This 10-day self-guided combines parts of the Norway in a Nutshell® train journey and a Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage. You will cruise the Norwegian coastline and deep fjords, ride the rails through charming towns and villages and explore cities like Tromsø, Oslo and Bergen. The tour package also includes a visit to the North Cape and many opportunities to see the northern lights!
Just a few of the majestic sights you’ll take in during your trip.
A day-by-day plan to guide your journey.
When you arrive at Oslo‘s Gardermoen Airport, make your way into Oslo‘s city centre. Many travellers opt to take the express train to Oslo Central Station, but we can arrange a private transfer for you (at additional cost). For those arriving early, we recommend exploring Oslo by foot, spending the afternoon at sights including the Royal Palace, Akershus fortress, Oslo City Hall, Oslo Opera House, and the Aker Brygge area. Other notable attractions include the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Kon-Tiki Museum and Karl Johans street.
Spend the night in Oslo.
Get an early start and head to Oslo Central Station, where you’ll begin the Norway in a Nutshell® railway journey towards Bergen, with an overnight stop in Flåm. This train ride takes you over Norway’s “mountainous rooftops”, through charming villages like Gol and Geilo.
In Myrdal, you’ll switch trains to the famous Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) for an incredible ride to the beautiful village of Flåm. Enjoy a relaxing day in Flåm, where you can follow one of the many hiking trails in the mountains around the village.
Spend the night in Flåm.
We recommend booking our luggage transfer for travel between Oslo and Bergen.
In the morning, you’ll board a boat to sail through Aurlandsfjord into the World Heritage-listed Nærøyfjord, the narrowest fjord in all of Europe. This is perhaps the most beautiful arm of Sognefjord, with its mighty waterfalls and small farms clinging to the steep mountainsides, which is especially beautiful in the winter months. The boat docks in Gudvangen, and from there the journey continues by bus through Nærøydalen, with its charming villages and scenic winter landscape. The bus will arrive in Voss, where you continue the tour by train on the Bergen Railway to Bergen.
Spend the night in Bergen.
Despite being an international city, Bergen, “The Capital of the Fjords”, has all the charms of a small town. Here you’ll find Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with remarkably preserved old houses, a lively fish market, cable cars offering stunning views, great museums and more. We recommend riding the Fløibanen Funicular to Mount Fløyen to enjoy the panoramic view of the city or a cable car up Mt. Ulriken to survey the winter landscape. Bergen is also known for its museums dedicated to history within trade and fisheries, architecture, musical art and contemporary art.
Spend another night in Bergen
Start the day with an early morning flight to Tromsø Airport and make your way to your hotel by bus or taxi. After settling in at your hotel, you can spend the rest of the day exploring the charming city of the "capital of Norway". Spend the rest of the day at leisure in Tromsø exploring the charming Arctic city and its various attractions, including the Polar Museum, the Arctic Cathedral and the Fjellheisen cable car.
In the evening it’s time to leave the city lights behind on a guided small group tour for chance to enjoy some of the brightest northern lights in the world.*
Spend the night in Tromsø.
* Please note that the northern lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Explore Tromsø this morning. We recommend a stroll down Storgata which is the main walking/shopping street of the city. There are numerous shops and cafes to suit all tastes. If you would like to book an optional activity for this morning, your travel consultant can arrange for excursions including reindeer-sledding and snowmobiling.
For the next leg of your journey, board the Hurtigruten ship in the evening for a cruise to Kirkenes. Sailing along the fjord-studded coastline, this voyage offers incredible views of Norway’s most famous landscapes along with on-board entertainment, gourmet dining and other convenient amenities. There‘s a good chance of seeing the northern lights this evening, so keep your eyes peeled.
Spend the night on board Hurtigruten.
