See the best of Norway... in as little as 3 days.
Norway is a beautiful country that tops many travelers’ bucket lists. However, it’s no secret that Norway is a very expensive country to visit. In fact, it’s often touted as the most expensive country in the world. Because of the price of accommodation, food and drinks, many visitors choose to only spend a short time in Scandinavia. Whether your travel constraints are due to cost, or (like my recent trip) you are faced with time constraints, here is a 3 day Norway itinerary to help you hit the highlights.
Day One: Oslo
I found a great flight deal from the States to Oslo, Norway’s capital city. From the airport, I took the express train to Oslo Central Station in the heart of the city center. Unfortunately, my flight to Oslo was delayed, so I was relieved to find that my hotel, Comfort Hotel Grand Central, was just steps from the train station. I’m not always a fan of staying in large chain hotels because they sometimes lack the personal attention and touches you’re more likely to find in a boutique hotel; however, I can assure you that the Comfort Hotel Grand Central is like no chain hotel I’ve stayed in before! The trendy rooms were uniquely decorated and the hotel’s attention to detail was further evidenced through their expansive (and delicious) breakfast offerings. You can find a great deal on your Oslo hotel room and book online here.
By the time my flight landed and I checked in, I only had a few hours of daylight left, so I headed straight to the Oslo Opera House (only a three minute walk from the super conveniently located hotel). The Opera House is said to have great harbor views from it’s roof, but unfortunately, my visit was in January and the sloped roof was iced over and closed to visitors.
From the Opera House it was only a few minutes walk to Karl Johaus Gate Road where you can find many of the city’s tourist attractions. The street is lovely for strolling and admiring The Grand Hotel, Parliament, The Royal Palace and The National Museum. You may also want to head over to the Munch Museum where you can find Edvard Munch’s famous painting, “The Scream”.
From there, I would recommend that you head towards the harbor, Aker Brygge. The area is home to an old shipyard that has been turned into a trendy complex housing a plethora of options to shop, dine and socialize. I was lucky enough to be shown the city by my friend, Eirick, an Oslo native, who confirmed what my guidebook told me – that many of Oslo’s best nightlife options can be found in his own neighborhood, Grünerløkka. Grünerløkka has a Greenwich Village-type vibe and is filled with vintage shops, quirky cafes and trendy bars. The area’s nightlife was lively and seemed to be the go-to part of town for hip, young professionals to socialize.
One day is enough to get a small taste of the city, but I would love to return to Oslo to explore more. I would especially like to return during summer when I could better enjoy the beautiful waterfront harbor area. (On a side note, the sunset I caught in Oslo was one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in any city in the world)!
Day Two: Norway in a Nutshell Tour
With a short amount of time in Norway, the iconic Norway in a Nutshell Tour is a must. The tour allows you to travel by train, bus and cruise to experience Norway’s mountains and fjords and is a popular way for tourists to get out of the cities and see more of beautiful rural Norway, especially travelers on a tight time frame. The “tour” is not guided, but is instead a mix of transportation that takes you from Oslo to Bergen (or vice-versa). You can choose to book your own trains, buses and cruise, or for nearly the same price, you can sign up for the “tour” through a tour company and pay them do the legwork and planning for you.
Your day will start by catching an early morning train at Oslo Central Station. (Another reason why staying at Comfort Hotel Grand Central was so convenient – there was no need to arrange a transfer or navigate public transportation early in the morning since the hotel is literally steps from the train station). In my opinion, the clear highlights of the day will be your ride on The Scenic Flam Railway, and (my personal favorite) the fjord cruise. It will be a long day (but totally worth it), and you’ll make it to Bergen in time for a late dinner. Read about my experience on the Norway in a Nutshell Tour in detail here.
Related Post: Why You Should do Norway in a Nutshell in Winter
Day Three: Bergen
Bergen was the city that I was the most excited to visit prior to my trip to Scandinavia. Although Bergen is Norway’s second largest city, it has a “small town” feel and is positively charming! You could easily spend a day just strolling Bergen’s picturesque streets, shopping, cafe-hopping and sampling the city’s trendy restaurants. Bergen is known for the colorful waterfront Bryggen, an UNESCO protected old merchants’ quarter which is the only preserved business district from the Hanseatic period.
The Bryggen is lovely and is perfect for a stroll through, but my favorite activity in Bergen was the Floban Funicular. From the center of town, it’s just a short walk to the funicular station. The funicular takes you 5-8 minutes up Fløyen Mountain for a spectacular view of the city of Bergen. If the weather is nice you can choose to walk down the mountain rather than ride down. Before leaving Bergen you’ll also want to explore Bergen Castle (which is free of charge) and walk through the fish market.
