Norway in a Nutshell: Oslo, Flåm, Bergen by Train and Fjord Cruise

EuropeNorway

Feb 6

We began our week-long trip to Norway by flying into the country’s capitol, Oslo, and taking the Norway in a Nutshell tour which took us from Oslo, to Flåm, and ended in Bergen. It was an amazing journey including some of “the most beautiful train rides in the world” and a once-in-a-lifetime cruise through a majestic fjord.

In this post, I will explain what the Norway in a Nutshell tour is, what it includes, and go in depth about our experience.

Table of Contents Show

Pin this blog post using the image above to reference back to later when planning your trip to Norway!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a booking using one of these links we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you, helping to fund our future travels. For more information, read our Disclosures page.

This is the first post in a series from me and Peter’s one week trip to Norway! To see all of our Norway posts, check out the list at the bottom of this post or go to the Norway category page.

For now though, enjoy our Norway in a Nutshell video and post! We hope that it helps you in planning your own trip to Norway.

What is “Norway in a Nutshell”?

If you are researching for a trip to Norway, you may have already heard about the popular “Norway in a Nutshell” tour. It is popular for a reason. This tour hits many of the “top things to do” in Southern Norway, is easily accessible via Norway’s capitol city Oslo, and is extremely easy to follow – completely taking away the stress of planning your transportation in a foreign country. All wrapped up into one neat package. And no, I am not being paid to say this and this is not sponsored in any way (although, Fjord Tours if you are reading this I am willing and able).

It’s not really a “tour” tour.

Honestly, at first I was a little hesitant about doing the Norway in a Nutshell tour because I wasn’t really interested in doing a “tour”. Peter and I consider ourselves pretty savvy travelers and the traditional idea of a tour (i.e. big group of tourists being herded from one point to another like cattle, all on one very large tour bus) didn’t appeal to us.

However, the Norway in a Nutshell tour is really more of a “we plan all of your transportation for you, you do the rest”, totally customizable kind of package. It takes you to multiple points of interest and you decide how long you want to stay at each destination. And you can start the tour from any of the stops (Oslo, Flam, or Bergen)! No herd of tourists. No big tour bus. Total freedom.

This may be a pro for some people (like us) and a con for others who would rather have their entire trip planned for them for a totally worry-free vacation.

You could book it yourself for cheaper

Another point to consider is that, since this package is really just Fjord Tours booking the various tickets of transportation for you, this is something that you could technically do yourself. You could book all of the tickets yourself and it would cost less than buying the Norway in a Nutshell tour.

However, some of the tickets cannot be purchased in advance on their own. This isn’t really an issue, just something that you would need to keep in mind when planning your travel.

For us, we just preferred the convenience and security of having everything booked for us ahead of time all in one place. I actually tried to research how to do this trip on our own by booking all of the modes of transportation separately ourselves and decided against it. Since a few legs of the trip could not be booked in advance, it felt like too much of a risk for us on our tight schedule. Additionally, booking local transportation in a foreign country can be a little confusing and we considered the extra cost for convenience to be worth it for us.

What’s included

According to the official website:

“The Norway in a nutshell® tour takes you through some of Norway's most beautiful fjord scenery. You will experience the scenic Bergen Railway, the breathtaking Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the narrow and dramatic UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord and a bus trip through the beautiful scenery of Western Norway.”

Map from the Norway in a Nutshell official website

To put it simply, The Norway in Nutshell tour includes all the the transportation tickets from Oslo to Bergen, as shown on the map above. To be more specific, the tour includes:

The train ride from Oslo to Myrdal
The train ride on the famous Flåm railway (from Myrdal to Flåm)
The fjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen
The bus ride from Gudvangen to Voss
The train ride from Voss to Bergen

All of these tickets are booked for you when you book your Norway in a Nutshell tour, with all of the timing and scheduling between legs figured out for you based on your selections when booking the tour (if you want to stay an extra day at a place, etc). Pretty neat, right?

Read more about it on the Norway in a Nutshell official tour website.

How long does the tour take?

Because of the flexibility and customization when booking, this trip can be as long as you want it to be. This trip can be done in 1 day, but I must admit that sounds pretty hectic. Peter and I chose to spend one night in Flåm, making the tour a total of 2 days / 1 night long. Honestly, if we could have I would have made this trip longer. I’ll explain why more in detail near the end of the post.

