Planning a Trip to Norway – Step By Step

Planning a trip to Norway and wondering where the heck to start? I’ve got your back.

I spent two months in Norway, visiting popular spots like Bergen and Stavanger to smaller towns like Tau, and Alta in the far northern Arctic.

I did some of the top hikes in Norway like Preikestolen, Kjeragbolten and Bergen’s hike between Mounts Floyen and Ulriken. I did boat cruising through fjords. I hiked in the arctic. I took ferries and buses and domestic planes.

This Norway travel guide covers every single thing you need to know:

• where to go
• how much time you need
• how to get there and get around
• typical costs
• the must-do experiences
• the best times to visit. 
• And more

Whether you’re planning a trip to Norway from the United States / North America or you’re coming in from Europe, by the end of this post you’ll have a solid foundation to start making your Norway trip happen.

First, Most Exciting – Where to Go in Norway!!

Whenever I’m planning a trip, my first move is to collect all the places I want to visit, drop them on a map, and then choose based on how much time I have.

If you’re unsure how to plan a trip to Norway, the easiest place to start is by choosing the experiences you care about most, mapping out where they are, and building your itinerary around the time you have available.

Norway is a long, mountainous country and its main destinations are pretty spread out, so this visual step really helps.

Bergen and it’s Fjords

Bergen is Norway’s second largest city and, in my opinion, the best city in all of Norway. It has insane scenery and quaint, authentic Norwegian culture.

Rows of colorful Norwegian-style buildings backdropped by incredible mountains, with a sparkling blue harbor in front of you. That’s basically Bergen.

It’s a culturally rich city and the nature around it is incredible. You can hike between two of the seven mountains surrounding the city, from Mount Floyen to Mount Ulriken. You can take boat cruises into nearby fjords, visit museums, and do some of the easiest and best day trips in Norway.

It’s called the gateway to the fjords for a reason. Both Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord are really close by.

👉 You can read a complete list of the 36 TOP things to see and do in Bergen here.

🤩 Check out Bergen’s Fjord Cruises – This is a TOP Unmissable activity in Norway.

Stavanger and Lysefjord

Stavanger is a great city and an even better base for hiking two of Norway’s most famous trails: Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) and Kjeragbolten.

It sits right next to Lysefjord (the fjord that Preikestolen overlooks), and you can take boat cruises or go kayaking there too. 

Stavanger is also just a really adorable city. The old part of town has white buildings on cobblestone streets with flower beds lining the road, and the museums are truly fascinating. One of them is basically a simulation of a real oil rig and it is incredible.

I stayed a whole month in a tiny town just across the underground tunnel from Stavanger. That’s how much I loved the area. Truly the most beautiful fjord cliffs I saw in the whole country. Here’s how I’d spend 4 days in Stavanger.

Odda and the Hardangerfjord Region

This region is less about city exploration and more about one specific hike: Trolltunga.

It’s a great adventure-focused stop but you probably wouldn’t spend a lot of time here beyond what you need for the hike.

This is THE coolest tour they have of Trolltunga. You won’t have to worry about transportation there from Odda and then you get to stay OVERNIGHT at the top in a glass dome with views over the snowy cliffs (even in Summer). Then in the morning you are there before the 99% of people who just do the day hike. The crowds are almost non existent.

Oslo

Oslo is Norway’s capital, its largest city, and one of the easiest international entry points. It’s a very modern city with lots of museums, a great harbor front, amazing sauna culture, and incredibly easy public transportation.

I personally opted not to visit Oslo during my almost two months in Norway because I wanted to focus on the nature side of the country. 

I’d heard it was a really cool city, but I wasn’t looking for a modern city trip. A lot of people are though, and it’s a really great place to spend a few days.

Lofoten Islands

You’ve definitely seen photos of Lofoten when searching Norway online. It’s known for its dramatic mountains sitting on top of little islands, surrounded by the sea.

It’s a little harder to reach and you’ll need a bigger budget because a rental car is basically essential here. Accommodation is pricier too.

