Norway by Sea: Bergen, Geiranger, and Alesund
If you’ve been following along on our journey, you’ll notice these posts are a little out of order. Our Norway travel adventure actually happened between our time in Rome and Iceland, but it deserves its own spotlight. We spent several days exploring Bergen, Geiranger, and Ålesund, three unforgettable fjord towns that showed us Norway’s beauty from every angle — mountains, waterfalls, and charming seaside streets.
Bergen: A Port Like No Other
Our adventure began with the funicular ride up to Mount Ulriken, where we hiked down through jaw-dropping scenery. In every direction, the views were absolutely spectacular.
👉 Travel tip: Get to the funicular early! By the time we returned to town around 11:30 a.m., the line was very long.
The descent partially took us through a residential neighborhood. Wandering through gave us the chance to admire the different houses and building styles — a charming bonus at the end of a beautiful hike. Yes, I was curious about the prices, but no data on Zillow or Redfin.
By the time we reached the city again, we had definitely earned our treats: reindeer sausage for lunch, ice cream for me, and hot chocolate for Nick. Between the mountain trail and wandering through town, we logged 18,400 steps and 7.8 miles — not bad for six or so hours off the ship!
Geiranger: Waterfalls, Rain & Resilience
Thanks to a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call from the captain, I jumped out of bed to watch the ship weave through the fjords into Geiranger. Totally worth it — the scenery was breathtaking.
Fueled by breakfast, we set off on the popular hike to Storsæterfossen, one of the region’s best-loved waterfalls. Even the trailhead was a challenge: a long stair climb alongside another waterfall, just to start the hike!
The trail itself was beautiful, winding past several smaller waterfalls before leading us up to the main one. Each bend in the path offered something new to admire.
We paused at Westerås Farm, which I highly recommend as a stop. It’s a perfect break point with sweeping views of the fjord — and the alpacas add to the charm 🦙. After a snack of Pringles and Coke (yes, the options were limited), we powered on to the second half of the ascent.
Rain rolled in near the top, making the limestone steps slick, but we pushed through. Nick even detoured onto a slick and steep side trail to walk behind Storsæterfossen — a moment he’ll never forget.
The descent was slippery, so back at the farm we played it smart and grabbed a taxi to the port. No twisted ankles — always a win when you’re only halfway through your trip!
Ålesund: Penguins, Sea Lions & Rainy Day Charm
Our last Norwegian port was the charming city of Ålesund. The weather couldn’t make up its mind — shifting from rain to sun every half hour — so we stuck to our rainy day plan and visited the aquarium.
We arrived just in time for the sea lion feeding 🦭, and the penguins were as delightful as ever 🐧. While the aquarium was on the smaller side, it had a great variety of species. Certainly not ones that we see in aquariums closer to home. Back in town, we strolled through Ålesund’s streets, which felt a little like Bergen, but with a more rustic, down-to-earth vibe.
Since we had the North Sea crossing to Iceland the next day, we thought we would get some extra snacks for the cabin. And that’s when the one, and thankfully only, travel mishap at the grocery store happened — apparently, you need to scan your receipt to exit through the turnstile. Who knew? 😅. Freed from the store and with groceries on hand, we set off for the ship, but not without stopping at a local bakery. Valaker proved to be a great choice where after a bit of back and forth and getting details about the different pastries from the very patient counter attendant, I settled for a skillingsbolle. This is sort of a danish, but the dough was much softer, and just melted in my mouth.
Rain hoods on, rain hoods off, we wandered, snacked, and soaked in the atmosphere.
Reflections on Norway
From Bergen’s mountains to Geiranger’s waterfalls and Ålesund’s charm, Norway truly delivered: stunning landscapes, memorable hikes, and some of the kindest people we’ve met on our travels. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of opportunities to try the local cuisine. I think we were off on our time getting off the ship with full stomachs, and mostly got snacks along the way.
We left with full hearts (and slightly damp jackets), already dreaming of a return trip — though the list of places I still want to see keeps growing.