2-Day Round Trip from Bergen: THE GRAND SOGNEFJORD – fjords, waterfalls, glacier

Our tour starts in the city of Bergen - the Gateway to the Fjords. The city was founded in 1070 and contains many historical and cultural landmarks. We will pass some of them on our way from the city and also on our return to Bergen.

We move on to Dale, where the famous sweater factory is located – “Dale of Norway”. We can visit the factory outlet and maybe pick up some woolen souvenirs there. From September till May the factory outlet is closed on Sundays.

We pass through the town of Voss on our way to Gudvangen. The main historical attractions are Vangskyrkja - church from 1277, and the St. Olaf's cross from 1023. We can stop in Voss on our way to the Sognefjord or, alternatively, on our way back to Bergen.

We make a stop at Tvindefossen waterfall, located 12 km (7.5 miles) to the north of Voss town center. We can come close this cascading 110 meters (360 ft) tall waterfall. In autumn and spring Tvindefossen is usually at its fullest flow, due to the autumn rainfalls and melting snow in spring. During winter months the waterfall can be frozen.

Our next stop is at Stalheim Hotel, an establishment which history is closely related to postal service in Norway and goes back all the way to 1647. The hotel is closed from the end of September until May, but we visit Stalheim Folk Museum – a private collection of old farm buildings dating back to 1500s. A short walk up a moderately steep path is required to get to the lookout, which offers a magnificent view of the Nærøydalen valley – a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The heritage site consists of 2 fjords – the Nærøyfjord and the Aurlandsfjord – adjacent valleys and surrounding mountains.

We continue our journey down Stalheimskleiva - one the steepest roads on the North with hairpin turns which provide thrilling views of 2 beautiful waterfalls on each side of the road.

Sivlefossen waterfall is one of the 2 waterfalls which accompany us on our descent down the hairpin turns to the Nærøydalen. Sivlefossen is 142 meter / 466 feet tall.

Stalheimsfossen waterfall is one of the 2 waterfalls which accompany us on our descent down the hairpin turns to the Nærøydalen. Stalheimsfossen is 126 meter / 413 feet tall.

The small village of Gudvangen, in the very end of the Nærøyfjord. This cosy little village, snuggly located under the tallest waterfall in Norway, Kjelfossen (840 meters / 2755 feet), has attracted tourists ever since the 19th century. We recommend taking a 2-hour fjord cruise from Gundangen to Flåm. As this tour is an open schedule tour, the fjord cruise is not included. We will be happy to make suggestions and help you with the booking. Alternatively, we can spend more time in Gudvangen, have lunch and visit the Viking Village.

Optional: Njardarheimr is the name of the Viking Village in Gudvangen. If you decide to spend more time in Gudvangen, we can visit the village with a guided group tour (a private Viking guide can also be arranged for an additional fee), learn about the Viking history, culture and society, and take part in activities like archery and axe throwing. There are also some interesting people to meet: real modern day Vikings who come to live in the Village and engage in their authentic arts and crafts. We recommend planning a stop and spending some time here!

Recommended option: The Nærøyfjord is one of the most gorgeous fjords in Norway (and the world!). Its unique and pristine beauty was the reason for including it on the World Heritage list by UNESCO in 2005. We recommend seeing it on a 2-hour fjord cruise aboard a passenger ferry or a private RIB. As this tour is an open schedule tour, the fjord cruise is not included. We can offer several alternatives which are available, help you with purchasing tickets or making a booking. The fjord cruise should be arranged in advance. Alternatively, we can spend more time in Gudvangen and the Viking Village and visit other secluded places other people rarely go to.

After leaving Gudvangen—by either ferry, private RIB or car—you come to Flåm, a village located at the very end of the Aurlandsfjord.

Recommended option: From Flåm you will take the Flåmsbana train to Myrdal – a railway station in the mountains. Starting from Flåm at the sea level the train takes you up to elevation of 867 meters / 2844 feet ASL through some of the most stunning scenery in Norway. As you travel, the lush Flåm valley gradually turns into a canyon and then into a gorge with almost vertical mountain walls. With the help of the engineers' savvy the railroad was constructed to overcome the steep ascend. Flåmsbana train makes the last stop in Myrdal. You return to Flåm on the same train. Your guide will be not accompanying you on the train ride. Your guide will be waiting for you in Flåm, from where you continue your journey to Stegastein view point. As this tour is an open schedule tour, the train tickets are not included. Tickets have to be booked in advance. Alternatively, you could take train one way up to Myrdal and take bicycle ride down the valley to Flåm. Your guide will accompany you. This option will take longer time. Yet another option is zip-line down the valley.

Next stop is Stegatein lookout, located at the top of a hairpin turn road overlooking the Aurlandsfjord at 640 meters / 2099 feet above sea level. Wonderful ride and a stunning view!

After leaving Stegastein we continue our tour on the Old Aurland Road – the old mountain road open only in the summer. We will make a couple of stops to take beautiful pictures or just enjoy the views.

Optional: On the other side of the mountain, we descend to the Lærdal valley. We recommend taking a detour up the valley to visit the old Borgund Stave Church, built around the year 1200 – an amazing monument of medieval wooden architecture.