But the dramatic mountain-island scenery is a reason to visit Norway alone. In summer you get the midnight sun. In winter you get some of the best northern lights opportunities in the country.

Tromso

Tromso is in the far north of Norway and one of the country’s best winter destinations. It’s great for dog sledding tours, boat cruises, whale watching, and you’re officially in the Arctic when you visit.

It’s typically chosen for winter trips rather than summer. If you want to do fjord hiking and exploring in summer, you’d be better off in the south.

How Much Time Do You Need in Norway?

It really depends where you’re traveling from. If you’re coming from Europe, you could manage three to four days if you stick to one city. At least a week if you’re flying from across the pond or other continents.

Ideally, you’d want to spend at least a week in Norway. The more time you have, the better.

If you have five days or under, I’d really recommend sticking to one region. Choose Bergen and the fjords, Stavanger and the Preikestolen hike, or Tromso in the winter.

I’d start combining two places when you start planning a trip to Norway for a week. Bergen and Stavanger together make one of the best seven-day Norway itinerary combinations because between them you cover some of the most popular attractions in the country.

If you have 10 days, you can add Trolltunga on top of Bergen and Stavanger, or swap one city for a quick flight to Lofoten. The more time you have, the more destinations you can layer in. 

Aim for at least three to four days in each spot, with the exception of Odda where you just need the time you need to do the Trolltunga hike.

👉 Read More: How to See Fjords in Bergen (The Best in Norway)

When Is the Best Time to Visit Norway?

Summer (June to August) for hiking, fjord cruises, water activities and road trips. Norway’s summer weather doesn’t get crazy hot (I experienced highs of 18 – 20 C / 64 F in mid August near Stavanger). The weather is always variable with rain periods, but summer is less volatile.

Winter (December to March) is for the northern lights, dog sledding, whale watching, and snowy landscapes in places like Tromso. The downside is minimal or even NO daylight (in the far North they experience “polar night”), no hiking to speak of, and road and weather conditions that require a lot more planning.

Shoulder season (April – May / September – November) has good middle ground with decent daylight, not too crazy weather and less people. I was in a small town near Alta in mid-September and saw the Northern Lights 1 of the 14 days I was there.

How to Get to Norway

Most travelers fly into Norway through Oslo, Bergen, or Stavanger. If you’re coming from Europe in winter specifically for the northern lights, Tromso has its own airport too.

Where you fly into really depends on your itinerary and the prices you find. Whatever is most strategic for your first stop is the right answer.

Getting to Norway by Ferry

If you’re road-tripping through Europe or Scandinavia, you can also take a ferry into Norway. The main options are:

• Hirtshals, Denmark to Kristiansand, Norway via Color Line. This is the most popular ferry route into Norway from continental Europe.
• Kiel, Germany to Oslo overnight via DFDS. A great option if you’re coming from Germany.

How to Get Around Norway

Norway is actually very easy to travel around, but always add extra time compared to what Google Maps shows. The terrain is incredibly complicated. Mountains, fjords, lakes, narrow roads… a distance that looks like an hour can easily take three.

Training in Norway

The train between Oslo and Bergen is the best way to connect those two cities. It’s a gorgeous journey through the mountains and worth taking for the scenery alone.

Show train route and where to buy tickets for it – tips if there are price differences for students vs adults.

Buses in Norway

Buses in Norway are really effective for getting between destinations. I took buses from Stavanger to Bergen, between the small towns outside Stavanger, and up in northern Norway from Alta down to the tiny town of Borselv. If a train doesn’t connect the cities you need, the bus is your next best option.

Book through bus bud.

Renting a Car in Norway

A rental car is worth it if you want a road trip style with maximum flexibility. When I was based near Stavanger, the bus routes to reach certain hikes were really complicated, and having a car made much more sense. 

Kjeragbolten has a shuttle, but it’s not flexible on timing. A rental car lets you control when you arrive and how long you stay at each spot.

The downsides: parking is expensive, there are tolls through tunnels, fuel costs are high, and you pay ferry fees separately when crossing fjords. I’d say renting a car in winter is probably not advisable unless you’re very experienced with winter driving. In summer it’s completely doable.

