Things to do in Norway

Norway stretches some 1,750 kilometres from its southern tip to the North Cape. No single trip covers all of it, and most visitors pick one piece rather than try. Around 5.6 million people live across all of it.

How the country divides

• West coast. Fjord country around Bergen and Vestland, about 470 kilometres and a short flight from Oslo.
• Arctic north. Tromsø, Bodø and the jagged peaks of the Lofoten islands, another thousand-plus kilometres further north, best reached by air rather than the road.
• South-east. Oslo and the Oslofjord, the mildest and most populated corner, and the usual first stop.

What the country is for

Fjords are the headline everywhere, but what they're good for changes by region. The north adds the aurora. Above the Arctic Circle, midnight sun replaces night in summer and polar night replaces day for weeks in winter.

• Fjord cruises and hiking. Boat trips and coastal walks, strongest from Bergen and along the western fjords.
• Wildlife and northern lights. Whale watching and aurora chasing out of Tromsø and Bodø, best from autumn through early spring.
• City and food. Walking and food tours anchor Oslo and Bergen alike, useful on the days the weather does not cooperate.

Practical

• Weather. Coastal summers run 16-19C and winters sit near freezing; the Arctic north is colder, with winter lows well below -5C and summer highs near 13C. Daylight stretches to close to 24 hours above the Arctic Circle in June and shrinks to only a few hours there in December.
• Domestic travel. Flights link Oslo, Bergen and Tromsø in one to two hours; the Bergen-Oslo drive alone takes six to seven hours, so long journeys are normally flown, not driven.
• Ferries. Coastal ferries, including the Hurtigruten route, cover ground where fjords cut the coastline apart and roads run out.
• Money. Norway is expensive by European standards, coffee and a simple lunch both costing more than the continental average; cards are accepted everywhere, and tipping is rounding up, not a fixed percentage.
• Booking ahead. Northern lights tours and summer fjord cruises fill up first; midweek trips and the shoulder seasons leave more room.