Embarking on a road trip in Norway is a journey into some of the most breathtaking landscapes you’ll ever see. With soaring mountains, powerful waterfalls and serene fjords, all connected by scenic routes that wind through this natural wonderland, Norway is the perfect destination to have an unforgettable road trip.
I was lucky enough to go to Norway in Spring, at the end of May, and planning this trip was definitely difficult. There are so many things to see in Norway, and the country is so much bigger than it seems, that deciding where to go exactly was a struggle.
In the end, we managed to create a perfect well-rounded spring road trip itinerary that will allow you to witness the stunning beauty of Norway’s landscapes in the Hardangerfjord, Nærøyfjord and Sognefjord, and to explore the vibrant cities of Bergen and Oslo.
It is an is ideal mix of relaxing activities, beautiful hikes and chilled city walks, so it is absolutely perfect for all types of travellers.
Disclaimer: this itinerary is absolutely perfect for Spring, but it can be done all year round, you’ll just see less flowers!
Day 1: Explore Oslo
Highlights: Royal Park, Karl Johans Gate, Oslo Opera, Akershus fortress, Aker Brygge
Driving: no driving yet, you’ll take the car on day 2!
Spend the night in: Oslo
To stretch your legs after the flight, your first day in Norway will be dedicated to exploring the wonderful city of Oslo. It is a very modern city with fantastic architecture, and it feels very clean and safe.
I wrote a little guide on the best things to see in Oslo if you are only visiting for a day, so I highly recommend following it as it will allow you to see the main landmarks without going too far away.
Day 2: From Oslo to Odda
Highlights: Heddal, Gaustatoppen, Latefossen
Driving: approx. 6 hours – Norway Road Trip Day 2 – Google Maps Itinerary
Spend the night in: Odda
On day 2 of your Spring Norway road trip, you will start by picking up your car and head towards the Hardangerfjord region. We opted for a 10 am pick-up and if I were to do it again I would probably go for an even earlier one.
Unfortunately for us, this day was Norway’s national holiday so many things were closed, but it was amazing to see everyone going outside to celebrate in traditional clothing!
This day’s drive will take you through the beautiful Telemark and Hardanger region to reach the Hardangerfjord, in Odda. You will also cross the Hardangervidda plateau on beautiful scenic routes.
From Oslo to Odda, here are the stops I recommend:
- Heddal: to see its huge and very well-preserved stave church and the Heddal open air museum, wich showcases traditional Norwegian houses. Both were closed that day but you can still walk around them.
- Gaustabanen: a funicular that takes you on top of the Gaustatoppen, the highest peak of the Hardangervidda plateau for a breath-taking view. Be aware that this funicular goes inside the mountain, so some people might feel uncomfortable. Also, it is really cold at the top in spring so bring a jumper!
- Mjonøy bakery: to eat some of the most delicious cinnamon buns in Norway. Even if it is closed I suggest you to stop there and walk around because the area is really cute!
- Latefossen: a stunning waterfall just before Odda. There is a parking space right after it so you have time to stop and take a few pictures.
Day 3: From Odda to Bergen
Highlights: Hardangerfjord, Lofthus, Eidfjord, Vøringsfossen
Driving: approx. 5 hours – Norway Road Trip Day 3 – Google Maps Itinerary
Spend the night in: Bergen
On day 3 of your Norway road trip, you will witness the stunning beauty of the Hardangerfjord region in Spring, by driving along its scenic routes and reaching Bergen in the evening. This drive is particularly beautiful in late spring because of all the orchards in bloom!
This was one of my favourite days, and we stopped in:
- Lofthus: a cute town where you can grab a delicious cinnamon roll (also called skillingsbolle) at Fløy Bakeri. I recommend eating it while exploring the area around the town, including the apple and pear orchards!
- Eidfjord: another pretty town at the end of the Hardangerfjord. If you are hungry, I highly recommend eating at Vik Bakeri, or stopping on your way back, after the waterfall.
- Vøringsfossen: a stunning waterfall and the most famous of the Hardanger region, a few minutes away from Eidfjord. You can see it from the top or from the bottom.
- Ulvik: another very pretty little town, that is the perfect stop to stretch your legs and walk a bit before reaching Bergen. You have a pretty church and a pleasant promenade by the water.
