This 7-day self-guided tour is a combination of what many consider to be one of the world’s most beautiful rail and cruise excursions—the Norway in a Nutshell® train journey along with a spectacular slice of northern Norway. You will survey the dramatic coastline from a cruise, visit UNESCO protected areas, fly further north to Tromsø, and get the opportunity to join optional excursions and view the majestic northern lights.
Just a few of the majestic sights you’ll take in during your trip.
A day-by-day plan to guide your Nordic adventure.
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 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 the 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 a flight to Tromsø Airport, collect your luggage and make your way to your hotel. We recommend taking the airport bus (Flybussen) or a taxi to your hotel. After settling in at your hotel, you can spend the rest of the day exploring the charming city of the "capital of Norway". There are many restaurants in city centre for an early dinner to start the holiday with a taste of a true arctic meal.
In the evening it’s time to leave the city lights behind on a guided small group tour for a 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.
Spend the first half of the day at leisure in Tromsø exploring the charming Arctic city and its various attractions, including the Polar Museum, the Arctic Cathedral and Fjellheisen cable car.
Your activities in the afternoon will vary depending on the month of your travel:
15 September – 30.November: Northern Lights Cruise
In the evening, enjoy a northern lights cruise where you will sail away from the city lights, and view the stunning auroras from sea. After the tour you will be transferred back to your hotel.
1 December – 27 March: Dog Sledding & Aurora Borealis
In the late afternoon you will be transferred to the wilderness centre, Camp Tamok where you will join a thrilling dog sledding tour. After the tour you will have another opportunity to look for auroras while enjoying a hearty dinner in a lavvu, a traditional Sami tent, at Camp Tamok, before being transferred back to your hotel. *
*Please note that if this activity is not available on your requested date, you will be offered a similar activity as a replacement.
Spend the night in Tromsø.
After an incredible time exploring the magnificent north, it‘s time to bid farewell to Norway. Your tour will conclude in Tromsø, where you will make your way by bus or taxi to the airport.
Note: If you need assistance with flights from Tromsø or booking additional nights in Oslo before and after your holiday in the North then please contact us for details.
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.
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.
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.
Your dog sledding day out will last around 8 hours, starting with a 75-minute bus transfer between Tromsø and Camp Tamok.
Once you reach the camp, you will get a lesson before setting off. The dog sledding excursion itself will take 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, but you should be in fair physical condition. Warm clothing and equipment will be provided on location for the activity.
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.
Travelling with your kids? No problem! You'll be able to enter your infants’ ages during the booking process. This lets us know whether to arrange either a baby cot or roll-away bed for your trip.
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.
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.
Just wait until you see this with your own eyes.
We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.
Sindre was our original travel consultant and he was so communicative and helpful. He made sure we got every booking we wanted. Juliana helped us so much while on our trip - there was a mishap with our bus and she was so kind and kept checking in on us to ensure we got to Bergen and were safe! Fabulous service.
This was my second trip using Nordic Visitor. I found the whole booking process easy and well organised. The documents and information provided for the trip made it very simple to navigate through Norway. The choices of accommodation (except Bergen), transfers and tours selected provided an uncomplicated and enjoyable trip.
Juliana was amazing. She answered all of my pretrip questions (there were many). At one point during our trip, the fjord cruise was cancelled due to ice. She notified me via email along with the solution to stay with the Norway in a Nutshell tour. While we didn't have any emergencies on our trip, I was confident she was a phone call away to help us.
Excellent service. The whole tour exceeded our expectations. Our flight from Bergen to Tromsø was cancelled, but Jennifer was quick to rearrange everything for us and ensure we would make our next tour.
This is the second time I have used Nordic Visitor. I am already looking to use them again for our upcoming Scotland/Ireland trip. I have been recommending them to friends interested in visiting Iceland.
Well organised. Good hotels within walking distance of bus or train. We got what we wanted and were very satisfied. Kudos to Nordic Visitor.
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.
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