Flåm is one of several fjord villages located by the Aurlandsfjord. The Aurlandsfjord is a 29 kilometer long branch of the Sognefjord.
At Mt Beitelen, 11 kilometers from where the Aurlandsfjord starts, the Aurlandsfjord devides into two fjords; the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord. The Aurlandsfjord continues 18 kilometers inwards to Flåm where it ends.
Visit Sognefjord
Visit Sognefjord is the official destination company for the Sognefjord area.
Accommodation in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
Overview of where you can spend the night in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord.
Flåm
Flåm is a perfect starting point for many great adventures in beautiful and wild nature. Where the Aurlandsfjord ends, the Flåmsdalen Valley starts. If the Aurlandsfjord is an adventure, the Flåmsdalen Valley is an even more beautiful adventure, and both should be experienced.
It is easy to travel to Flåm. “All roads” leads to Flåm, and you can also get there by train via the Bergen Line and Flåm Railway. If you take the Flåm Railway down to Flåm, you will experience the beautiful Flåmsdalen Valley at the same time.
You can see and do a lot with Flåm as a starting point. In Flåm there are many places to eat and sleep. It is also a short distance to other beautiful fjords where you can visit idyllic fjord villages and experience beautiful and dramatic nature.
The Aulandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
The Aurlandsfjord is a 29 kilometer long branch of the 204 kilometer long Sognefjord. Along the Aurlandsfjord we have the villages Undredal, Aurland and Flåm. At Mt Beitelen, 11 kilometers from where the Aurlandsfjord starts, the Aurlandsfjord devides into two fjords; the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord.
The Nærøyfjord is a 17 kilometer long branch of the Aurlandsfjord and was in 2005 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The landscape on and around the Nærøyfjord is considered to be one of the most scenic fjord areas on earth, and was added to the list due to its unique natural quality and beauty.
Fjord Cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
Here you will experience the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord (UNESCO World Heritage) in a fjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen. Numerous wild and beautiful waterfalls and rivers characterize the landscape, crossing the rugged mountains and deciduous and coniferous forests on their way down to the fjords. Beautiful villages with a sustained cultivated landscape with remainders of old farms and mountain pastures and unique cultural monuments gives a extra dimension to the dramatic natural landscape. Season: all year.
Flåm Railway
Flåm Railway is one of the most scenic railways in the world. This is the train journey from fjord to mountain. Flåm Railway starts at Flåm and ends at Myrdal Station which is part of the Bergen Railway. Season: all year.
Fjord Safari on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
FjordSafari offer fjord excursions where you explore the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord. The excursions can be done all year round. The area represents extreme, dramatic and stunning fjord scenery. Season: all year.
Fjordsplorer – Rent an Electric Bike
Rent an electric bicycle and explore the area around Aurland and Flåm from the seat of a bicycle. There are two stations you can rent bikes from, one station in Aurland and one in Flåm. There are options for both charging and renting bicycles at these stations. From an electric bicycle you come into close contact with nature in a sustainable way.
Flåm Valley
The Flåm Valley is a beautiful small adventure. The valley between Myrdal (866.8 masl) and Flåm by the Aurlandsfjord is 18 kilometer long. The valley is narrow and the mountains are steep, and there are waterfalls and rivers wherever you turn around. Flåm Valley is a great place for hiking and biking. Flåm Zipline sends you off at over 100 kilometers per hour, you are just hanging in a thin steel wire high above the valley. Rallarvegen ends in the Flåm Valley, and you can take the train up and down the Flåm Valley with Flåm Railway. Brekkefossen Waterfall is a popular hiking goal in the Flåm Valley.
Flåm Zipline – The longest zipline in Norway
Take the Flåm Railway from Flåm to Vatnahalsen Station or Bergensbanen Railway from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal Station. From Vatnahalsen it is only a couple of minutes to walk to Flåm Zipline. From Myrdal Station it is 1.5 kilometers to walk. When you have finished the zipline, you can rent a bike and cycle down the Flåmsdalen Valley to Flåm. Remember to book everything in advance (package with train, zipline and bike rental).
An autumn trip to Flåm by the Aurlandsfjord
One evening in October, I boarded the train at Oslo Central Station. I was going to take the train along Bergen Railway to Myrdal. Finally, I was going to experience the Flåmsdalen valley, the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord in autumn colours again. It had been far too long since the last time.
I joined a fjord cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord. Never have I seen these fjords more beautiful than this day. Here are some words that I got from a tourist who was on the same boat trip. He posted the comment on a timelapse video I made from that fjord cruise:
– My girlfriend and I were on this cruise that day and it was truly a magical morning. The water was like glass and the rising sun kept changing the mountain views all around us as we silently glided through the fjord.
Guided Kayak Trips on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
The Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord are great to explore from a kayak. You can join guided kayak-trips both in Flåm at the inner part of the Aurlandsfjord and in Gudvangen at the inner part of the Nærøyfjord.
- Guided Kayak trips on the Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord – Start from Gudvangen
- Guided Kayak trips on the Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord – Start from Flåm
NOTE – For safety reasons, we recommend you to join a guided kayak trip if you are going to paddle kayak on the fjords. Here are some good advices on how you can be safer when kayaking on the fjords and during other activities and when traveling in Norway and Western Norway in general.
Season Kayak: Summer, check with the guide companies when they offer guiding. Seasons mentioned on this website are approximately dates.
Fjord Sauna on the fjord outside Flåm
Enjoy the heat in a sauna on the Aurlandsfjord and jump into the fresh water in the Aurlandsfjord. FJORD SAUNA is a floating sauna that is heated with electricity when it is at the quay and with wood when it is out on the fjord.