Day 4: Around the Hardangerfjord
Highlights: Hardangerfjord, Omaholmen, Bondhusvatnet lake, Steinsdalsfossen
Driving: approx. 5h30 – Norway Road Trip Day 4 – Google Maps Itinerary
Spend the night in: Bergen
On day 4 of your Norwegian road trip you will explore further the Hardangerfjord area, with unique spots and more remote and lesser-known parts of the country.
You’ll do an easy hike in the morning, then explore some cute towns in the beautiful Hardanger region. Here’s what I recommend:
- Omaholmen: after a few hours driving through an impressive landscape of high mountains and crossing stretches of water by ferry, stop by Omastranda to see a cute little inhabited island.
- Bondhusvatnet Lake hike: this is a very easy hike where you’ll follow a nice river along some beautiful landscapes and end up in front of a stunning lake. The hike takes around 2 hours round trip to reach the lake and 3 hours round trip if you go to the other end of the lake, where you’ll see a glacier.
- Norheimsund and Steinsdalsfossen waterfall: on the way back to Bergen, stop by Norheimsund to walk around the cute harbour, then drive a few minutes to the Steinsdalsfossen waterfall. There, a path leads you behind the waterfall and almost on top of it for stunning views!
Day 5: Explore Bergen
Highlights: Bergen historic centre, Fløyen hill, Old Bergen Museum (Gamle Bergen)
Driving: No driving needed.
Spend the night in: Bergen
This day will entirely be dedicated to visiting the beautiful city of Bergen. Start in its historic centre and walk around the harbour and pretty colourful houses. You can visit its fortress then make your way to the Fløyen hill to have a gorgeous view of the city.
In the afternoon, I recommend taking the bus to go to the Old Bergen museum (Gamle Bergen) to see what Bergen looked like in the past. Even if it is marked as “closed”, you can still walk around the houses and have a lovely time there!
Day 6: From Bergen to Flåm
Highlights: Sognefjord, Urnes Stave Church, Lærdalsøyri
Driving: approx. 7h30 – Norway Road Trip Day 6 – Google Maps Itinerary
Spend the night in: Flåm – I absolutely recommend staying at Gjørven Hytter
Disclaimer: this day includes a long drive. Start early so you can take your time at the different stops without arriving too late in Flåm.
Day 6 of your Norway road trip is definitely intense as you’ll explore some beautiful parts of the Sognefjord region, then reach the town of Flåm for the night, passing by stunning viewpoints, pretty towns and impressive stave churches.
Here’s the itinerary I’d recommend for this day:
- Storesvingen viewpoint: stop there on your way to the pretty town of Vikøyri to have gorgeous views of the fjord.
- Hopperstad stave church: the only church where the original narrow chancel opening is preserved. Its surroundings are also beautiful!
- Sogndalsfjora: a cute town, perfect for a lunch stop (or “cinnamon roll stop”) at the Lustrabui Sogndal bakery
- Urnes stave church: a stunning UNESCO-listed stave church. To access it, you have to take the ferry in Solvorn (please check the ferry schedule beforehand as there is only 1 each hour!).
- Kaupanger stave church: one of the highest stave churches – Note: it is currently closed for renovations until June 2025!
- Lærdalsøyri: pick up groceries for the night and go to the Fredag & Fretland Bakery for bread and pastries, then pass by the Old Town.
Day 7: Around the Nærøyfjord
Highlights: Nærøyfjord, Flåm, Undredal
Driving: boat tour in the morning (no driving) + approx. 40 min. from Flåm to Undredal and back.
Spend the night in: Flåm
This day of your spring road trip in the Norwegian fjords is a chill day around the Nærøyfjord, where you can explore the area around this UNESCO-listed fjord.
Start the day with a stunning Nærøyfjord boat tour. We booked the one from Norway’s best and I really recommend it! You’ll find more information about it in my review of the Nærøyfjord Fjord Cruise, as well as all the practical information about this specific tour.
The boat will take you from Flåm to Gudvangen. You can stay there for a couple of hours to eat your packed lunch, go back to Flåm. When you are back, you can take your car and explore the area, buy some souvenirs in Flåm or relax at your accommodation.
One thing I recommend is to visit the pretty town of Undredal and its very cute stave church (book the visit if you want to see inside) and walk around, along the small river and by the fjord.