While in Bergen, I chose to stay at Augustin Hotel which was perfectly located (just a few minutes walk from the fish market and the harbor which provides fantastic views of Bryggen). The hotel staff was eager to provide suggestions and answer my questions (and the hotel provides visitors with free beverages and Norwegian waffles)! The best part? The Augustin Hotel is home to the beautiful (and quite lively) 400 year old Altona Wine Bar, so no need to venture out for nightlife (or fantastic wine). Check out great deals and book your Bergen hotel room online here.
Have a few more days?
If so, you can slow down, add additional Norweigian destinations into your itinerary or choose the route I did and hop a flight to nearby Stockholm, Sweden.
Norway certainly didn’t disappoint, and I can safely say I’ll be back! Next time during warmer weather and with enough time to visit the Lofoten Islands and Trolltunga, among other places.
Related Posts: 5 Things To Do in Stockholm (That Shouldn’t Be Missed)!, Save Me Scandinavia; Why You Should Do Norway in a Nutshell in Winter.
Have you traveled to Norway? What would be your perfect 3 day Norway itinerary? What cities would you add onto this trip?
If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments section or by sharing it with the social media links. You can also follow Flirting with the Globe on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Although I was a guest of Comfort Hotel Grand Central and Augustin Hotel, as always, all opinions are my own. Some of the above links are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to book through them I receive a small commission at NO cost to you. I only recommend hotels and products that I actually love. I appreciate your continued support to keep this blog up and running!
March 30, 2015
I’m going to Norway in September and your post has got me so excited!! I will also be doing the Oslo to Bergen Norway in a Nutshell. I think Lofoten and Trolltunga have to be next 🙂
March 31, 2015
Great! You’ll have to let me know what you think, Michelle!
March 31, 2015
wow, stunning photos and a great post, thanks will save this for a future trip hopefully
March 31, 2015
You won’t regret it – I had a fantastic time!
March 31, 2015
Great post, with many lovely pictures. You are absolutely right about Norway being expensive, but if there’s any time to travel to Norway now is the time as the Norwegian kroner are at its weakest. British Pounds, euro and dollars are “all time high”, I think the last time the British pound was so high was back in 2001. I would also recommend a trip to Svalbard, it is absolutely beautiful, but from Oslo it’s a 3 hour flight (very close to the North pole). I have been there twice and are about to post some of my last trip there on my blog 🙂
March 31, 2015
Great to know – I will have to add Svalbard to my list too! 🙂
March 31, 2015
Your photos are absolutely stunning! I had no idea Norway was such an expensive country to visit. Looks like a beautiful place. Definitely need to save up so I can go here. Thanks for the tips!
http://www.mintnotion.com
March 31, 2015
Thanks, Eden. It is very expensive to visit – but well worth it!
March 31, 2015
Karisa why are you doing this to me?!I just talked myself out of trying to shove Norway in my fall schedule thinking I wouldn’t have enough time and now there this 3 day itinerary all set out for me….
Guess I’ll be replanning 😉
March 31, 2015
BAHAHAHA! You won’t regret it! 🙂 BTW, depending on flight schedules and prices, you can do this same itinerary just as easily in reverse! 🙂
March 31, 2015
I’ve been keeping an eye on flights to Norway. I’d love to visit during the summer, but your winter visit photos are gorgeous! It seems like Oslo is a very walkable city, which makes a visit even more appealing (and more likely!)
March 31, 2015
Yes! The main tourist sites were very close together. When we went out that evening we took the tram, but it was also very easy! Norwegian Air has some amazing deals – check out my “How to Fly to Europe for Cheap” post for more tips! 🙂
April 1, 2015
Oh wow, those sunset photos are just stunning! Especially the one of the harbor, it looks like a painting.
April 1, 2015
I couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful the sunset was in Oslo. The colors reflected off the buildings, water and icy sidewalks!
April 13, 2015
A beautiful post on Norway:) For those who have more time I would for sure add Lofoten and going to the northern most point in Europe, Nordkapp, to watch the midnight sun:) (during summer…)
April 13, 2015
Great suggestions, Inger! Thanks!
April 15, 2015
Those are some nice suggestions for 3 days. Especially the train between Oslo and Bergen is very beautiful. If there’s more time for a visit, I’d definitely recommend to visit Lofoten Islands. The scenery is unique with the mountains rising out of the ocean.
April 15, 2015
On my next trip back I would love to see the Lofoten Islands!
