My husband and I wanted to explore Norway for quite a long time. Fjords cruise was on our bucket list and finally we made it happen! What a coincidence that Lonely Planet just rated Norway one of the best countries to travel to in 2022.
Landed safe and sound at Oslo Gardermoen Airport. Not sure if it's because we departed from a chaotic and messy airport in Chicago O’Hare or what got to us but Oslo Airport (clean, simple, and modern typical Scandinavian design) was like we arrived in heaven. From here I suggested taking a high-speed train called FlyToGet Express from the airport to the city centre instead of taking a bus or taxi which takes 40 minutes from the airport to downtown Oslo versus 20 minutes by train. You can purchase the FlyToGet ticket at a connection point - easy to navigate.
Our Nordic journey started in Oslo. Oslo is one of Europe’s fastest-growing cities. International media is constantly writing about Oslo’s innovative architecture, museums, and neighborhoods, as well as everything that moves on the food, fashion, art, and music scenes. The city is covered with forests and parks, and the fjord extends to the city center. I was genuinely amazed at how beautiful the city was. We loved every minute of it.
Where to stay in Oslo?
We wanted to be in the heart of Oslo so we preferred to stay in the Karl Johans area. I highly recommend staying at the Grand Hotel Oslo or Karl Johans Hotel. However, the Grand Hotel Oslo is the most iconic hotel and Norway’s best known and the rooftop bar is amazing. Both hotels are on Parade Street Karl Johans, with many attractions, cafes, and shopping just outside the door. Or if you are looking for a nice friendly budget hotel, you may check in at the Hotel Bondeheimen which is located near Karl Johans as well.
Things to do in Oslo;
Oslo's Opera House. This is the most modernized opera house we’ve seen. You can walk on the roof of the Opera house to enjoy the nearly 360-degree panoramic views from the top of it. Also, there is a very hip and cool Deichman Library, a brand new Instagram spot right by the opera house and central train station. We came here quite often and the cafe inside was very good!
The Munch Museum has the largest collection of art by one single artist, Edvard Munch. His best-known work, The Scream, has become an iconic image of the art world. The museum does offer a deli & cafe on the ground floor (Napoleon cake is to die for). The Bistro and bar are on the 12th floor which offers a fantastic view of Bjorvika.
Bjorvika is a neighborhood in Oslo that I love to hang out in, known for its striking contemporary architectural buildings and filled with trendy restaurants with fjord views.
The famous Viking Museum is currently closed until 2025/2026 for rebuilding three times larger with the new name “The Museum of the Viking Age”. But, we also enjoyed the Kon-Tiki Museum, which is unbelievable and named after Thor Heyerdahl’s epic raft journey across the Pacific Ocean!
Vigeland Sculpture Park, which sits inside Oslo’s famous Frogner Park.
Strolling around the Aker Brygge area is the heart and soul of the city.
Karl Johans gate. It's a main shopping street from high-end brand names to local designers, which ends at the Royal Palace!
Where to eat?
We stopped by the Paleet shopping center every day for some good coffee and pastries. Not to mention that Paleet offers high-end fashion boutiques, but the cafes and gourmet restaurants are worth the visit. Our best spot for seafood was in Aker Brygge. We loved Fiskeriet (Best Fish & Chip and Seafood casserole), Louise Restaurant & Bar, and Restaurant Fjord because they have great seafood! Vippa is the newest and hippest food, culture, and music center in the city. I’m grateful for my Oslo’s eatery bible https://www.visitoslo.com/en/restaurants-nightlife/restaurants/
Travel around Norway
Their public transport system makes the rest of the city or across the country easily accessible. I loved Oslo Central Station because it’s clean, very easy to maneuver, and English signs are easy to understand. There are a lot of cafes and restaurants. I’m telling you there is a hotel, a shopping mall and grocery stores inside the Central Station too!
