Northern Europe

Norwegian Fjords

Sheer cliffs, waterfalls, and glassy fjords along Norway’s dramatic coastline.

Overview

Sailing the Norwegian Fjords

Few itineraries deliver scenery like sailing into Geirangerfjord, waterfalls dropping straight into the water on either side of the ship. Norway rewards a slower pace. Smaller ships can reach further into the fjords, and midsummer sailings come with nearly round-the-clock daylight for deck time.

Best time to sail: May – September

Norwegian Fjords

Where to Sail

The routes within the Norwegian Fjords

Norway by ship comes in two very different lengths. Here’s the difference.

Classic Fjords

The most-sailed Norway route: a round-trip 7–10 nights built around the two most photographed fjords in the country.

BergenGeirangerfjordFlåmStavangerÅlesund

Arctic Norway & North Cape

A longer, more remote sailing that continues past the Arctic Circle. Midnight sun in summer, aurora in winter, and far fewer other ships around.

TromsøNorth Cape (Nordkapp)BergenGeirangerfjordsometimes Svalbard

Did You Know

Why the Norwegian Fjords is worth it

1Geirangerfjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its Seven Sisters waterfall drops over 800 feet in seven separate streams, visible right from the ship's deck.
2The Flåm Railway is one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world, climbing nearly 2,800 feet over about 12 miles of track, and it's a popular add-on excursion from the fjords.
3Bergen is Norway's rainiest city, with rain falling roughly 240 days a year. Locals joke that umbrellas are a waste of money since the wind just turns them inside out.
4On Arctic Norway sailings in midsummer, the sun barely dips below the horizon, day blends into night for weeks at a stretch above the Arctic Circle.

A Closer Look

What the Norwegian Fjords actually looks like

The Seven Sisters, Geirangerfjord

The Seven Sisters, Geirangerfjord

Seven separate streams dropping over 800 feet into the fjord, visible right from the ship as it sails in.

Bryggen, Bergen

Bryggen, Bergen

The old Hanseatic wharf, its wooden facades leaning at odd angles after 900 years, a short walk from where ships dock.

The Flåm Valley

The Flåm Valley

The view from the Flåm Railway on its climb through the valley, one of the steepest train rides in the world.

Photos: W. Bulach, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · JoachimKohler-HB, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Andrew Bowden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

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