Which Fjord Cruise Should You Take from Bergen?
One of the big reasons people come to Bergen is to see the fjords. After all, Bergen is nicknamed the ‘Gateway to the Fjords’ because of the city’s close proximity to the most spectacular fjords in the country. Naturally, there are many different fjord cruises available. It can be tricky figuring out which one is the best one, so I’ve written a fjord cruise guide for Bergen!
When I was looking at the list, I was comparing a few different things. First, it’s important to understand that not all fjords are the same. Just because a cruise lists all the fjords they go down, doesn’t mean these are interesting fjords! For the dramatic scenery, you need to travel deep into the country. This means that you’ll be picking a full-day trip out of Bergen.
Another thing many overlook is how boring it can be travelling on the fjords. Yes, the fjords and beautiful and why many come to Norway, but honestly if you’re doing a three or four hour cruise on the one fjord, you aren’t getting a lot of variety.
Lastly, and most importantly, do not book through third-party tour companies. If you see companies offering these cruises as a package, they are just buying public transport tickets and selling them to you at a huge fee. Always book directly through the cruise company (I’ve linked them below). Even though I use affiliate links to websites like GetYourGuide, on this page I’m specifically avoiding it as I don’t want you to be ripped off booking third party.
So, based on that, here’s my guide to the fjord cruises with links to learn about the cruise directly on their website.
Fjord Cruise Bergen Guide
Short Cruises (2 hours)
Any cruise two hours or less won’t get you out to the best fjords, but it is a chance to get out on the water and see Bergen from a different perspective.
Viking Ship Cruise
Length: 90 minutes
This short trip will take you around Bergen and the Byfjord (the fjord running along the city of Bergen), and while it won’t get you to the dramatic or impressive fjords, it does put you on a replica of a Viking ship! The ship is beautiful and the crew explains how the ship works while you cruise around Bergen.
I highly recommend this experience!
Bergen Yacht Tour
Length: 2 hours
This two hour guided sightseeing tour takes you a chance to see the city of Bergen from the sea. The yacht stays close to Bergen city centre, but you get a unique view of Nordnes, the fortress, Bryggen, and the surrounding neighbourhoods. You won’t see any fjords or steep mountains on this tour, but it’s a unique way to view Bergen.
You can learn more on their website: https://firstplayer.no/
Bergen Private Yacht Tour
If you’ve got some cash to spend, consider booking a private yacht tour of Bergen. The cruise takes you around the city, very similar to the tour above, but you get the whole boat to yourself. The trip includes a visit to Alvøen, a neighbourhood in Bergen (not exactly a village like the website says!).
Learn more here: https://firstplayer.no/exclusive-private-cruise/
Half-day Cruises
Alverstraumen Fjord Cruise (3.5 hours)
The Alverstraumen Fjord Cruise is a shorter version of the Mostraumen Fjord Cruise and takes you on the Salhusfjord and the Kvernafjord towards Alverstraumen. The strait is between 100 metres and 200 metres wide and one kilometre long and is characterised by strong tidal currents. Just note that in some ways the area you’re going to is just an outer suburb of Bergen, and the fjords you see here are not dramatic. Still, the scenery is beautiful.
Mostraumen Fjord Cruise (4 hours)
This cruise is arguably the most famous of all the cruises you can take out of Bergen. The cruise goes out onto the Osterfjord, which is located just north of Bergen city centre, and then down the Mostraumen channel.
The cruise is beautiful. You do see waterfalls and picturesque small villages. However, if you are seeing any other fjords on your trip (such as the Nærøyfjord or the Geirangerfjord), the fjords you see on this cruise pale in comparison. This cruise is perfect for those who are in Western Norway for a short period of time and won’t see much of the surrounding nature.
Book directly here: https://rodne.no/en/fjord-experiences/bergen/fjordcruise-mostraumen/
Bergen Heritage Tour (5.5 hours)
This trip combines a ride on a historic steamship, historic bus, and historic train. The cruise takes you out to the Osterfjord, where you disembark the ferry to take a bus to the train station. The trip is perfect for those who are interested in history and tradition.
The tour is only offered on Sunday’s in summer, and you can book tickets here: https://stord1.ticketco.events/no/en/e/soendag_30_juni_2024_som_aa_reise_i_gamle_dager__bergen_heritage_tour_rundtur_start_i_soergaaende_retning_med_veteraanbuss
Full Day Trips
Norway in a Nutshell (10 hours)
Norway in a Nutshell is the most famous day-trip from Bergen and combines train, bus and boat travel. I have a whole other guide to Norway in a Nutshell. The trip includes a cruise on the scenic Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage fjord known for being very narrow with steep mountains. The cruise is one of the highlights of the whole day trip.
