By far one of my favorite things about living in Bergen is how close I am to some of Norway’s most beautiful fjords. I’ve already written about visiting Hardangerfjord from Bergen here, but today I’m focusing on an even bigger fjord: Sognefjord!
In fact Sognefjord is Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, and it offers visitors some of the most spectacular fjord views in Norway. Flåm is probably the most popular place to visit along Sognefjord, largely thanks to the spectacular Flåm Railway, however personally I think the most beautiful village along Sognefjord is Balestrand.
The fjord views in Balestrand are stunning, plus it’s home to one of my favorite hotels in Norway, the Kviknes Hotel. And if you’re visiting by car, Balestrand is near the start of the Gaularfjellet Scenic Route, which makes for the most incredible road trip.
Getting to Balestrand
The nearest airports to Balestrand are Sogndal (SOG) and Førde (FDE), however these are tiny airports and flights here are expensive. A cheaper option would be to fly into Bergen (BGO). Plus this would allow you to see Bergen as well! Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and well worth a visit. I live in Bergen, and I’ve shared my guide to Bergen here.
From Bergen you can reach Balestrand by express boat, bus, tour, or car.
Bergen to Balestrand by boat
You can take a boat from Bergen to Balestrand from April until the end of October. The express boat takes 4 hours, with departures from Bergen at 8:00 and 16:30 (14:15 on Saturdays), and one way costs 870 kroner. A roundtrip ticket costs 1306 kroner, so be sure to book roundtrip if you’ll be returning to Bergen.
You can book the Bergen Balestrand express boat here. The boat leaves from the city center at the Bergen Strandkaiterminalen.
Bergen to Balestrand by bus
There is no direct bus from Bergen to Balestrand so you’ll have to change buses in Vadheim. But this is very easy and you’ll have plenty of time to make the change. The bus takes about 4.5 hours and costs 164 kroner. You can buy your ticket from the bus driver. You can check the bus times at Skyss.no and Vy.no.
Vy is the Norwegian train company, but they also run a bus to Vadheim. You can book the Bergen to Vadheim bus on Vy and then buy your ticket for Vadheim to Balestrand on the Skyss bus (search for Bergen to Balestrand on Vy.no and it will tell you the full connection, including the Skyss bus).
I’m not a huge fan of taking buses in around the fjords because the roads twist and turn so much that I always end up incredibly sick. So if you also get carsick easily, I definitely recommend bringing Sea-Bands or motion sickness tablets.
Bergen to Balestrand tour
If you prefer to take a guided tour, this tour from Bergen combines lunch and a cider tasting at Ciderhuset in Balestrand with stops at the Hopperstad Stave Church, Storesvingen Viewpoint, Tvindefossen waterfall, and a cruise on Sognefjord.
Driving to Balestrand
Driving of course will give you the most flexibility when visiting Balestrand and the surrounding Sognefjord area. Balestrand is about a 3.5 hour drive from Bergen, though I highly recommend taking some scenic detours to explore more of the fjord.
If you choose to rent a car in Bergen, definitely book your rental car as far in advance as possible, as prices go up significantly as cars book up. Rental cars in Bergen usually cost about 500 kroner a day, but in the summer they can be 2000 kroner/day or more. So book early! You can compare prices and book your rental car here.
Driving in Norway is quite easy as there’s not too much traffic, but some roads can be narrow and winding. I’ve shared my tips for driving in Norway here.
My recommendation would be to take a 3-5 day road trip from Bergen, including a night or two in Balestrand. Here’s an example Bergen to Balestrand itinerary:
Day 1: Drive from Bergen to Flåm and spend the night at either the Fretheim Hotel in Flåm or Hotel Aurlandsfjord in Aurland.
Day 2: Take the Aurlandsfjellet Scenic Route and stop at the Stegastein viewpoint to see the fjord.
Continue driving towards Balestrand and stop at the Kaupanger Stave Church, the largest stave church in Vestland. It was built sometime between 1140 and 1150 and it’s been in continuous use ever since!
Day 3: Spend a night or two at the Kviknes Hotel in Balestrand.
Day 4. Either drive back to Bergen, or drive to Fjærland and spend a night at the Fjærland Fjordstue.
Day 5: Take the Gaularfjellet Scenic Route and drive back to Bergen.
Where to stay in Balestrand
The highlight of my time in Balestrand was definitely staying at the Kviknes Hotel. This grand 18th century hotel is right on the water, with both a modern wing and a historic wing filled with art and antiques.
This is one of my favorite hotels I’ve stayed at in all of Norway! I splurged on a room with a view in the historic wing and was so glad I did. My room had a huge balcony right on the water.
I was also so pleased to get such a beautiful room even when traveling with my dog. Often we (understandably) get put in the worst room in a hotel basement, but the Kviknes Hotel was incredibly dog friendly and I think we may have had the best room in the entire hotel.
The best part of the Kviknes Hotel is definitely its stunning location in Balestrand though, so if you prefer something more budget friendly the Balestrand Hotel would also be a great choice. In fact, if you book breakfast here you actually get to eat at the breakfast buffet at the Kviknes Hotel!
Where to eat & drink in Balestrand
Ciderhuset is Balestrand’s local cider house in an orchard established in 1922. Their cider and fruit wine have won many international awards, and you can book a cider and wine tasting here, buy bottles in their shop, or enjoy them with a meal at their lovely restaurant.
I also enjoyed stopping at Gekkens Restaurant & Cafe.
Cafe Fløyfisken is another lovely cafe with great sandwiches in the Sognefjord Aquarium building in Balestrand.
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