MAGIC SOGNEFJORD – A MAGIC FJORD HOLIDAY

Magic Sognefjord is the ultimate fjord experience in Norway. You will explore the Sognefjord and it´s branches and the beautiful nature surrounding these magic fjords. This is a proposal for trips and experiences in and around the Sognefjord. Then it’s up to you to put it together for a nice journey.

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This may be the adventure of your lifetime. You can start and end the trip in Flåm by the Aurlandsfjord, and you should use at least 14 days to see it all. You can also spend shorter time and just see and experience parts of this great fjord adventure. The map below gives you detailed information about what to see and do and where to stay in the different branches of the Sognefjord.

 

Season: Summer. This also depends on whether the winter-closed roads are open.

Visit Sognefjord

Visit Sognefjord is the official destination company for the Sognefjord area.

Accommodation in the Sognefjord area

Overview of where you can spend the night in the area around the Sognefjord.

Panoramic view from Mt Hognåsen in Lærdal towards the Sognefjord and the surrounding mountains. The Lustrafjord in far distance...
Panoramic view from Mt Hognåsen in Lærdal towards the Sognefjord and the surrounding mountains. The Lustrafjord in far distance…

Travel from Oslo or Bergen to Flåm by the Aurlandsfjord

  • Hotels: Hotel Amerikalinjen (Oslo) and Hotel Havnekontoret (Bergen) are two great hotels in Oslo and Bergen. You should stay at least two nights so you can see the beauty of these cities and what they have to offer.
  • Train: You go by train from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal Station. Then Flåm Railway, one of the worlds most beautiful railways, to Flåm. This is where your Fjord Adventure starts and ends. You can order tickets all the way to Flåm at Vy.no. This may also be the return, from Flåm and back to Oslo or Bergen.
  • Car: You can drive from Oslo or Bergen to Flåm.
  • Plane: You can fly to Sogndal Airport and then go by car or bus from the airport to Flåm. These are the Bus time tables for Indre Sogn.
  • Boat: You can travel on a fjord cruise from Bergen to Flåm. Balestrand, Vik, Leikanger and Aurland are stops at the Sognefjord and Aurlandsfjord.

Magic Sognefjord Itinerary

The Sognefjord seen from Orrabenken above Balestrand.
The Sognefjord seen from Orrabenken above Balestrand.

The links below will help you to plan your fjord holiday, book hotels, transportation, adventures and guiding. All links are suggestions only. You must contact the different providers yourself for appointments.

This is proposals for transport, experiences and accommodation in and around the Sognefjord. Then it’s up to you to put it together for a nice journey. Do this well in advance before you want to travel to make sure that transport, experiences and accommodation are available.

Fjord Cruise on the UNESCO Protected Aurlandsfjord.
Fjord Cruise on the UNESCO Protected Aurlandsfjord.

You will experience the Sognefjord with it´s branches Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, Årdalsfjord, Lustrafjord and Fjærlandsfjord on this adventure. See below for more information about the different fjords and what to see and do. This Magic Sognefjord Adventure starts in Flåm, but you can customize your own itinerary and start where you want.

The accommodations have different standards, sizes  and offers, but common to them all is that it is pleasant to stay there and the places are surrounded by beautiful and wild nature.

A great way to travel between the branches in the Sognefjord is by RIB-boats. It is expensive, but if you are in a large group it will be more affordable. The Magic Sognefjord route can also be travelled by car or bus.

Season: Summer. This also depends on whether the winter-closed roads are open.

Travel between the hotels in the fjords with Amazing Fjords

  • Luxury Yacht, Speed Boat or RIB-boat from Amazing Fjords.
  • Or you can choose a combination of different types of boats.

Amazing Fjords can help you to plan, book hotels, transportation, adventures and guiding. The Sognefjord is their own backyard, and they can plan the perfect holiday for you.

1) The Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord

Stegastein viewpoint above Aurland and the Aurlandsfjord.
Stegastein viewpoint above Aurland and the Aurlandsfjord.

The Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord in Sogn are two of the worlds most beautiful and dramatic fjords.

The name Nærøyfjord origin from the norse god ‘Njord’, the God of the Seafarer and the sea.

The Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord are two of many fjordarms in the 204 km long Sognefjord. On 14 July 2005, the Nærøyfjord together with the Geirangerfjord became part of our common UNESCO’s world heritage.

Flåm, Aurland and Gudvangen are perfect starting points for experiences in and around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, two of the world’s most beautiful and dramatic fjords.

