When I was planning my trip to Norway, I didn’t realize just how BIG it is. I’ve traveled around Europe plenty of times, and one of my favorite parts of the continent is how little time it takes to get from country to country. So I thought the same would go for Norway….but I was dead WRONG. Did you know it takes at least 6 hours to take the famous railroad from the western to the eastern border of Norway? And that’s the short side…don’t even get me started on lengthwise.
With only 5 days in Norway, I was super limited in what we could or couldn’t tackle. But it’s me, so that didn’t stop me from trying! This 5 (technically 4)-day Norwegian fjordlands itinerary takes you from Oslo northwest around the famous Norwegian fjords for a few days before coming back down.
⚠️ This itinerary will NOT take you through southwestern Norway. So if you are looking for a classic guide that hits Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), Trolltunga, and Geiranger, you’ll be disappointed. This is my custom guide that only hits one of the three (Geiranger), but makes up for it in less driving time and more hidden gems.
When is the best time of year to visit the fjords?
Some guides may say there is no “best time” to visit. I disagree. While of course Norway is beautiful in every season, the fjords become famously rainy in the fall and only more so as the season goes on.
May to September is my personal recommendation for when to visit Norway. If you visit in the summer, you can witness the famous midnight sun—aka, nearly 24 hours of complete daytime (and it only gets more evident the further north you go). However, you’ll also have to deal with the tourists and crowds.
I think shoulder season is the best time to visit (May or September). The temperatures are still relatively mild compared to winter, but most of the touristic crowd will be gone. I visited in late September and I would say that is the latest you should visit. We had forecasted rain every day on the trip, but got lucky and only had a brief drizzle for part of 2 days.
You will almost certainly not see the northern lights this far south, so don’t try to plan your trip around aurora season. Save that for a trip further north!
How should I travel around Norway?
Driving in Norway is the best way to get around and see all the hidden gems. While Norway and most of Scandinavia have an excellent transit system by both train and bus, a car gives you much more flexibility. If you want to rent a car in Norway but aren’t sure of the requirements for driving in a foreign country, check out my article Everything You Need to Know About Driving in Norway.
Day 0 (Arrival & Oslo)
After landing in Oslo, you can spend the rest of the day here before heading out to the fjords the next morning. Personally, I didn’t find Oslo that interesting of a city, especially compared to the other Scandinavian countries. This was totally fine because I flew in the late afternoon and only had time to eat dinner before heading out the next day!
If you’re following a similar schedule to me and only have one dinner to eat in Oslo, it has to be Xef. This contemporary Spanish restaurant features an absurdly well-priced tasting menu, and each course is better than the last! I am picky about fine dining restaurants, but Xef was so approachable and fun. They only opened in 2021 and are gunning for a Michelin star next year, so make sure you go before they get too popular!
Day 1 (Stryn & Loen)
It’s time for the main event: the fjords! First thing in the morning, pick up your car. While what comes next is a long drive, it’s also a scenic one, so feel free to take your time and enjoy the ride along the way. It’s about 5 hours to the tiny town of Hjelle, which barely qualifies as a town because it’s so small. It’s also situated on the gorgeous Oppstrynvatnet, one of Norway’s most beautiful lakes. Take a moment to stretch your legs and look at the incredibly blue water.
On a still and clear day, you can see the beautiful glacier Jostedalsbreen reflected mirror-like on the surface of the lake. Unfortunately, it was drizzling a tiny bit while we were there, which spoiled the reflections. However, it still looks gorgeous! In my opinion, the best spot in Hjelle is directly next to the Hjelle Hotel, which has the cutest tiny dock and this adorable red boat.
After spending a few minutes to appreciate Hjelle and your first taste of Norway, head to your hotel. We stayed at the Stryn Hotel, which was perfectly situated on the Stryn River and in the middle of town. It’s very reasonably priced, has a lovely view, and has the most amazing (free!) breakfast and bangin’ dinner service for an extra fee.
Before the sun goes down, head out to Breng Seter for your first glimpse into traditional Norwegian culture and some amazing views in the municipality of Loen. The general Stryn-Loen area was actually my favorite on the entire trip. The lakes are gorgeous, and mountains are stunning, and there are very few people at this time of year. During our entire stay here, we only saw maybe a total of ten people, and they were all local Norwegians. I don’t think I interacted with a single other tourist!
