Norway is one of the most amazing places one should consider in their list of places to visit next. The country contains so many hidden gems, incredibly beautiful sceneries across the miles and offer plenty of opportunities for one of the best selfies you can expect.
In 2018, I’ve had the luck and pleasure to visit this beautiful country for a good 10 days and man, was I constantly out of breath! Norway has easily risen up to become the top picks of my favourite places to go and I’m already excited to plan for the next one.
The visit had allowed me to carry my travel photography passion up to the next level, producing some of my best images ever captured till date. Since then, it is easily the top 2 places in my mind if I wish to create the next album release.
In today’s article, I will be sharing with you a quick look at the 2018 itinerary for a cooling and colourful Norway trip. If you are looking for low or shoulder season trip to somewhere cooling – away from the heat in Asia – you’ve come to the right place!
If you’re researching for places to visit in Norway, this would work as a foundation for you in your planning but my next article on the top 10 recommended places to visit in Norway, would do better for you. So stay tuned for that too.
Why Autumn? And when’s the best period to go?
Don’t worry, there’s really no right or wrong when it comes to traveling. You shouldn’t be surprised if I tell you that every season and every month is also worth traveling to any places you wish to go.
Why? Simply because every country presents a different experience and adventure in every season of its own. Why stop at just that one season?
In my case, I love Autumn for its cooling weather and quiet serenity it presents. It is also considered as the low to shoulder season where many travel destinations experience the lowest volume of visitors.
And if you ask me, it is both good and bad for different people. Travellers who love crowd and people would certainly choose peak periods to visit and enjoy the experience with many others. On the other hand, there are also travellers who want to travel in peace and quietness to fully indulge in the local’s daily routines.
But if you’re choosing Autumn just like I did, perhaps nearing to end September and early October would be perfect.
Weather is generally very unpredictable up in the North. So it is really hard to say when to avoid the possible downpours. You can check online weather predictions but there’s only so much one can anticipate. Instant weather changes in recent years due to climate change only makes such planning even harder.
Tip: End September would have avoid most of the crowd and school holidays but you may risk getting hit by the monsoons. Plan your itinerary with enough empty days to swap activities around and freely, so you don’t end up disappointing yourself.
Overview of the trip in Google Map
Here is a quick view of how the entire itinerary looks like in Google Map. It resembles a triangular coverage across Norway, and I’m certainly not saying it is the best. It is what you have to give and take to make a trip work in your favour.
With careful planning, I managed to cap this trip at just under SGD8,000 for 2 pax to go. A 10 days trip to Norway with fully localised experience and 2 continental cars included, I can’t imagine a better one.
1. Touch & Go in Oslo
I’m not really a city person, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I wouldn’t stay in Oslo for too long. But don’t worry, I’m also not one to miss out on it entirely too. But for now, no time would be wasted here as the rest of the itinerary are just way too much more exciting and it is getting really close within our reach.
2. 5 Days in Bergen
One of the coolest place to visit when you are in Norway, you shouldn’t miss Bergen at all in any of your itinerary! Why? For 2 simple reasons – 1. The famed Oslo-Bergen scenic route and 2. The Flam Railway.
Ok, well there are plenty other scenic places you shouldn’t miss, but if I’m forced to pick top 2 then it would have been the above ones. Just be mindful that both are train rides, so you’re best to plan them a few days apart and not get bored out even before you get to enjoy it.
Our apartment stay in Bergen
We took shelter at this amazing 2-storey apartment, all for ourselves. It was an incredible stay and we thoroughly enjoyed the location here. Conveniently, there is also a bus stop for you to take the local ride into the heart of the Bergen city. There are also parking lots available if you’re driving, so not too much of a concern for transportation.
The only downside to this is that you had to climb up a tight-spaced spiral stairways up. And you know what that means – Lifting 2 big luggages up 2 floors is certainly no easy task!
Taking a ride on the Flam Line
The major highlight of this location for me, is Flam. Really, this town offers nothing short from epicness. Quiet serenity, incredibly beautiful scenery and it just brings out so much emotional transferration from your inner soul outwards to alleviate you from all the pain and trouble you may have.
