When we were planning our trip along Norway’s coast Dan made me promise that we wouldn’t spend the entire week in the car. Of course I agreed, as I also wanted to have plenty of time to go on hikes up into the fjords, seek out extra picturesque camping spots (I mean, hello Instagram!), get to know the cities we stopped through, and well, just relax. After all, we were on holiday!
Um, it was a good plan in theory. But as so often happens when I look at a map, I couldn’t quite restrain my urge to go everywhere and see all the places, so we pretty much had to spend the entire week driving. Sorry, Dan!
Though that was partly due to my insistence on taking all of the scenic routes, which I’m going to go ahead and say was totally worth it. I saw more breathtaking views in one week than I have the entire time I’ve lived in Norway. And one of the most scenic days was our drive north out of Bergen towards Ålesund.
In fact we saw so much amazing and varied scenery in just that day that I think it would make a perfect road trip from Bergen if you wanted to rent a car for a couple of days. You could even head up here on a long day trip if you’re really pressed for time.
We drove up to Flåm and then took the National Tourist Route (meaning Norway has decided it’s not ugly) that runs 47 km between Aurlandsvangen and Lærdalsøyri.
Driving on the National Tourist Route Aurlandsfjellet
The beginning was, well, touristy, and for good reason – the views out over Aurlandsfjord were actually literally breathtaking. Like, I don’t live under a rock so I obviously knew the fjords were beautiful (plus I had been here before as a teenager) but I was still completely taken aback by how turquoise the water was. Uff, so much pretty.
Like I said, even in September there were several tourist buses and a bunch of people driving around in those tiny electric go cart things that tourists can rent (have you seen them? they’re the weirdest/I want to drive one), so I imagine in the summer the place must be packed.
But still, driving up and getting better and better views out over the fjord would make up for even the most crowded of road trips in my book. I mean, those views!
At the top there’s a viewing platform called Stegastein that juts out over the fjord, giving the best photo opps. Though I’d say the best view is actually from the women’s bathroom next to Stegastein which has a glass front looking right out over Aurlandsfjord (the men’s bathroom is on the side without the view, sorry guys!).
Stegastein also apparently marks the end of tourist interest in this route, as once we drove past it the road suddenly became empty. And it wasn’t just the road that was empty – we quickly drove up out from the tree line and the landscape totally changed and there wasn’t much life to see.
Though we did meet a few very friendly sheep!
Maybe I’m just more of a mountain person, but driving over the top of Aurlandsfjellet was definitely my favorite part of the drive, so I was extra happy I wasn’t on one of those tour buses that turns around at Stegastein.
Then we drove back down the other side of Aurlandsfjellet, took a quick ferry across Sognefjord, and quickly found ourselves on yet another National Tourist Route: Sognefjellet!
Driving on the National Tourist Route Sognefjellet
The road over Sognefjellet runs from Gaupne to Lom, starting with beautiful views back over Sognefjord but then quickly ascending into another barren mountaintop. This would be the point where you’d have to return back to Bergen if you’re only coming out here on a day trip.
However we were looking for a place to wild camp here, so passing glowing blue glaciers made me just a bit nervous about the night’s sleep I was going to have (I really need to get a warmer sleeping bag).
But after driving over the peak we lucked out with the perfect camping spot nestled into a hillside that gave some much needed protection against the wind.
I think it was our best night of camping on our entire Norway road trip.
Now, if I had been doing this as a short road trip out of Bergen, I would have loved to return the next day via Gaularfjellet, passing through Vik and Balestrand.
But we had more exciting plans! We were heading to Geirangerfjord and our final destination, Ålesund.
The road up over Aurlandsfjellet is closed in the winter (usually November to June), though the road up to Stegastein is open year round.The Sognefjellet road from Liasanden to Turtagrø is also closed in the winter (usually November to May).