Beginning in Oslo

Peter and I officially started our trip to Norway by flying into Oslo. We arrived in the evening so we only had a few hours to grab dinner and wander a bit before heading to bed. However, we spent a full day in Oslo at the end of our trip and were able to explore more of the city. Check out the detailed blog post and video about things to do in Oslo!

Flying into Oslo

If you are planning a trip to Norway, chances are that you will be flying into Oslo Gardermoen Airport, Norway’s capital city airport. Upon arrival, getting through customs security was pretty straight forward and quick.

Take the Flytoget Airport Express Train to get from the Oslo Airport to the city center (Oslo Central Station). The ride takes about 20min and departs every 10-20mins. Trains run from 5:35am to 12:35am, and (at the time we did it, prices may change) a one-way ticket cost NOK 160.

Spend the night in Oslo

Since we arrived in Oslo late at night and our train to Flåm wasn’t until the next morning, we stayed at a hotel close to the train station for our first night in Norway.

Where to Stay in Oslo

The best area to stay in Oslo if you will only be in the city for a short time is definitely Oslo’s “Sentrum”, or city center, the modern and historical downtown of Oslo. This is where many of the top things to do in Oslo are located and is recommended for any first-time visitor or short stay in Oslo. And within the city center is the train station, making it the perfect area to stay for the first leg of your Norway in a Nutshell journey.

Here are a few of the top rated hotel options located within Oslo’s Sentrum for every budget:

Hostel ($): Anker Hostel, K7 Hotel Oslo
Budget ($$): Citybox Oslo, Anker Hotel
Mid-range ($$$): Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel
High-end ($$$$): Grand Hotel Oslo, Hotel Bristol

Explore more hotels in the Oslo City Center on Booking.com

Where We Stayed in Oslo

We stayed at Thon Hotel Astoria, which is only a 3 minute walk from Oslo Central Station. This was perfect for us since our train departure was early the next morning. It is also located in the heart of the busy city center so we were able to explore a bit of downtown Oslo before turning in for the night.

Book your stay: Thon Hotel Astoria on Booking.com

Oslo Central Station

Note: Tickets must be picked up at Oslo Central Station at the latest 45min before departure. So make sure to get there early!

Also make sure to double check the time of your ticket with the hours of the ticket office… In our case, our scheduled train left at 8:30am and we arrived at the station at 7:15am to pick up our tickets. However, it was a Sunday and the ticketing office didn’t open until 10am… oops. Luckily, some station attendants saw us looking frantic and took pity on us. Apparently this happens pretty often, and they unlocked the door and printed our tickets for us. Bless.

So if you run into this situation, be smarter than us and come the day before to pick up your tickets if possible, or be sure to arrive super early so you have time to find a helpful attendant.

Train ride to Myrdhal

Now the fun begins! The Norway in a Nutshell tour starts off with an epic train ride from Oslo to Myrdhal. Our train ride from Oslo Central Station to Myrdhal was about 5 hours long.

Amazing scenery

The train took us through countryside spotted with farmhouses, small towns, and even through some high elevation areas that were blanketed in DEEP snow! Like we saw some houses that were literally buried in snow! It was incredible. There were several ski-towns we stopped at during our ride where many passengers boarded carrying hefty bags of gear and skis. Skiing is apparently Norway’s favorite pastime afterall.

We travelled on through beautiful landscapes of forests, rivers, lakes, mountains, and waterfalls. The time passed quickly and I spent the ride watching out the window and taking pictures. I believe there was food available for purchase on the train, but we ate Cliff bars that we had packed for lunch (trying to save a bit of cash in one the the most expensive countries in the world!).

Arrival in Myrdhal

Once we arrived in Myrdhal, the train pulled up to the platform and we switched on to the Flåm Railway train which was waiting for us at the platform directly beside ours. You can choose to extend your time in Myrdhal, but unfortunately we could not due to our limited time in Norway. So straight on to Flåm we went.

Ride the Scenic Flåm Railway

Now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for: riding the Flåm Railway! It is about a 1-hour ride from Myrdhal to Flåm. This stretch of railway is supposedly one of the most scenic and beautiful train rides in the world. Having now experienced it myself, I think that this is a fair statement.

