Best Things to Do in Bergen, Norway

Day 1 of 3

Bergen City · Bryggen, Mount Fløyen & the Fish Market

Start where Bergen began: Bryggen, the row of crooked, candy-colored wooden merchant houses along the harbor. This is the old Hanseatic wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its leaning alleyways and creaking warehouses are the most photographed spot in the city. Wander the back passages, then walk five minutes to Bergenhus Fortress and the medieval Håkon's Hall.

4 stopsDay one

▾

⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Bryggen Hanseatic WharfUNESCO World Heritage · the old wharf · Viewpoint

   Bergen began here, on the row of crooked, candy-colored wooden merchant houses along the harbor. Bryggen is the old Hanseatic wharf and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; its leaning alleyways and creaking warehouses are the most photographed spot in the city. Free to wander.

   ✕
2. ⠿↑↓2
   Fløibanen & Mount FløyenFunicular to 320 m · city panorama · Viewpoint

   Ride the Fløibanen funicular straight up from the city center to the top of Mount Fløyen (320 m) for the classic panorama over Bergen, the harbor, and the islands. Easy forest trails and troll paths fan out from the top. Runs year-round.

   ✕
3. ⠿↑↓3
   Fish Market (Fisketorget)Harborside seafood market · Viewpoint

   Finish at the open-air and indoor Fish Market at the head of the harbor, fish soup, fresh shrimp, and king crab by the water. The indoor hall (Mathallen) is calmer and better value for a sit-down meal than the touristy outdoor stalls.

   ✕
4. ⠿↑↓4
   Stay in central BergenNear Bryggen & the station · book early · lodge

   Base in the walkable city center near Bryggen and Bergen Station so you're steps from the funicular, the Fish Market, and tomorrow's early fjord train. Summer rooms fill months ahead, reserve as early as you can.

   ✕

Day 2 of 3

The Fjord Loop · Three Routes, From Scenic to Intense

The fjord day is the highlight of any Bergen trip, and you can run it three ways depending on how hard you want to push. Every version shares the same spine, the Bergen Railway up to Myrdal (about 2 hours), the legendary Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) dropping past the thundering Kjosfossen waterfall, and the electric cruise through the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, just 250 m wide at its narrowest. What changes is how much you get out and move.

11 stopsDay two · choose your pace

▾

⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   08:08 Bergen to MyrdalVy mainline · arrives 10:00 · activity

   Board the 08:08 regional mainline at Bergen Central heading for Oslo and climb through the passes to Myrdal, the highest mainline station in northern Europe, arriving 10:00. Book this one ahead: it is a normal Vy service and the cheap fares sell out.

   ✕
2. ⠿↑↓2
   10:45 Myrdal to VatnahalsenFlåmsbana · one stop, 5 min · activity

   A relaxed 45 minute buffer at Myrdal, then board the Flåm Railway itself and ride it exactly one stop. Get off at Vatnahalsen at 10:50. Almost nobody does this, which is the point: you get the famous railway and the zipline in the same ticket.

   ✕
3. ⠿↑↓3
   10:50 Café RallarenCoffee on the platform · 70 min · Viewpoint

   Café Rallaren sits at Vatnahalsen station, 200 m from the zipline launch deck. Coffee and a pastry while you wait for your slot. There is nothing else up here, which is exactly why the buffer is worth building in rather than cutting fine.

   ✕
4. ⠿↑↓4
   12:00 Flåm Zipline1,381 m · lands 12:10 · activity

   Strap into the seat harness and fly 1,381 m down the valley over the waterfalls at up to about 100 km/h, the longest zipline in the Nordics. You land at Kårdal summer farm around 12:10. Book the slot in advance in summer, it is a single line and it fills.

   ✕
5. ⠿↑↓5
   12:15 Rallarvegen to Blomheller2.5 km downhill · 35 to 40 min · Hike

   From the landing, walk the gravel Rallarvegen navvy road downhill to Blomheller, 2.5 km and 35 to 40 minutes at a steady pace. No bike needed. Nothing to book, and it is the quietest hour of the day.

   ✕
6. ⠿↑↓6
   13:15 Blomheller to FlåmRequest stop · wave the train down · activity

   Stand well out on the mountain platform at Blomheller and wave your arm as the train approaches. This is a request stop and it will not stop otherwise. Arrive Flåm 13:40. Your Flåm Railway ticket already covers this leg.

   ✕
7. ⠿↑↓7
   13:40 Flåm villageÆgir BrewPub · Railway Museum · 4 hr · Viewpoint

   Nearly four hours at the head of the Aurlandsfjord. A proper sit-down lunch at Ægir BrewPub, then the Flåm Railway Museum next to the pier, which is free. Walk the pier before the cruise so you know where the gangway is.

   ✕
8. ⠿↑↓8
   17:30 Nærøyfjord cruiseElectric catamaran · Gudvangen 19:20 · Viewpoint

   Board the electric catamaran at the Flåm pier and sail down the Aurlandsfjord into the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, 250 m wide at its narrowest with waterfalls dropping straight off the cliffs. Disembark at Gudvangen ferjekai at 19:20.

   ✕
9. ⠿↑↓9
   19:30 Gudvangen to VossPlatform H · the bus waits · activity

   Walk straight off the pier to Platform H and board the Fjord Tours bus to Voss. This is a synchronised connection, so the bus is held for the ferry: it will not leave without you. Arrives Voss station Platform D at 20:30.

   ✕
10. ⠿↑↓10
    21:07 Voss to BergenVy R40 · home by 22:30 · activity

    A three minute walk inside Voss station from Platform D to Track 3, then the Vy R40 regional back to Bergen at 21:07, in by 22:30. About 14 hours door to door and the best day in Norway.

    ✕
11. ⠿↑↓11
    Rather have it all booked?One guided ticket for the same loop · activity

    The day above is the do-it-yourself version and it is cheaper. If you would rather not juggle four tickets and a request stop, this small-group tour covers the Flåm Railway, the Nærøyfjord cruise and the transfers on one booking, with a guide.

    ✕

Day 3 of 3

Bergen's Seven Mountains · The Vidden Ridge Hike to Ulriken

Spend your last day up in the mountains that ring the city. The classic Bergen hike is the Vidden Trail, the high plateau crossing from the top of Mount Fløyen to Mount Ulriken, the highest of Bergen's seven mountains (643 m). It's about 13–15 km across open, rolling terrain with huge views, roughly 5–6 hours, and the smart way to do it is Fløyen → Ulriken so you can ride the Ulriken cable car back down at the end.

3 stopsDay three

▾

⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Vidden Trail · Fløyen → Ulriken~13–15 km · high-plateau traverse · Hike

   The classic Bergen hike: the Vidden high-plateau crossing from the top of Mount Fløyen to Mount Ulriken (643 m), about 13–15 km of open, rolling terrain with huge views, 5–6 hours. Do it Fløyen → Ulriken so you finish at the cable car. Clear weather only, the plateau is exposed.

   ✕
2. ⠿↑↓2
   Ulriken643 Cable CarBergen's highest peak · 643 m · Viewpoint

   Mount Ulriken is the highest of Bergen's seven mountains. Ride the Ulriken643 cable car down after the Vidden traverse, or up for the same panorama in minutes if you'd rather skip the big hike.

   ✕
3. ⠿↑↓3Sergey Ashmarin / CC BY-SA 3.0
   Evening on the Bryggen waterfrontSeafood dinner · harbor walk · Viewpoint

   Back down in the city, save the evening for a slow seafood dinner on the Bryggen waterfront and a last walk along the harbor in the long northern dusk, the old wharf lit up at night is the perfect send-off.

   ✕