May 5, 2015
Great article about Norway. It is true that it is expensive which could dissuade tourists from visiting Norway. The good part for me is that every country I travel to outside Norway is cheap 🙂
I would also recommend a visit to Trondheim if you ever are in Norway. A bit further north, but as far away from Oslo by train as Bergen. A beautiful town with a lot of history and culture.
May 5, 2015
That would be a fantastic benefit of living in Norway! 🙂 Thank you and great suggestions!
January 18, 2016
Thank you for the detailed itinerary!Your trip inspired us to book a similar trip to Norway.We had a fantastic time here!!And the winter scenery is magical!!
Love,
The Vargheses:)
January 18, 2016
Excellent! So glad to hear. I’m glad you had a fantastic time!
March 26, 2016
Norway was one of my favorite trips. I was lucky enough to sail down the coast on 100′ sailboat from Bodo to Bergen. Something to add to your next trip is to book boat time on the Hurtigruten ferries running up and down the gorgeous coast. The falls up in Bodo are beautiful. The city of Allesund has a special magic to it as well. Let me know if you need a travel partner I’d love to go back!!!
March 28, 2016
Natasha, that sounds amazing! I’d love to visit again during warmer weather and spend more time on a boat. 🙂
June 10, 2016
Thank you so much for this! It seems like a great plan. One question I have is about luggage. Is it a burden to bring a big luggage to Bergen from Oslo on the Norway in a Nutshell tour because there are a few changes between the trains and boats. What’s your recommendation. Thanks so much! Looking forward to hearing from you.
June 10, 2016
Great question, Ponawan. I did the tour with a carry-on roller bag and a backpack, and it was fine. I do think it could be a bit tougher with a huge suitcase, but it just depends on your preference and strength! 🙂
June 25, 2016
Howdy! I’m working with a small crew which will end in Bergen in the morning of 24 JULY 2016. My director and I are flying out of Oslo Airport on the morning of 26 JULY. I have rented a car from Bergen Airport and reserved an airport hotel room on the night of 25 JULY at Oslo Airport. Other than that, we have NO PLANS for these two long days in which I’d love to take as scenic and memorable a journey as possible before heading back to the studio in NYYC. I’m a baby boomer type guy, and I’ve received a lot of information and advice but it all keeps referring me to regions or routes or attractions and I have no idea how far off the main road or how long any of these things take. I need the help of a very kind and caring Fjord professional who is willing to suggest an itinerary for me!! I LOVE the 4 waterfalls at Handanger National Park, but they seem to take 5 or 6 hours of pretty difficult hiking. We LOVE to walk and can handle good distances, but we prefer more pleasure or easy walking. As a Location Manager, I am a professional photographer, so scenic destinations is the name of the game! I don’t have a sense of what attractions will be obvious, on the side of the road, or which we should turn off to see on the route from Bergen to Oslo. Also, I’d like to know what region of the ride to look for overnight stay. If I finish early enough on the 25th, perhaps there is time to visit Volker park in Oslo and maybe even do an urban restaurant? I wouldn’t want to rush if not, I can do without seeing Oslo as we will have seen and shot in MANY beautiful Scandanavian cities thus far.
I can’t tell you how much I would appreciate if you or one of your colleagues would work up an itinerary or an alternate couple for me and my colleague. We are taking one Norway in a Nutshell excursion with some colleagues in Flam so we don’t duplicate those places on any ideas that you have for us.
THANK YOU SO MUCH in advance. I hope we meet – first martini is on ME!!
yours truly.
kenny morris
July 21, 2017
Hi Karisa!
My husband and I are headed to Norway in September and are only there for 3-4 days (depending). I’m realllllyyy looking forward to this tour. But, question. Did you take your luggage with you to Bergen? It sounds like you did the tour and stayed in Bergen so just wondered how that worked. Loved this post – so helpful!
Brittany
July 25, 2017
Hi Brittany – I did take my luggage – I didn’t find it inconvenient since each vessel had a luggage storage space. 🙂 Hope you have a great time!
August 27, 2017
Hi Karisa,
We want to do the norway in a nutshell for 3 days and 2 nights. Is it better to stay both nights at Bergen or one night at Flam and another at Bergen?
September 14, 2017
If you’re going in winter, I would recommend staying in Bergen. Flam is very small and seemed to shut down very early during low season.
January 11, 2018
Thanks for all the info! I’m heading to Norway at the end of Feb and was wondering about turning the NiN tour into two days so I wouldn’t miss scenery with the early sunset. Now I’m just going to do it in a day and that means I can spend an extra day in Oslo. I’ve also been browsing for an easy-to-get-to hotel in Oslo so I will check out the one you stayed in!
January 12, 2018
Happy to help, Lisa. I would def recommend the hotel – you can’t find any closer or more convenient to the train station!