Today your Hurtigruten cruise makes a stop at the famous North Cape (Nordkapp). Situated at 71° north, this area is known for its beautiful landscapes and wildlife sighting opportunities. You will join a guided shore excursion to the North Cape, encountering magnificent landscapes as we cross the 71st parallel on a journey towards the northernmost point on the European continent. Here you will also have a bit of free time to explore the charming seaside town of Honningsvåg.
Spend another night on board Hurtigruten.
At 9:00 the ship arrives at Kirkenes, located about 400 km (240 miles) above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. With just over 3,000 inhabitants, including the native Sami people. You will be transfered from the harbour to a dog-sledding tour, where you will glide along the soft white snow with a pack of friendly dogs.
In the afternoon, it's time to check in to the one-and-only Snow Hotel. There you will enjoy a drink at the Snow Bar and feast on a 3-course meal by the fireplace at the Høyloftet Restaurant before preparing for an amazing night in your special suite made of snow and ice*!
Spend the night at the Snow Hotel.
*Please note that we offer the option of choosing to stay in a private cabin instead of in an ice room at the snow hotel. Click the optional activities for further information.
Spend the morning warming up in the Snow Hotel’s sauna and enjoy a hearty breakfast. Visit the hotel‘s on-site friendly reindeers and meet some happy Huskies before travelling back to Kirkenes. However, if you are up for some optional activities, you can join tours including snowmobiling and a king crab safari.
Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring Kirkenes including the Border Country Museum (Grenselandsmuseet), which tells the story of war and peace along the border, or the Andersgrotta Cave, a vast underground bunker that sheltered the town's residents during WWII.
Spend the night in Kirkenes
After an incredible time in Norway, it's time to bid farewell to Norway. Your tour will conclude in Kirkenes, where you will make your way back home.
Note: If you need assistance with flights from Kirkenes, or booking pre or post-nights in Oslo before and after your holiday in the North then please contact us for details.
Customise your adventure with these Optional Extras.
We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.
Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.
Don’t worry, we’ve got this covered.
We recommend that you read carefully through the following information before booking this train and cruise tour in Norway. We’ve answered the most frequently asked questions here so you know what to expect. You’ll also find more practical advice and attraction recommendations in our online Norway Travel Guide.
The minimum age for this tour is 7 years old.
We recommend you wait to book flights to Scandinavia, and other parts of your travels, until we can confirm your desired travel dates for this tour. This is due to varying availabilities aboard Norway cruises, as included in this package. Contact us for more details.
On a train and cruise tour of Norway, Nordic Visitor takes care of your local transportation, accommodation and excursions for a relaxed self-guided travel experience. This might include trains, cruises and/or internal flights, as specified in the itinerary.
You will follow an itinerary that’s been pre-planned and booked for you before you arrive in Norway. This means you can take advantage of Nordic Visitor’s insider knowledge while exploring at your leisure.
Ahead of your arrival, you’ll receive personalised information via email, including an itinerary, map and detailed Norway Travel Guide.
During your tour, you’ll always be able to reach us by calling our 24/7 helpline.
The transfers between your hotel and train stations or cruise ports are not included with this package. Usually your accommodation will be within short walking distance. You could also get a taxi from your hotel if you prefer.
Please wait to book flights to Scandinavia until we can confirm your desired travel dates for this tour. This is due to varying availabilities on the Hurtigruten Norwegian cruises included in this package.
After making a booking with Nordic Visitor, it might take a few weeks to confirm your travel arrangements. We recommend booking your flights once your personal travel consultant gets in touch to confirm your itinerary.
If you have any questions about your flights and itinerary, please contact us for more details.
Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades.
If you have something specific in mind, get in touch with your travel consultant and they’ll create your dream trip.
Due to the nature of this tour and the activities included, it’s not recommended for families with young children. That said, it is suitable for active children of 7 years or older. If in doubt, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Yes, you should have moderate to good physical fitness to take part comfortably in this tour. This is because packages set in the Arctic are considered adventure travel due to the specific conditions you’ll experience. Arctic travel can sometimes involve extreme weather conditions as well as vigorous activity and animals (like huskies and reindeer) on many excursions.
