Even before my love affair with Norway officially began in 2015, I had heard of the famous “Norway in a Nutshell” tour. It's so named because it allows you to experience the best of Norway – waterfalls, mountains, fjords, and more – all in one journey, often in just one day.
The “original” Norway in a Nutshell route runs between the cities of Oslo and Bergen, so when I finally decided to visit Bergen for the first time in 2017, I knew I wanted to get there by taking this tour.
You start in either Oslo or Bergen (I started in Oslo), and then cross the width of Norway on a series of trains, boats, and buses. Along the way you travel through Norway's UNESCO-recognized fjord and mountain scenery, and also take a trip on one of Europe’s top scenic railroads.
I'll be honest: Doing the Norway in a Nutshell tour in one day makes for a really long (12+ hours) day. But damn is it an epic day.
Norway in a Nutshell: What is it?
Here's a look at what Norway in a Nutshell actually is, as well as some tips for taking this journey yourself.
So, the first thing to know about the Norway in a Nutshell “tour” is that it isn't really a tour at all in the usual sense of the word. There's no guide with a little colored paddle to follow – you're more or less responsible for getting yourself from Point A to Point B.
When you book your tour (with Fjord Tours, who coordinate the original tour and make everything easy to book in one nice, neat package), you'll be sent a series of tickets that are good for the various forms of transport that you'll take on your journey. You'll also get a printed itinerary with departure times and other need-to-know information about each leg of your trip.
Norway in a Nutshell is essentially an independent tour, but without the stress of booking everything separately on your own.
Norway in a Nutshell itinerary
If you book Fjord Norway's original Norway in a Nutshell tour, your itinerary will look something like this:
Leg 1: Train from Oslo to Myrdal
You'll head west from Norway's capital on what's known as the Bergen Railway (you can actually take the same train all the way to Bergen, but of course the point of Norway in a Nutshell is to see way more than you could from just the one train).
This leg of the trip takes about 4.5 hours, and the scenery really is best during the second half of the ride (meaning if you want to nap for the first half, you don't have to worry about missing much).
You'll get off the train in the little mountain town of Myrdal, and have maybe half an hour before getting on the next train. There's a decent cafe here, so if you want a coffee or snack, now is a good time to grab one.
Leg 2: Flåm Railway from Myrdal to Flåm
The next leg is on the famous Flåm Railway, a 20.2-kilometer-long branch of the Bergen Line. This train ride is often named one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, but make sure to keep your eyes open because it only lasts for about 45 minutes!
The ride goes through some spectacular scenery. Prepare for mountains, valleys, waterfalls, and tiny little villages. You'll also pass through 20 different tunnels as you make your way down 867 meters in elevation, so just be aware that you won't have views for the entire 45 minutes.
Tip: Both sides of the train have great views, so you really can't sit on the “wrong” side. I sat on the right side of the train, which is the side the waterfall will be on when traveling from Myrdal to Flåm. (You stop at the waterfall, though, and can get off the train for a few minutes, so again don't worry if you can't get a seat on that side.)
Just try to sit next to a window that can be opened so you don't have to take photos through glass.
Leg 3: Fjord cruise on Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
Once arriving in Flåm, you'll have half an hour or so to explore the little port town before embarking on a ferry for the next portion of the trip. This part – the cruise on Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord – was my absolute favorite part of the day. Even though I've cruised Norwegian fjords before, and even though it was a bit rainy, the scenery in this part of Norway was just INCREDIBLE.
Nærøyfjorden (one of the narrowest fjords in Europe that also appears on UNESCO's World Heritage List) was especially beautiful with ridiculously tall and steep mountains.
The cruise lasts about two hours, and there's indoor seating and a cafe serving snacks and hot drinks in case you hit some rain like I did.
Leg 4: Bus trip from Gudvangen to Voss
You'll disembark the ferry in Gudvangen, and then board a bus that will take you to the town of Voss. During the summer months (May-September), this bus ride will include a ride along Stalheimskleiva, one of Northern Europe's steepest roads with 13 hairpin turns.
If you want to be super impressed by a bus driver, you'll want to ride a bus down this road. It's SO steep, and those turns are SO tight. I didn't expect this part of the journey to be so thrilling, but it really was!
Leg 5: Train from Voss to Bergen
The last leg of your Norway in a Nutshell journey will be another train ride, this time from Voss to Bergen. You won't see any better scenery on this ride than you already have, so feel free to just sit back and relax for about an hour and 20 minutes.
Norway in a Nutshell FAQ
Still have questions about Norway in a Nutshell? I did, too. Here are some answers to the most common questions:
What time of year can I go?
