The 15 best things to do in Norway

Norway is a country that has it all: a unique mix of nature, food, and architecture. You have to visit it at least once in your life.  

It really exceeded our expectations when we did a road trip. Norway offers a wealth of great things to do, and I am going to tell you about them. It’s a nice combination of the must-dos when in Norway, but also some less standard ones. They are mostly located in the Southern part of Norway, except for a few.  

Walk on a glacier 

There are approximately 2500 glaciers in Norway, so if you want to do a glacier walk, there are more than enough opportunities. The biggest glacier in Norway and Europe is the Jostedalsbreen glacier, and it has many branches, like the Nigardsbreen. This one is the most accessible branch, and it is also the one we visited for a glacier walk. Walking on a glacier has something magical, knowing that you are standing on ice millions of years old.

 

Briksdalsbreen glacier is another arm of the Jostedalsbreen glacier. Starting from the Briksdalsbreen Mountain Lodge, you can take a 3km hike towards the glacier lake. You can’t walk on the glacier, but just admire its beauty. 

Located close to Bergen, you can find Folgefonna, the third-largest glacier in Norway. It is located on the southern shore of the Hardangerfjord, making it a maritime glacier. It is perfect to combine with the epic Trolltunga hike, which is located close by. 

Close to Odda, you can find the Buarbreen glacier, one of the smaller glaciers in Norway.

Cruise on a fjord 

The Geirangerfjord is one of the most famous fjords in Norway and is also on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The fjord has different waterfalls that can be admired from a cruise. You can choose between a cruise on a normal boat or in a RIB boat.

If you stay in Stavanger, you can also take a boat tour on the Lysefjord to the famous Preikestolen. 

Hike up to Preikestolen 

One of the most famous hikes in Norway is the hike to Preikestolen. This 8km round-trip hike takes you to the spectacular Preikestolen for an amazing view over the Lysefjord. It is a bit of a climb, so a good physical condition is necessary.  

During summer months and weekends, it is advisable to start the hike early (preferably before 8 am) as the hike is very popular with people from cruise ships. We started the hike around 6:30 am in June and still had to wait in line at the top for a picture. When we were going back down, a lot of people were coming up.  

There is a parking lot, toilets, and a cafeteria at the start of the hike. The parking fee is 275NOK for more than 2 hours: you have to pay after the hike. I wrote a detailed hiking guide for Preikestolen.

 

Hike Trolltunga 

Another famous hike, which is not for everyone, though, is Trolltunga. The Troll’s tongue is one of the famous photo spots of Norway, and it can be very busy on beautiful days and on weekends in the summer. It is a strenuous hike of 10 km one way: not very difficult, but long. It takes between 7 and 11 hours to finish, depending on your speed. So it is advised to start before 8 am (in summer, you can start a little later). You can do the hike on your own from June until September, as long as there is no snow. But if you are not sure or you want to hike when there can be snow, you can always book a guided tour. 

 

Feeling more adventurous? There is also a Via Ferrata at Trolltunga that can be climbed with a guided tour.

If you are going to hike Trolltunga, be prepared for all weather, as the weather can change very quickly in the mountains. And take plenty of food and water for a whole day. There are points along the way where you can refill your water bottles if necessary. It’s a good idea to reserve two days for the hike so you can pick the best day to do it. We had rain the entire 8,5 hours of the hike, but the advantage was that we didn’t have to wait in line for our picture. When you do have to wait in line, it’s the perfect time to eat your lunch. You can read more about the Trolltunga hike in this blogpost.

There are 3 parking areas at Trolltunga. The best way is to park at P2 and take the shuttle up to P3 to start the hike. The price is NOK500 for one day parking (this includes the road toll), and you have to pay before the hike. You can buy tickets for the shuttle online, but there are also tickets for sale at P2 (NOK150 one way). It’s also a possibility to park directly at P3, but there are only 30 spaces, and they have to be booked ahead of time. You can find all the information about parking here.

If you want to experience a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you can book a glamping spot at the top of Trolltunga.

Get a thrill on the zipline in Flam

Flam is home to one of the steepest train rides in Europe through beautiful landscapes. Along the way, the train makes a few stops, one of them being at Kjosfossen. This waterfall is 225 meters high and flows into the tunnel under the railway line.  

You can take the train all the way up and down, or you can go down in different ways. One of them is with the zipline. You get off the train at Vatnahalsen, the second-highest stop on the railway, and from there you take the longest zipline in the Nordic region to Kardal. From there, you can walk down to Flam or rent a bike. The train ride, zipline, and bike rental are a very popular package that can be booked beforehand.

 

Learn more about the Norwegian oil industry in Stavanger 

Norway has a long history in the oil industry, and you can learn about it at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger. It’s a very interactive museum where you learn more about the history, but also how oil is being extracted and the future of oil and renewable energy.   

