Where to Stay in Geiranger, from a Tour Leader’s Perspective
Choose the best place to stay in Geiranger based on my experience!
The Hidden North
North European travel guide
Population 250 / 62.1 degrees north
Geiranger, Norway
Located at the end of the Geirangerfjord, Geiranger is one of the most special villages in all of Norway. Since 2005, the Geirangerfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
About Geiranger
Latitude: 62.1 degrees north
Population: 250
Stranda Municipality
In this Travel Guide...
Map of Geiranger
Things to See & Do
Here’s an overview of some of the best things to see and do in Geiranger
Church
Geiranger Church
The present Geiranger church is from 1842. It is an octagonal timber construction with seating for 200. The first church in Geiranger was believed to be built in 1450. It was not a ‘pure’ stave church.
Museum
Norsk Fjordsenter
The Norwegian Fjord Centre puts the Geiranger area into context, with exhibitions covering avalanches, floods, the building of early roads and the rise of tourism.
The museum is a steep 10-minute walk uphill from the waterfront.
The museum has sections on the region’s history from communications and transportation through to the fjord farms and the evolution of tourism. Perhaps the most interesting display examines the problems of avalanches.
The Norwegian Fjord Centree is a visitors centre and interactive museum dedicated to the culture and history of the Norwegian fjords. Here, you can learn more about the geography and landscapes of Western Norway, and about what life has been like along the fjords throughout the years. In their icnema roo, you can enjoy a video dedicated to the specatacular fjord scenery that will turly take your breath away.
Hikes, Day Trips & Experiences
Looking to go for a hike or take part in a unique experience? Here are my recommendations!
Historic Sites
Historic Farms
There are a number of historic farms that are only accessible by hike. At the farm Vinje there are burial mounds from the Viking Age, and the oldest farm in Gudvangen is Gjorva.
Viewpoint
Flydalsjuvet
Flydalsjuvet is located about 5km up the hill. It has an excellent view of the fjord and valley. Parking is free but expect it to be quite busy in the summer months. Flydalsjuvet is an overhanging rock high above the fjord. To get there, drive up the main road through Geiranger and look out for the sign after about 5km (3 mi). There is a large carpark, but it may be busy in summer. The actual Flydalsjuvet is a 200m walk away at the end of a slippery track.
Guided Tour
Dalsnibba, Flydalsjuvet, Eagle Bend & Fjords Tour
Join this guided tour to all the major highlights around Geiranger.
Hike
Skageflå
located on a mountainshelf 250 metres (820 feet) above the fjord, and from the top you can enjoy great views of the fjord below and waterfalls on the other side. To get to the start of the hike you have to take a boat, offered by FjordGuiding. The hike is steep but short – only 45-60 minutes one way.
If you want to keep hiking, as opposed to going back down and getting picked up by boat, you can follow the signs to Homlong and Homlongsætra, which are farms along the fjord. As you hike along the Geirangerfjord back to the village, you can see the tdramatic fjord landscape. You can hike back to Geiranger. The total length is 6.5km (4 miles) and will take up to 5 hours.
Fjord Tours
Geiranger Fjordservice
Geiranger FjordService has sightseeing boat trips up and down the fjord from Geiranger. The trip takes 1.5 hours and runs up to five times a day in summer. They also have RIB boats and kayaking tours.
Fjord Tours
Geiranger Fjordsafari
Geiranger Fjordsafari is a fjord cruise using the RIB/zodiac boats. This 75 minute adventure (around 50 minutes spent on the fjord) takes you close to the sides of the fjord, with stops for your experienced driver an guide to tell you about what you see.
Road-Trips
Follow my road-trip guides for scenic trips around Geiranger
Trollstigen Tourist Road (Fv63)
Trollstigen is arguably the most famous of the 18 national tourist roads in Norway. Beginning just outside Åndalsnes in north-western Norway, the road twists and turns up the mountains, across the fjord, and then down to UNESCO World-Heritage-listed Geiranger. The views are incredible, the road is a little nerve-wrecking, but it’s well worth doing.