Season Floating Sauna: All year
Cycling Rallarvegen from mountain to fjord
One of the finest and most popular cycle roads in Norway is the 82-kilometer long Rallarvegen (the Navvie`s Road) running from the high mountains to the fjord. The most popular part of the cycle route is from Finse, at 1222 masl, to Flåm down by the Aurlandsfjord.
Otternes farmyard between Aurland and Flåm
Otternes farmyard is a cluster of 27 old buildings from the 1700s. The view towards the Aurlandsfjord and to Flåm from the farmyard is fantastic. Look south and you see the innermost part of the Aurlandsfjord towards Flåm. In the other direction you will see out the Aurlandsfjord towards the mountains which encircle Aurland.
Stegastein Viewpoint above the Aurlandsfjord
Stegastein Viewpoint is part of the Aurlandsfjellet National Tourist Route, 650 meters above Aurland and the Aurlandsfjord. Great view from the viewpoint towards the Aurlandsfjord and the surrounding mountains. Stegastein Viewpoint is a wooden platform, made of of glulam, which juts 30 meters out from the mountainside by the Aurlandsfjellet National Tourist Route. The panorama-view, 650 meters above Aurland and the Aurlandsfjord, is one of the best views in the fjords.
At Flåm you can rent a small electric car, and you can experience Stegastein Viewpoint and the area around Flåm and Aurland. The electric car is an urban two-seater which is fun and easy to drive, and the GPS-guide will supply you with loads of interesting things along the way. Season: Summer, check Norway´s Best website.
You can also join a sightseeing bus from Flåm to Stegastein Viewpoint. Departures at Flåm and Aurland. The tour will take one to two hours.
Guided hike to Rimstigen above the Nærøyfjord
The Hike from Tufto by the Nærøyfjord to Rimstigen Viewpoint is very steep. The two kilometer long Rimstigen Trail starts down by the fjord and ends 725 meters above it. A guided hike up to Rimstigen and back will take you around seven hours, and the prize is a fantastic view of the UNESCO Protected Nærøyfjord. A private guide will be with you and a light meal will be served in amazing surroundings. The guided hike includes transportation from Voss, Gudvangen or Flåm to where the hike starts.
Undredal Fjord Village
The fjord village Undredal is a beautiful small village down by the Aurlandsfjord. The village is famous for the many goats and it´s local made White- and Brown Goat Cheese. You can visit Undredal Stave Church, Norway´s smallest church. Enjoy the view towards the Aurlandsfjord from the local restaurant by the pier. Undredal, with the surrounding steep mountains rising straight up from the fjord, will take your breath away.
FjordSafari – Activities in Flåm and the surrounding area
FjordSafari arranges guided tours from Flåm all year round. BOAT HIKE BIKE SNOW is their slogan and they give you experiences that you will remember for the rest of your life. Season: all year.
Winter Fjord Cruise from Flåm
It is easy to understand why more and more people discover how beautiful and exotic the Norwegian Fjords are during winter. The fjords is a great playground for those who want to ski, go snow-shoe hiking, take a winter-cruise or join a RIB-boat on the fjords or just take in the cold, crispy air and enjoy the beautiful winter-landscape.
On the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, you can do a Fjord Cruise all year round, and it is possible to experience it from Oslo or Bergen, in one day.
Eat and drink in Flåm
Sights, experiences and activities are not the same without good food and drinks. We recommend these places to eat and drink in Flåm. Video by Flåmsbrygga.
Flåm Bakery on the pier has a large selection of fresh baked goods, great coffee and homemade take away pizza.
Ægir Restaurant is located on Flåmsbrygga. They serve first-class food. Here you can eat and drink like a Viking.
Flåm Marina is located only a few minutes walk along shoreline from the Flåm Railway station. At Flåm Marina you can enjoy your meal with the best Fjord View there is.
Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord – What to See and Do
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 that are also included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Join a fjord safari or a fjord cruise. See the fantastic view from Stegastein viewpoint and taste the local goat cheese in Undredal. Visit the Viking village Njardarheimr in Gudvangen and experience the history and culture of the Viking Age. Flåm Railway is the train journey from fjord to mountain, perhaps the most beautiful train journey in the world. Combine this train journey with cycling along Rallarvegen which goes from the high mountains via Flåmsdalen Valley to Flåm. Aurlandsdalen Valley is one of Norway’s most popular hikes. The Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord are both part of the 204 kilometer long Sognefjord which is located in the northern part of the county of Vestland, in the middle of Western Norway.
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.
How to travel to the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
It is easy to travel to Flåm and Aurland, the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord. Almost “all roads” go to Flåm and Aurland, and you can also travel there by train, bus and boat. It is only a short distance between the two neighboring villages of Flåm and Aurland.
You can start this fjord adventure by train from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal station. Then you get to experience the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen and Flåm Railway, one of Norway’s most spectacular railway lines, from Myrdal station to Flåm, which is located down by the Aurlandsfjord. If you take Flåm Railway, you get to experience the beautiful Flåmsdalen valley at the same time.
There are several daily bus departures between Oslo/Bergen and Flåm.
The nearest airport is Sogndal Airport at Haukåsen near Kaupanger. Most flights that go to and from Sogndal Airport come from and go to Oslo and Bergen. From the airport to Flåm, it is 70 kilometers by road, including a wonderful crossing of the Sognefjord by ferry.
FJORDS – Accommodation in Western Norway
Great Hotels in the Fjords of Norway
Bath and Spa Hotels in the Fjords of Norway
Fjords Living – Special Accommodation in the Fjords of Norway
FJORDS – Useful Links
Go Fjords – Big and Small Fjord Experiences
Visit Norway – Official page for Norway
Fjord Norway – Official page for Fjord Norway