Ferries in Norway

Ferries are part of everyday transport in Norway, especially when you’re driving between regions. Most long bus routes include ferry crossings in the ticket price, which is another reason busing can be more cost-effective than driving your own car.

How Much Does a Trip to Norway Cost?

Norway is known for being expensive, and I completely agree, but it doesn’t have to be as expensive as people assume.

The biggest expenses come from moving between cities a lot and renting a car. But if you stick to two cities and take buses between them, you can keep things really reasonable. Spending more time in each destination also helps a lot.

Accommodation Prices in Norway

For Budget Travellers: Hostel dorm beds in Norway typically run around $45-60 USD per night depending on season and location. There are also not very many true hostels in Norway. You’ll find a couple in Bergen, some in Oslo, but none in cities like Stavanger and only one in Tromso.

Book as far in advance as possible for summer stays. When I tried to book Bergen accommodation a week out during peak season, almost everything affordable was already gone and I ended up paying a lot more for an Airbnb.

For the mid-range to above:

The average hotel room in Bergen runs between $100 – 250 USD.

Transportation Costs in Norway

Car Rentals in Norway:

Renting a car is by far the highest transportation cost. You’re paying for the rental fee, gas, tolls through mountain tunnels (which can add up when they cost around $11 USD each way), and ferries when you need to cross certain fjords.

If you do rent a car, I recommend checking AutoEurope. They’re my go to because they gather the cheapest prices from all the booking rental websites so you get the best deal. I also find them pretty straightforward on the fees included.

Bussing in Norway

When I bused between Stavanger and Bergen, I just paid a flat bus ticket fee, and that included the two ferry crossings the bus made along the way. Driving that route yourself would mean paying those ferry fees separately.

For reference, I paid about $25 USD for my bus from Stavanger to Bergen for example (a 5 hour bus ride)

If you do book a bus, I recommend doing so in advance. I always use Busbud, because the prices are really good and it’s sooo convenient.

Domestic Flights in Norway

Domestic flights become necessary if you want to visit places like Lofoten or Tromso. You can check updated domestic flight prices here.

Tour and Activity Costs Across Norway

Hiking

Most hikes are free, but some have parking fees. The Trolltunga P3 trailhead parking for example, costs 600 NOK ($60 USD) per day, and the Kjeragbolten car park runs 300 NOK ($30 USD) if you drive.

The hike I did from Mount Floyen to Ulriken on my 4 days in Bergen though was completely 100% free.

Fjord Cruises

Bergen fjord cruises are one of the best value experiences in the country. Viator has day cruises around $100, and GetYourGuide has the popular Mostraumen fjord cruise.

Stavanger’s fjord cruises start at a similar price around $100USD but there are some specialty excursions like ones that include kayaking or a RIB boat that gets close to waterfalls that start to creep up in price.

Winter tours (dog sleds, northern lights)

A ton of people visit to see the Northern Lights and if you do that as a day tour it can cost around $250 USD for a night of chasing the aurora and having bon fires, like this popular one in Tromso.

The dog sledding is surprisingly more expensive than the Northern lights so you get tours around $350 for that. Although you get a really personalized experience with the dogs and learn the culture behind “mushing” in Norway’s arctic.

Your Next Steps For Planning Your Trip to Norway

From here, the next move is narrowing down exactly where you want to go and what you want to do. I highly recommend visiting Stavanger and Bergen if you have a week itinerary and basing your trip around the big hikes, fjord cruises, and culture in these areas. They pack the most top activities in the country into a small space and are very accessible to reach. Especially when compared to the remote regions like Lofoten and Tromso that require domestic flights.

I IMPLORE YOU TO PUT BERGEN ON YOUR ITINERARY. Genuinely one of my countries in the world. You can read about the top things to do in Bergen here.

Once you have a more solid understanding of your itinerary, you can start looking into the deeper details like planning out your individual hikes. I have a guide on how to avoid the crowds at Preikestolen (hint: go at 3/4pm instead of in the morning).