When you arrive at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, pick up your rental car and make your way into Oslo’s city centre where your hotel is located. For those arriving early, we recommend exploring Oslo by foot, spending the afternoon at sights including the Royal Palace, Akershus Fortress, Oslo City Hall, Oslo Opera House, and the Aker Brygge area. Other notable attractions include the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Viking Ship Museum and Karl Johans Street.
Spend the night in Oslo.
Start your day by driving to Lillehammer, the host of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Here 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. After sightseeing, visit one of Lillehammer’s cosy restaurants for a meal and Lillehammer Bryggeri for a local pint of beer.
Spend the night in Lillehammer.
DAY 3: EXPLORE THE RICH HISTORY OF RØROS
Get ready to explore Rondane National park and the Swedish border, and the small mountain town of Røros. This former mining settlement is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, offering a charming atmosphere with well-preserved old wooden houses and narrow streets with many artist workshops.
We recommend visiting 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.
DAY 4: TRAVEL TO TRONDHEIM
After breakfast at your hotel, head north towards Trondheim, the “Capital of the Vikings”. Enjoy exploring this vibrant port city that was once the capital of Norway during the Viking Age, back when the city was called Nidaros. Here you will find the remarkable Nidaros Cathedral—with architecture to rival Paris’s Notre Dame, as well as countless other attractions like the Ringve Museum and Gardens, the Trøndelag Folk Museum, the charming neighbourhood of Bakklandet by the old wharf and much more.
Spend the night in Trondheim.
DAY 5: JOURNEY TO QUAINT KRISTIANSUND
Begin your journey south along the beautiful west coast of Norway towards the island town of Kristiansund with its bright, colourful houses. Kristiansund is often referred to as the “opera town”, and for a very good reason as the town offers frequent opera performances, an opera festival and an outdoor rendition of “Donna Bacalao” every year. Kristiansund is known for its tasty clipfish and we recommend trying their local version of fish and chips called Fishan.
Spend the night in Kristiansund.
DAY 6: ATLANTIC OCEAN ROAD & ÅLESUND
Today you will drive the famous Atlantic Ocean Road, with the vast open sea on one side and majestic mountains on the other. Then head to the historically significant fishing village of Bud, which in the 16th and 17th centuries was the most important trading centre between Bergen and Trondheim.
Next, drive to the city of Molde, where you take a ferry, with your car, to Vestnes and continue your journey to the captivating town of Ålesund. This city was almost completely rebuilt after a huge fire and features a myriad of turrets, spires and beautiful ornamentation which give the town its distinctive character, like something out of a fairytale. Here you also have the opportunity to visit the Atlantic Sea Park and enjoy stunning views from Fjellstua.
Spend the night in Ålesund
DAY 7: TROLLSTIGEN & GEIRANGER
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. After the scenic drive, we recommend a stop at Jordbærstove in Valldal. During the strawberry season you can try a number of dishes in which strawberries are the main ingredients, and you simply have to try the strawberry cake!
Next, take a short ferry crossing, with your car, between Eidsdal and Linge before driving down the twisty Ørnesvingen, “The Eagle Road”, to Geiranger.
Spend the night in Geiranger.
DAY 8: EXPLORE GEIRANGERFJORD
After breakfast you can spend the morning exploring Geiranger until noon. We recommend soaking in the fantastic fjord scenery during a morning hike or an optional activity like kayaking. For those after some pampering, the nearby spa at Hotel Union is ideal to relax and get a treatment or two, followed by a trip to the chocolate factory in town for a little more indulgence.
In the afternoon we recommend that you head to Loen on a 65-minute ferry ride, with your car, through the UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord where you see famous waterfalls like the Seven Sisters, and theBridal Veil, along with abandoned fjord farms in the mountains. The sightseeing ferry ends in the small village of Hellesylt where you drive south to Loen.
Spend the night in Loen.
DAY 9: LOEN SKYLIFT & FJÆRLAND
You will kick off your morning in lovely Loen. We recommend an optional activity boarding the magnificent Loen Skylift, a cable car to the altitude of 1011 metres with amazing views of the fjord, or to do some hiking in the region. Your journey will continue south along Jostedal glacier, mainland Europe’s largest icecap and 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.
DAY 10: SOGNEFJORD AND FLÅM
Start the day with a short ferry crossing from Sognefjord towards Aurlandsfjord, an especially beautiful slice of Norway. We recommend a stop at the Stegastein viewpoint for panoramic views before reaching the village of Flåm, where you find the famous Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana), a steep train ride between Flåm and Myrdal – a treat for photographers or train enthusiasts alike!
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.
Spend the night in Bergen.
DAY 11: BERGEN AT LEISURE
Spend the day exploring beautiful Bergen. 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 stunning views over the city or to take a cable car up Mt. Ulriken. 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 and we recommend visiting the Edvard Grieg museum and 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.
Spend another night in Bergen.
DAY 12: HARDANGERFJORD & GEILO
From Bergen, you will embark on a scenic drive along Hardangerfjord and past Hardangervidda National park, a region of great natural beauty. On your way you will pass the impressive waterfall, Vøringfossen—the highest in Norway with a 182-metre cascade—and the dramatic and narrow Måbødalen valley, along Eidfjord.
Upon reaching Geilo, we recommend visiting Geilojordet which is an idyllic area with ancient buildings from the 1700-1800’s and a lovely place to spend some time exploring.
Spend the night in Geilo.
DAY 13: BACK TO OSLO
Before heading back to Oslo, we recommend passing the town of Gol which is known for Gol Stave Church, a Viking village and the Hahaug trolls cave. From Gol, continue to Oslo where you can choose to return the rental car tonight or the next morning.
Spend the remainder of the day exploring highlights of Oslo
DAY 14: DEPARTURE FROM OSLO
This morning, you will head to the airport and return your rental car before flying home. If your flight is in the afternoon, take the opportunity to do some last-minute shopping, visit one of Oslo’s many museums or just relax at a café after this amazing journey.
