My Norway Itinerary — Movement is Life

Several people have asked about my Norway itinerary, so I’ve laid it out in a straightforward format with links and details on where I went and what I did. The idea here is to give you a foundation for your own research and help you come up with an itinerary based on your values, interests and preferences.

For context, when I travel solo, I typically only plan my arrival and departure cities and book a hotel for the first 2 nights. After that, I go with the flow, adjusting my plans based on how I’m feeling and what I want to explore.

Hope you find this info as a good starting point and follow your own intuition to plan your adventure in Norway. I’d love to answer any questions you may have.

Oslo, Norway: Day 1-3

I flew into Oslo with Iceland Air. I was able to find round trip tickets for about $600. The flight was 5 hours to Reykjavik, Iceland. An hour of layover and then another 2 hours flight to Oslo.

The train station is inside the airport so I easily bought a one-way train ticket to my hotel in Oslo’s City Center and walked about 6 minutes to my hotel. I stayed at Thon Vika Atrium Hotel. The cost was $150 per night. The hotel was perfectly located near all the sights in Oslo such as the Opera House, museums, harbor, restaurants, floating saunas and Nobel Peace Prize Center and public transit. Hotels in Norway are small and focused on function. Expect spare hotel rooms.

Oslo, Norway. Abstract Art at the National Museum

I spent my days in Oslo at the National Museum which had a focus on art, design and architecture. I also visited the Nobel Peace Prize Center. Both museums cost about $10 each. I took a 4 hour long Oslo Fjord cruise which cost about $30. There’s a stand at the harbor in Oslo where you can buy tickets. On several days, I went to the floating sauna on the harbor in the city center. It cost $20 per session. I think it is a must do in Norway. The sauna/cold plunge culture is unique and worthwhile.

Oslo’s annual Jazz Festival was happening so I bought tickets via Ticketmaster to see Mali Jazz Artist, Vieux Farka Toure play live at Cosmopolite.

On a rare sunny day in Oslo, I visited the Vigeland Sculpture Park. It has over 200 statues in a beautifully maintained garden. I took the tram there. By the way, use the tram to easily go sightseeing in Oslo.

Bergen, Norway: Day 4-8

I took a 7 hour train from Oslo to Bergen. I bought the one-way train ticket for $90 at the train station kiosk. The concierge was kind enough to sit me by a window on the left side of the train (I had forgotten that the left side offers the best scenic views). Do not dread the 7 hour train ride, it was the most beautiful visual feast for the eyes I’ve ever experienced. I got to see how magical Norway is. It felt like I was riding through untouched, majestic nature.

Bergen rains over 200 days out of the year. I had no idea. It rained most of my time in Bergen (and throughout my entire trip in Norway). Bring raincoat, hiking shoes and warm clothes. Summers in Norway is very mild. It feels more like November or March in the US. I spent most of my time walking around Bergen. I stayed at another centrally located hotel called the Harbor. The cost was around $175 per night.

The food in Bergen was just meh. I ate at the fishermen market on most days. It’s a market in the city center where fisherman bring their daily catch and grill it on site. There are tables by the harbor to sit and eat. Norway is known for its salmon and other seafood so it was a treat.

The biggest highlight of my stay in Bergen is an 11 hours Fjord mini-van and cruise tour. It was a small group. We visited a waterfall, viewed the fjords by foot and van, and took a cruise to see the western fjords. I found the tour on Trip Advisor for $250. It was worth it.

Lofoten Islands, Norway: Day 9-14

I went to the Lofoten Islands on a whim after hearing from my Bergen tour guide it was worth a stop. It’s a trek to get there because they are remote fishing villages in the North side of Norway. To get there, I took a flight with Wideroe from Bergen airport to Bodo. This cost about $150. The plane ride is about 1.5 hours long. After arriving in Bodo, I had to take a 3 hour long ferry ride to Svolvaer, Norway. I bought my ferry ticket at the port in Bodo for $45. (Be sure to buy a roundtrip ticket because there’s no live person to buy a ferry ticket from in Lofoten and the app is a nightmare).

There are several islands that you can stay in at Lofoten, I chose Svolvaer based on some research that it’s a good base to explore the rest of the island. I stayed at Scandic Hotel which overlooked the harbor. I can’t recommend this hotel in good faith. It cost $200 per night. I’d encouraged you to check out the Thon Hotel brand there instead. The Scandic Hotel had a mildewy smell to it and if you get a room facing the parking lot, you can’t open your curtains so I spent most of time in the dark.

You have to rent a car to see the island. I rented a car and it was quite easy to navigate the roads. Although, the roads can be a bit uncomfortable at times - single lanes and single lane tunnels make me uneasy. Renting an automatic car was costly compared to a manual car. It cost $90 per day. I used Lofoten Car Rental. I roadtripped to Haukland Beach, Uttakleiv Beach, and Hennisgsvaer. I also visited a contemporary art exhibit in Henningsvaer. I went to the floating sauna and jumped in the arctic sea several times during my stay.

Bodo, Norway: Day 15-16

I took the ferry from Svolvaer, Norway to Bodo. The three hour ferry ride was hellish. The night before the ferry ride, there was talk of canceling the ferry due to in impeding storm. The ferry wasn’t cancelled after all, but it should have been in my estimation.

The sea was rough, gray and grumpy. Half of the passengers were seasick and puking throughout the ride. We were told not to get up. The captain had the ferry jumping on waves, swerving, rocking to and fro. It was tumultuous to say the least. So just a warning that the ferry is crossing the Arctic Sea so all of the dangers that come with that is possible on a ferry ride. The good news, I now know that I am immune to seasickness. If it was ever going to happen, that was the time.

Ferry ride stop on the way to Svolvaer, Norway

I spent a night in Bodo and had a full day exploring the city. I stayed at Radisson Blue hotel which cost $79 for the night. The hotel is directly across a beautiful, light-filled library which also houses a cozy cafe and wine bar. I also went to a second-hand store called Fretex where I thrifted a vase. I also went to an art supply store and a small gallery where I purchased some original art. To celebrate my final night in Norway, I had a 6 course meal at a restaurant I can’t remember the name of - not too far from Raddison Blu Hotel.

That’s it. One thing I’d do differently if I return to Norway is to explore more of the Lofoten Islands by camper. I think the freedom of a camper would allow for a more flexible and immersive experience of Norway’s stunning landscape.