During our one week trip to Norway, Peter and I had the chance to spend a day in Flåm. This little town was one of the most magical places that we visited in Norway.

Flåm is not only connected to one of “the most beautiful train rides in the world”, the Flåm Railway, but it is also the gateway to the incredible fjords Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord beyond its shore. Flåm feels like a village from a fairytale with its charming buildings and incredible scenery.

In this post, I will go into detail about what we did during our one day in Flåm. Let me tell you about some of the many things to do in Flåm, Norway! I hope that this blog post helps you in planning your own visit to Flåm and inspires you to stay in this beautiful town.

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Arriving on the Flåm Railway

If you are visiting Flåm, chances are that you’re arriving by the Flåm Railway. Or at least you probably should be. I say this because the Flåm Railway has been called one of the most beautiful railways in the world and for good reason. You should definitely ride it if you have the opportunity!

The Flåm Railway takes you through breathtaking landscapes of lush green valleys surrounded by snow-capped mountains and past charming farms and small towns. The train also makes a short stop at Kjosfossen Falls where you can get out and take pictures with this majestic waterfall.

Our tickets were booked as a part of the Norway in a Nutshell tour which books all of your local transportation for you from Oslo to Bergen. It’s a popular tour for its convenience and because it hits many of the top things to do in this area including the Flåm Railway. If you haven’t already, you can read our blog post on the Norway in a Nutshell tour which includes detailed information about what’s included and our experience.

Where to Stay in Flåm

Where to stay in Flam Norway, where we stayed in Flam, Flam hotels

Where we stayed: Fretheim Hotel

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 and its historical background. It was a little pricier than some of the other options such as the local hostels, but I think it was worth the cost for the experience.

The Fretheim Hotel was originally a farm in the 1800’s and became a hotel in 1879 with the increase of tourism in the area (Source: Visit Norway). This historical hotel is also very beautiful, with its tall, white architecture and magnificent glass sunroom area, which we learned was a lounge and a restaurant on the second floor (where we ended up eating dinner).

Book your stay: Fretheim Hotel on Booking.com

Other places to stay in Flåm

Hotels

Flåmsbrygga Hotel (The other main hotel in Flåm, also looks very nice)
Heimly Pensjonat
Flåm Marina & Apartments

Hostels

Flåm Hostel (I mention this one later in the post – they have goats!)
Brekke Gard Hostel

Explore more hotels in Flåm on Booking.com

Things to do in Flåm

Walk around and explore the town

After checking into our hotel, we explored the rest of the surrounding town. It was all tucked into a valley, with mountains on all sides towering above. Clouds shrouded the tops of the mountains and waterfalls decorated their faces. In one direction Peter counted 7 different waterfalls that he could see at one time. (We were visiting Norway in April and apparently the spring melt meant we had the privilege of witnessing an abundance of waterfalls!) Beside the small town was a “lake” where the fjord began. The natural landscape was wild and breathtaking.

In our surrounding area there were a couple hotels, a brewery, cafe, restaurant, small grocery store, and a few houses beyond the train station. Many of the houses were painted in either white, red, or a mustard yellow. Everything was so charming and beautiful, it felt like something out of a Disney movie. Peter and I walked around town in wonder, taking photos and soaking it all in.

Do some souvenir shopping

Once you’ve finished staring in wonder at the charming buildings of Flåm, it’s time to go inside of some! Right in the center of town just steps away from the train station you will find the Mall of Norway / Saga Souvenir. It’s right beside the Visitor Center and is impossible to miss.

Along with your standard array of souvenirs (keychains, postcards, shirts, etc) you will find a ton of winter apparel and furs. Perfect for the unsuspecting traveller who wasn’t expecting the rain or cold. There’s also an entire aisle of trolls, so be prepared for that. If you’re in the market for a Dale of Norway sweater, they sell the famous wool sweaters here as well.

Website: Mall of Norway

Check out the local grocery store

Whenever we visit a new country, Peter and I love to check out the local grocery store. It’s always fun to see what different or “odd” products they have for sale in comparison to what we know from home.

In Flåm, the grocery store we found was “Coop Marked Flåm”. It is only a minute’s walk from the train station.

Probably the most interesting thing that Peter and I found at the grocery store were tubes of fish paste such as “Smoked Cod Roe” that is put on sandwiches and the like. Apparently this tubed caviar is called Rørkaviar. We also love to check out the snack aisles such as chips and candy.

Try Freia Chocolate

While in Norway, make sure to try some “Freia” brand chocolate which is a Norwegian brand. It is silky smooth and melts in your mouth. One we saw a lot in Norway was the Kvikk Lunsj bar, which is basically a better version of a Kit Kat. You can find it in a red, yellow, and green striped package.

*We didn’t take any pictures so I photoshopped this little collage for you!*

Grab lunch in town

After walking around town and exploring the little shops and buildings, Peter and I stopped into a café for lunch. We decided to try Toget Café. We split a fresh sandwich and each got a coffee. It was very cozy and relaxing. We sipped our coffees and watched the beautiful scenery from a window seat.

Other places where you could grab lunch that are just steps away from one another would be Furukroa (also labeled as a café but seems to be more cafeteria style), Flam Bakery, and Flåmstova Restaurant.