On our way to the Sognefjord—the main part of the fjord—we can stop in a charming village of Lærdalsøyri and visit the old village center: Old Lærdal – a collection of well-preserved wooden houses from 1700–1800. A unique attraction in Western Norway.

Optional: While in Lærdal we can also visit the Norwagian Wild Salmon Center: The Lærdal river has a rich tradition as one of the best salmon fishing rivers in Norway and is perhaps the best known internationally. You can experience the rich history and see the salmon up close. Open May–September. Visit is optional.

After leaving Lærdal we come to the Sognefjord and cross it on a car ferry.

On the north side of the Sognefjord we travel to the place where you will spend the night. Usually it is a town called Sogndal, which has several hotels. There are also other hotels in the area. Accommodation is not included in the price of this tour, but we will be glad to help you book your overnight stay or recommend hotels in the area.

The second day of this tour starts with a journey to Nigardsbreen glacier. We will start from Sogndal (or an alternative location) and will be driving in the northern direction. On the way to the glacier we can visit wooden Urnes stave church from around 1140 – the oldest in Norway. We would come to a little charming village of Solvorn and take a small car ferry across the Lustrafjord. On the other side of the fjord, there is another settlement called Ornes. The church is located just outside the village. We return to Solvorn on the same car ferry.

The road the glacier goes through Jostedalen valley – a fairy tail like place with beautiful vistas, raging river, waterfalls, small pretty villages...

The road ends at Nigardsbrevatnet Lake. From here our walking tour to the glacier starts. We can either walk all the way or take a boat, which will transport us almost to the very end of the lake. The boat ride will save us about 30 minutes walking each way. Tickets are sold on the boat. After the boat ride we start our ascend to the glacier.

The walk up the glacier usually takes about 30 minutes one way. Good hiking shoes are highly recommended here. The glacier is always in movement, like a frozen river. It is therefore very important not to come very close to the huge chunks of ice – they can detach and fall down. Nigardsbreen glacier is part of a larger glacier called Jostedalsbreen – the largest glacier on the European continental land. It is a perfect place to experience the freshness of famous blue ice. We can spend some time at the bottom of the glacier taking pictures. Alternatively, a glacier hike could be arranged: either a scheduled tour with a group, or a private one. This will prolong our stay there. After visiting the glacier, we hike back to the lake, take the boat (or continue walking) to our car.

Optional: On our way back to the Sognefjord, we can stop at the Breheim Center – Glacier visitor center, visit the exhibition and have lunch.

We return to the Sognefjord and Sogndal. Depending on how much time we have left, we can either continue our journey along the fjord and return to Bergen, or travel to Fjærland.

Optional: On the way to Fjærland, we first take a ride through the beautiful and pristine Sogndal valley, surrounded by tall mountains. At the very end on the Fjærlandsfjord, there lies Norwegian Glacier Museum, dedicated to the glaciology and geology of this area, Norway and the world. An exciting and educational exhibition, a panoramic movie, and a rooftop viewpoint of Supphellebreen glacier.

Optional: A little farther down the road we can make another stop: at the Bøyabreen glacier.

Optional: Returning to Fjærland, we visit the village itself. The Norwegian Book Town is situated in Mundal—the center of Fjærland—and has several outlets in old farmhouses and sheds. Some of the book outlets are also art galleries and shops, and there are even small outdoor "honesty shops". It is possible to buy coffee and cookies at Kaffistova, the local book café. The outlets and small shops are open from May until the middle of September.

Recommended option: From June until the middle of September a small passenger ferry leaves Fjærland at 3:30pm every day, for a fjord cruise through the pristine and almost uninhabited Fjærlandsfjord. The cruise is 1 hour 40 minutes long. You arrive in Hella, on the Sognefjord, and your driver-guide will be waiting for you there. From Hella we take a car ferry to the south side of the fjord, and arrive in the village of Vangsnes.

In case the schedule for this day is arranged in a manner that does not allow us to visit Fjærland, we will be driving long the fjord from Sogndal to Hella. From Hella we take a car ferry to the south side of the fjord, and arrive in the village of Vangsnes.

In Vangsnes, we pay a little visit to the 35 feet (10.5 m) tall statue of Fridtjov the Bold – a legendary hero from the 8th century Norway.

After Vangsnes we come to the center of Vik – a small village on the Songnefjord. Some say that the word Viking comes from here. Usually we do not stop here, but can take a small coffee break.

First stop in Vik is at Hopperstad stave church – a wooden church from ca. 1130. It is, together with Urnes, the oldest stave church in existence.

On our way up to Vikafjellet mountains, we stop at Storesvingen café for a cup of coffee (to go) and stunning view over the bay of Vik and the Sognefjord.

Our next stop is at the Sendefossen waterfall on our way down from Vikafjellet mountain area.

We pass through the town of Voss. We will have a chance to stop here if we didn't stop here on our way to the Sognefjord on Day 1.

Our tour ends in Bergen. If you feel like experiencing more, and that two days are not enough, this tour can be extended with one or several more days. We will be happy to recommend, discuss and arrange an extended itinerary, overnight stays, acitivties along the way etc. Please, do not hesitate to contact us for a more complete offer.