NORWAY: AN 8-DAY ITINERARY (ROAD TRIP!)

This is just a portion of our overall road trip across Denmark, Norway, and Scotland, so we are going to break it down by country. Here is the lineup for Norway:
        Day 1: Stavanger (arrived by ferry from Hirtshals, Denmark)
        Day 2: Stavanger
        Day 3: Bergen
        Day 4: Geiranger
        Day 5: Geiranger
        Day 6: Geiranger
        Day 7: Flåm
        Day 8: Trolltunga
        Day 9: Travel to Liverpool for the British Open

What we packed:
        Checked bag - Camping/hiking gear
        Checked bag - Clothes/toiletries
​        Carry-on bag - Camera backpack
        Carry-on bag - Hiking backpack

Day 1
Total drive time: 0h
Route: Stavanger
Accommodations: Airbnb

Our road trip doesn't actually begin until we get to Bergen, Norway. Prior to arriving in Bergen, we spent 2 days in Stavanger - mainly to hike Preikestolen.

We took the overnight ferry from Hirtshals, Denmark to Stavanger, Norway, and arrived in Stavanger at 6:30am.  The ferry port is west of Stavanger in a town called Tanager, so you will need transportation to the city.  A taxi is quite expensive - 400 NK. You can make arrangements with Fjordline for affordable bus transportation to the city, which is the best option. We dropped our bags off at our Airbnb and familiarized ourselves with our surroundings. Our Airbnb was centrally located and walking distance to many restaurants, the mall, other shops, and the ferry port. Everything can be found in this area.  Around 10:00am, it is time to start heading to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock).  Before our ferry for the Preikestolen hike, we went to a delicious bakery, Kanelsnurren. We crossed the street to the grocery store to grab snacks for the hike, and then walked a block to the port. No need to buy Preikestolen tickets in advance, you can purchase the ferry and bus ride tickets at the port. The ferry was about a 35 minute ride and the bus about a 25 minute ride.  And now you're at the base camp of Preikestolen!  Note - they've got a pretty well organized operation here.  Restrooms, snack bars, a restaurant, organized bus pickup/drop-off, etc.  

The hike itself is absolutely breathtaking. Plan for about 2 hours to Preikestolen, at least an hour at the top to rest and enjoy the surroundings, and two hours for the way back. This hike is of moderate difficulty with some steep "stairs" combined with long flat areas.  The first of these three images shows a shallow pond with some tents in the background.  If you're feeling up for some wild camping, that pond is a great spot.

We arrived back in Stavanger by 6:00pm. We ate dinner at Mogul India Restaurant - the food was absolutely delicious! After dinner, we headed back to our Airbnb to shower and sleep. This is where we stayed - Airbnb - the location was super central, you could walk to everything and anything you needed, but the conditions were extremely unsanitary. We should have read the reviews more closely :(. 

Day 2
Total drive time: 0h
Route: Stavanger
Accommodations: Airbnb

We had planned to hike to Kjeragbolten, but after the ferry and hike to Preikestolen we were just too exhausted and decided to spend the day exploring Stavanger. We hit up Kanelsnurren again for breakfast. Then we walked towards Gamle Stavanger (Old Stavanger). This is a preserved historic part of the city on the west side of Vågen, the inner harbor area of Stavanger.  The houses are 19th and 20th century and all of the houses are white - you can't miss it. We went to Døgnvill Burger for lunch and then to Øst to get our hands on some craft beer - we also never leave home without our travel cribbage board!

After Øst, we stopped the grocery store to pick up something for dinner (and a few beers). After dinner, we went to Øvre Holmegate, which is also known as "the colorful street." We went into Bøker og Børst and decided to split a flight of craft beers. There was an awesome patio in the back where we met some locals and played Cards Against Humanity.

Day 3
Total ferry time: 5h 30m
Route: Stavanger - Bergen
Accommodations: Airbnb

We woke up early to catch the Fjordline bus from the train station in Stavanger to go back to the Fjordline port at which we arrived. We took the same ferry to Bergen (7:00am-12:30pm). After arriving in Bergen, we walked to our Airbnb to drop off our bags. We then headed into the city and went straight for the Torget Fish Market to eat a late lunch. We had some awesome fish and chips and also the prettiest cup of fruit.

After the fish market, we wandered over to Bryggen - a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings lining the eastern side of the Vågen harbor. This is the old wharf of Bergen.  It has a unique collection of shops behind the face of these buildings, which reminded us of a village from Lord of the Rings or something.  Bryggen is on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage Sites.

Just behind Bryggen is St. Mary's Church - which is a beautiful church from the 12th century.

We then wandered the streets to get to the Fløibanen, which is a funicular that connects the city center with the mountain of Fløyen,  At the top, you get a great view of the city. There are snacks and souvenirs, along with a walking trail.

We grabbed a frozen pizza on our way back to our Airbnb. We ate and rested. The Airbnb was nice and central - we would definitely stay again!

Day 4
Total drive time: 5h
Route: Bergen - Geiranger
Accommodations: Geirangerfjorden Feriesenter - Cabins & Camping

In the morning, we walked to pick up our rental car, and what a start to the day because we lucked out with a free UPGRADE to an automatic black AUDI wagon!. The drive to Geiranger was the most beautiful thing we have ever done. We lost track of how many times we stopped to pull over and take pictures. Every turn was more breathtaking than the last. The drive was filled with tunnels, mountains, fjords, waterfalls. You will not be disappointed by this drive!

