10 Days in Norway: Oslo, the Fjords, Bergen & Tromsø

This 10 day Norway itinerary takes you from the capital to the Arctic in one trip, with the fjords in the middle. Fly into Oslo and out of Tromsø. In between: Oslo (2 nights) → Flåm (1 night) → Gudvangen or Voss (1 night) → Bergen (2 nights) → Tromsø (3 nights). Most of the southern leg moves by train and boat. The flight from Bergen to Tromsø takes about 2 hours.

The 7 day Norway itinerary covers the same southern fjords and stops in Bergen. Ten days adds three nights in Tromsø, above the Arctic Circle, where the trip changes with the season. You get the Northern Lights in winter or the midnight sun in summer, and a different Norway from the one you saw in the south.

The flight is the trade-off. There is no train to Tromsø, and the coast road is too long for a ten-day trip, so we fly. You give up one scenic leg and gain a whole region. If you only want the south, the Essence of Norway tour covers the fjord circuit without the flight.

Each row is one day. The base is where you sleep that night. Train and boat times shift with the season, so treat them as a guide until we confirm your dates.

Oslo is the easiest start in Norway. The city is compact, the waterfront is walkable and the museums sit close together. Give the first evening to the harbour. Walk the sloping roof of the Opera House for a view across the fjord, then eat at Aker Brygge, where the old shipyard is now a row of restaurants and waterside terraces.

On day two, cross to the Bygdøy peninsula. The Viking Ship Museum, home of the Oseberg and Gokstad ships, is closed while it is rebuilt as the Museum of the Viking Age, due to open in 2027. Until then, the Fram Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum tell the story of Norway’s polar and ocean voyages. Back in the centre, the National Museum has Edvard Munch's The Scream. In the afternoon, Vigeland Sculpture Park has 212 granite and bronze figures by Gustav Vigeland, and it costs nothing to walk. Two nights gives you the museums and a slow dinner. For more, read our Oslo city guide.

The Flåm Railway is the fjord highlight of this route, and it runs all year. The Bergen Railway climbs onto the Hardangervidda plateau, above the tree line at about 1,237 metres. At Myrdal, the Flåm Railway drops more than 800 metres to the fjord in about an hour. The line is about 20 km long, runs through around 20 tunnels, and stops at the Kjosfossen waterfall. Flåm is a village of a few hundred people at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjord, so the evening is quiet.

On day four, take the boat from Flåm to Gudvangen. The Nærøyfjord is a UNESCO World Heritage fjord. It is narrow in places, about 250 metres across at its tightest, with walls that rise well over 1,000 metres from the water. The cruise takes about 2 hours. Waterfalls run strongest in late spring, when the snow melts. From Gudvangen, a short drive up the main road brings you to the Stalheim viewpoint. The old Stalheimskleiva hairpin road below it is closed to cars.

Bergen is a harbour city between seven mountains, and it has the best old waterfront on this route. Bryggen is a row of timber warehouses on the Hanseatic wharf, on the UNESCO list. The Hanseatic Museum shows how the German merchants traded here. Its main building is closed for restoration, so visits are at Schøtstuene, the merchants’ old assembly rooms. The fish market sells salmon, king crab and small shrimp by the bag. Ride the Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen for the city view. The ride takes about 6 minutes. Pack a waterproof. Bergen rain is part of the place.

On day six, take a full day to the Hardangerfjord. It is the second-longest fjord in Norway, and its shores are farmed, with orchards of apples and cherries running down to the water. In late May the trees are in blossom. Drive inland to Vøringsfossen, a waterfall of about 180 metres, with a short walk to the viewpoint. On the way back, stop at a farm that makes cider or juice. A private driver means you can look at the scenery and not at the road.

Tromsø is the largest city in northern Norway, on an island at 69 degrees north. Plan your three nights around the season, because the Arctic is a different place in winter and in summer.

From late September to late March, the Northern Lights are the main event. Your aurora guide watches the forecast and drives out of the city when the sky looks clear. The nights are cold, so full Arctic clothing is provided. Dog sledding through the birch forest is the other winter favourite. You sit in the sled, and the huskies do the work. Three nights gives you more than one chance, but clear skies are never guaranteed.

From late May to late July, the sun does not set. Take the Fjellheisen cable car to the Storsteinen viewpoint, 421 metres up, and watch the sun stay above the horizon at midnight. Summer suits kayaking on the fjord in place of the aurora chase.

Between the two seasons, the Arctic Cathedral sits across the bridge, a 1965 building of concrete panels that looks like a glacier from a distance. The Polar Museum tells the story of the Arctic explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. A Sámi reindeer farm shows how the Sámi people have herded in this country for generations. From October to January, whale watching in the fjords is an option.

Stay in the centre of each town, so the boats and trains are a short walk away. In Oslo, choose a hotel near the Opera House or Aker Brygge. Flåm has only a few hotels, and the fjordside ones fill fast in summer. For the Nærøyfjord night, Voss has more choice, while Gudvangen sits at the head of the fjord and is quieter. In Bergen, stay near Bryggen. In Tromsø, choose a centre hotel close to the harbour. Fjord hotels are small, so book early for June to August. We choose for location first. A short walk to the boat or the train matters more than a spa.

Late May to August is the best window for the fjords and the midnight sun. October to March is the window for the Northern Lights. Pick your season first, because it shapes the Arctic leg.

Late May and June bring waterfalls running hard from the snowmelt, orchards in blossom, and long evenings. July and August are the warmest, often near 20°C in the fjords, and the busiest. September is quieter, with the first autumn colour. Bergen is wet in every month, so pack a waterproof in any season.

Winter is a different trip. The railways run all year, and the fjords go quiet with snow reaching the water's edge. Some boats and roads run on reduced timetables, so the southern leg is planned differently. The Arctic leg is built for the dark. The Northern Lights season runs roughly from late September to late March, and the best nights tend to fall from December to February. For the season notes in full, read our Visit Norway guide.

Swap Tromsø for the Lofoten Islands if you want fishing villages rather than a city. Lofoten has red rorbu fishing huts on stilts, sea eagle safaris and the Reinebringen hike. It adds a flight, a ferry and a second flight, so it needs more time. The Epic Norway tour takes that route over 11 days.

Short on time? Skip Gudvangen and base two nights in Flåm, with the Nærøyfjord cruise as a day out. Want the Geirangerfjord, the other UNESCO fjord? It is reached by road from the coast around Ålesund. Some of its mountain roads, such as Trollstigen, close in winter and usually open from about mid-May to autumn, so it fits a summer version. Plan it as a night on the way, not a day trip.

Got more days, or want more of Scandinavia? Essence of Scandinavia adds Copenhagen and Stockholm around the Norwegian fjords.

Every Black Deer Travel trip is private and built around your dates. For this route, we book the Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway seats, the Nærøyfjord boat, the Bergen to Tromsø flight and the transfers. Summer seats go early, so the rail and boat legs are fixed before you arrive. A private driver covers the road legs. In Tromsø, the aurora guide picks the night to chase, based on the sky.

We are a small team, so one planner stays your contact from the first email to the flight home. Browse our Norway trips to see how the route can change.