Oslo and the southern fjords: a road trip

Welcome to Norway, a top-notch country if you’re into breathtaking landscapes forged by nature! The land of the fjords by excellence is always a good option for a getaway, no matter what the season is. From mountain hikes on warm weather to northern lights above a snowy white carpet, there’s always something special to spend your time with in this magnificent country.

This time we visited in Summer (July) with the purpose of seeing Oslo plus Bergen and the southern fjords. Our plan fits perfectly in a week if you’re able to arrive in Norway on a Saturday and leave on the Sunday after. We’re still willing to do the west coast from Bergen to Tromso and all the way up north to Nordkapp, but we’ll leave that to another time.

Without further ado, here are our points of interest for this trip:

Day 0: arrival

As European citizens with quick direct flights to Oslo, we managed to arrive by Saturday afternoon – let’s call it day zero. We enjoy renting a car wherever we go as it gives us broad freedom of movement and flexibility, and Norway was no different. Hertz offered us the cheapest deal we could find, and we went for it. Please mind that the best deals change everyday, so first check all the companies on a search engine such as this one and then proceed to the proper booking on the rental company website.

You may notice we highlighted Oslo on our map, but let’s skip the capital for now. As we will be catching the return flight here, we preferred to visit it in the end. This day zero was then spent following the E16 road northwest to a middle point between Oslo and our highlights near Sognefjord (Urnes, Vettisfossen and Flam/Stegastein).

There are not many options to choose from but luckily we slept (~80€) on an American-inspired quirky roadside cafe/restaurant/hotel (Mjøsvang Kafe) that we found quite fun. Vang is a lost village with a population of ~1500 and it seems that a large chunk of the town comes here for dinner and some drinks. There’s an interesting contrast between this liveliness and the almighty silence of the surroundings. Needless to say we highly recommend it!

• Oslo -> Vang (225km; 3h20)

Day 1: Sognefjord

This will be one of the busiest days of the trip with hikes, waterfalls, UNESCO heritage sites, and astonishing viewpoints to the biggest fjord of Norway. Yet it’s very doable if you’re visiting during Summer, where the days are stubbornly long.

1.1. Vettisfossen

Let’s start with Vettisfossen, one of the tallest waterfalls of Norway with a single vertical drop of 275m. To reach it, you’ll have to sweat a bit. A hiking trail starts near the impressive Hjellefossen waterfall and continues for 6,5km until it finally reaches the long-awaited Vettisfossen. Halfway there, you’re given the choice to hike to the bottom or to the top of the waterfall. It’s almost unanimous that it is most impressive from the bottom, so we chose that option.

The path is regular for the most part until near the end where the trail steepens down, only to flatten again just before you reach the waterfall.

• Vettisfossen hike
  • 13km (out and back)
  • 3,5-4,5h

• Vang -> Vettisfossen (58km; 1h12)

1.2. Urnes stave church

Our next stop is a fully-deserved UNESCO WHS. A wooden church that endured centuries and still rests today at a promontory in Urnes. Built in the 12-13th centuries, this religious building is an outstanding example of traditional Scandinavian wooden architecture. You may find it not as big or imposing as other stave churches but it still preserves the essence and thrills of remote medieval times.

A ticket is required to visit the grounds and the interior of the church.

• Entrance fee:
  • Adults: 90NOK
  • Children: 70NOK
• Expected duration of visit: 30-45min

• Vettisfossen -> Urnes (84km; 2h01 – heading north to meet the E55 road)

1.3. Stegastein Lookout / Flåm

Finishing the day with one of the most beautiful lookouts of Norway. The Stegastein lookout is located very close to Flåm (about 5-10km away) and faces one of the branches of Sognefjord. The wooden structure sure helps you feel as if you’re on the top of the world.

Flåm is a popular tourist hotspot and a common stop for cruise vessels. The main draw to it is the railway (Flåmsbana) which seemed to us a “tourist trap”. We did not include it in our plan.

Once again, if you’re visiting during summer and doing this day’s plan, it’s very likely that you’ll arrive here before the sun sets. We arrived at 21:30 (still way before sunset), a perfect time to snap some pictures here.