Instantly uplifting your mood into an adventurous energy, you shall be amazed throughout the train ride up one of the steepest climb for a standard-gauge railway in Europe. During this ride, you will ascend up over 800 metres in height with a maximum gradient of 5.5% in total! It’s truly amazing!
Fjord Cruise along Hardangerfjord
There are many fjords in Norway, and certainly some of which are very popular tourist attractions. I believe Hardangerfjord was one of it. Naturally, most of us would’ve also herd of Geirangerfjord, which is one of the most popular fjord ride amongst the attractions.
Should they be compared and which one to go? In my humble opinion, they shouldn’t. If possible and given the chance, I would even encourage to try both. While similarly going through a Fjord passage, each one of them carries a much different experience on its own.
Tip: Do take note that while perhaps Geirangerfjord may have been more popular, it is also further up north from Bergen or Oslo. It is not actually in that close proximity. So to make a choice here, you should look at where you’re staying and for how long to decide which Fjord to visit.
A culturally romantic day at Bryggen
How would you miss this if you are in Bergen? Nuh uh! No excuse taken here. Bryggen is not just yet another beautiful place you should go but culturally, it represents a symbolic place in the hearts of the locals.
Listed as one of the UNESCO heritage site, at the time of my visit some of the buildings were still undergoing renovation to restore its glory. Made mostly out of wood, it takes tremendous amount of effort to maintain such historically meaningful structures through the test of times.
And if you fancy a gorgeous sunset dinner with your soulmate, Bryggen is perhaps the best place you should be! Just right beside a major harbour, there are many restaurants and pubs for you to sit down and unwind with a glass of red wine while admiring the beautiful sunset.
3. 7 Days in Alesund
The major highlight of the trip and the bulk of the days spent in this location, it was thus planned for good reasons. With many extraordinarily beautiful location to visit, we simply can’t have enough time!
Taking one of their local airline, SAS, it took us only 1 hour to arrive at this location and we wasted no time to quickly settle down.
Our apartment stay in Alesund
You know what’s the best word to describe my personality? Remote. I like staying out and away from bustling areas. The choice for my apartments reveal just the same expectations. Located alongside mountainous road, there are only 2 other residential apartments in that area. Of course, driving a short distance away you will certainly find another small cluster, but that’s it – remotely out of radar and in the wilderness.
And only one word can express my love for this place – Exceptional.
Hint: You really must have a car in order to reach this location. In fact, be prepared to cook most of the time as there is no restaurants or eating house nearby at all. The only option is a nearby supermarket which also closes by around 5-6pm local time.
The drive up to Trollstigen
Ok ok, here it comes. The first epicness of the trip. Woke up with fully restored energy and maximum determination, we began our trip towards the famed winding road in Europe. And man, did it live up to its name! Our perseverance had rewarded us with this stunning image of the 11 hairpin bends with a steep inclination of 10% ascending upwards to 850 metres high.
Checked. One more location crossed out from the long bucket list of things to go/see/do. I don’t need to say much here do I? The name speaks for itself. For any avid travellers, Trollstigen is a name that you will never forget.
Hint: Seriously, wake up early and set off. It’s a long drive up and the time you need up there to enjoy the view is something you shouldn’t underestimate. I dare say so because along the way, you will stumble onto another hidden gem that I spent an unexpectedly longer time to capture some of the best images I’ve ever treasured. And before you know it, the sun sets and the road becomes dangerously difficult to drive downhill.
Geiranger Fjord View
We had originally wanted to take the Geiranger Fjord cruise on a particular day. And because of the popularity at the time, we do need to purchase the ferry tickets a couple of days in advance. So do take note of this and plan your days ahead accordingly.
Alternatively, while it may not have been the best experience of the Fjord, you can also drive up to the highest point. There is a stopping point where it is a huge bend with large parking areas. Many tour buses and cars would also be stopping there too. Here, you can have a panoramic view of the entire Geirangerfjord, including the faraway town where you had been driving from to reach here.