The train passed through valleys surrounded by snow-peaked mountains, waterfalls often decorating their sides, with the occasional brightly colored houses tucked into the landscape.

Kjosfossen Falls

The train stops at one especially towering and majestic waterfall on its passage to Flåm: the Kjosfossen Falls. This waterfall is one of the most popular attractions in all of Norway and is an impressive 738 feet high!

Here, passengers may exit the train to take pictures and enjoy the waterfall for 5 minutes. Be prepared to get a little wet from the mist of the waterfall. It was cool and refreshing! We just managed to have our picture taken for us by another friendly passenger before we were ushered back onto the train to continue our journey.

The rest of the train journey

From Kjosfossen Falls, the train continued on through mountain tunnels and along the ridge of deep valleys lush with fresh spring greenery. The land was spotted with the occasional Nordic farmhouse often painted in either white or red or yellow.

Apparently, before the train line was created this area of Norway and Flåm were hardly accessible and blocked off from the rest of the world thanks to the many layers of mountains surrounding it. Now, thanks to the Flåm Railway, people from all over the world come to enjoy the area’s breathtaking landscape and scenery.

I could hardly put my camera down for the duration of the train ride, although I also tried to be present and soak in as much of it as I could! All too soon the train ride was over and we arrived in the small town of Flåm.

A Day in Flåm

After the breathtaking ride on the Flåm Railway, you will be dropped off in the lovely small town of Flåm. We decided to spend the night here and I highly recommend that you do as well, or longer if you have the time.

I actually wrote an entire blog post about our day in Flåm, including details on where to stay and things to do there!

Where to Stay in Flåm

Flåm is a small town and admittedly there aren’t that many places to stay. Despite this, there are some great options available for a variety of budgets. The main hotels downtown are the Fretheim Hotel and the Flåmsbrygga Hotel.

Hotels: Fretheim Hotel, Flåmsbrygga Hotel, Heimly Pensjonat, Flåm Marina & Apartments
Hostels: Flåm Hostel, Brekke Gard Hostel

Explore more hotels in Flåm on Booking.com

Where We Stayed in Flåm

For our one night stay in Flåm we chose to stay at the Fretheim Hotel. There are only a few hotels in the small town of Flåm, and this one immediately caught our interest with great reviews, prime location in town, and its historical background. It was beautiful and I would happily stay there again!

Book your stay: Fretheim Hotel on Booking.com

Things to do in Flåm

Although Flåm is a very small town (really more of a village), there are plenty of fun things to do there. We only stayed one night in Flåm but we could have easily stayed longer.

If you plan to stay in Flåm during your trip to Norway, make sure to read the dedicated Flåm blog post for more in-depth details on how to enjoy your time in this beautiful town.

Fjord Cruise to Gudvangen

After spending the night in Flåm, bright and early the following morning we packed our bags and head over to the pier to board our fjord cruise to Gudvangen. Note: Its only a 5-minute walk from the hotels in town and you can’t miss it, so no rush.

Fjord Cruise

This cruise takes you through the magnificent Aurlandsfjord and on the narrow Nærøyfjord and is about 2 hours long. This was by far our favorite part from the entire Norway in a Nutshell tour. The Flåm Railway was undeniably beautiful, but witnessing these fjords up close and personal was on another level. But make sure to dress warmly – it gets really cold standing out on the deck of the boat to enjoy the views!

While writing this section of the Norway in a Nutshell blog post, I had trouble only uploading a few of the pictures so that the post wouldn’t get crazy long. I literally have SO many beautiful photos from this fjord cruise that I decided to make a separate post to showcase them. In that post, I also go into more detail about the entire cruise including tips such as how to dress and what to bring and our experience on it. It was so epic that it definitely deserved its own blog post!

Bus from Gudvangen to Voss

Gudvangen

After the glorious fjord cruise, you will be dropped off in the teeny tiny town of Gudvangen (shown in the picture above). Next to the pier, there was a large souvenir shop, cafe, the bus stop, and a hotel. The hotel looked super cool, built in a historical Norge style with glass ceilings on each room to admire the stars and towering mountains above. Unfortunately, we weren’t staying in Gudvangen due to our tight schedule. We had about 30 minutes to spend here before our scheduled bus.