This tour includes the famous Norway in a Nutshell® tour from Oslo to Bergen. This is one of Norway’s most iconic journeys. You’ll travel by train, bus and ferry, seeing beautiful landscapes of steep mountains, cascading waterfalls, shimmering fjords, charming villages and scenic coastline.
The first leg of the journey is from Oslo to Flåm and the approximate timings will be as follows:
The next day you’ll travel from Flåm to Bergen:
The connections will be announced and clearly explained in your travel documents. You will receive a ticket with all the information about transfer points and timings with your final travel documents.
You can book an optional luggage transfer for the journey. If you do this, you’ll want a backpack for your daily essentials and one-night stay. Your luggage will be waiting for you at your destination.
If you do not book a luggage transfer, you will have to carry your bags between the train, boat and bus. All connections will be within easy reach and there will be storage available for your luggage during each leg of the journey.
This package includes a domestic flight in Norway between Bergen and Tromsø. Usually, there are direct flights several times a day but, in some cases, flights might connect via Oslo.
Flights departing from Bergen are often in the early morning. This means that you might need to check in at the airport from 7 AM.
Your travel consultant will book the best option for your travel dates, dependent on availability. Flight times will be confirmed when we book your travel arrangements.
Tromsø is ideally located within the “Northern Lights Belt” and this excursion is a great opportunity to witness a spectacular phenomenon.
This small northern lights bus tour is likely to last approximately 5 hours. You’ll be picked up from Tromsø around 7:30 PM heading out of the city to an ideal spot for hunting the lights. This locaton will depend on the night’s weather and aurora forecast.
Your professional guide will provide hot drinks and snacks and help you set up your own camera to capture the moment. They will also take high-resolution photos during your excursion, which will be shared after the tour.
Make sure to wear appropriate warm layers for this excursion. Read more about the northern lights in Norway in our helpful guide.
On this itinerary, you will hop aboard a Hurtigruten cruise along the Norwegian west coast. The cruise includes cabin accommodation with private facilities.
Your reservation is for an unspecified cabin with windows or port holes. Please note that views may be obstructed, but you can always go up to the deck for the best views around. Your daily breakfast is also included.
These coastal voyages are not like conventional cruises as there are 11 different ships in use. They all vary in size and facilities. That said, all Hurtigruten ships have restaurants, a cafeteria, laundry room, Wi-Fi and onboard activities.
When your ship is in port, you will be able to disembark if the stop is longer than 30 minutes.
Please bear in mind that we cannot guarantee your cabin number for coastal voyages shorter than 5 nights.
Optional shore excursions are available during your journey. You should pre-book the activities you are most interested in ahead of time.
The North Cape, or “Nordkapp”, is mainland Europe’s northernmost point, located at latitude 71°N. On this tour, you’ll take a shore excursion from your Hurtigruten cruise to come admire the views of the cape.
Rising to an impressive 308 metres (1,000 feet) above the Barents Sea, the cape was originally an important orientation point for sailors. Today it is better known for its spectacular scenery and wildlife sighting opportunities.
You’ll have time to enjoy the views and try to spot birds or sea life. On the cape, you’ll also find a museum and restaurant where you can learn about early expeditions to the North Cape.
Your dog sledding tour in Kirkenes will last around 2 hours, travelling 10–12 kilometres (6–7.5 miles). You will be driving in pairs, with one person as the driver and the other as the passenger. The roles will be switched halfway.
No experience is required to take part. Warm clothing and equipment will be provided on location for the activity.
This package includes a one-night stay in a unique ice room at the Snowhotel. The hotel is an impressive complex with 20 rooms carved by master ice sculptors from around the world.
Transfers to and from the hotel are included with the Snowhotel Experience. You will also take a tour of the hotel, and enjoy dinner here as well as a visit to the ice bar.
