Bergen
EUROPE · SIESTA · RAIN & GABLES
Wooden warehouses on the wharf, seven mountains behind, and the fjords starting at the end of the street.
The plan
Fløibanen funicular
Eight minutes up for the whole city and its islands; walk down through the woods.
Day-trip a fjord
Nærøyfjord and Hardanger both start here; the Norway-in-a-Nutshell route is the classic.
Ulriken cable car
The highest of the seven mountains — hike the ridge between the two peaks.
Book before you fly
Norway in a Nutshell legs
Book the Flåm railway, fjord cruise and Bergen train separately — it costs far less than the packaged version.
Fløibanen funicular
Timed tickets in summer; the walk up takes 45 minutes and is free.
Trolltunga
No ticket, but a 10-12 hour round trip. Parking is booked and guides are required outside June-September.
Getting there
Fly into
Bergen Flesland (BGO), 20 minutes by light rail.
From the airport
The Bybanen tram runs to the centre for a normal ticket price.
Getting around
Walk — the old town is compact. Trains to Oslo cross one of Europe's great railway routes (7 hours).
When to go
Best time to go
May–Sep
Cheapest months
Oct–Apr (dark, wet, cheap)
Priciest & busiest
Jun–Aug & cruise days
If you've got one day
Morning
Bryggen at opening time
Late morning
Fløibanen funicular
Lunch
Skillingsbolle
Afternoon
Fish market lunch
Evening
Dinner at Fish soup, then Day-trip a fjord
If you've got a week
Day 1
Arrive, settle in around Bryggen & Sentrum, and take it slowly — Skillingsbolle for dinner.
Day 2
Bryggen at opening time.
Day 3
Fløibanen funicular. Dinner at Fish soup.
Day 4
Fish market lunch.
Day 5
Day-trip a fjord. Torget Fish Market at some point.
Day 6
Ulriken cable car.
Day 7
A slower day around Rain note. Finish with Persian & kebab lanes.
Staying longer?
Nearby & day trips
Nærøyfjord
Two hours east to the narrowest arm of the Sognefjord, a UNESCO site 250m wide.
Flåm railway
One of the steepest adhesion railways in the world, from sea level to 866m in an hour.
Hardangerfjord & Trolltunga
Two to three hours south for orchards, waterfalls and the famous rock ledge.
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