Norway: Walking in the Fjords and Opera in Oslo

Norway: Walking in the Fjords & Opera in Oslo

Pristine and stunningly beautiful, the fjords of western Norway offer some of the most scenic walking in the world, with paths leading along the shoreline from little settlements of painted wooden houses, forest walks to impressive waterfalls and mountain trails to breathtaking viewpoints over glaciers.

We begin our visit in the archetypal Nordic fishing port of Bergen, with its 18C Hanseatic timber buildings and then travel by boat into Hardanger fjord and on to Sørfjord and the dramatic Aurlandsfjord. We stay in some special hotels, including two members of the Historic Hotels of Norway, and enjoy ‘New Nordic’ cuisine, based on the freshest of seasonal Scandinavian ingredients.

One of Europe’s most spectacular train rides takes us from Flåm through the mountains to Norway’s sophisticated capital, Oslo, where we explore the museums and galleries and attend a performance in the acclaimed new Opera house on the waterfront.

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1

D included

We meet at Bergen airport in the afternoon and have a short transfer into the city where our family-owned first class hotel occupies an Art Deco building in the historic area close to the harbour. We have an introductory walk around Bryggen, the earliest settlement, founded by King Olav the Peaceful in 1070, before dinner in the stylish brasserie of our hotel.

DAY 2

B, L, D included

The Hanseatic Museum, a well-preserved early 18C merchant’s dwelling, gives a fascinating insight into the traders lives before a visit to Bergen’s oldest church, the 12C Romanesque-Gothic Mariakirken. We stroll along the wharves, backed by picturesque old timber and stone buildings, to the bustling fish market where we have an impromptu fish lunch. A 90 minute drive through the mountains brings us to Norheimsund on the Hardanger fjord where we have a guided tour of the Wooden Ships Centre, still very much in action. Our hotel is a very comfortable wooden historic building, family-run and delightfully set right on the fjord.

DAY 3

B, L, D included

We travel by boat along the scenic Hardanger fjord, disembarking at the tiny hamlet of Utne where our antique-filled hotel for the next two nights is a member of the Historic Hotels of Norway, with a famous restaurant overlooking the fjord. A circular walk with views over the Sørfjord takes us through the apple orchards for which the region is famous and leads to the Hardanger Folk Museum, with old farm buildings, an excellent display of folk costumes and some fine examples of the traditional Hardanger fiddle (an instrument much appreciated in the music of Edvard Grieg).

DAY 4

B, L, D included

A boat takes us up into the narrow Sørfjord, dominated by the huge Folgefonn glacier to the south, to the small settlement at Kinsarvik, once an important Viking marketplace. We set off on foot up the forested Husedalen valley, taking our time on steeper sections of the gravel track and stopping to admire a series of magnificent waterfalls. After a picnic we retrace our steps, enjoying the views down to the fjord, and have time to see the 12C village church before returning by ferry to our hotel in Utne.

DAY 5

B, L, D included

The morning ferry takes us across the Hardanger fjord to Kvanndal where we are met by transport to take us on a scenic drive up through the mountains to Stalheim. We have a 2 hour walk to a viewpoint with stupendous views over the Nærø valley and the surrounding mountains before lunch in the famous old hotel here. In nearby Gudvangen we board a boat to take us on a dramatic 2 hour trip through the Nærøyfjord and then up the Aurlandsfjord to the village of Flåm. Our new, stylish hotel features pinewood rooms with fjord views and an unusual restaurant and brewery.

DAY 6

B, L, D included

An early start sees us boarding the world famous Flåm railway for the 900 m climb up through hairpin bends to Myrdal - incredible scenery and 5 independent sets of brakes for reassurance! In Myrdal we transfer onto the Oslo express train and continue on a 4 hour scenic ride to Norway’s capital. Once settled into our luxury historic hotel, once the haunt of Ibsen and scene of the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize every year, we have an introductory walk out onto a rocky headland and round the walls of the Akershus castle. In the brygge, Oslo’s renovated dock area, we enjoy an excellent seafood dinner.

DAY 7

B, L, D included

We begin our explorations with a visit to the elegantly restored 17C Cathedral, then spend some time seeing the collections of the National Gallery, with a representative selection of Norwegian art including works by Edvard Munch. After coffee in an historic café (a chance to indulge in a typically Scandinavian cinnamon bun) we walk past the Royal Palace to the Ibsen Museum for a guided tour of the atmospheric home of Norway's greatest playwright. In the afternoon we take a tram out of the centre to walk round the Vigeland Park, a green expanse filled with the astonishing statues created by Gustav Vigeland in the early 20C. We have dinner in the strikingly designed new Opera house, with wonderful views of the harbour, before the opera performance (programme published 2010).

DAY 8

B included

The morning is free for exploring Oslo, perhaps taking a ferry across the bay to the Bygdøy peninsula to visit the Viking Ships Museum, the Norwegian Folk Museum or the special museums dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl’s raft Kon Tiki and Roald Amundsen’s ship Fram, which took him to the South Pole in 1912. Our visit to Norway concludes with an afternoon transfer to Oslo airport.

Price includes:

All accommodation for Days 1 through 8 on a double shared basis

All meals, with soft drinks at lunch and wine with dinners, other than those excepted in the daily notation

All land and water transportation as described except during free periods

All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods

Good category ticket for an opera performance in Oslo

Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff

Visa and Health Requirements

Visitors from the EU, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Norway. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Norway.

At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Norway. Residents of countries in the EU can only claim discounted (emergency) medical treatment in Norway by presenting their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is issued in the UK by the Department of Health. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the FCO.

Insurance

It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for information on a policy available to UK residents.

If you are already insured, or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.