10-Day Summer Tour of Norway: Off the Beaten Track Adventure

Bergen was integral to the Hanseatic trading alliance between northern Europe’s medieval powers, and evidence of this legacy continues to impact the city today. A local guide will meet you at the airport for a short transfer into central Bergen and your fjord-side hotel. Then, you can explore the narrow streets of history, passing traditional colored houses to remnants of a medieval era. From the harbor to the Hanseatic Museum, you can follow a rich tale of seafaring people and peaceful trade, passing everything from fishing boats to charming cafes. Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a very popular Norwegian destination.

Seven fjords and seven mountains stretch out around Bergen. The finest view of Bergan can be captured from the top of Mt. Sandviken. Here, you can gaze across the city and the fjords while their rugged mountains reflect peacefully in the water’s surface. It is approximately a three-hour hike to the summit, and this includes 900 steps that are featured in the world’s steepest race. If that sounds like too much, then you can alter today’s activity to a fjord cruise. In a small boat, you can travel along the water and admire incredible panoramas. Bergen becomes very pretty late in the evening as the sun’s golden tones persist for hours.

For the next two days, you will be on a wilderness road trip with a local driver. During your trip, you will traverse traffic-free roads and take local ferries across fjords. After today’s winding journey, you can hike a short trail to view Jostedalsbreen, which is Europe’s largest glacier. Only 300 people live in Fjaerland town, and the sense of escapism is exquisite, especially when you gaze at the surrounding mountains. Today will be a day of iconic Norwegian landscapes, such as stark granite slopes, calm water, and forests that carpet vertiginous mountains.

Geirangerfjord is perhaps the world’s most famous fjord. It is only three hours by road to Norddal, but today’s drive will take most of the day because you will stop to explore Norway’s nature and culture. Waterfalls tumble out of sheer mountain cliffs, and summer is a great time to see them due to the alpine melt. Wooden houses dot the shoreline, which is evidence of people who have attempted to live and work here. Stories abound of remote dwellers, and you may start to believe some of the local legends. Yes, this is a famous Norwegian destination, but there is a remarkable sense of space and a feeling of exploring the unknown.

Today, you will travel further into the fjords. The road to Trondheim is very long, and you can save time by traveling by helicopter. By flying by helicopter, you can venture across landscapes that remain completely untouched and uninhabited. You will set off early in the morning and soar over Geirangerfjord before heading north. Swooping lower, you will touch down in the wilderness for a picnic by the water and chance to walk in forests that are dominated by elk. Continuing your journey, you will then land on an island next to a fjord at a place that is enveloped by the dramatic frames of Norway’s mountains.

After a scheduled flight, you will land in the Arctic Circle, which is the land of the midnight sun. The sun does not stay high in the sky, but it does skip along the horizon, creating a prolonged sunset scene. The hues glisten along the horizon with hints of bright red and orange. The sunset scene is magnificent from anywhere but most impressive from the water because you can appreciate all the reflections while paddling. After a day exploring Tromso with a local guide, you will paddle out beneath the midnight sun in search of dolphins and other marine animals. Dolphin encounters are not unique to Tromso, but they are much more special during the sunset.

Today, you will have a three-hour drive along a fjord en route to Norway’s second-largest island. Beaches without footprints hide behind yellow-green forests, mountains rise thousands of feet, rivers trickle into tranquil lakes, and coastal pools reflect golden summer tones. This Eden is missed by almost everyone who visits Norway, but there is a tourist infrastructure here. You will be staying at a luxury cabin on the coast, where you will be immersed in a vast and almost unending work of nature. In between all the outdoor exploration, you can get a taste of local delicacies in a small village, including Senja cod, goat cheese, cured reindeer meat, and pickled fish.

With a full day on Senja, your outdoor expedition can continue. Today, you can hike on wilderness trails, paddle on the Arctic Ocean in a kayak or across a lake, go fishing in the river, or relax on a secluded beach. Cycling is another great option for today, and you can also explore in a vehicle on 4WD trails to immense lookout points. Back in the cabin, you can get really warm around a fire before stepping out into the midnight sun and basking in your surroundings.

While many know about the Lofoten Islands, the Vesteralen archipelago remains mostly undiscovered. Andenes will be your first destination here, which is another place of wild diversity, from alpine peaks to dazzling fjords and quiet beaches. The scenery is always impressive, and so are the whales. On a whale-watching cruise, you can get close to the remarkable giants. Whale watching takes place year-round up here, and the summer water usually brings a surge of action. The other advantage of summer is that the boat operator has so much daylight to work with, so today’s tour can run at the best time for calm water and more whales.

After a short transfer to the main Vesteralen airport, you will fly back to Bergen and connect with your international flight.