Read my guide to where to stay on Sognefjord here
Read my guide to the best hotels and hostels in Bergen here
Read my post about things to do in Bergen here
Read How to Plan an Epic Road Trip in Norway here
Read my guide to things to do in Ålesund, Norway’s most beautiful city here
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Once a full-time nomad, I'm now trying to find a balance between continuing to explore off the beaten path places around the world while also building a home in Norway. Want to know more? Head to my
You’ve got to stop posting pretty pictures of the South – you make me want to quit my job and move there like tomorrow!! 😀 No seriously, I CANNOT WAIT to get my butt down there and start exploring!! Thanks for all the inspiration 🙂
Haha I wish you would come sooner!
Breathtakingky beautiful!
It is!
Engangsgrill! So the cartoons by Janny K Blake are true! (Sorry I had to do that.)
Haha, I missed that! Totally convenient though, grilling like that…
haha of course!
These fjords and the tourist route and Flåm were already on my bucket list, but now I’m thinking maybe I should start looking for cabins to rent next summer. Soooooo gorgeous! So worth exposing yourself to rainy camping conditions, even!
Renting a cabin around there would be soooo nice, you should totally do it!
Those views are unbeatable! I’d love to explore Iceland like this one day.
It was really fun finally getting to see more of Norway after living here for a year.
Oh good lord, I said Iceland! Such an idiot! I have a friend who just did a similar trip through Norway and you think I would have got this right 😉
Haha I think really it was a compliment to Norway – being called Iceland could only be a good thing 🙂
I seriously need to go to Norway. Your photos are incredible.
I love this post so much! My husband and I are road tripping through Western Norway in June and I’ve been mapping our route based on your posts. THANK YOU!!!
Oh June is such a good time to go! I hope you have an amazing time.
Hi Silvia,
I am planning a road trip to Norway from Stockholm, Sweden in 2 weeks. I gonna have 7,8 days to drive and want your recommendations regarding one of the 2 options I have:
– Visit Lofoten archipelago . Taking ferry from Bodo to Moskenes and taking road route on return from Lappland (Kiruna), down to stockholm.
-Visit west coast of norway (bregen, fjords).
One limitation which I have is that my wife is not able to hike much , so going to west coast would be more of a road trip rather than hiking to trolltunga.
Thanks
I would definitely choose Lofoten! Both are amazing road trips (and you’ll see plenty even without hiking) but the views in Lofoten are more dramatic. Have an amazing time!
Great post (I wish I had found your blog sooner- would have saved me days of frustrating research). I definitely want to do the roadtrip from Bergen. Question is- should I take the train directly to Bergen from Oslo? or follow the “nutshell” route like you explained in a different post?
If you’re doing this road trip route then you can just take the train directly to Bergen, as this route goes by the sites you would have seen on the nutshell route. Have an amazing time!
That makes sense. I actually ended up booking a flight from Oslo (for about the same price) and return from Bergen via train. For some reason the minipris was only available on the return. This way I get the “train experience” also:D
I am planning on visiting on October 10th for a couple of days, will I have enough daylight hours? I’m thinking of renting a car, will there be snow, frozen roads?
It normally closes in November, so you should be fine in early October. And it’s still very light in southern Norway then too (the sun should be setting around 18:30), so you shouldn’t need to worry about daylight hours.
Thank you so much for posting this !
We are flying into Oslo during Easter (landing on Thursday night and departing on Monday night) with the view of spending that long weekend exploring the fjords around Bergen/Flam/Gudvangen. Initially we wanted to fly from Oslo to Bergen and do a Norway in a Mitchell tour. But given that there are 4 of us it is turning out cheaper to rent a car and drive from Oslo.
Unfortunately, it seems that both Aurlandsfjellet and Sognefjellet are partially closed.
In that case would you recommend we still drive from Oslo to Bergen or just fly into Bergen and rent a car there to explore the fjords?
Additionally would you recommend we base ourselves in Bergen and explore OR make several stops in different towns?
Thank you so much if you can help!
The drive to Bergen will still be beautiful in Easter, even with the higher mountain roads closed. Personally I might want to stop in towns along the way, but Bergen also makes a great base if it’s easier for you not to change hotels everyday. If you have more questions feel free to join my Facebook group and I’m sure we can answer more of your questions there! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScandinaviaTravel/
Hi, amazing your web. The best that i found.
