Norway Holidays

Where to stay on Norway holidays

Choosing the right base can make all the difference on your Norway holidays, whether you’re chasing the Northern Lights, exploring vibrant cities, or immersing yourself in the tranquillity of the fjords. Here’s a guide to help you pick the perfect destination for your type of holiday.

• For Northern Lights adventures – Tromsø

  If spotting the magical Aurora Borealis is at the top of your list, Tromsø is the ultimate destination. This Arctic city offers a mix of cosy hotels and remote lodges, putting you in the perfect spot to witness the Northern Lights. Explore local culture, try husky sledding, and dive into Arctic adventures with our Tromso holidays.

• For cultural city breaks – Oslo

  Oslo is the ideal choice for those who love city vibes with a touch of Nordic charm. From sleek hotels in the heart of the capital to waterside stays near the fjord, you’ll have everything you need to explore iconic museums, trendy cafes, and vibrant nightlife. Start planning your cultural escape with our Oslo holidays.

• For tranquil escapes – Eid

  For a quieter, more off-the-beaten-path experience, Eid offers serene landscapes and a chance to unwind. Perfect for nature lovers, this picturesque region is surrounded by fjords and mountains, offering rustic retreats and boutique stays. Take a closer look at Eid holidays for a peaceful getaway.

• For fjord adventures – Bergen

  Known as the gateway to Norway’s stunning fjords, Bergen is perfect for those wanting to combine city charm with easy access to natural wonders. From colourful harbourside stays to hillside hotels with panoramic views, Bergen is an unforgettable base. Dive into the heart of the fjords with our Bergen holidays.

No matter where you stay, Norway’s unique blend of adventure, culture, and natural beauty ensures your holiday will be one to remember. Whether you’re gazing at the Northern Lights, strolling through city streets, or cruising the majestic fjords, there’s a destination for every type of traveller.

How to reach Norway

Flight time:

• Flights to Oslo, Norway’s capital, from London take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours.

• For cities like Bergen or Tromsø, travel time may stretch to 3–4 hours, including a layover.

Transfer time:

• From Oslo Gardermoen Airport, the city centre is easily reached in 20 minutes via the high-speed Airport Express train.

• Bergen Airport offers a 30-minute light rail journey into the city, while Tromsø’s transfers are just 10–15 minutes by bus or taxi.

Price:

• The Airport Express train to Oslo costs around NOK 210 (£17.50) one way, while regular trains are cheaper at NOK 120 (£10).

• Bergen’s light rail tickets cost NOK 40 (£3.50).

• Taxis, though convenient, are pricier, ranging from NOK 600–800 (£50–65) depending on the destination.

Weather and best time to visit Norway

This will really depend on how you wish to spend your time during your trip; you will get more daylight to enjoy the sights during spring and summer, but winter offers the opportunity for snowy escapades and you might see the northern lights.

March to May:

• Easter is the time of the colourful Sámi festivals, and mid-May can be delightful if your visit coincides with the brief Norwegian spring.

• It’s particularly beguiling in the fjords, with cascading waterfalls fed by the melting snow and wildflowers in abundance.

• Expect temperatures to climb from around 2°C to 10°C, with moderate rainfall at 30–70mm per month.

June to August:

• This is the time of the midnight sun: the further north you go, the longer the day becomes until at Nordkapp the sun is continually visible from mid-May to the end of July.

• The summer season, however, is relatively short, stretching roughly from the beginning of June to the end of August.

• Temperatures average between 15°C and 22°C in cities like Oslo and Bergen and rainfall can be unpredictable, with 50–120mm per month.

September to November:

• Autumn can be exquisite, with September often bathed in the soft sunshine of an Indian summer, but – especially in the far north – it can get bitterly cold.

• Temperatures drop from 12°C in September to 2°C by November and rainfall increases, especially along the coast (up to 150mm per month in Bergen).

December to February:

• Winters are long and dark, with reduced daylight, opening times and transport services.

• But seeing the phenomenal northern lights is a distinct possibility and once the days begin to lighten, the skiing – and dog-sledding, ice-fishing and snowmobiling – is excellent.

• Temperatures range from -6°C to -2°C, with plenty of snow in the north.

• Expect 5–50mm of precipitation and just 1–4 hours of daylight in January.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Norwegian is the official language, but almost everyone speaks fluent English.

• Local habits and customs: Norwegians value nature and simplicity; be punctual, respect their love for the outdoors, and prepare to embrace friluftsliv – the concept of open-air living. Few Norwegians tip at cafés, but rounding your bill up by a few kroner is pretty standard and considered polite.

• Currency: Norway uses the Norwegian Krone (NOK). Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, but having a little cash for smaller purchases is advisable.