If you would prefer not to stay in an ice room at the SnowHotel, there is the option of staying in a small cabin. You can select this option in the booking steps.
The cabins are warm, comfortable and offer panoramic views if you want to stay up late looking out for the northern lights.
On your Norway tour, you’ll stay in accommodation that’s been hand-picked by our travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.
During the booking process, you can select whether you want Comfort Plus or Superior accommodation. Comfort Plus usually consists of standard rooms in good quality and comfortable 3-star hotels. Superior is standard rooms in 4-star hotels combined with Superior rooms in premium 3-star hotels.
You will also be able to choose between single, double or triple rooms. Please note that in Norway room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.
For example, a double bed often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. Twin rooms are 2 separate single beds. Triple rooms include a double bed along with an extra single bed, rollaway or sofa bed. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.
If you have anything specific in mind, please contact us to discuss customising your accommodation options.
By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.
For support and advice during the day, you can call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline.
During your tour, there will always be a travel expert on call to handle any unforeseen situations, such as unusual weather or events.
If you have a passport from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand, you won’t need a visa to visit Norway. This visa-free entry is valid for up to 90 days.
Visiting from another country? You can find out whether you require a visa to enter Norway on the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Select your home country to view details. If you do require a visa, you will be directed to your local embassy website to learn about the visa requirements.
Your passport must also be valid for at least 3 months from your departure from Norway. It’s good to check your passport expiry date early in case you need to renew it.
Only you can pick the best time to visit Norway for your trip. It’ll depend on how much time you have to explore and what you want to see and do in Norway.
During the summer months, June, July and August, you’ll have the warmest temperatures and longest daylight hours of the year. This is ideal for outdoor excursions and taking full advantage of your days for sightseeing.
If you’d like to experience the top attractions with fewer visitors around then you could book a summer itinerary in May or September. These shoulder season months generally have more tour and attraction availability.
Please note that if you travel in spring, end of March through April, you’ll find that many attractions and museums are operating on reduced winter hours.
The winter months are also popular, but generally quieter. Travel to Norway at this time of year to see snowy mountains, cruise along frosty fjords and chase the magnificent northern lights.
If you head north in December and January, you could experience the polar night. At this time of year, the conditions are also ideal for winter activities such as dog sledding, snowmobiling and more.
Read more about the best time to visit Norway on our blog.
Because of its northerly location close to and inside the Arctic Circle, Norway has limited daylight in winter.
In the south, you can expect more daylight than in the north. For example, in Tromsø, you’ll have less than 7 hours of daylight from late October. Then from late November to mid-January, the sun never rises. This is called the “polar night”.
In Oslo and Bergen, you’ll get 5–10 hours of daylight across the winter.
The beauty of these extended hours of darkness in Norway is that you’ll have a better chance of seeing the northern lights.
Find out what the daylight hours will be during the month of your visit in this guide to time and daylight in Norway.
Yes! Wintertime is the right season to visit Norway if you want to see the northern lights (or aurora borealis). You can experience the northern lights in the north of Norway between October and March, with peak visibility from December through February.
For the best chances of seeing them, head into the Arctic Circle, to locations such as Tromsø, Kirkenes and the Lofoten islands. With Nordic Visitor, you can also pick from a selection of Norway northern lights tours.
Please note that the northern lights are a natural phenomenon, so sightings cannot be guaranteed. Even if you go out on a specific northern lights excursion, you might not see them, depending on the conditions or cloud cover.
Read our Norway northern lights guide to learn more.
During the summer months, you can expect fairly stable weather in The winter climate in Norway is generally cold, but the weather will vary greatly depending on where you visit.
From November, the temperatures fall and around the country you can expect averages between 1–5°C (34–41°F). This is also the time of year where snow starts falling and you’ll be able to admire the white-topped mountains.
