Welcome in Norway!
From Oslo‘s Gardermoen Airport you can take the express train to Oslo Central Station and collect you rental car next day. You can also drive into the city when you collected your car at the airport, but be prepared that parking in the city is expensive. Oslo city has an extensive and efficient public transportation system.
If you arrive early you can explore the city by foot, and spend your time at the following sights: the Royal Palace, Akershus Fortress, Oslo City Hall, Oslo Opera House, and the lively neighbourhood of Aker Brygge.
Other interesting places to visit are the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Artul, OsloTramway Museum, Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Viking Ship Museum and Karl Johans street.

Collect your rental car in the morning and drive to Lillehammer, the host of the 1994 Winter Olympics. In Lillehammer you can visit The Norwegian Olympic Museum and the Lysgårdsbakken Olympic area, the Lillehammer Art Museum, and the Maihaugen open air museum which includes a collection of more than
200 houses from as far back as the 12th century and until today, including the Garmo stave church. Afterwards you can enjoy a local pint of beer at Lillehammer Bryggeri and visit one of Lillehammer’s cosy restaurants for a meal.

Today you can explore Rondane National park and continue to the small mountain town of Røros, close to the Swedish border.  Røros is a former mining settlement, offering a charming atmosphere with with narrow streets, well-preserved old wooden houses and many artisan workshops. This quaint little town is now on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Explore Olav’s Mine and to learn about the past at Røros Museum Smelthytta, which gives a window into the history of this town.
Spend the night in Røros

After breakfast at your hotel, head north towards Trondheim, the “Capital of the Vikings”.  Explore this vibrant port city that once was the capital of Norway during the Viking Age (until 1217), back then the city was called Nidaros. Here you will find the remarkable Nidaros Cathedral, thousands of pilgrims visited this church on their pilgrimage after the death of Saint Olav in 1030. The architecture of the cathedral is similar to the Notre Dame in Paris. Walk the 172 stairs to the top of the church tower to have an amazing view over the city of Trondheim.
In the harbour you can take a look at a huge bunker for submarines named Dora I. It reminds us of WW II, at that time Trondheim was the largest German naval base of Europe. Visit other attractions like the Ringve Music Museum and Gardens, the Trøndelag Folk Museum, the charming neighbourhood of Bakklandet . Bakklandet has colourful wooden houses and is the perfect stop for a drink on a terrace with views across the river Nidelva. Cross the historic Gamle Bybro bridge (1681) in Bakklandet, for the perfect picture of the colourful houses on stilts along the Nidelva river. Take the shuttle boat to Munkholmen island, once a prison, a Benedictine monastery and a place for public executions, now a tourist attraction with a small beach and café. Get on board of a cruise boat for a tour of 90 mins. It takes you along the island and canals of the city of Trondheim.
Spend the night in Trondheim.

Begin your journey south along the beautiful west coast of Norway towards the island town of Kristiansund with its bright, colourful houses. Due to the abundance of water in this area, this scenic route takes you over bridges and small islands. From the last island Bergsøya, you take the ferry to Frei island and continue to Kristiansund. This romantic town offers every year frequent opera performances, an opera festival and an outdoor rendition of “Donna Bacalao”. This is the reason that Kristiansund is given the nickname “Opera town”. Being so close to the water, Kristiansund is known for its fantastic seafood. Try the tasty clipfish and their local version of fish and chips called Fishan.
Spend the night in Kristiansund

Today you will drive the awesome Atlantic Ocean Road, with the impressive mountains on one side and wide open sea on the other side. Driving along this road is like teetering on the edge of the sea.  The arches cross the waves of the sea, the road curves and dips and during storms the waves crash on the tar. This unique highway will bring you out to the very farthest point where the land ends and the ocean begins. Stop in the fishing village of Bud. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Bud was a significant trading centre and the most important one between Bergen and Trondheim.

Next, drive to the city of Molde, where you take a ferry, with your car, to Vestnes. Continue your journey to the captivating town of Ålesund. In 1904, a fire in Ålesund destroyed almost the entire city centre, which was largely built of wood, like most Norwegian towns at that time. The city has been rebuilt and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Ålesund. Today the city has a large number of turrets, spiers and beautiful decorations that give this town the character of a fairy tale. Visit the Atlantic Sea Park and walk the 437 steps to the stunning viewpoint of Fjellstua/Aksla Viewpoint.
Spend the night in Ålesund

If you enjoy twists and turns, you will be impressed with a drive on Trollstigen, “the Troll Ladder”, one of the most visited attractions in Norway. Trollstigen takes you over the mountain to the Romsdalen valley and Åndalsnes, passing 11 exhilarating hairpin bends on the way. Leave the scenic Trollstigen road behind and stop at Jordbærstove in Valldal (valley). This place is a strawberry Walhalla in summer! Stop for coffee and taste the local strawberry cake. Take the ferry crossing between Linge and Eidsdal, continue driving down the twisty Ørnesvingen road, called  “The Eagle Road”, to Geiranger.