Breng Seter is one of my favorite examples of torvtak, the traditional Norwegian grass roof houses. Sod is placed on top of the birch wood houses to help compress the wood of the house to become more waterproof, stabilize the structure, and provide insulation. Plus, then the roof sprouts beautiful green grass!
After the sun goes down, it’s time to head home. Enjoy your dinner and sleep early for the next day!
Day 2 (Stryn & Loen)
Today is the first and only full day in Stryn and Loen, but you won’t be disappointed. Breathtaking views and wonderful hikes await, and the best part? You don’t have to share them with anyone.
The first activity of the morning is to hike to the top of Segestad. Segestad is a general hiking area, but the hike you’re looking for is the somewhat steep upward climb to the top of a grass-covered cliff with an abandoned farm. The trail is short but quite steep at more than 300 meters of elevation gain. Allow an hour to climb up.
At the top, you’ll find abandoned barns and some very cute sheep. You are allowed to enter and explore the properties, and they even have signage explaining how this place used to operate. The view is also fantastic, looking over the entire lake with majestic mountains in the background.
After descending from Segestad, you can wander around Loen and the neighboring town of Olden. There are so many cute spots and beautiful lakes to admire here. Keep heading away from Loen and towards the Briskdalsbreen glacier.
Along the way, you can stop at Yrineset, a charming rest stop with a coffee truck, more grass houses, and some photo ops. You drive closer and closer to Briksdalsbreen, and if you wish, you can drive to the bottom of the glacier or even hike up!
Want to see more stunning natural landscapes and glaciers that look like another planet? Maybe you should consider going to Iceland! It’s seriously one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to.
This is the furthest we’ll venture from Loen. In the late afternoon or early evening, head out to Rakssetra. This group of grass houses on a cliff is perhaps Norway’s most famous torvtak destination. Indeed, the view from the top is gorgeous, overlooking endless mountain peaks, fjords, and tiny towns nestled below!
Rakssetra is a 1-hour steep and often muddy hike (it definitely was when we were here). You’ll have to park at Oppheim and hike up. It’s 70kr for parking, but well worth it. I mean, just look at these views!
An optional replacement (or addition) is the Loen Skylift. I saw this mentioned on several Norway guides when I was researching! The skylift takes you slightly higher than Rakssetra but has essentially the same view, but obviously, no hike is required. Prices change based on the season, so check out their opening hours and ticket prices here.
Day 3 (Geirangerfjord)
Early in the morning before you head out for the famous fjords in Geiranger, take a stop at the Loen Visitor Center. It won’t be open, but there’s a lovely dock behind it. On a clear day, you’ll get stunning reflections in Lovatnet. Or if it’s cloudy like it was for me, you’ll be shrouded in magical mist.
On the way out of Loen, you’ll find yourself driving up a winding mountain road with excellent views of the valley below. This road is Gamle Strynefjellsvegen, and you can drive up and briefly stop to marvel at the sweeping panoramic views.
Once you’ve arrived in Geiranger, the first stop to hit is Flydalsjuvet. This set of viewing platforms overlooks the incredible Geirangerfjord, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Norway. You can check out both the upper and lower viewing platforms, or go hunting for a secret viewpoint free of crowds.
Next, it’s time to descend into Geiranger valley. I’m not a fan of crowds, but we stopped at Brasserie Posten to eat lunch. It’s surprisingly good for such a touristic area! We got the seafood soup (fantastic) and the duck and chanterelle salad (also fantastic).
Because Geiranger is nestled between huge mountains, it gets dark in the valley quickly. We went for one last hike at Vesterasfjellet to see some mountain goats and sheep! The trail is incredibly muddy, but the sheep are so cute and very friendly.
After spending the day in Geiranger, take the car ferry to Åndalsnes. This will be our starting point for tomorrow.
❣️ OPTIONAL: Skagefla is one of Geiranger’s most famous and beautiful hikes. We didn’t have time to do it on this trip as it requires its own ferry trip and takes a good few hours. However, the views are breathtaking! If you have an extra half day in Geiranger, I definitely recommend it.
Day 4 (Åndalsnes)
Åndalsnes brings us back to the non-touristy side of the western fjords. First thing in the morning, head out to Rampestreken. This will probably be the toughest hike on the trip, but it’s still not too bad. The entire hike is an hour and a half’s upward climb of about 500 meters. At the top is a metal ledge with incredible 360-degree views of the entire valley below!