The good news is that this is a year-round attraction! You can book Norway in a Nutshell in any season.
(And remember, there's no bad weather in Norway – only bad clothing!)
Can I do this in one day?
Like I mentioned above, you can do Norway in a Nutshell in one day if you do a one-way trip (like Oslo to Bergen or vice versa). It's a long day – I started at 8:25 a.m. and didn't arrive in Bergen until a little after 9 p.m. – but definitely doable. I used this tour as my way to travel from Oslo to Bergen.
You can also do round-trip tours (popular from Bergen), or customize one to spend more time in some of the cities along the way.
Where should I stay overnight?
If you want to extend your Norway in a Nutshell trip, you totally can. Popular places to spend a night include Myrdal (popular with hikers), Flåm, and Voss. If you stay overnight in Flåm, you can also add on activities like a fjord safari, kayaking, or even snowshoeing during the winter months.
Check out Flåm hotels here, or Myrdal hotels here.
You can also overnight in Bergen or Oslo if you're doing a round-trip journey; both cities have tons of things to do.
In Oslo, I recommend the Thon Hotel Terminus, which is close to the central train station. In Bergen, the Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz is ranked #1 on TripAdvisor, or the Grand Hotel Terminus is right at the Bergen train station.
RELATED: A First-Time Visitor’s Guide to Bergen, Norway
What about luggage?
If you do this trip one-way like I did, you may be wondering what the heck you'll do with your luggage. Thankfully, you can do Norway in a Nutshell with luggage in tow pretty easily – you're just responsible for it yourself.
On the Bergen Railway trains, you'll find luggage racks at the end of every car (and also shelves above your seat for smaller bags). On the Flåm Railway, porters will load your luggage into a separate car if you want – just look out for the luggage gathering area in Myrdal. And there are of course designated places for luggage on both the bus and boat, too.
If you're doing a round-trip itinerary, I would suggest just bringing a small overnight bag with you and leaving your main luggage at your hotel in either Bergen or Oslo if possible.
How much is it?
A round-trip from Bergen (which includes everything except the train ride to Oslo) is actually the best deal when it comes to Norway in a Nutshell. That round-trip journeys start at 1440 NOK ($180 USD).
A one-way trip like I did from Oslo to Bergen starts at 1890 NOK (roughly $240 USD).
Is it worth it?
This is the biggest question people ask about Norway in a Nutshell. Since it's not technically a tour, and since you could totally book every single leg of this journey independently, you don't *have* to book the whole package if you don't want to. Booking thing separately might even save you a bit of money.
But, if I've learned anything from my years of travel, it's that sometimes it's worth paying a little extra for convenience (and in this case the convenience is booking everything in just a few clicks on Fjord Tours‘ website).
I definitely think Norway in a Nutshell is worth it, even if you only have one day to spend on it like I did.
What do you think? Would you want to do the Norway in the Nutshell tour?
*Note: Thanks to Visit Norway and Fjord Tours for hosting me and organizing this part of my trip. As always, though, all opinions are 100% my own.
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I live in Norway and I´ve never heard about this tour before I read this post. Now I really want to try it myself haha. I’ve never been to Flåm but I would love to go there. It’s really weird reading a travel guide about your own country, but it makes me see things from a different angle and appreciate the places around me. I even lived by one of the most stunning fjords for 3 years and I did not appreciate it until I came back a few years after. Why didn’t I see it then?
Thanks for posting! I really enjoyed reading! Hope you’ll come back to Norway. There are so much more her for you to see 🙂
I think it happens to all of us – we tend to take for granted what’s right on our doorstep. You should definitely explore more of Norway! It’s such a beautiful place and I always love visiting.
Norway is probably one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen. In pictures, that is. I’m still dying to go for the first time to see it with my own eyes. Your pictures are incredible! I’ve fallen in love with all the cute houses and all the waterfalls. Everything looks like a painting. It’s gorgeous! And the dancing waterfall maidens are super cool! Thanks so much for sharing! <3
It’s even more beautiful in real life! Hopefully you’ll get to go a see it someday!
I’m thinking of returning to Scandinavia next year (never been to Norway), and this looks very tempting!
I love Norway so much! And this tour is a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time.
I thought about doing this when I visited Bergen last year, but felt like it was too many connections to really enjoy much of anything. I felt like I got to see pretty fabulous scenery without all the time in transit by doing a 4 hour fjord cruise from Bergen.
I worried about that, too, but I really did end up enjoying it. And I think that the time spent seeing each part is actually pretty decent. (And you can always extend the trip over 2 or 3 days to pack even more in!)