Accommodation in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area

Overview of where you can spend the night in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord.

Sakte – Stay and Explore the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord 



“Sakte” is a collaboration between companies that provide adventures, accommodation, dining and short-travelled food- and products. “Sakte” are located in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord and is an offer for those who want to contribute to a sustainable society in the world heritage area.

FJORDS NORWAY - Reis Sakte - Hiking towards Skjerdal and the Aurlandsfjord
Reis Sakte – Hiking towards Skjerdal and the Aurlandsfjord

Adventures in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord

2) The Årdalsfjord – Indre Ofredal

Indre Ofredal by the Årdalsfjord.
Indre Ofredal by the Årdalsfjord.

Small idyllic fjord villages are located along the Årdalsfjord, squeezed between steep mountains, waterfalls, rivers and the fjord. The abandoned fjord village Indre Ofredal is one of these villages.

Around the middle of the 19th century, a sawmill, mill, boathouse, kitchen-building and forge were built at Indre Ofredal. The old sawmill at Indre Ofredal is part of the history of Norway as an industry nation.

The Årdalsfjord is the part of the Sognefjord that runs between the outer part of the Lustrafjord and the industrial town of Årdalstangen.

The surrounding nature has facilitated amounts of cheap hydroelectric energy which in turn has facilitated industry in this area. The industrial towns Årdalstangen and Øvre Årdal are the result of this. But it was in Indre Ofredal it all started.

Travel to Indre Ofredal by the Årdalsfjord

  • If you want to travel to the next fjord, the Årdalsfjord, by RIB-Boat, you should book a private tour at FjordSafari. Remember to book well in advance (preferably book the year before) to be sure the RIB-Boat is vacant.
  • You can also go by car or bus to the Årdalsfjord and the other branches in the Sognefjord. Note: There is no Bus-connection to Indre Ofredal, only to Årdalstangen and Seim. From Årdalstangen or Seim to Indre Ofredal, you need to order a Taxi. These are the Bus time tables for Indre Sogn.

Indre Ofredal by the Årdalsfjord – Where to stay

  • A small cafeteria and accommodation in the old restored Boat House at Indre Ofredal, down by the Årdalsfjord.

Adventures in the Årdalsfjord

3) The Lustrafjord and Luster

The UNESCO Protected Urnes Stave Church at Ornes by the Lustrafjord.
The UNESCO Protected Urnes Stave Church at Ornes by the Lustrafjord.

The Lustrafjord and the Luster area is one of the most beautiful spots in Norway, where the fjord meets the top of Norway with it´s numerous mountains and glaciers.

Solvorn is an idyllic village located down by the Lustrafjord. The oldest historical hotel and one of the finest, the Walaker Hotel, is located in the village.

Time has in a way stood still in Solvorn. Many of the original buildings have been preserved and refined.

From Solvorn, you can take the small ferry across the Lustrafjord to Ornes and visit Urnes Stave Church and see the mighty Feigefossen waterfall which reveals itself in the spring. Urnes Stave Church is the oldest of our remaining stave churches in Norway, and is one of four world heritage sites in Western Norway.

Travel to the Lustrafjord

  • If you want to travel to the next fjord, the Lustrafjord, by RIB-Boat, you should book a private tour at FjordSafari in Flåm or Adventure Tours in Skjolden. Remember to book well in advance (preferably book the year before) to be sure the RIB-Boat is vacant.
  • You can also go by car or bus to the Lustrafjord and the other branches in the Sognefjord. Note: There is no Bus-connection from Indre Ofredal, only to Årdalstangen and Seim. From Indre Ofredal to Seim or Årdalstangen, you need to order a Taxi. These are the Bus time tables for Indre Sogn.

The Lustrafjord – Where to stay

Adventures in the Lustrafjord area

4) Fjærlandsfjord and Fjærland

Fjærland is located deep in the Fjærlandsfjord.
Fjærland is located deep in the Fjærlandsfjord.

Fjærland is a picturesque village surrounded by fjord, mountains and glaciers. This place is so beautiful that it is almost unreal. It has it´s own museum, the Norwegian Glacier Museum.

Fjærland is also named The Norwegian Book Town due to all the bookstores in the town. It has a total of 2.5 miles with shelves filled with books, new and used. The smallest bookstore is a book stand by the road. Based on trust, you can pick a book and leave some money in a box.

Fjærland Guiding offers guided tours in Fjærland and on the Fjærlandsfjord. The guided tours starts from the head office of Fjærland Guiding in Mundal in the center of Fjærland. Fjærland Guiding also offers you to experience the Floating Sauna “Dampen” which is situated on the Fjærlandsfjord just outside the center of Fjærland.