If you’re not the athletic type, you can also take the cable car up, but it only starts running at 11 AM. You’ll have to hike slightly down from the cable car station at the top of the mountain (called Nesaksla) to reach the Rampestreken ledge. Alternatively, you can also hike up from Rampestreken if you want to take the car back down.
Trollstigen, or the Troll’s Path, is a famously windy road in Norway that has served as an old mountain pass between Åndalsnes and Sunnmøre. It became a popular tourist attraction in 1936 and has remained very popular ever since due to its stunning views, dramatic hairpin turns, and insane elevation changes.
There are three different viewing platforms at the top of Trollstigen, but I personally find the furthest one the most beautiful. It opens your view up to the entire valley with no blockage, and it’s truly gorgeous.
Feel free to spend plenty of time at Trollstigen. It can get crowded due to its popularity. In the late afternoon, you can head back down and out to the lesser-known trail Litlefjellet. Let me tell you, I did not originally have Litlefjellet on my list of to-do’s but am SO glad that I discovered it and went hiking solo.
Litlefjellet is a very short but fairly steep hike. It takes only about 20 minutes to hike to the top but has an elevation gain of around 140 meters. However, this little hike has incredible views all around. From the beautiful valley that is the trailhead to the fantastic views of the mountains from the top, the reward here is insane for very little effort. I won’t take any more time to describe Litlefjellet as you can easily see below for yourself why it became possibly my favorite hike on the entire trip.
Litlefjellet is striking for several reasons. First, it is situated right across from Trollveggen, the Troll Wall. Trollveggen is one of the most dramatic cliff faces in Norway. You can also see a gorgeous green valley, the popular climbing peak Romsdalshornet, and some beautiful mirror-like lakes. Feel free to catch the incredible sunset (you won’t regret it) before making the quick descent back towards home.
Day 5 (Return to Oslo…with a detour!)
Because the drive to Oslo takes so long from this region of Norway, today is primarily a driving day. However, there is one stop located conveniently on the way that you won’t want to miss!
Christian Gaard is a tiny pub in a remote area of the western fjords that became incredibly popular on Instagram due to its gorgeous swing that overlooks the water. Of course, I had it on my list of places to go, but it’s quite hard to reach. The village of Trandal can only be reached either by boat (car ferry or shuttle boat) or on foot over the mountains (not really recommended). Also, unlike some of the more popular car ferry routes in Norway, this one only operates a couple of times a day. Suffice it to say, we did not have enough time to spend a half or whole day just to go to Christian Gaard.
Naturally, I was bummed. But, I was able to find another incredible hidden swing with a view! Located at the top of Balbergkampen in Lillehammer, you’ll find a little-known swing with a stunning view of its very own.
To be honest, there wasn’t great signage or trail information for Balbergkampen. This is partially because there are so many routes to the top, so it’s hard to say where to go or which path to take to ascend. We tried a few backcountry roads that our car couldn’t really take and ended up parking in the woods and wandering up from there. (Also not recommended.) Don’t worry, there are plenty of marked trailheads—we just somehow missed all of them!
Depending on where you start and which route to take to climb up, Balbergkampen sits at about 2 miles and takes 40 minutes to an hour to reach. The hike is, again, pretty much all uphill, but isn’t as drastic as the last two hikes. In fact, it took much less time and effort than I was expecting. And the views were just lovely! The swing is easy to miss if you aren’t looking specifically for it, but you’ll find it without too much effort.
After retracing your steps, you can hop back in the car and return to Oslo. We actually ended up returning with a lot more time than we anticipated, so we went for a nice bowl of hot ramen at Koie. I did not have high expectations for ramen in Europe (traumatized too many times in Spain and France!), but Koie was absolutely delicious. And I live in New York, so you know I have standards for my ramen!
Don’t forget to return your car on time, and then it’s time to depart Norway. I dearly wish I had more time to spend here, and I will certainly be back to tackle the Northern Lights and the rest of southern Norway on separate dedicated trips. I hope you enjoyed the incredible mountains, lakes, and fjords as much as I did.
Now for me, it’s time to head to Stockholm, Sweden! Whether you’re headed to another city or country next or just back home, I hope Norway was as amazing for you as it was for me.
Did you find this post helpful? Please consider pinning it on Pinterest with the buttons below, or following me on Instagram!