Norway in a Nutshell
You can find my separate guide for Norway in a Nutshell via the link below.
Bergen to Flåm Cruise Round-Trip (12.5 hours)
If you want to avoid trains and buses and just be on the water, this is the ferry-only alternative to Norway in a Nutshell. The trip to Flåm from Bergen is about 5.5 hours one way. Of those 5.5 hours, the first two hours is spent cruising the coast, then you enter the Sognefjord (the world’s longest fjord). The last half an hour is spent cruising down the dramatic Aurlandsfjord, known for its steep mountains and beauty. This trip doesn’t include a visit to the Nærøyfjord. After two hours free time in Flåm, you take the same ferry back to Bergen.
Honestly, I’ve done this trip one-way (Flåm-Bergen) before and found it to be quite dull.
Bergen to Rosendal Fjord Cruise (approx. 7 hours)
This lovely day trip from Bergen takes you to Rosendal. The cruise takes around two hours one way, and you get around three and a half hours in Rosendal. It gives you time to visit the Barony Rosendal, a historic building. It is regarded as Scandinavia’s smallest castle and the only one of its kind in the country.
Rosendal is located on the Hardangerfjord but at the entrance to the fjord, so you don’t get to see much of the fjord itself.
You take a ferry back to Bergen the same way.
Learn more here: https://partner.rodne.no/en/to-do/2135799/day-trip-to-rosendal-in-hardanger/showdetails?sorting=st%3Da%3Bso%3Da
Bergen to the Hardangerfjord (13 hours)
This full-day trip takes you to the beautiful Hardangerfjord and combines bus and ferry transport to give you the best of Norwegian scenery. This one would be one of my top picks, just because I think the Hardangerfjord is lovely and not as over-crowded as some other fjords. The trip starts with a bus ride to Norheimsund, where you then board the ferry to travel down the Hardangerfjord from Eidfjord. Once in Eidfjord, a bus takes you to the Norwegian Nature Centre (a fantastic museum!) and then up to the dramatic Vøringsfossen (pictured above). The drive back to Bergen includes a stop at Steindalsfossen, a waterfall you can walk behind. It’s a long day, but this tour takes you deep into the fjord, where you get the more spectacular scenery.
Learn more here: https://gofjords.com/experiences/fjord-cruise/bergen/hardangerfjord-cruise-and-voringsfossen-waterfall/?bw-date=2024-07-02&bw-adults=1
Day Trip to the Sognefjord & Glaciers via Vik (13 hours)
This trip is one I’d definitely recommend! The trip is fully guided and takes no more than 16 passengers. On the journey, you take a bus from Bergen to Vik, crossing the incredible Vikafjellet mountains. I love this drive! (It’s the Rv13 – see my guide here). Once in Vik, you are in a historic town rich in cultural heritage. The main attraction in Vik is the Hopperstad Stave Church, one of the 28 remaining stave churches in Norway. The church was built in 1130 and (along with Urnes) is the oldest stave church in existence. You get to visit the church on this tour before boarding a ferry and taking a cruise across the Sognefjord. On the other side, you travel to Fjærland to get a chance to see the glacier and the Norwegian Glacier Museum. You had the same way back to Bergen afterwards.
Of course this trip is more inland than on a cruise, but I think it’s a perfect mix of everything. Mountains, valleys, history, fjords and glaciers.
Fjord Cruise & Hike Combination (7 hours)
This full-day trip combines a fjord cruise with a mountain hike. The boat takes you along the Osterfjord to Modalen, Norway’s second-smallest municipality. You arrive in the village at around 11:30am and there you disembark and begin a short hike. The hike takes about one hour each one and has a vertical gain of 200 metres. You then take the boat back to Bergen.
This sounds like a great way to spend the day if you have limited opportunities to go hiking in the nature surrounding Bergen.
Final Thoughts on Your Fjord Cruise Bergen
As you can see, there are so many different options and it can seem overwhelming. But think about what you want – fjords, variety, etc – how much time you have, and your budget. This should help narrow things down quite well.
In my opinion, the full-day trips offer the best value for money.
Bergen is a fascinating city and well worth spending lots of time in. Be sure to check out my travel guide for Bergen by clicking the button above.