• Getting around: There are three main domestic train routes, which link Oslo to Stavanger in the southwest, to Bergen in the west and to Trondheim and Bodø in the north. Bus travel is almost invariably less expensive than the train, with tickets usually bought on board, but on both NOR-WAY Bussekspress and Vy Buss there are generally significant discounts for purchasing tickets in advance. Using a ferry is one of the highlights of any visit to Norway while domestic flights are also common for reaching the far north.

• Electricity and plug types: Norway uses the continental 220 volts with Type C and F plugs. UK travellers will need an adaptor for two-pin plugs.

• Time zone: Norway is on Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT. It observes Daylight Saving Time from late March to late October.

Best things to do in Norway

With its rearing mountains and deep, blue-black fjords, Norway boasts some of Europe’s harshest and most beautiful land- and seascapes, whose vastness is merely pinpricked by a clutch of likeable cities.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock): A geological oddity near Stavanger, this great hunk of rock offers staggering views down to the Lysefjord on three of its sides.

• Gaustabanen, Rjukan: This funicular railway goes 860m into the heart of Mount Gausta, where you change for the 1km-long journey up to the top of the mountain – the views from the top are stupendous.

• Trolltunga: Not for the faint-hearted, this dramatic rock juts out over Lake Ringedalsvatnet; problem is, it’s a good 10–12 hour hike to get there, but the rewards are immense.

• Fløibanen, Bergen: There are wonderful city views at the top of what must be Europe’s quaintest funicular railway.

The best districts

• Grünerløkka, Oslo: Formerly a run-down working-class district, Grünerløkka has recently been reinvigorated in a boho sort of way, its regeneration turning it into one of the most fashionable parts of the city.

• Gamle, Stavanger: The most appealing part of Stavanger, comprising a network of lovely old clapboard houses with picket fences and perfectly manicured gardens.

• Bryggen, Bergen: Accommodating an attractive ensemble of stone and timber 18th- and 19th-century merchants’ trading houses, this is Bergen’s most atmospheric quarter.

Museums

• Norsk Fiskevaersmuseum, Å: Hanging on for dear life between the mountains and the sea, the tiny village of Å has preserved many of its 19th-century buildings within the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum.

• Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo: The sparkling new National Museum has the country’s widest and most impressive collection of fine and applied art – from Viking drinking horns to paintings by Munch.

• Maihaugen: This much-vaunted open-air folk museum is the largest of its type in northern Europe. Incredibly, the bulk of the collection represents the lifetime’s work of one man, a dentist by the name of Anders Sandvig (1862–1950).

Parks and gardens

• Vigelandsparken, Oslo: Before his death in 1943, Gustav Vigeland populated Oslo’s favourite park with his fantastical, phantasmagorical bronze and granite sculptures.

Historical monuments

• Nidaros Domkirke, Trondheim: Trondheim’s vaunted Gothic and neo-Gothic cathedral is the largest medieval building in Scandinavia – and one of northern Europe’s finest religious structures.

• Urnes Stave Church: Perhaps the finest of Norway’s stave churches, Urnes is distinguished by the frenzied intricacy of its woodcarving.

• Kongsberg kirke: The largest and arguably most beautiful Baroque church in Norway, its ruddy-brown brickwork and copper-green spire shadow a large square; the interior is a grand affair, with its enormous and showy mock-marble western wall incorporating the altar, pulpit and organ.

Things to do in different parts of the region

• Svalbard: From polar bear spotting to birdwatching to husky drives, the vast, glaciated landscapes of this gorgeous Arctic archipelago offer a spectacular range of wildlife safaris.

• The Lofoten Islands: This stunning group of islands is peppered with scores of idyllic fishing villages, of which Henningsvær is among the most arresting.

• The Arctic Circle: Head north to experience the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter. Tromsø and Alta are the best hubs for these thrilling Arctic adventures.

Activities for families in Norway

Norway’s many adventure activities can be ideal for kids, from kayaking to fishing, horse riding to skiing. Big-city Oslo, meanwhile, has more child-friendly attractions than anywhere else.

• Railway rides: A ride on the Flåm railway from high up in the mountains to the fjords way down below is one of the most dramatic train journeys in the world.

• Underground museums: Sølvgruvene silver mine, 8km west of Kongsberg, makes for a good excursion, especially if you have pre-teen children in tow. The entertaining tour includes a ride on a miniature train into the shafts through dark tunnels – take a sweater, as it’s cold underground.

• Aquariums and wildlife parks: Of the country’s many aquariums, the best is Bergen’s Akvariet which has all the marine gubbins you might expect, any and everything from penguin and seal hidey-holes to numerous indoor and outdoor tanks packed with North Sea fish of every conceivable species.

