10 Days in Norway: A Beginner’s Itinerary

Visiting Norway is always an immense privilege, and it’s not hard to see why the country features at the top of many people’s bucket lists. My Nordic obsession has taken me to several corners of Norway, from witnessing the Polar Night in the Arctic to sailing along some of the country’s many fjords.

One issue I struggled with as a beginner was trying to do too much in one trip. Norway is huge, and you’ll probably need to remove things from your itinerary rather than struggle for new activities. If you’re still unsure how to travel around Norway, I’ll help you out today.

Below is a 10-day itinerary that you can try for your next trip. You’ll get a mixture of both nature and city life, and my hope is that you will both be excited to return and also feel fulfilled after making lifelong memories.

Days 1-2: Oslo

Your Norwegian adventure will probably begin in Oslo. Although I think that there are more interesting places to visit in Norway, the capital is still worth lingering around for a few days. Even here, you’ll still instantly see the unique mix of nature and urban living that many Norwegian cities excel at.

Oslo is pretty easy to get around; the city center is walkable, and you’ll find an efficient public transport network for further away spots.

Island-Hopping

Getting a one-day ticket and island-hopping in the Oslofjord is an absolute must; Hovedøya, the nearest island, is only 10 minutes away from Aker Brygge.

Nakkholmen and its pretty wooden summerhouses are also worth visiting, as are Bleikøya and Lindøya. You can read more about island-hopping in my Oslo travel guide. While you can easily reach these islands with a public transport ticket, it’s also possible to book an island-hopping tour.

Oslo’s Parks

Oslo has many excellent parks that you should explore, too. Gustav Vigeland’s sculptures at Frognerparken are worth checking out year-round, and you can get an excellent view of the city from Ekebergparken.

Swimming & Sauna

You’ll notice that many people in Oslo have a close connection to the surrounding landscapes, and that includes swimming in the Oslofjord—yes, even during the winter. There are several saunas and swimming areas close to the Oslo Opera House, and you should leave some time for those. My personal sauna recommendation would be SALT, which is also where you’ll find plenty of street food options when you’re finished.

Oslo has a selection of places where you can swim for free, such as the bathing area in the modern Sørenga district.

Food & Museums

Speaking of food, don’t forget to stop at Lofoten Fiskerestaurant for some fine seafood dining. And if you’re into art, the newly-renovated Munch Museum is worth checking out before you head further north; you can buy your tickets online.

In some cases, you might need to return to Oslo later in the trip to fly home. You can choose the most time and cost-effective option for you. It might make sense to do one day in the city at the beginning of the trip and another closer to the end.

Search for hotels in Oslo:

Day 3: The Oslo-Bergen Railway

If you’re short on time for your visit to Norway, you can pack a lot of landscapes into your trip by travelling from Oslo to Bergen by train. The journey takes around seven hours, and you’ll often experience all four seasons in one day.

The scenery gets more dramatic as you leave the Oslo region, with mountains, fjords, and waterfalls galore. Tickets are typically well-priced, and you can purchase them on the website of Vy—which is the country’s national train operator.

It’s also possible to drive from Oslo to Bergen in roughly the same time as the train will take. If you’ve got time to spare and you want to add a few pit stops, renting a car might be a good option for you.

You can fly from Oslo to Bergen in around 55 minutes, but let’s be honest… where’s the fun in that?

Days 3 (or 4)-7: Bergen

Bergen is Norway’s second-biggest city, and it’s also—in my opinion—the most beautiful. Despite being home to fewer than 300,000 people, there’s SO much to do. You could easily spend a week here without getting bored, and the nearby fjords and mountains are Norway as you always thought it would look like.

I would recommend dividing the Bergen part of your journey into different themed days. You’ll want to spend 1-2 days exploring the city center and wandering around the cute wooden houses at Bryggen and in the Nordnes district. Don’t forget to stop at all those cafés either!

Hiking In and Around Bergen

You should consider—if the weather allows—going for at least one hike around the city. You’ve got seven mountains to choose from, with Ulriken being the highest. A cable car runs to and from the top of Ulriken, and the hike up or down takes roughly an hour (it’s quite challenging, so you should have decent fitness levels and good hiking shoes).

At the top of Ulriken, you can venture off on various other hikes with different difficulty levels.

You can also go to Fløyen, which is a much easier hike. I’d personally recommend taking the cable car up and then walking back down. You can find out more about cable car tickets here.

Taking Tours to the Fjords ⛰️

As engaging as Bergen is, you should also make an effort to take a tour of one of the nearby fjords: Hardangerfjord or Sognefjord. The Sognefjord is the deepest (and biggest) fjord in Norway, whereas the Hardangerfjord is the country’s second-longest. So, either option is great. I did a Hardangerfjord tour to Rosendal in 2019 and can recommend following a similar route. My mother visited the Sognefjord as well, and also gave that a positive review.

The time of year that you visit Bergen will determine many of the activities you have available. Some tours are only available in the warmer months, and you’ve got limited daylight hours in the winter—so you’ll need to think more carefully about how you organize everything if you go during the off-season.

Search for hotels in Bergen:

Days 7-10: Tromsø

Your Norwegian adventure concludes in the far north. The final leg of your Norway trip itinerary takes you above the Arctic Circle to Tromsø, which is the biggest city in Northern Norway.

To this day, Tromsø remains one of the most unique places I have ever visited. There’s something that cannot be described about being that far north, and experiencing the Polar Night is something I’ll never forget. You can also sample the Midnight Sun if you visit in the summer instead.

You can see Tromsø’s main highlights in a day or so. The Arctic Cathedral is worth checking out, and the views from the walk across the bridge are also picturesque.

Search for hotels in Tromsø:

Getting Outside of Tromsø

Northern Norway is home to some of the indigenous Sámi people, who also live in Finland, Sweden, and parts of Russia. Reindeer herding is a crucial part of their livelihoods even today, and if you visit in the winter, you can visit one of the reindeer farms near Tromsø. This tour by Tromsø Arctic Reindeer is still, to this day, one of my favorite travel experiences. I also wrote a review of it here.

During the winter, you can also join a Northern Lights tour; check out your options here. It’s sometimes possible to see the phenomenon from Tromsø itself, but light pollution means that you’re better off venturing further from the city. It’s also important to remember that you’re not guaranteed to see the Northern Lights, as it’ll rely on other factors—such as limited cloud cover. I can’t recommend any at the moment as I have not taken a Northern Lights tour in Tromsø, but of course, I will update this guide if and when I do in the future.

Note:

Some Northern Lights tours offer free rebooking/refunds. However, this is not always the case. Check before booking to ensure that yours does.

Nature

Tromsø’s biggest pull is the surrounding nature. Even if you don’t join a tour, you can still take the public transport bus to Kvaløya and take in the surrounding mountains and fjords. Beware, though, that the pavements can be very slippery during the colder months.

The area around the city is also great for whale-watching and numerous other activities like skiing.

Leaving Norway

From Tromsø, you can fly to a handful of international destinations—including Helsinki, London, and Amsterdam. Alternatively, you can fly to Oslo and get an onward connecting flight.

Useful information