Fjærland Fjordstove & Hotel  is a Hotel & Restaurant in a quaint and friendly place by the fjord in Fjærland, a small farming town that comes to life in the summer when visitors from all over the world pass through to walk the glacier, climb the mountains, enjoy the scenery and sift through the book town.

Travel to Fjærland by the Fjærlandsfjord

  • If you want to travel to the next fjord, the Fjærlandsfjord, by RIB-Boat, you should book a private tour at Adventure Tours in Skjolden or Balestrand Fjord Adventures at Balestrand. Remember to book well in advance (preferably book the year before) to be sure the RIB-Boat is vacant.
  • You can also go by car or bus to the Fjærlandsfjord and the other branches in the Sognefjord. These are the Bus time tables for Indre Sogn.

Fjærland by the Fjærlandsfjord – Where to stay

Adventures in Fjærland

5) Balestrand by the Sognefjord

Balestrand by the Sognefjord.
Balestrand by the Sognefjord.

In the middle of the Sognefjord, where the fjord is at its widest and the mountains begin to rise, you will find Balestrand, an idyllic village down by the fjord.

Balestrand is one of the first places visited by foreign tourists when they discovered Norway in the middle of the 19th century.

The magnificent villas from the 18th and 19th centuries, which were built in Dragestil and Swiss style, among them Villa Strandheim, Villa Lorne and Villa Normann, the St. Olaf’s Church and Hotel Kviknes, are reasons enough to visit Balestrand. St. Olaf’s Church was the inspiration for the chapel where Elsa was crowned in Disney’s film Frozen I.

Due to the beautiful nature, the wild mountains and the location down by the fjord, Balestrand became a favorite place among artists and the Norwegian and foreign society from the end of the 19th century until the beginning of the First World War.

Travel to Balestrand by the Sognefjord

  • If you want to travel to the next fjord, to Balestrand by the Sognefjord, by RIB-Boat, you should book a private tour at Balestrand Fjord Adventures at Balestrand. Remember to book well in advance (preferably book the year before) to be sure the RIB-Boat is vacant.
  • You can also go by car or bus to Balestrand and the other branches in the Sognefjord. These are the Bus time tables for Indre Sogn. These are the Bus time tables for Midtre Sogn.

Balestrand by the Sognefjord – Where to stay

Adventures in Balestrand and the Sognefjord

6) Travel to Flåm – back to the starting point of your Fjord Adventure

  • Your Magic Sognefjord Adventure is now coming to an end. If you want to go back to Flåm, where it all started, by RIB-Boat on the Sognefjord, you should book a private tour at Balestrand Fjord Adventures at Balestrand or at Fjord Safari in Flåm.
  • Remember to book well in advance (preferably book the year before) to be sure the RIB-Boat is vacant.
  • You can also go by car or bus back to Flåm. These are the Bus time tables for Indre Sogn. These are the Bus time tables for Midtre Sogn.

The Sognefjord – the King of the Fjords

On this adventure, you will see the best of what Norway and the fjords can offer. Travelling between these fine hotels, on the Sognefjord and it´s branches, is probably the main attraction in itself.

Season: Summer. This also depends on whether the roads closed in winter are open.

IMPORTANT! The weather can change dramatically in the fjords and mountains in Norway. This is why you have to follow the Norwegian Mountain Code when exploring the Norwegian fjords and Mountains. It can change from summer and sunny weather to winter and frost in minutes, and you should bring clothes and shoes for all kind of weather. Because in Norway and the fjords you can experience all four seasons in one day.

Tailormade Magic Sognefjord Holiday with Amazing Fjords

 

Here you will find an overview of recommended HOTELS in addition to SPA & BATH HOTELS and OTHER ACCOMMODATION PLACES in Western Norway. The combination of beautiful nature, activities that you can do in all four seasons and a stay at a great accommodation is unique. A stay in one of these places will do you good, both for body and mind.

There are ten restaurants that have awarded Michelin stars and Michelin awards in Western Norway. Eight of the Michelin restaurants are in Stavanger and two in Bergen. Here you will find FJORDS MICHELIN, where you will also find a list of recommended hotels in Western Norway, recommended by Michelin.

USEFUL LINKS is a list of websites with great information on Norway and the Fjords. FAQ is an overview of articles that answer the most common questions you have when planning to visit the fjords in Western Norway.

Magic Sognefjord – Map Overview