Free things to do in Norway

Norway has a reputation as one of the most expensive European holiday destinations, yet it’s not difficult to participate in activities that cost very little or indeed nothing at all on your Norway holidays.

• Free events: Almost every town in Norway has some sort of summer shindig, elements of which are invariably free. Nationally, though, the big one is Nasjonaldagen/Grunnlovsdagen (National Day/Constitution Day) on 17th May which sees many processions and much flag-waving.

• Northern Lights: At once eerily disconcerting and bewitchingly beautiful, the aurora borealis flicker across northern Norway’s winter firmament at irregular and unpredictable intervals.

• Ice skating: Most towns and cities have a rink where you can skate for free in winter. In Oslo, for example, a floodlit skating rink, Narvisen, is created in front of the Stortinget, beside Karl Johans gate. Admission is free and you can rent skates on the spot at reasonable rates.

Nature and outdoor activities in Norway

Most Norwegians have a deep and abiding love of the great outdoors. They enjoy many kinds of sports – from dog-sledding and downhill skiing in winter to mountaineering, angling and whitewater rafting in the summer – but the two most popular activities are hiking and cross country skiing.

• Hiking: Norway offers the adventurous hiker some wonderful experiences: the trek up from Lofthus to the lunar-like Hardangervidda plateau, the jaunt along the Besseggen ridge in the Jotunheimen nasjonalpark, and the remote, fjord-and-mountain hike from Vindstad to Bunes in the Lofoten are three such favourites.

• Skiing: Blanketed in snow for several months a year, skiing in Norway – be it downhill, cross country or telemark – is more a way of life than a sport. Join in, whether it’s on the outskirts of Oslo, in small-town Lillehammer, or even up the Lofoten coast setting off from Kabelvåg.

• Fishing: Norway’s myriad rivers and lakes offer some of Europe’s finest freshwater fishing. Common species include trout, char, pike and perch, not to mention the salmon.

• Fjord and sea-kayaking: Norway’s western fjords and coastlines provide the perfect setting for sea kayaking. One place to aim for is Flåm, which is home to the sea-kayaking specialists Njord Flåm, and there’s also Oslo Kayak Tours in Oslo.

• Whale watching: Pilot, minke, humpback and sperm whales show themselves in all their glory during summertime excursions off the Vesterålen coast.

The Munch Museum

Featuring the world's largest collection dedicated to a single artist, the Munch Museum displays the extensive works of Edvard Munch, including the famous Scream painting. The Norwegian impressionist pioneer donated his artwork to the city of Oslo where it is now on permanent display.

The Viking Ship Museum

Located on the Bygdøy peninsula, the Viking Ship Museum displays wonderfully preserved Viking ships, carts, textiles and other artefacts. Learn about the fascinating part of Nordic history through the collections of original material. Throughout the day, a film is projected right onto the walls and ceiling of the museum for a truly immersive experience.

Oslo

Visit the country’s capital, Oslo, for a cosmopolitan view of Norway. Oslo is the centre of the country’s science, economy and politics, as well as being one of the most important trading ports in Northern Europe, which has attracted some of the world’s largest maritime traders.

Local dishes in Norway

One of the highlights of holidays to Norway is its fresh, locally sourced cuisine. At its best, Norwegian food can be excellent: fish is plentiful and carnivores can have a field day trying meats like reindeer and elk or even, conscience permitting, seal and whale.

Some typical dishes

• Kjøttkaker: Norwegian meatballs served with mashed potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam.

• Fårikål: Norway’s national dish, a hearty lamb and cabbage stew that’s especially popular in autumn.

Meat dishes

• Fenalår: Marinated mutton that is smoked, sliced, salted, dried and served with crispbread, scrambled egg and beer.

• Reinsdyrstek: Reindeer steak, usually served with boiled potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Gravetlaks: Salmon marinated in salt, sugar, dill and brandy.

• Bacalao: A warming fish stew, with Portuguese roots, featuring dried cod, tomatoes and spices.

Sweets and desserts

• Riskrem: Rice pudding with whipped cream and sugar, usually served with frukt saus, a slightly thickened fruit sauce.

• Multer: Cloudberries – wild berries mostly found north of the Arctic Circle and served with cream (med krem).

Local drinks

• Aquavit: A bitter concoction which, at 40 percent proof or more, is real head-banging stuff, arguably made more palatable with beer chasers. Linie aquavit, made in Norway from potatoes, is one of the more popular brands.

• Norwegian beers: Norway now has well over 100 microbreweries producing some outstanding brews with two notable star-turns being the Ægir microbrewery, at the Flåmsbrygga in Flåm, and Inderøy Gårdsbryggeri, out in the sticks near Steinkjer.