When we arrived into Geiranger, we found the perfect spot to pitch a tent - at the Geirangerfjorden Feriesenter - Cabins & Camping. We took a quick drive into town for dinner at ​Restaurant Olebuda. After dinner, we went back to our campsite to hang and enjoy the views.

Day 5
Total drive time: 0h
Route: Geiranger
Accommodations: Geirangerfjorden Feriesenter - Cabins & Camping

For breakfast, we hit the Geiranger Bakeri - it is on the main street into town, you can't miss it. We planned to kayak today, but it was too cold and rainy. So we waited for the sky to clear up a bit and went on a short hike, Vesteråsfjellet.  We drove to the Westerås Restaurant, and the hike begins just beyond that. The hike was quick, about 25 min, but there was an awesome overlook of the fjord. We were basically walking in the clouds, which was really cool.  There always seems to be a random animal somewhere.

After our hike, we went to the grocery store to grab a few snacks and drinks. Alcohol is expensive in Norway and hard to find outside of a restaurant. Aside from Stavanger, we don't recall seeing any actual bars again. We played card games in the tent while enjoying the rain and watching the cruise ships pass through. We went back into town for dinner at Friaren Bistro. The food was so-so in Geiranger. We really wanted to eat at Brasserie Posten, but reservations are required.

Day 6
Total drive time: 6h
Route: Geiranger - Flåm
Accommodations: Flåm Camping

In the morning, we made PBJs for breakfast (we always tried to keep a loaf of bread and peanut butter with us!). We then rented a kayak for three hours, the rental was right near our campsite. We kayaked to the base of Skageflå, which is a historic mountain farm. It took us about 45 min to reach the base by kayak.  We had a small map with us, so we had an idea of where the base would be. We then got out of the water and pulled our kayak out. We then had to hike straight up the side of a cliff for 30 minutes (250 meters). The hike was very challenging and there were many parts were the footing was sketchy. At the top you can see the Seven Sisters Waterfall. There were a few old buildings at the top as well. It was an awesome view. The farm had been there since the middle ages, but has not been used since 1918. We then hiked back down, which was much quicker, and kayaked back.

After kayaking, we decided to drive to Flåm. We found dinner in Øvre Årdal, The long drive was again spectacular, the route we took ended up taking us on Sognetjellet. Route 55 across the Sognefjell mountain area between Luster and Lom is the highest and most impressive mountain pass in Northern Europe (highest point 1434 meters), and it has been awarded the status of National Tourist Route because of the spectacular and wild mountain scenery it passes through in the Jotunheimen National Park. The route also took us through Lærdalstunnelen, which is the world's longest tunnel at 24.51 km - yikes! There was a cute place to grab a pastry and a coffee somewhere along the Sognetjellet. We found camp in Flåm and went to bed.

Day 7
Total drive time: 3h 15m
Route: Flåm - Trolltunga
Accommodations: Trolltunga Parking Lot

Our plan for the day was to do our own version of the Norway in a Nutshell tour, but honestly it was not worth it. After our two long scenic drives, I am afraid nothing will ever compare to it! We went down to the Flåm train station and here is what we booked - 

• Train from Flåm to Myrdal
  
• Train from Myrdal to Voss
  
• Bus from Voss to Gudvangen
  
• Ferry from Gudvangen to Flåm 

The greatest thing about the tour, was the train from Flåm to Myrdal. Here are some pictures from the ferry.

Back in Flåm, there are so many cute shops, we ended up getting a lot of gifts here to take home to friends and family. That night, we drove to the Trolltunga Parking Lot, so that we would be able to get started on our hike early in the morning. We literally set camp in the parking lot in front of our car. Drive to Tyssedal (6 km from Odda) on route 13. Follow signs to Skjeggedal and Trolltunga. After about 7 km you reach the parking lot in Skjeggedal. Parking in Skjeggedal (NOK 300/day).

Day 8
Total drive time: 3h 15m
Route: Trolltunga - Bergen
Accommodations: ​Midttun Motell & Camping

We picked up hiking supplies in Flåm - 6 ham and cheese sandwhiches, nuts, protein bars, fruit. The hike is 27.5 km in total and takes anywhere from 10-12 hours. We started at 7:30am, it took us 4.5 hours to Trolltunga, 1.5 hours for views and pictures, 4 hours back to parking lot. The hike can be broken down like this -

• The first hour is a gravel road up hill - tough
• The second hour is flat than steep with rocky terrain
• The third hour is the easiest, but there is snow
• The last hour is a bit of an incline, but not terrible
• At the top, we had to stand inline for about 45 minutes to get our picture taken - well worth it. 

We advise that you bring a couple pairs of extra socks and clothing for all 4-seasons.  Also it doesn't hurt to bring plenty of food. There are numerous places to fill water up along the way, so don't worry about that. This hike was the hike of a lifetime for us. I would do it again and again. You will not be disappointed.

After our long hike, we drive to a seedy little motel/campsite outside of Bergen. We really just wanted a cheap place to shower and rest our heads for our flight in the morning.

Day 9
Total drive time: 30 min
Route: Bergen - Bergen Airport
Flight: Bergen - London

We woke up early to head to the airport, return our car and prepare for the last leg of our trip! Stay tuned for our next blog post of the British Open and our Scotland road trip!