PANORAMIC TOUR OF HARDANGERFJORD

In a nutshell

An extraordinary panoramic tour of Hardangerfjord, one of the most famous and spectacular fjords in Norway, on which we drive through picturesque villages and mountains overlooking the sea, to discover the true essence of this country and fully appreciate its wild and unspoiled nature.

Main stops

• Bergen: Bergenhus Fortress, Håkonshallen, Rosenkrantz Tower, the Hanseatic wharf district of Bryggen and the Fish Market
• Lake Kaland, the village of Os on the Bjornefjord
• Hatvik, Venjaneset
• Mundheim, Hardangerfjord, the Folgefonna Glacier
• Lunch in the village of Øystese or Norheimsund
• Norheimsund, Steinsdal Waterfall, Tokagjel Gorge and Mount Kvamskogen
• Gullbotn, Soerfjord, the Island of Osterøy
• Northern suburbs of Bergen, Sandviken Bay

The programme

• We leave Bergen by coach for our excursion, driving past the Bergenhus Fortress , the Håkonshallen and the Rosenkrantz Tower.
• After admiring the buildings of the old Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf and the Fish Market , we proceed to Os , a village on the Bjornefjord , 30 km south of the city.
• From here we begin a brief panoramic tour of the fjord, during which we are stunned by the spectacular view of the islands and the snow-capped mountains. We then reach Hatvik , where we take the ferry to cross the fjord to Venjaneset , on the opposite side.
• Our journey then leads us through small villages set in typical, west-coast scenery as we proceed to Mundheim and the Hardangerfjord , one of the most well-known Norwegian fjords, which lies framed by mountains reflected in the clear water and is famous for its many orchards.
• Our panoramic coach tour continues with a spectacular view of the mountains on the opposite side of the fjord. Weather permitting, we can even see the Folgefonna Glacier – the third largest in Norway – which covers an area of 203 square kilometres.
• We reach the village of Øystese , which sits in the bay of the fjord against a backdrop of high mountains, surrounded by green farms. We stop here for lunch , before returning to the village of Norheimsund , where we head inland to the Steinsdal Waterfall – which has a sheer drop of 50 metres – where we can cross the valley without getting wet.
• After going through many tunnels, we come to the Tokagjel Gorge and the Kvamskogen Mountain Plateau , a favoured dining and picnic spot among the inhabitants of Bergen. Indeed, there are numerous wooden chalets here and the area is ideal for hiking in summer and skiing during the winter and spring.
• We then go down along the fjord again, before going up to Gullbotn , where there is a closer recreational area with ski pistes and ski jumps.
• From here we go down to the Soerfjord. Across the water, on the opposite side of the fjord lies Osterøy , the largest island on the western coast.
• Our tour proceeds towards the northern suburbs of Bergen and before returning to the port we have the opportunity to admire the typical architecture of Sandviken Bay.

Good to know

• Places on this excursion are limited. We recommend booking early.
• This excursion is purely scenic and involves long stretches travelling by coach on winding roads (about 6 hours).