We would like to take 3-4 days to do the trip with more tme in the smaller towns. Any suggestions of where to stay longer?
Hmm I don’t I’m afraid as I don’t have any personal experience to go on! I know Myrdal is popular with hikers, and of course Flam is where most people will stop for a night. Voss might be another choice, though I’m not sure there’s that much to do there.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this post!
I’ve heard a lot about Norway in a Nutshell, and your post has really broken it down. I especially like the fact that you don’t have to use a car, as I don’t drive, and haven’t for close to 20 years! Eek!
‘Nice one Amanda!
Ah yes, this is an excellent way to see a lot of Norway without having to rent a car!
I was just looking at ways to get from Bergen to Oslo not too long ago. This is a great option that I had not come across. It is possible to book all this on your own though, I’m assuming. But the convenience of having someone else put it all together is probably worth it.
Yes you can definitely book it all on your own since you’re using all public trains, boats, etc. But it definitely was easier to have someone else just do it all for me!
I LOVE your pages!!!! I am traveling to Norway by myself in September and your insight has been invaluable. When you say you had someone book it for you, who did you have book it. Fjord Tours? Any hotel recommendations in Bergen? Thank you so much
Hey Debbie! Yes, Fjord Tours booked my trip for me. And in Bergen I stayed at the First Hotel Marin and liked it. You can read about all my Bergen tips here: https://www.dangerous-business.com/2018/02/first-time-visitors-guide-bergen/
Thanks for the lovely and very informative write up! We are planning to do this (Oslo – Bergen ) route in April 2nd week. it will be cold but recommended as the busy tourist and cruise ship seasons would not have stated yet.
I was thinking of staying a night in Flåm so we can catch the Stanvegsten view point. Any thoughts on that? Is this worth a night?
Any recommendations for hotels in Flåm ?
Thanks
Suma
I did it all in one day, but many people do break up the trip by doing an overnight in Flam. I don’t have any personal recommendations for Flam hotels since I haven’t stayed there myself, but the Fretheim Hotel and Flamsbrygga Hotell both have good reviews.
Sounds like a crazy day for sure, but so fun! If we had a little bit longer in Norway we definitely would’ve done the tour! Just an excuse to go back 🙂
As if you need another excuse to go back to Norway! 😉
My partner and I did the Norway in a Nutshell tour this past March. We started in Bergen, after the overnight train trip however, rather than Oslo to save a day for sightseeing. The best part was everything was taken care of for you; everyone was helpful to make sure you got on the correct train and bus.
We encountered rain, snow, and absolutely gorgeous sunny weather while touring the fjords on the boat. Breathtaking and etheral geography. It eas probably THE best part of our trip.
It shouldn’t be a question of should you do take the “Norway in a Nutshell tour”. The real question is: why would you not?
So glad to hear that you had a great experience too, Mary! I think it would be difficult to not be wowed by these parts of Norway!
I have some good friends living in Bergen and they’ve been asking me to come visit for a few years now. The place is amazing and I think I’ll finally cross it off my wishlist this fall! And, overall, Norway is an awesome country, from a lot of points of view!
Bergen is a great city! Just be sure to pack your raincoat, as the weather can be rather wet!
Norway in a nutshell looks like a good tour for someone who’s visiting Norway for the first time. It’s an easy way to absorb the essence of the country and then revisit the places that you like, and besides, you can book each leg of your journey separately, which is a benefit.
Yes it’s a great overview – and also perfect for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable renting a car and driving in a foreign country!
Hey if you’re gonna have to get from Oslo to Bergen anyway, this seems like a great way to do it! Norway just sounds gorgeous, I can’t wait to get there myself
For sure! I mean, why fly when you can see all this great scenery along the way instead?
Looks like such a fun and gorgeous adventure!
Definitely! If you ever do it, make sure to have full camera batteries!
I did this way back in 2002…unfortunately for some reason that I can’t remember the Flam railway wasn’t working so we had to bus it. And at some point the bus broke down…. so we rolled into Bergen very very late. I still enjoyed it and would love to do it again someday. I spent the following day in Bergen which was enjoyable and then took an overnight train back to Oslo.
Ah sorry to hear you didn’t get to ride the Flam Railway! I’m sure you still saw epic scenery, though – Norway is just insane!
a lot packed in one day:) but it sounds great!:)
Yes it made for a long day, and I think I would recommend spreading it over two days if possible. But it was great!
Excellent write-up, Amanda. You pretty much covered everything. Where do I sign? As always, amazing photography, although I have a feeling the breath-taking mountains, fjords and waterfalls did most of the heavy-lifting for you! 😉
Oh yes, the landscapes always make my job super easy in Norway!