We went there in the afternoon then back for dinner at the Undredal Bryggje Restaurant that has a stunning location by the water and delicious food. Don’t miss their goat cheese and specifically the brunost!
Day 8: From Flåm to Oslo
Highlights: Stegastein viewpoint, Aurland, Borgund stave church
Driving: approx. 5h30, if you only visit Borgund stave church – Norway Road Trip Day 8 – Google Maps Itinerary
Spend the night in: Oslo
This is the last full day of your Norwegian road trip, and you’ll leave the fjord region to go to Oslo by taking the main road.
I would recommend these stops when leaving Flåm to reach Oslo:
- Aurland: this pretty town is perfect to have one last look at the stunning Aurlandsfjord, a branch of the Nærøyfjord. Stop for breakfast or to buy lunch at Marianne Bakeri & Kafé, everything is delicious!
- Stegastein viewpoint: this famous viewpoint has a breathtaking view over the fjord. Try to be there in the morning as there will be less tourists.
- Aurlandsfjellet: if it is open, take this beautiful scenic road (cosed until end of May). If not, you have to go through the Lærdalstunnelen, the longest road tunnel in the world (24.5 km long).
- Borgund Stave Church: this stave church is absolutely a must-do in you road trip to Norway, as it is the most distinctive stave church in the country because it looks precisely how it used to look in the 12th century, when it was built.
If you are interested in seeing more stave churches, on the way from Flåm to Oslo you can visit these ones by only adding an hour or so (in total) to your road trip itinerary:
- Øye Stave Church
- Høre Stave Church
- Lomen Stave Church
Check the opening times as these can be closed in the off-season!
Leaving Oslo
Depending on when you have your flight, you may have time on this final day to visit Oslo a bit more, go around shopping or see some museums that you might have missed on your first day in Norway!
Norway Road Trip –
Practical information
Do you need to rent a car to visit Norway?
Unles you only want to visit cities, I highly recommend you to rent a car for your trip to Norway. This will allow you to have much more flexibility in your itinerary and to witness at your own pace the beauty of this country and its nature.
With a car, you can also go to less touristic places: we did this road trip at the end of May (beginning of peak season), and we really only saw a lot of tourists in Bergen and in Flåm. The rest of the time, we truly felt like we had everything to ourselves.
Should you rent an electric car for a Norway road trip?
We debated this question for a long time, and ultimately decided that we would not rent an electric car as we feared this would considerably slow us down in our itinerary and make us worry about charging it.
We noticed many charging stations in Norway, but they were often full next to landmarks and famous spots. In the end, I would only recommend an electric car if you have a very flexible itinerary that allows for longer breaks.
How expensive is Norway?
Norway is expensive, for sure. From the accommodation to the car rental and food there, you will have to spend some money. Wether it is more expensive, cheaper or equivalent to what you are used to spend all depends on where you come from.
To give you an idea: lunch with a sandwich + drinks (juice, coffee) + dessert amounted to around 20 euros/dollars per person. Eating out at a restaurant was around 35 euros/dollars per person (without alcohol).
To save some money I recommend cooking at your accommodation and prepping your own lunch beforehand when you can.
When is the best time to visit the fjords in Norway?
Norway is a stunning country all year round, but I only visited in the late spring (end of May). You’ll never know how the weather will be but we were extremely lucky with 9 full days of bright sunshine and warm weather.
I think that late spring is the perfect time to visit the fjords in Norway as the weather will be a bit warmer, there won’t be so many tourists yet, and you’ll quite literally see flowers everywhere.
Please note, that some roads or hiking paths are closed or not recommended until June. For example:
- the Aurlandsvegen scenic road opens at the beginning of June (but you can always take the tunnel)
- it is not recommended to try the Trolltunga hike before June without a guide
How to take the ferries with the car?
It is extremely easy to take the ferry boats to cross the fjords in Norway. The staff onboard will scan your license plate and send the bill electronically, so if you have a rental you’ll just receive an invoice at the end of your trip. This way, you absolutely don’t need cash!
The only thing I would recommend is to check the schedules before, so that you can adjust your itinerary according to this, but usually there are 2 or 3 ferries each hour so you won’t have to wait for too long.