The bus ride

The bus ride from Gudvangen to Voss was about 1-hour long, passing through beautiful landscapes, quaint Norwegian towns, and even through some mountain tunnels. The bus made several stops for locals at moss-covered bus stops on the side of the road. Note: everything in Norway seemed to be covered in moss. It was very cool and “Lord of the Rings” vibes (as Peter often reminded me).

The ride went by very quickly as I enjoyed the views and Peter napped. Before I knew it, we had arrived in the city of Voss.

Train from Voss to Bergen

Voss

Voss was much larger than Gudvangen and would have probably been a cool place to stay for a night. But sadly, our train would be leaving in 45 minutes to Bergen.

In the meantime, we stopped by the train station restrooms, enjoyed the view from the waterfront at museum across the street, and stopped into a little souvenir shop with a cute troll out front. There, we picked up some Freia chocolate to try (which I had read was a “must-try” while in Norway because it is a Norwegian chocolate). Well let me tell you, it is delicious and silky smooth. I wish I had more right now just thinking about it.

Train ride to Bergen

By now it was early afternoon and it was time to board the train to Bergen – the final leg of the Norway in a Nutshell tour. This train was very modern and comfortable. The ride was only about 1 hour long. It had been a busy day, and Peter and I both took the opportunity to nap during the ride.

Arrive in Bergen

The train drops you off at the Bergen Station, which is only about a 10 minute walk from Vågen harbor and the iconic Bryygen (shown in the picture below). This is where we would be staying for our time in Bergen. We had reached the end of the Norway in a Nutshell tour.

Where to Stay in Bergen

For any first-time visitor to Bergen, it is recommended to stay within walking distance to the Bryggen or Sentrum (city center) as this is the area with most of the top things to do and must see attractions.

Here are just a few of the top-rated hotel options in this area of Bergen for every budget:

Hostel ($): City Hostel Bergen
Budget ($$): Klosterhagen Hotel, Zander K Hotel
Mid-range ($$$): Clarion Hotel, Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz
High-end ($$$$): Hotel Norge by Scandic, Opus 16

Explore more Bergen hotels on Booking.com

Where We Stayed in Bergen

For our three days in Bergen, we stayed at the Augustin Hotel, the oldest family-run hotel in Bergen!

This historic hotel is well-priced and perfectly located, in close walking distance to the Bryggen and all of its attractions.

Book your stay: Augustin Hotel on Booking.com

Things to do in Bergen

Peter and I stayed 3 days / 2 nights in the charming city of Bergen. This historical city surrounded by beautiful nature had so many things to do and we could have easily stayed longer. But isn’t that always the case? I would definitely recommend spending at least a couple days in this magical place if you are able to.

There is a dedicated blog post and video about things to do in Bergen, so make sure to check those out if you are planning to stop in Bergen. In the blog post, I also include information about where we stayed and what to pack for your visit to Bergen along with the list of top things to do.

Tip #1: Be prepared for rain!

What we would do differently next time on the Norway in a Nutshell tour

Honestly, if we had more time during our trip to Norway, I would have wanted to take the Norway in a Nutshell tour a little slower and possibly spend an extra night or two along the way at the different stops such as Gudvangen and Voss. I think this would have helped this final day of ours not feel so busy. Especially since we had to carry all of our bags throughout the day, it got to be tiring.

So if you can, learn from our experience and take the time to enjoy this trip a little slower. But if you are on a tight schedule like us and you only have a couple days to spare, I would say it is still DEFINITELY worth it. Just be prepared to be a little worn out by the end of it. And maybe bring less stuff so you don’t have to carry so much jumping between the different legs of the tour…

Other than that, I wouldn’t change a single thing about the Norway in a Nutshell tour. It was the perfect way to experience many of the top things to do and see in Southern Norway, all wrapped into one neat package. And again, this is not sponsored but I wish it was.

Are you planning a trip to Norway?

Are you currently planning a trip to Norway and are considering booking the Norway in a Nutshell tour? I hope that this blog post was helpful for your trip planning. Let me know if you have any other questions, I would love to help. Or have you been to Southern Norway before? If so, what was your favorite part? Tell me in the comments below!

As I previously mentioned, this is the first post in a series covering me and Peter’s trip to Norway, so make sure to check out the other posts and videos from our Norway trip! Subscribe to the Adventures with Pinny YouTube channel and follow us on our Instagram so you don’t miss a thing. Thanks for stopping by our blog, see you soon!