Norway : Norwegian Fjord Odyssey

It isn’t difficult to fall in love with Norwegian fjords. The scenery is packed full of picture-postcard sights and on this 12-night itinerary, you’ll get to experience them from your car or take an optional sailing with Hurtigruten, the famous coastal voyager. And its not just the fjords you’ll get to see – a ‘must’ is the Flamsbana scenic railway, 29km of the most stunning mountain views negotiated through a corkscrew of twists and turns.

This comprehensive itinerary starts and ends with a night in Bergen. One of the most popular things to do here in Norway’s second largest city is admire the panoramic views from the top of Mount Floyen, the most visited of the seven mountains that surround Bergen. The funicular railway transports passengers from the city centre to a height of 320m in just eight minutes. Alternatively, Torget, the excellent waterfront fish market, which actually sells all kinds of produce and handicrafts, is also well worth a visit. The historical wooden wharf buildings at Bryggen, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, now house a collection of studios for artists and crafts people and make for a fascinating afternoon’s stroll. The city also presents some great photo opportunities - in fact there is so much to see and do here that is it highly likely you’ll want to extend your stay!

The hotels featured along this route are of a very high quality, often wonderfully located with the most amazing views. Dining options are excellent and in addition to the many facilities the hotels boast, you can often rent bicycles, head off on boat trips or go hiking, of course being on a self-drive trip means you can explore at your own pace and make the holiday as active or relaxed as you wish – the peaceful settings of many of these properties lending themselves perfectly to kicking back.

Alesund, Norway’s largest fishing town is another place you’ll have a day to explore. It is noted for its brightly painted Art Nouveau architecture, since much of the town was rebuilt in 1907 following a huge fire that destroyed the old centre. For the best views of this lovely waterfront town, climb 418 steps to the top of Aksla hill – it’s worth the effort!

One of the many highlights of this itinerary is a drive along Highway 63 or the ‘Golden Route’ as it is known, which winds its way south from Andalsnes to Gerainger, literally! This amazing trans-mountain road, which wouldn’t look out of place in a Top Gear report, negotiates the landscape through 11 hairpin bends and steep inclines. The views are incredible and no doubt you’ll make plenty of photo stops at the various lookout points. You’ll see Trollveggen (Troll’s Wall), the highest vertical cliff in Europe – at 1100m, not surprisingly a favourite with experienced mountaineers. Continue your ascent on the famous Trollstigen (Trolls ladder) past Stigfossen waterfall (another Top Gear reference!) which drops 200m close enough to the road to cover vehicles in spray. As the land levels out stop at Utsikten for another great panoramic view - you’ll see some of the vast mountains named after chess pieces that dot the horizon including the Bispen and Kongen (the Bishop and the King) at 1462m and 1614m respectively.

Continue on Highway 63 to Valldall, descending to Norddalsfjord. Here in June and July, roadside stalls are bursting with fresh strawberries - Norwegians claim they are the best in the world! Take the ferry across to Eidsdal from where the road climbs, twists and turns before descending into the fjord-side town of Geiranger. This section is known as Ornesvingen or ‘Eagle’s road’ – the highest point is 620m above sea level and from here you can see the Seven Sisters falls.

Geirangerfjord, with more than its fair share of waterfalls, is one of the region’s smallest fjords which snakes inland from Storfjorden – it is also arguably Norway’s prettiest. Here you’ll stay a couple of nights at the impressive hillside Hotel Union Geiranger.

On this itinerary you’ll also get the chance to touch the arm of a glacier. The Briksdal Glacier is part of the Jostedal Glacier National Park and it sweeps down from a height of 1200m to the lush, narrow Briksdal Valley - a beautiful sight that attracts visitors from all over the world.

Another highlight has to be an optional trip on the Flamsbana corkscrew railway, one of the world’s steepest railway lines on a normal gauge. A return trip takes only a couple of hours and is definitely recommended. The 29km branch line, dating from the 1920’s, climbs 900m through twists, turns and tunnels including a couple of 180 degree bends, hugging sheer mountainsides, travelling over breathtaking drops, past elegant waterfalls and other incredible features to the junction at Myrdal. You could also consider a single ticket then hiking back or even renting bicycles to get you back to Flam – the 20km or so journey is pretty much downhill all the way! Be sure to check the train times with our office as it would be a crime to miss it!

A couple of nights at beautiful Hotel Ullensvang on the shores of Sorfjorden hails the end of a remarkable holiday, before a final night back in Bergen.