One question about this route, ¿Can i see it in a map?
Thanks
All these places are so beautiful! We are planning out first trip to Norway for May13th, and our first stop is Bergen. So far we have planned a day for the city itself, and a day for exploring the fjords outside the city before we start heading up the coast.
We will be driving up the coast and exploring the sognefjord and staying for a night before we head up to Alesund for a few days. We will be in Trondheim for a night before we head up to the Lofoten Islands for at least 3 days. Is there a certain route/fjord you would recommend that would be a day trip from the city? Or is it a must to add another day to explore the fjords around Bergen?
Thank you so much if you can help!
Thanks for all the info! The pics are great 🙂 how was the weather in September? We’re planning to go to Norway with our campervan by beginning of September…how was the temperature?
All the best,
Franzi
It was very rainy, but warm enough to camp in a tent even in the mountains, so you should be fine in a campervan. Of course the weather always changes year to year, so I guess there’s no guarantee. But I think you will be totally fine!
Hi, what kind of camping gear you use for camping in sep? I am wondering what i need in particular for the cold. Like what temperature rating sleeping bag you use? And if you have any insulated mat?
I commented on your last post about Norway in a nutshell about not renting a car. It looks like we’re planning on renting a car. I was hoping to do this road trip and stay at a hotels on the way instead of camping… Any recommendations? I was looking at booking in Bergen and Gudvangen any other areas you recommend staying an extra night at or any stops for cool activities?
In June, I am going on a cruise that ends in Bergen. From Bergen, we will be making our way by train to Oslo and then Stockholm for our flight home.
We are offered an excursion in Bergen by the cruise line called “The Flam Railway”. It is a full day excursion to Flam by coach, then the railway to Myrdal, and return to Bergen by coach.
Seeing as I am already going on a train from Bergen to Olso after the cruise, should I spend my money on this cruise ship excursion? Or will I already be seeing all this Norway beauty on the train from Bergen to Oslo?
I’m just wondering whether this would really be two train trips to see the same thing.
Thank you! I love your website.
No, you’ll see different sights on the Flam Railway – it really is a beautiful trip.Though you will do the railway trip between Myrdal and Bergen on your trip to Oslo. You can also look at booking it independently though, as it might be cheaper (https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/nutshell-tour-diy-review/)
Hi Silvia!
Your blog has been immensely helpful in planning my family trip to Norway. We plan on renting a car in July to travel from Bergen to Alesund and hope to do a one day trip if possible. Your recommendations for the first half are very helpful but I was hoping you could give me a recommendation on completing the drive in one day while seeing the most we can. Small hikes along the way would be an added bonus!
After this half we drove here: https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/gamle-strynefjellsvegen-road-trip/ and then finished the drive to Alesund here: https://www.heartmybackpack.com/norway/trollstigen-geiranger-road-trip/
How long did the Sognefjellet tourist route take you to drive? I like getting out of the car for wanders, and am not sure if I should allow for a half day or full day. Thanks!
We did it in half a day.
Thanks for all the fantastic tips! After days of research your site is just the best!
Is it possible to do Bergen to Flam and the Aurlansfjellet route AND the Sognefjellet from Gaupne to Lom all in one day?,…and sleep close to Lom?, or should I split it over 2 days? We are planning a road trip with a rented car in Sept from Bergen to Alesund.
Would you suggest to do the route South to North ( it seems like most people do ) or is north to south just as impressive?
Many thanks!!!
That’s a lovely blog and some gorgeous pictures. I’m so excited a out our trip!
We are hiring a car in Norway. Can we drive part of the Flam-Myrdal route (until the part where there is a road) or do you suggest taking the flam railway? Is there anything we would miss out on if we just drove?
Nope, you can drive it – it’s really beautiful!
