to Voss to board the train for the last stretch of the journey to Bergen.

Spend the night in Bergen.

DAY 6: THE CAPITAL OF THE FJORDS

Despite being an international city, Bergen, “The Capital of the Fjords”, has all the charms of a small town. Here you’ll find Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with remarkably preserved old houses, a lively fish and flower market, cable cars offering stunning views, great museums and more.  We recommend riding the Fløibanen Funicular to Mount Fløyen to enjoy the panoramic view of the city or a cable car up Mt. Ulriken. Bergen is also known for its museums dedicated to history within trade and fisheries, architecture, musical art and contemporary art.

Spend another night in Bergen.

DAY 7: DEPARTURE FROM BERGEN

When it’s time for your trip to come to an end, make your way to Bergen-Flesland Airport. You can either take the airport bus from one of the many departure points in the Bergen city centre or you can take a taxi directly from your hotel to Bergen-Flesland Airport. If your flight is in the afternoon, you can choose to enjoy some last-minute shopping, visit one of Bergen‘s many museums or relax at a café, enjoying the last few moments of this amazing journey.

For those departing from Oslo, we offer direct train transfers back to Oslo. Please keep in mind you might need to book an additional night if your flight is early during the day.

INCLUDED
Accommodation (Good quality 3 star hotels twin share) for 6 nights
Daily Breakfast
Norway in a Nutshell® Oslo-Bergen
Carbon offsetting the package
Detailed Personal Itinerary
Nordic Visitor’s Norway Travel Guide
24/7 helpline
Taxes & service fees
NOT INCLUDED
Flights to/from Norway
Transfers to/from all airports
Transfers to/from train stations, cruise terminals & hotels
Meals, drinks & entrance fees, unless otherwise stated
Personal travel insurance
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Travel Insurance

The best way to experience Norway’s breathtaking scenery is this legendary tour that takes you around the gems of Norway. You know you’re in for a treat as it was voted one of the best train journeys in the world. We offer this tour starting from either Oslo or Bergen, depending on the itinerary.

Norway in a Nutshell from Oslo:
This scenic tour will start in Oslo, heading west towards Bergen. It will take you over Norway’s mountainous “rooftop”, Myrdal, and through charming villages like Gol and Geilo. In Myrdal, you go onboard the breathtaking Flåm Railway for another incredible 20 km ride with a 900-metre descent to the beautiful village of Flåm.

From Flåm, you will board a fjord cruise that takes you down the grand Aurlandsfjord and narrow Næroyfjord to Gudvangen where you will board a bus to Voss. Here you will join the Bergensbanen rail onwards to Bergen.

Norway in a Nutshell from Bergen:
Starting from Bergen, you will begin your scenic train route to Voss on the Bergen Railway. From Voss, you will travel by bus through charming villages and scenic nature, towards Gudvangen. Along the way, you will see dramatic landscapes and quaint villages.

From Gudvangen, you will board a fjord cruise down the narrow Nærøyfjord and the grand Aurlandsfjord. Your cruise will end in the charming village of Flåm, where you will board the iconic Flåm Railway. After that, you will take a direct train from Myrdal to Oslo, through Gol and Geilo.

Known as one of the most beautiful railways in the world, the journey on the Flåm Railway (Flamsbana), “the little green train”, is one you will surely remember. From the Myrdal mountain station — where passengers connect from the Oslo-Bergen train line — to the charming village of Flåm, this train travels over 20 kilometres (12 miles) through 20 tunnels and down a steep and twisting 865-metre (2,837-foot) descent into the spectacular Flåm Valley.

You will definitely need to have your camera on this trip, as views include snow-capped peaks, rippling rivers, little farms clinging to the hillsides and roaring waterfalls. Thankfully for photographers, the train moves along at an relatively slow pace, even making a stop at a prime photo location, the Kjosfossen waterfall where the legendary “Huldra” sings and dances for passengers on the platform.

This train ride is part of the popular Norway in a Nutshell® tour, which also includes a 2-hour ferry cruise between Flåm and Gudvangen through the Nærøyfjord.

Next to the station in Flåm is the Flåm Railway Documentation Centre, where you can browse exhibits about the railway’s impressive construction efforts starting in the 1920s, its unique engineering and the history of the village.

Fjords are naturally occurring landscapes, typical of Norway. Created by glaciation, fjords are long and narrow inlet connected to the sea and often steeped by cliffs.

Norway counts more than a thousand fjords across its territory. It’s no wonder then that with their outstanding natural beauty, the West Norwegian Fjords would become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Situated in Aurland, near Flåm, Nærøyfjord is spectacular and one of UNESCO’s protected fjords. It also holds the title of narrowest fjord in the world, as its narrowest point is only 250m wide. Branching off from Norway’s longest fjord Sognefjorden, is Aurlandsfjord. With its 29 kilometer in length, it connects the famous town of Flåm to the surrounding fjords.

The first sight that greets most visitors to Norway is Oslo, Norway’s capital city and home to Gardermoen Airport, the country’s main international gateway. As Norway’s seat of government, the city also serves as the country’s cultural and economic centre. But despite its status as Norway’s largest city with a metro population of 1.7 million residents, Oslo is well known for its “small town” feel and natural beauty in addition to its abundant cultural and historical attractions.

Situated at the end of Oslofjord in eastern Norway, Oslo is surrounded by green hills and mountains and is often cited as being one of the world’s greenest and most liveable cities. Here, nature is never out of reach: within the city limits are 40 islands, 343 lakes and countless parks. By some estimates, nearly 95% of the city’s residents have a park or an open green space within 300 metres of their home.

Thanks to Oslo’s proximity to nature, “getting away from it all” is a journey measured in minutes. With ample public transportation and many parks and attractions closeby, manoeuvring around Oslo is relatively easy and stress-free. In just a short commute from the city centre, visitors can stroll through a park or perhaps explore the trails in the nearby forested areas.

The city itself is an interesting blend of traditional Scandinavian design and modern cosmopolitan influences. This fusion of “old meets new” can be seen in places like Aker Brygge, the old waterfront area that is now a buzzing neighbourhood of trendy shops, bars and restaurants next to some of Oslo’s most historic landmarks, such as the Akershus Fortress and the Royal Palace.

The price is AUD$2999 per person based on twin share and single room available for a supplement of AUD$1350 departure date 29 September 2024 (3 star comfortable hotels throughout) Luggage transfers whilst on the Flam Railway about AUD$60

Prices are subject to change and availability. This trip is designed to connect with the Norway Northern Lights coastal cruise by Hurtigruten however can be run at any time as self guided, please ask for further details and about any changes to itineary/price etc