Note: No, I didn’t end up riding the Fjord unfortunately and deeply sad. Days before the planned ride, local weather prediction was heavy rain. We had to make a hard decision to gamble against the weather or drop the idea. Eventually, we decided that there’s enough places for us to go already and saved up over SGD300 for that ride.
The great Atlantic Road
Oh my, yet another fascinating location! Made possible only by incredible engineering, the Atlantic Ocean road spans over a length of 8.3 kilometres which not only offers extraordinarily beautiful scenery over the horizon, but also an unforgettable driving experience.
This is truly one of the location that will forever stay in my heart and would give anything to experience it all over again. What a world not to miss! Still not believing me? Have you seen these images before online? Yeah, that’s Atlantic Road my friend. It’s all of the awesomeness minus the moon shots there. If you love road trips or simply just cruising long stretches of road, trust me on this – Atlantic Road would’ve been one of the best experience second to Great Ocean road.
Tip: This drive also relies a lot on the local weather. Not that you can’t drive there on rainy or stormy days, but naturally if weather is foul, you can perhaps expect bigger waves. For some, this can be a little more daunting. Be careful, plan ahead and observe weather forecasts and you will enjoy this ride more than you would expect!
At the top of the world at Aksla Viewpoint
Ok so you had enough driving for the past days. You’re done with driving. Fine. Why not chill out at the Aksla Restaurant at the top of the Aksla Viewpoint? Take your best seats near the window and you can observe the incredibly beautiful vantage of Alesund. It is where some of the most impressive famous shots of Norway were taken too.
I shot a beautiful square-cropped image of this view where the sun gently shines on Alesund right after a shower. This is one my Signature Series of Norway! If you’re interested in my Norway Signature Series, stay tune as the album will be releasing soon.
Oh my god, does the amazing images ever end?!
Hint: I don’t really see a lot of parking spaces up at the Viewpoint. So it might be worthwhile to head up there a little earlier to get a slot and you can really chill out comfortably. It’s not really a long drive from Alesund City, so it would be a perfect break from the road for you.
Up, up up to the sky with Loen Skylift!
This attraction wasn’t part of the plan. In fact, we quite literally stumbled on this gem while we’re driving back from elsewhere. But this pure coincidence had greatly rewarded us with a remarkable experience at the top of the world!
At the top of the Loen Skylift, there is a great restaurant that had the perfect panoramic view. Unfortunately, that day’s weather was extremely cloudy for us to see anything. But hey, do get yourself a nice warm set of steak paired with a glass of smooth delicious red wine. You won’t regret going up.
Exploring the City
Just as impressive as all its nearby attractions, Alesund City has plenty to offer as well. For family, you may wish to pop by its famous Alesund Water Park. We drove there but didn’t go in as we decided better to head for other places. Taking a long stroll in the city and you would have a taste of the local’s daily lives there, going slow and steady.
I think the best vantage point is still being at the Aksla Viewpoint, where you can really see Alesund in its entirety. Being a coastal city, it’s quite a densely populated area with buildings erected on nearly every inch possible. But once you’re down there, the overwhelming density suddenly doesn’t look like a reality as you walk on wider than normal pathway, ample space for scenery and gardens on every side of the street.
Picking Alesund was definitely the right choice I made when I planned this trip. While every city and town has its own beauty, I was exceptionally captivated and mesmerised by Alesund because of its resemblance of densely populated layout just like in Singapore, while providing nearly endless panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern part of the world.
4. 3 days in Oslo
As with all great and exciting trip, it is time to head back as we get closer to our reality. For the last leg of the trip – and as I mentioned above – I’m certainly not going to miss out exploring Oslo. Though I’m not a fan of big city, having traveled more than 10 hours across the world to arrive at such a beautiful country, one should never miss out anything. Anything at all.
Sadly, I lost 2 days worth of footage and content when we’re in Oslo. I don’t have much to share for our view in Oslo, but it was really amazing. Though being a large city, the vibe was certainly super positive as a city to live in. Given a choice to pick where I’m heading next after the pandemic situation, Norway shall and will be at the top 3 in the list.
What’s yours?
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