My wife and I are trying to decide the best way to see the most sceanic parts of Norway and need to choose between a 15 day cruise up the coast of Norway, the Norway in a nutshell option from Olso or doing it ourselves as you have suggested. We are in our early 70’s and it is tempting to allow others to do all the work but you make me think we could do this ourselves if we stick to the South where the most amazing fiords are anyway.
Which month would you reccomend, May or June ?
We would fly into Oslo, see that city then take train to Bergen with at least one over nite stay on the way (where should we stay over nite on this train route?)
Stay 2 nites in Bergen to see that city, do the Flam train and then rent a car for a few days to follow your recommendation.
Thank you so much, looking forward to your feedback, Isaac
Personally I think May is most beautiful, because there’s usually snow still in the mountains but in the valleys it’s warm. June is also really beautiful though. I hope you have a lovely trip!
So glad to have found your website.
We are debating about flying to Bergen and renting a car one way to Alesund. Would we still see highlights if we flew to Alesund, and rented a car roundtrip Alesund? After Alesund, we plan to head to Svalbard.
Thank you for your tips and for the recommended things you love, we are ordering some items!
To be honest I would skip Bergen, as the Alesund is just as interesting and the surrounding nature is far more spectacular than that around Bergen. But if you can afford the one way rental that would also be a great option!
Hi Silvia! Wonder if you could comment on how easy of a drive it is? My husband is concerned that it will be a long and tough drive with a manual transmission from Bergen to Flam if the roads are narrow/windy/hilly and he has to constantly change gears. Any advice you have is greatly appreciated!
Hm it is a bit tough if you’re not used to driving manual as there are points where it’s steep and windy, but there’s very little traffic on the road so if you stall there probably won’t be anyone behind you to see you struggling! I’m not the best driver but I find Norway one of the easiest places to drive simply because there’s little traffic and everyone here drives quite slowly anyway.
Hey Silvia,
Thanks for such a great blog!! It’s been so helpful! My friend and I were wondering if we could get your expert advice… 🙂
We planned on renting a car from Bergen and wanted to drive to see the Fjords and sights of Norway. We plan on renting a car for 3 days (2 nights) and were considering 2 options:
(1) Driving around through scenic routes, staying a night or 2 in different locations and heading back to Bergen. i.e. the trip you posted about above! Nonetheless, Ideally a circle route to see as much as possible!
(2) Drive around through scenic routes, stay at different cities along the way, and then end at a different location other than Bergen (i.e. Alesund) and fly out from that city.
Do you recommend one option over another? And the best route to utilize beautiful sites and time?
Hi Silvia,
Your blog is amazing and soo helpful!
My friend and I were wondering if we could get your expert advice 🙂
We wanted to rent a car for 3 days (2 nights) and take a scenic drive. We were considering 2 plans:
(1) Drive from Bergen and take a trip similar to the one you posted about above, expect we don’t have any tents… so hostels + housing somewhere along the way.
(2) Drive from Bergen and take scenic routes, staying at different cities along the way, and flying out from a different city (i.e. Alesund) or maybe another city?
Do you recommend one option over another?
Option 2 would show you more, and that’s essentially what I did, except then I drove back home from Alesund.
Hi Silvia,
Would you recommend driving around Bergen, Alesund and the fjords in the middle of April? Are the roads likely to be passable at that time of year or will everything be blocked due to snow and ice?
The really high roads will still be blocked, but if you stick close to the coast you should be fine.
We just drove the snow route today after doing a sunrise hike up Mt Prest, it was absolutely breathtaking on a bluebird day. We’ve been in Norway two weeks so far and it’s the first time we’ve seen the sun :D. We’re going to follow your advice and hop on the ferry as we’re want to head up to Geiranger and do the atlantic road etc etc
Hi Silvia- I just wanted to thank you for your blog. I just spent three days driving much of these routes mainly on your recommendation and pictures here. It couldn’t have lived up any better to expectations. The views were spectacular and it was so good to get away from the mass of tourists and for much of the time be the only vehicle on the road. We read your blog avidly and you provided us with so much good advice- thanks!