For the rest of the winter, December until March, you’ll probably experience temperatures below freezing, around 0 to -7°C (31–19°F). This means you should come prepared with warm, insulated clothes and outer layers.
Read Norway weather conditions for more information on the local climate.
Please note that sightseeing is dependent on weather and road conditions. Your itinerary might need to be altered if these conditions are not favourable during your visit.
During Norway’s winter season, you can expect temperatures below freezing. For that reasons, you’ll want to pack and dress with plenty of layers to keep yourself warm and dry.
Here is an essential winter packing list for your trip to Norway:
If you’re heading north and plan on taking part in winter excursions, you could also bring glove liners and heat packs for extra warmth.
Some day tour operators will provide you with thermal suits for your comfort. To find out if equipment is provided check the details of each activity before you leave for Norway, or get in touch with your personal travel consultant.
For more information, check out this Norway packing list.
In most major Norwegian cities and towns you will be able to find coin-operated launderettes, with self-service facilities, and dry cleaners. Most hotels on your trip will also offer a laundry or dry cleaning service for an additional cost.
If you would prefer not to use this service, we recommend bringing or buying a small pack of detergent. This way you can hand wash your items in your hotel bathroom.
When you travel with Nordic Visitor, breakfast at your Norway accommodations is always included. For the rest of your meals, the amount of spending money you need will depend on the standard of restaurants you decide to go to.
That said, we recommend budgeting between 100–400 NOK for lunch per person, each day. Dinners at casual restaurants might cost between 500–1,000 NOK. Meanwhile, at upscale restaurants, you can expect to pay 1,500 NOK or more. This does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages.
It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking.
If a cruise is included on your tour, please wait for a confirmation from your travel consultant to ensure your travel dates are available. You’ll then be able to purchase your flights with confidence.
If you like to plan well ahead, you’ll find that it’s possible to book many tours for the following year. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us.
After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip.
We aim to complete bookings within a few weeks. During this time we take care of booking your accommodation, activities, and transport, confirming all parts of your journey. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip.
When we get back to you might depend slightly on how far ahead you’ve booked your travels and other tours running at the time.
If you have any questions before your trip, you can get in touch with our Norway travel experts. The live chat option is useful for getting a quick reply as someone answers live every day during office opening hours.
Once you’ve booked, we’ll provide you with a travel guide packed full of local tips and top attractions for your visit. You can also check out our online Norway Travel Guide where we’ve compiled useful information about topics, including:
After you have booked your tour, it will only take a few days to confirm its availability. But it may take a few weeks to create your itinerary and book everything.
Once your trip details are finalised, we’ll send you e-copies of your travel documents. This will include your personalised itinerary, our Norway Travel Guide and your service vouchers. We recommend printing your tickets and vouchers to bring with you to Norway.
When you depart may depend on the time of your return flight. Check out early if you’re heading to the airport for a morning flight. On the other hand, if you’re flying home later in the day, you might like to enjoy a leisurely day or visit one more attraction.
You will usually need to check out from your room around 10–11 AM. If you’re staying in town longer, you will be able to store your luggage at the hotel reception. Simply return later to collect your bags before making your way to the airport.
All bookings are billed in Euro (EUR). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.
These pictures may be small, but Norway’s mountains & fjords are massive.
We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.
I couldn't have planned a better trip to Norway on my own. We loved the structure and assurance of the itinerary while having the flexibility to explore on our own. Travelling in January, Nordic Visitor's emergency number gave us peace of mind in case of bad weather. The hotels were excellent and the locations were very convenient to public transportation and places we wanted to visit. The excursions were fantastic. Want a stress-free adventure? Let Nordic Visitor lead the way.
I appreciated the expert advice I received while booking the tour. All my questions were answered in a timely manner and I was able to customise the tour to my needs by adding extra days before and after.
Sleep soundly, in the accommodation type of your choice, and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.
Our best price per person when booking for two.
Whether you have a single question or a special request, we're here for you.