But there’s a problem: Urnes is on the north side of Sognefjord and Flåm/Stegastein on the south. The shortest way to do this involves catching two ferries. Please note that the last Urnes-Solvorn ferry departs at 18:00 and has limited room for vehicles. Unaware of this, we had to turn back again to circumvent Sognefjord and get to the southern side. The arrival time was not very delayed but the number of kilometres was significantly higher.

• Urnes -> Flåm/Stegastein (91km; ~3h00 using both ferries)

We drove further to sleep on an Airbnb in Voss, a medium-sized city west of Flåm and a very convenient stopping point for the next day’s trip to Bergen (we spent a total of two nights here, for about 100€/night)

Day 2: Bergen

Bergen sits on the western coast of Norway and we opted to visit it on a day trip without sleeping here. While being the second most populous city of Norway, its highlights are easily seen on a day. You may read more about our visit to Bergen by clicking here.

• Voss -> Bergen (102km; 1h34)

On the return trip we did a quick detour and jumped to Steindalsfossen, one of the most beautiful waterfalls of the country. The winding road from Steindalsfossen back to Voss runs along Hardangerfjord. It’s a scenic and worthy drive to end the day.

• Bergen -> Steindalsfossen (76km; 1h11)
• Steidalsfossen -> Voss (78km; 1h21)

Day 3: Hardangerfjord

3.1. Vøringsfossen

We finally left Voss and explored a bit more around Hardangerfjord. The first stop was Vøringsfossen, perhaps our favourite waterfall in Norway so far. After a 182m fall, the water continues to flow through a dramatic canyon until it finally disappears on the horizon.

• Voss -> Vøringsfossen (68km, 1h02)

After sightseeing for a while, it was time to move on to our next stop in Folgefonna National Park. This day was quite relaxed so we had time to stop every once in a while for the occasional picture.

• Vøringsfossen -> Folgefonna NP (107km; 1h52)

3.2. Folgefonna National Park

The afternoon of day 3 brought us south to Folgefonna NP. Folgefonna is a collective term for the three glaciers of the park, which together form the third largest ice cap of Norway.

Here, we went hiking to Bondhusvatnet. This is a gorgeous lake that’s actually quite accesible by foot and a great reward for such a low effort. The trail is not steep and was originally laid out to transport ice from the glacier.

• Bondhusvatnet hike:
  • 4,7km (out and back)
  • 1h30
• Parking fee: 100NOK (to be paid online with card)

There’s not many options to choose from if you want to sleep nearby. We booked another Airbnb, this time in Odda. Scarce options mean more expensive accommodation, for which we paid >150€. We spent one night here before proceeding south.

Day 4: Trolltunga

Finally, the day we were looking forward the most! Trolltunga (troll’s tongue) is a very peculiar rock formation hidden in the fjords, very similar to the stone from where Simba was first introduced to the world by Rafiki. The time we knew its existence, we realised we would want to be there someday.

The hike there is exhausting and it’s likely that the first two kilometres will make you quit. But that’s the hardest part: after that the path is mostly even. This walk will “cost” you several hours so it’s better not to forget sunscreen, water and some snacks or lunch.

• Total distance: 20km from P3, 28km from P2 (out and back)
• Estimated hike time: 7-9h
• When to go: June 1st to September 30th. All other times of the year you’ll need a mandatory guide.

After the hike we continued south to Strand, a small village near Stavanger where we stayed for two nights on an Airbnb for about 100€/night.

• Trolltunga -> Strand (193km; 4h10 – 1 ferry crossing)

Logistics for Trolltunga:

Trolltunga is served by three parking lots and logistics are not easy to understand at first. As mentioned before we slept in Odda, a close-by city with a few available Airbnbs. If you’re on a rental car just like us, the easiest option would be to park in one of the designated areas (P1, P2 or P3):

• P1 (Tyssedal) is right after the main road and the worst option if you want to do the hike. It may be the only option on busy days and still costs 300NOK. From here you have shuttles to the other parking lots.
• P2 (Skjeggedal) is an intermediate parking lot ahead of P1 and already a good option for Trolltunga. It costs 500NOK/day but you’ll probably also want a shuttle to reach the trailhead (130NOK/person each way)
• P3 (Magelitopp) is a more recent parking lot and the best option in our opinion. It is however limited to 30 cars, so it’s advisable to book well in advance. The cost is 600NOK but there’s no extra fee for the shuttle – we chose this option.