Visit these adorable goats

Yes, one of the things you can do in Flåm is pet these cuties. You can find them at Flåm Camping og Vandrarheim (or Flåm Camping and Hostel). It’s only a short walk from the main strip of town near the train station and harbor.

While walking along the road out of town on our way to our hike, we saw this mustard yellow building with a fenced in area of goats out front. On the fence, there was a sign saying you could come in and short step ladder to get over the fence. It didn’t take Peter and I much convincing! We only stayed a few minutes and the goats weren’t very interested in us. But they sure were cute.

Website: Flåm Camping and Hostel
Book your stay: Flåm Camping and Hostel on Booking.com

Hike to the Brekkefossen waterfall

During our train ride into Flåm, Peter and I had decided that we wanted to do some hiking in this beautiful landscape. A short search brought up the nearby hike to Brekkefossen waterfall. I’m so glad that we did this hike and would recommend it to anyone visiting Flåm. Not only was it a free activity, but it provided stunning views of both the Brekkefossen waterfall and the fjord below. It was probably me and Peter’s favorite thing that we did in Flåm.

Hike details: The hike is about 3.4 miles (5.5km) total and there is about 692 ft (210m) change in elevation. This hike is rated as easy-moderate difficulty with “no hiking experience needed", but keep in mind there are some steep spots on the trail. The entire hike takes about 2.5 hours.

Starting from in town near the Flåm harbor, you will follow the road out of Flåm, past the Flåm Camping and Hostel, pass under the main road and continue straight until you reach a gravel trail marked with a signpost for “Brekkefossen”.

Step-by-step directions: Flam to Brekkefossen Waterfall on OutdoorActive

Dinner at the Fretheim hotel

Upon arriving in town and realizing that there weren’t going to be that many options for dinner, Peter and I had made a dinner reservation at our hotel, Fretheim, Restaurant Arven. We were glad that we did. The restaurant was very nice and on the second floor of the glass sunroom area of the hotel, so the restaurant had an incredible floor to ceiling view of the town and fjord beyond. We asked specifically for one of the tables along the balcony closest to the window. It was truly beautiful.

Not only was the ambiance and view very nice, but the food was delicious as well. The server told us that all of the food was fresh and locally sourced which was a bonus. We started with a cheese board of local cheeses and jam. One of the cheeses had local wild garlic and was probably our favorite.

Try Norwegian “Brown Cheese”

We also had the opportunity to try the Norwegian Brunost (or Brown Cheese). It was one of those things we had read about before our trip, but it hadn’t sounded very appealing to us. But we had to try it. It was surprisingly sweet yet salty and we actually both really liked it.

For our main course, we had fish and veggies. Everything tasted very fresh and delicious.

Have a drink at the local brewery

After our dinner at the hotel, we head over to the brewery we had seen earlier when walking around town. Ægir BryggeriPub, or Ægir BrewPub, is a viking inspired microbrewery located near the Flåm harbor. The architecture of the brewery is inspired by Norse mythology and mimics that of an old stave church, so it’s hard to miss!

Ægir opened in 2007 and has won awards for its beer in international competitions. I am far from a beer connoisseur, but I enjoyed the beer that I had there. Additionally, they serve a full menu of Viking-inspired dishes if you’re interested in some food with your drinks.

The atmosphere of the brewery also has a Viking look and feel with fur rugs, open fires, and rustic wooden carved furniture. Peter and I sat and enjoyed our drinks, chatting and people watching for a couple hours before returning to our hotel for the night.

Website: Ægir BrewPub

Watch the cruise boats come in

In the morning before leaving Flåm, you can go to the pier and watch the boats come in. This is a popular stop for cruise boats and we saw a couple during our day and night in Flåm. You will also likely see the boat for the fjord cruise and possibly the fjord safari tour boats.

Even if you don’t happen to see any boats come in, it is still very beautiful to watch the water and the misty clouds move over the mountains. It was peaceful and quiet as the town had not yet woken up.

Peter and I came here after breakfast at our hotel. With coffees in hand, we stood and enjoyed the scenery as much as we could before we had to leave to check out of our hotel and catch our fjord cruise out of Flåm.

Leave Flåm by Fjord Cruise

If you are visiting Flåm other than by cruise boat or car, you are likely going to leave Flåm by the fjord cruise to Gudvangen. Like the Flåm Railway, this fjord cruise was was a part of the popular Norway in a Nutshell tour that we booked for our visit to Norway.

After packing our bags and checking out of our hotel, we made our way back to the docks to board the fjord cruise. It was bittersweet leaving behind the magical town of Flåm, but we were excited for the next leg of our journey.

Experiencing the fjords up close and person in all of their glory on the fjord cruise was one of our favorite parts from our entire trip to Norway. You can read more about our experience on the fjord cruise and see the many pictures that we took in the blog post below.

Are you planning to visit Flåm during your trip to Norway?

I would definitely recommend it if you can! If you’re planning a trip to Norway and are considering visiting Flåm, I hope that this post has been helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

This Things To Do in Flåm post is a part of a series covering me and Peter’s trip to Norway, so keep an eye out for more blog posts and videos coming soon! Make sure to 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 again soon!