After breakfast you can spend the morning exploring Geiranger until noon. Soak up the fantastic fjord scenery during a morning hike. Hop in a kayak for a tour through the Geirangerfjord and past sheer cliffs to the ‘seven sisters’ waterfall view.  Visit the chocolate factory, located in the old wooden boat house that is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The building, with the picture-perfect wooden roof covered with wild flowers in summer, is worth a visit by itself. Spa enthusiast can pamper themselves at the nearby spa at Hotel Union.  You can add an extra night in Geiranger and drive up Mt. Dalsnibba for it’s Skywalk and amazing view down on the fjord and the picturesque village of Geiranger.
Head for Loen in the afternoon. The first part of the trip is on a ferry that you board with your car, from Geiranger. This 65-minute ferry ride, takes you through the UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord where you see famous waterfalls like the Seven Sisters, and the Bridal Veil. A lot of the abandoned fjord farms in the mountains are on the Unesco too. The sightseeing ferry ends in the small village of Hellesylt where you drive South to Loen.
Spend the night in Loen.

Spend the morning in the lovely town Loen. What you should not miss is a ride on board the magnificent Loen Skylift. This cable car will carry you to an altitude of 1011 metres to Mt. Hoven and will surprise you with the most amazing views of the fjord. On the top of this mountain you can hike some wonderful trails with views over the Josedalsbreen National Park.
Your journey continues and takes you along the largest icecap of Europes mainland the Jostedal Galcier and along the Fjærlands road. We recommend stopping at the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærland before reaching Sogndal, a village beautifully situated by the Sognefjord, Norway’s longest and deepest fjord.
Spend the night in Sogndal

Start the day with a truly beautiful part of Norway, a short ferry crossing from Sognefjord towards Aurlandsfjord. Stop at the Stegastein viewpoint for panoramic views before reaching the village of Flåm. Another unforgetable journey awaits you. Hop on the famous Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana), this steep train ride of 20 kms connects Flåm with Myrdal. A dream comes true for photographers and train enthusiasts as the train passes ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The final station Myrdal is located in a mountain pass at 864 meters altitude. The line’s maximum gradient is 5.5 percent and the whole journey, up and down, takes 90 – 120 minutes.
After a stop in Flåm, your journey continues to Bergen through villages including Gudvangen, Stalheim and Norway’s adventure capital, Voss before ending the day in Bergen.  Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains and the gateway to the fjords.

Why not add an extra day in Flam and hike The Royal Postal Road, a UNESCO heritage site. This 5.5 km-long path was built in the mid-17th century and was part of the Norwegian Postal route until steamboats took over in 1858. This path was used when the fjord was frozen in winter. It is a easy hike with breath-taking views of the fjord. Take the the morning Fjord Cruise Nærøyfjord from Flam at 09:30h, this boat only travels twice per day from Flam so make sure you have booked yourself a seat. Get off at Styvi at 10:20h and hike to Bleiklindi and back. You’ll pass waterfalls and streams, walk on old walls and enjoy amazing views across to the Nærøyfjord all the way. At Bleiklindi, you can enjoy your packed lunch and go for a swim in the crystal clear waters of the fjord. You can go back the same way and take the boat to  Flåm. From Styvi back to Flam you can either take the 12.40h boat or the next one at 18.10h. If you purchased our Norway itinerary for on your smartphone, you find 9 other hiking routes in the area of Flam under “documents”.

Spend the night in Bergen.

Enjoy the day and explore Bergen that once was an important part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire, visit the Hanseatic Museum to learn more about that era. Bryggen, a historic part of this city finds itself on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Stroll along the remarkably preserved old houses and lure  into the alleys that all date back to the 14th and 16th century. Today these colourful wooden buildings are home to art galleries, shops and cafés. Visit the lively flower and fish market. Take a ride on the Fløibanen Funicular to Mount Fløyen to enjoy stunning views over the city or to take a cable car up Mt. Ulriken. At the top of Mt Ulriken you will find yourself a new zipline adventure. Thrillseekers love the ride on the tackle over a stretch of 300 meters with stunning views. Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains, so this is an ideal place for hiking.
For those after some culture, Bergen is known for its museums that cover the city’s history, architecture, music and art.  Pay a visit to the Edvard Grieg Museum, once the home of the famous composer Edvard Grieg, now a living museum. Another museum that is worth visiting is the  KODE art museum, which is Scandinavia’s largest museum for art and music. If you wish to explore the fjords further, optional fjord cruises are available, like the Mostraumen Fjord Cruise. This boat cruise takes you along the narrow Mostraumen fjord, on your way you will see waterfalls, mountains and wildlife like seals, goats, and perhaps eagles.

Time to bid farewell to Bergen and continue to another region of great natural beauty, the scenic drive along Hardangerfjord and past Hardangervidda National park. Drive past Eidfjord and through the very narrow and  dramatic Måbødalen valley. Further on you see  Vøringfossen, an impressive waterfall, the highest in Norway with a 182-metre cascade.  Upon arrival in Geilo, visit Geilojordet. This area is full of ancient wooden buildings dating back to the 17th and 18th century. The small wooden structures are open to visitors, there is a childrens play area and some goats and chickens.
Spend the night in Geilo

Today you make your way back to the capital Oslo. Make a stop in the town of Gol famous for the unique piece of architecture Gol Stave Church. Gol is a Viking village and home to the Hahaug trolls cave. From Gol, continue to Oslo where you can spend the rest of your day exploring the several highlights. You can either drop of your rental car today in town, or tomorrow at the airport.
Overnight Oslo

Return your rental car at the airport, or take the Flytoget express train from Oslo Central Station to the airport.
Ha det!

We hope that you can look back on an unforgettable and relaxed journey along the highlights of Norway. Our aim is that travellers take the most out of their road trip with the use of our travel app on their smartphone. With our day to day itinerary in the palm of your hand, we make sure you won’t miss out on anything!

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Ingrid Gorter & Team
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