Keep in mind that there’s a toll fee of 200NOK to get to P2 or P3, which adds to the parking cost. Yes, it will be very expensive to do this but we guarantee Trolltunga’s worth all the cash. This huge income is used to keep the trail in good shape and pay for rescue operations.

Other options to reach the trailhead would be to use a shuttle bus (150NOK one way from Odda and 100NOK one way from Tyssedal) or a private taxi (around 600-1000NOK one way) directly to P2.

Day 5: Preikestolen / Stavanger

5.1. Preikestolen

Another day, another hike! After the out-of-this-world Trolltunga we continued visiting the odd-looking rocks of Norway. Preikestolen (or Pulpit Rock) is a huge rocky plateau that towers 604m above Lysefjord. We chose to sleep in Strand, a small community that sits halfway between Preikestolen and Stavanger.

The Preikestolen hike is shorter and easier than Trolltunga. There are two moderate climbs but the track is well maintained and the rest of the path is quite even. Unlike Trolltunga, you may expect a crowded trail if you’re not an early bird. Doing this hike during the afternoon is also a good choice to meet less people along the way.

• Total distance (out and back): 7,9km
• Duration: 3,5h
• Parking fee: 250NOK

5.2. Stavanger

It’s amazing that Norway’s fourth largest municipality actually resembles a medium-sized fisherman’s town. Stavanger takes advantage of its smaller size and urban landscape to greet tourists with a cozy, colourful and lively city centre.

The amount of sights is however disproportional to its size. Obviously, the city centre and the harbour are not to be missed. The Valberg Tower rises above most of the buildings in the centre and deserves a closer look as well. On the outskirts of the city, three 10-meter-tall bronze swords (Sverd I Fjell) recall the historic Battle of Hafrsfjord which took place where they stand in the year 872.

After the Second World War, a plan was set to modify the architectural landscape of the city with new concrete buildings. A few voices rose against the plan and that’s why today we can visit Gamle Stavanger (the old town), a small neighbourhood that preserves wooden houses from the 18th-19th centuries.

The city took advantage of the booming oil industry to grow during the 20th century, which is still today the key industry in the region. The Canning Museum and the Petroleum Museum are a useful resource to deepen your knowledge on the industrial side of the city (although we didn’t visit).

• Canning Museum
  • Adults: 100NOK
  • Seniors: 70NOK
  • 0-18 y.o. and students: free
• Petroleum Museum
  • Adults: 150NOK
  • Seniors / students / 4-16 y.o.: 75NOK
  • 0-4 y.o.: free

Day 6: returning to Oslo

Time to return to our starting point, Oslo, with one of the longest stretches of the week. However, doing this long ride on one full day allowed us to stop at will for photographies, apart from the planned stops at Eidsborg and Heddal stave churches.

• Strand -> Oslo (440km; 7h13)

6.1. Eidsborg

You may find this small-sized wooden church after the lakeshore city of Dalen. The road zigzags up the mountain and at the top you’ll come across this fine piece of medieval architecture. It’s one of the best preserved stave churches of Norway, presumably built on the 13th century and partly reconstructed in the 19th century. Due to the tight opening hours, we weren’t able to see it from inside.

• Opening hours: every day from 11:00-12:00
• Entrance fee:
  • Adults 120NOK
  • Students / seniors: 100NOK
  • Children 60NOK

6.2. Heddal

Continuing down the road direction Oslo, the biggest stave church of Norway waves at you from the left hand side of the road. The building is really massive when compared to the tiny wooden churches we’ve seen before, and maybe our favourite as well. Near the church there’s a small hiking path that will lead you to a viewpoint. The church is still in use today and it’s a very sought after spot to get married in.

• Opening hours: every day from 10:00-16:00 (10:00-17:00 from mid-June to mid-August)
• Entrance fee:
  • Adults: 90NOK
  • Students: 60NOK
  • Children: 30NOK

Days 7-8: Oslo

We left Norway on the afternoon of our 8th day, and the last day and a half was spent exploring the highlights of Oslo. Although we were not expecting much from it, we ended up enjoying Norway’s capital a lot! You can read more about it here.

And here we conclude our week touring Oslo and the southern fjords! We really hope it will help you plan your trip to this beautiful country!