Photo: Stch2022 (CC0)
Nature · Norway
The Flåm Railway and the Nærøyfjord
A mountain railway that drops 863 metres in about an hour, and a cruise on Norway's narrowest fjord. A full day from Bergen, or on the way from Oslo.
Norway
The experience
The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) is one of the world's best-known train rides: a line of about 20 km linking the mountain station of Myrdal with the village of Flåm on the Aurlandsfjord. It drops 863 metres in about an hour, at a gradient of up to 5.5% for most of the way, through 20 tunnels.
The train stops at the Kjosfossen waterfall so you can step onto the viewing platform and feel the spray, then continues down a green valley of farms and falls to Flåm.
From Flåm a cruise runs to Gudvangen along the Nærøyfjord, Norway's narrowest fjord, about 250 metres wide at points and inscribed with the Geirangerfjord on UNESCO's list in 2005. The boats pass small villages with no road, and sometimes cut their engines so you can hear the waterfalls.
We arrange the day from Bergen: a private car to Gudvangen, the cruise to Flåm, the train up to Myrdal, and the Bergen Line back. It can also be built into the journey from Oslo to Bergen for those who prefer one long day.
Where to stay
Stays close by
City
Oslo
The Thief, Oslo
A luxury hotel on Tjuvholmen on Oslo's waterfront, with balconied rooms, a spa with a pool, and the Astrup Fearnley Museum next door.
Price on requestExplore
Historic palace
Bergen
Opus XVI, Bergen
A boutique hotel in an 1876 bank building in central Bergen, run by relatives of the composer Edvard Grieg, steps from Bryggen and the harbour.
Price on requestExplore
Mountains
Geirangerfjord
Union Geiranger Resort & Spa
A hotel run by the Mjelva family for four generations, on the slope above Geiranger village, with fjord-view rooms, a spa and pools.
Price on requestExplore
Norway
More to do
Nature
A cruise on the Geirangerfjord
A quiet cruise between sheer rock walls, passing beneath the Seven Sisters. The clearest way to see this UNESCO-listed fjord.
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Winter
Chasing the northern lights in Tromsø
An evening with a specialist guide who follows clear skies away from the city lights. Norway's best chance of seeing the aurora.
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City and shopping
The Fløibanen funicular above Bergen
A 6-minute climb from central Bergen to the top of Mount Fløyen. A full view of the city and harbour, and easy paths for children.
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