Planning a trip to Norway: 3, 7 and 14-day itineraries, flights and Norway in a Nutshell

Updated 27.09.2026. Facts checked against Visit Norway, Store norske leksikon, Fjord Tours and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

Short answer: In 3 days you can see Oslo, the Norway in a Nutshell fjord route and Bergen. In 7 days you can add more fjords, such as Geiranger or the Lysefjord. In 14 days you can combine the fjords in the south with Tromsø, Senja and Lofoten in the north. Most international flights land at Oslo Airport, which has direct routes to more than 100 cities abroad. Summer (June–August) is high season, and you can see the midnight sun in the north from May to July. The northern lights season runs from autumn to spring.

Key facts

Which part is for you?

• You only have a few days: see 3 days and Norway in a Nutshell.
• You have one or two weeks: see 7 days and 14 days.
• You want to go north: see Northern Norway and the North Cape.
• You want to drive: see road trips.

When is the best time to visit Norway?

• Summer (June–August): high season with long days. You can see the midnight sun at the North Cape 12 May–1 August, in Tromsø 18 May–25 July and in Bodø 31 May–12 July (Store norske leksikon).
• Autumn (September–November): fewer tourists, more space and autumn colours (Visit Norway).
• Winter (December–February): skiing and northern lights. In Tromsø the northern lights can be seen from late August to early April when the sky is clear and dark (Visit Tromsø). More: northern lights in Norway.
• Spring (March–May): waterfalls are at their biggest and nature comes to life (Visit Norway).

Book accommodation early in summer – see where to stay in Norway.

How do you get to Norway?

• By air: Oslo Airport is Norway's main hub, with direct routes to more than 100 cities abroad. Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, Tromsø, Kristiansand and Sandefjord also have international flights (Visit Norway).
• Flight time to Oslo: about 2 hours from London, 1.5 from Berlin, 2.5 from Paris, 3 from Rome, 3.5 from Madrid and 7.5 from New York (Visit Norway).
• To Lofoten, the North Cape and Svalbard you usually have to change planes at least once. Norway has more than 50 airports (Visit Norway).
• By train: Vy runs up to eight daily departures between Gothenburg and Oslo all year. There are also trains from Malmö and Stockholm (Visit Norway).
• By ferry: regular routes from Copenhagen, Frederikshavn and Hirtshals in Denmark, Strömstad in Sweden and Kiel in Germany (Visit Norway).

Norway in 3 days: suggested itinerary

1. Day 1: Oslo. The city centre, the fjord and the museums.
2. Day 2: Norway in a Nutshell to Bergen. The Bergen Line, the Flåm Railway, a boat on the Nærøyfjord and a bus to Voss – the whole day (see below).
3. Day 3: Bergen. Bryggen and the city mountains. Fly home from Bergen.

If you only have two days, you can do Norway in a Nutshell as a round trip from Bergen.

Norway in 7 days: the fjords of Western Norway

1. Days 1–2: Oslo.
2. Day 3: Norway in a Nutshell. Consider staying overnight in Flåm or Voss instead of going all the way to Bergen the same day.
3. Days 4–5: Bergen and the Hardangerfjord.
4. Days 6–7: Geiranger and Ålesund, or Stavanger and the Lysefjord. You can drive to Geiranger via Trollstigen, a National Scenic Route. From Stavanger you can hike to Preikestolen.

Fjords and boat trips: see the Flåm Railway and Norway in a Nutshell on your own.

Norway in 14 days: fjords in the south and Lofoten in the north

1. Days 1–7: the fjord route above.
2. Days 8–9: Tromsø. Fly from Bergen or Oslo.
3. Days 10–11: Senja and Vesterålen.
4. Days 12–14: Lofoten. Fly home from Bodø, or take the ferry from Moskenes to Bodø.

In summer you get the midnight sun in the north, in winter the northern lights. If you drive, read car, bus and ferry in Lofoten.

What is Norway in a Nutshell?

Norway in a Nutshell is a fjord route between Oslo and Bergen using the Bergen Line, the Flåm Railway, an electric fjord boat on the Nærøyfjord and a bus through the Nærøydalen valley. You travel on your own, the trip takes from one day and runs all year. The price depends on the season and the route (checked 27.09.2026).

• The Bergen Line: Oslo–Bergen takes about 6.5 hours. Finse, at 1,222 m, is the highest station in Norway (Store norske leksikon).
• The Flåm Railway: 20.4 km from Myrdal to Flåm with a height difference of 865 metres. In 2024 it carried almost 960,000 passengers (Store norske leksikon, updated 19.06.2025).
• The Nærøyfjord is on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Fjord Tours).

You can also buy the tickets separately – see Norway in a Nutshell on your own.

Northern Norway and the North Cape: what should you see?

A classic route goes from Tromsø via Senja and Vesterålen to Lofoten. The North Cape lies at 71° 10′ 21″ N, and the plateau is 309 metres above sea level. The northernmost point, however, is Knivskjelodden, 4.5 km further north-west (Store norske leksikon, updated 22.05.2026). At the North Cape you can see the midnight sun from 12 May to 1 August.

More: route to the North Cape via Alta or Tromsø.

Road trips in Norway

Norway has 18 National Scenic Routes with viewpoints and rest areas, including the Atlantic Road and Trollstigen (Norwegian Public Roads Administration). Remember tolls and ferries – see AutoPASS and road tolls. More: five scenic roads, the Atlantic Road in 24 hours and train or car.

Hurtigruten along the coast

Hurtigruten sails between Bergen and Kirkenes and calls at 34 ports. The ships are run today by Hurtigruten and Havila Kystruten (Store norske leksikon, updated 25.11.2024). You can travel the whole route or just part of it, for example from Bodø to Lofoten.

How much does a trip to Norway cost?

• Accommodation: a hotel room cost NOK 1,444 per night on average in 2025, excluding VAT (NHO Reiseliv) – see hotel prices.
• Food: see food prices in Norway.
• Transport: see public transport in Norway.
• Payment: see currency, cards and cash.

Tours, hotels and driving in your city

Photos: fjords, roads and the coast

People also ask

• How many days do I need in Norway?
• What can I see in Norway in 3 days?
• What does a 7-day Norway itinerary look like?
• What can I see in Norway in 14 days?
• When is the best time to visit Norway?
• When is the midnight sun in Norway?
• Which airport should I fly into in Norway?
• Can I take the train to Norway from Sweden?
• What is Norway in a Nutshell?
• How long is the train from Oslo to Bergen?
• How long is the Flåm Railway?
• Is the North Cape the northernmost point of Europe?
• What are the National Scenic Routes?
• Where does Hurtigruten sail?
• How much does a trip to Norway cost?

Sources

All links checked 27.09.2026.

• Visit Norway: getting here
• Visit Norway: domestic flights
• Visit Norway: Norway month by month
• Fjord Tours: Norway in a Nutshell
• Store norske leksikon: Bergensbanen (Norwegian)
• Store norske leksikon: Flåmsbana (updated 19.06.2025, Norwegian)
• Store norske leksikon: midnight sun (updated 21.11.2025, Norwegian)
• Store norske leksikon: Nordkapp (updated 22.05.2026, Norwegian)
• Store norske leksikon: Hurtigruten (updated 25.11.2024, Norwegian)
• Norwegian Public Roads Administration: National Scenic Routes
• Visit Tromsø: northern lights

Readers' experiences

Which route did you take in Norway, and how many days did you spend? Write in the comments at the bottom of the page. We use your experiences when we update this guide.