Self-Guided Walks
I currently do not have any self-guided walks available in Geiranger
Geiranger on YouTube
Watch my YouTube videos featuring Geiranger
Uniquely Geiranger
Here are some things that you must do and try in Geiranger
Viewpoint
Dalsnibba Viewpoint
Dalsnibba Viewpoint is arguably the most spectacular viewpoint in all of Norway. Dalsnibba is definitely more scenic, but it does require a bit more work. Make your way up the hill towards Grotli/Otta. Once you’re up in the mountains, you’ll see a sign pointing left to Dalsnibba. It’s a 5km toll road to the top, and it’s not for the inexperienced driver. Since 2016, there has been a glass platform off the edge of the mountain top called the Geiranger Skywalk. I did a whole article about Dalsnibba, which you can view here.
History of Geiranger
There are finds from the Stone Age that have been discovered around here. Many of the farms on the mountainsides are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.
The community of Geiranger was formerly an isolated village innermost in the Geirangerfjord. The trip to other villages was arduous and the track over the mountain was long and winding and difficult to negotiate. The weekly scheduled boat connections that started in 1858 provided better communications with the neighbouring villages and Ålesund.
In 1869 the first small store and guesthouse, which later became Meroks Hotel, was built. However, they didn’t provide enough income so the owner farmed cattle, sheep and pigs. Around the same time preparation for a new road began. When the road opened in 1889, it brought new groups of tourists and visitors to the village, which in turn provided a basis for an expansion of the hotel capacity. Hotel Geiranger was built in 1885, Hotel Union 1891, Hotel Utsikten in 1893 and Djupvasshytta in 1892.
In 1906 110 tourist ships called at Geiranger. In 2011, the number was 158.
Geiranger Today
Today Geiranger is one of the largest cruise ports in Norway, with up to 180 cruise ships calling every year. On top of that, several hundred thousand people pass through the town every summer.
Travel Information
Getting Here
Fly: No airport.
Drive: Geiranger is located on the Fv63, also known as the Trollstigen Tourist Road. It can be tricky to drive here in winter. Buses depart and arrive from the foot of the village. The main bus service is the seasonal ‘Golden Route’ bus (late June to late August) linking Geiranger and Åndalsnes via both the Linge/Eidsdal ferry and the Trollstigen road. These buses also run up to the Dalsnibba Fiewpoint.
Find info at visitandalsnes.com
At other times of the year, it is much more difficult. It takes 3 changes and avoids Trollstigen.
Train: No train access
Ferry: Local ferries connect Geiranger to Ålesund and Hellesylt. From June to August the coastal ferries call at Geiranger as they head north. The Hurtigruten is too large to pull into the jetty, so it anchors offshore and passengers transfer to smaller boats. They have some excursions in Geiranger.
Getting Around
Geiranger is built on a hillside, so it can be tricky getting up and down.
Shops
Places to Eat
Cafes & Bakeries
Geiranger Sjokolade is located inside a former boathouse and has delicious locally made chocolate. Bengt Dahlberg’s scented trail can reach as far as the dock as he handcrafts his wares in the basement of an old boathouse. You can buy small packets of chocolate, or get some ice cream or hot chocolate.
Quick Bites
Olebude & Café Ole
In Geiranger’s old general store, this pretty place does house-smoked goat and local salmon upstairs and has a casual café below.
Reasonable Restaurants
Brasserie Posten is one of my favourite places in Geiranger. The pizzas are wonderful.
High End & Unique Eats
Places to Stay
All my hotel recommendations are based on research and experience. I don’t recommend somewhere unless I think it is wonderful! The Hidden North focuses on accommodation that provides good quality for price or offer local or unique experiences.
All Posts About Geiranger
Drive it Yourself: Geiranger to Sandane via Stryn & Loen
Follow our guide for the incredibly beautiful drive from Geiranger to Sandane along the Nordfjord.
Geiranger – Lom Scenic Drive
A detailed overview of the drive from Geiranger to Lom in Western Norway. This is more than just a highway; it’s gorgeous!
Drive it Yourself: Åndalsnes to Geiranger via the Trollstigen Tourist Road
Here’s my practical and historical overview of the most popular tourist road in western Norway
How to Experience Dalsnibba Viewpoint in Geiranger
No trip to Geiranger is complete without a visit to this incredible viewpoint. Here’s everything you need to know.