After 8 days in Oslo, we headed to our next destination, Bergen, by train. We picked the first departure from Oslo at 08:25 am. It is 6.5 hours travel comfortably by train from Oslo and we enjoyed the one-of-a-kind rail journey instead of a 55-minute flight to Bergen. I was blown away during the train journey to witness the changing sceneries from green terrain to glaciers, massive waterfalls to colorful villages along the flowing rivers. It was truly fascinating.
Bergen - A world heritage city on Norway’s southwestern coast. It’s the second largest city in Norway surrounded by mountains and fjords, including Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest. Bergen is such a picturesque small town with wooden buildings standing tall in different colors and colorful houses clinging to the hillsides. I loved our time in Bergen even though it was raining on and off most of the time while we were there. We couldn’t complain about being in the rainiest city in Europe. Although, we had two gorgeous sunny days. They said Bergen has the best rain jackets in the world and they ain’t kidding.
Where to stay in Bergen?
We’ve rented a nice studio apartment for 8 nights at Kloverhuset Apartment located in the heart of Bergen. We could see the beauty of Bryggen (a UNESCO World Heritage site) right in front of our balcony with under 5 5-minute walk to eat scrumptious seafood at the fish market. However, we had a bit of a disappointment because of their misleading check-in address and lack of clear information. Anyway, if you just spend a few nights you may want to stay at a hotel instead which I’d suggest Bergen Bors Hotel, Clarion Collection Hotel, Opus XVI because they’re all very nice and in great locations.
Things to do in Bergen;
Fjord cruises. Bergen is an ideal starting point for fjord excursions. If you want a real treat, join the legendary “Norway in a Nutshell” tour, which takes you through Norway’s UNESCO-protected fjord and mountain scenery. This was the highlight of our trip!
Bryggen is one of Bergen’s main attractions and is designated on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Bryggen was built after the great fire (the whole city was burnt to ash) in 1702. It’s located in the middle of the city center and can be easily reached with a short stroll from the Fish Market.
Ride the Floibanen Funicular up to Mount Floyen. Bergen is also called the city between the seven mountains. The most easily accessible summit is Floyen, 320 meters above sea level. You can hike or take a six-minute tram ride on the Floibanen enjoying the panoramic view of the city centre. We took the tram :)
Day trip to Flam. The Flam Railway has been described as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world and is one of the leading tourist attractions in Norway. The journey features the finest aspects of the stunning scenery of Western Norway.
Where to eat in Bergen?
Taste Bergen’s history at the Fish Market. Bergen is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy! Fresh seafood is the core of Bergen cuisine. Among local specialties, you’ll find Bergen’s fish soup, fish cakes, and “persetorsk”, a traditional steamed cod dish from Bergen. Cornelius seafood restaurant, Lysverket, and BARE restaurant (the only Michelin-star restaurant in Bergen) are highly recommended. One day we stumbled upon a tapas restaurant, Taperia. We found a great Spanish wine selection and of course, they served great food! We came back three times to Taperia. We had heard great things about the Nama Japanese restaurant and it was surely great. For Italian nights, we loved Osteria Vinbar and Villani Skostredet.
Just by luck! There was a Thai food festival on the weekend while we were in Bergen! OMG, we were extremely happy to savor authentic Thai food and I got to speak my native Thai language. My husband is too cute to try his best to speak Thai and enjoyed his mango sticky rice. This event just made my day.
In Summary
From Bergen, you can take a 2-hour flight to picturesque Lofoten Island where your arctic adventure begins. We were impressed by the Norwegians we encountered they were all extremely nice and friendly. Communication was not a barrier for us at all because they spoke English very well. Norway is not a cheap place to visit especially in Oslo. Dining out and alcohol are particularly expensive. The amount you pay for a glass of wine starts at $16 for 3-4 sips and this goes the same for cocktails. Nevertheless, there’s a certain magnetic charm drawing us to visit this Nordic country again. Oslo is one of our 5 favorite cities in Europe! We loved the size of the city, clean, pure nature, sustainable tourism, great transportation, and plenty of amazing restaurants/bars. Our first time in Norway was filled with wonderful memories! Thank you for everything.
To be continued with our journey in Copenhagen, Denmark!