 

Admire the stunning viewpoint at Snohetta 

There are a lot of stunning viewpoints in Norway, but the most beautiful one is Snohetta (or Tverrfjellhytta in Norwegian). It’s located on the outskirts of the Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park overlooking the Snohetta mountain.  It’s a beautiful wooden exterior and interior, giving a nice view over the landscape. From the parking area, it’s a 1.5 km hiking trail to the viewpoint. 

 

 

Plan your trip to Norway like a pro

✈️ Book your cheap flights to Norway on Skyscanner
🏨 Reserve a hotel, apartment, or holiday home at Booking.com
🚕 Need a transfer from the airport? Use Welcome Pickups or download the Bolt or Uber app
🛜 Use Airalo eSIM to avoid roaming fees. Use SHARON9895 to get €3
📺 Use NordVPN to keep watching your favorite programs or movies on the go
🚗 Need to rent a car? Use DiscoverCars or Local Rent
💳 Use Wise to pay in Norway at the real exchange rate and avoid expensive foreign card fees
🎟️ Pre-book tours, entrance tickets, and activities via Viator or GetYourGuide
🏥 Get travel insurance at World Nomads or Safety Wing

 

Visit the Viking village of Gudvangen 

Gudvangen was an important place during the Viking Age. In the Viking Village Njardarheimr, you will see how the Vikings lived about 1000 years ago. It’s a fun place to interact with “real” Vikings: go on a guided tour of the Village, go axe-throwing, do archery, and see how handy you are.  You can enjoy home-cooked Norwegian food at the Viking diner. More information can be found here.  

Drive through the longest tunnel in the world 

The Laerdalstunnel is the longest road tunnel in the world. It is 24.5km long and situated between Laerdal and Aurland. Every 6 km, the area is widened and fitted with special blue lighting to keep drivers awake and alert.  

It was built to enable car travel between Oslo and Bergen with no ferry and no difficult mountain crossings during winter.  

 

Roam the streets of Bergen 

Bergen truly is a great city to visit; it is small enough to just be able to wander around the little streets, has amazing food, and some iconic views. It is also beautifully located, surrounded by 7 mountains and close to the Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord. 

All tips for visiting Bergen can be found here.  

 

Visit stave churches 

A stave church is a wooden Christian church that was once common in North-Western Europe. Most of the surviving stave churches can be found in Norway. It’s amazing to see how people used the natural forms of wood to build the churches. The outside of a stave church is still preserved like in the old days: it is coated with a tar-like substance made from pine resin. The amount of detail carved in the wood is also breathtaking.  

From the outside, these churches appear large, but once inside, you see that there is only room for a small number of people. 

The most famous and best-preserved stave church is the Borgund Stave Church in Laerdal. You can admire the church from the parking area, but if you want to visit the Church and grounds themselves and the museum, you will need to buy tickets.  

Another beautiful stave church to visit is the one in Lom: one of the oldest and largest. It still serves as the main church for the village of Lom. If you are lucky, there is a guided tour to learn more about the building of the church and its history. 

 

Drive on the Atlantic Ocean Road 

The Atlantic Ocean Road is an 8.3km County Road that connects multiple islands to the mainland via 8 bridges. It offers dramatic views and some very famous bridges. Driving the entire route doesn’t take long: about 30 minutes, but you can stop multiple times along the way. 

There are also nearby pieces of the Atlantic Wall that can be visited, and some short hikes. 

 

Watch the Northern lights 

In Norway, you can see the Northern Lights in Northern Norway between late September and early April. The peak season with the highest chances is from November to February. The most popular destinations are the Lofoten Islands and the city of Tromso.  

Some tips if you want to see the Northern Lights:  

• Get away from city lights 

• Use the Northern Lights App to get notifications and check the local forecast 

• Get dressed warmly: be prepared for cold weather 

You can book a Northern Light Safari, but remember there is no guarantee you will see the Northern Lights.  

Experience the midnight sun 

During the summer months, you can experience the midnight sun: the sun remains visible for 24 hours a day. The key locations in Norway to experience this are Tromso and the Lofoten Islands. But also in the southern parts of Norway, you can experience very long days during the summer months (from June to September). 

This gives you plenty of time to explore and go hiking. Instead of leaving early for a hike, you can start late.  

Go whale watching 

You can go whale watching in Northern Norway all around. You can expect to see sperm whales and orcas, and humpback whales in winter. The best way to get a close look is to go on a whale-watching tour. During a tour, you will not only get a chance to see whales but also learn more about them and the ecosystem. 

Although the chances are high of seeing whales, remember that there is always a chance that you won’t see them. But a lot of the tours offer a 100% whale guarantee, where they offer a new trip in the case you don’t see any whales.  

 

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