The Norway in a Nutshell tour package usually is a day trip which starts and ends at Bergen – although the booking site offers numerous possibilities to add activities and accommodation options during the journey. Since we felt that 1 day would be too tight to visit all the places in leisure, we split the journey into 2 days by adding an overnight accommodation at Flåm.

Day 01 is available here: Link

The boat from Flåm to Gudvangen departed at 09.30 in the morning. After a quick breakfast of sandwiches and coffee, we left our accommodation by 08.00 to make the trek to the harbor. We left early to give us a chance to shop for souvenirs and stock up on food at the grocery store at the harbor. The COOP opens at 09.00 and has all the food and drinks required for us to sustain till our return to Bergen. The souvenir store also opens at 09 AM.

There was already a queue building up at the harbor for people waiting to board the ferry. It did not make any sense to queue up as there were enough seats in the boat and spaces surrounding the boat to stand and take pictures.The ferry from Flåm to Gudvangen was arguably the most scenic journey ever. The vessel which we took was a fully electric modern ferry.

Clear and still water surrounded by steep cliffs (sometimes more than 1km high) interspersed by waterfalls along the way provided an unforgettable experience.

Even though the distance was short, the ferry meandered slowly for 2 hours which we felt was not enough time to absorb the natural splendor of the fjords.

The fjord felt very wide as we started from Flåm (Aurlandsfjord) but as we made our way towards Gudvangen, the fjords slowly started closing in and in some locations (Nærøyfjord), the width was less than 300 m. The moment we set foot in Gudvangen, it felt like the end of a fairy tale. It is highly recommended to take couple of days off to stay in Flåm and explore the nearby areas either by bike or foot.

The advantage with the Norway in a Nutshell tour package is the ease with which the connections are available and prioritized at each location. The bus from Gudvangen to Voss was right outside the ferry and the journey was no less spectacular.

The 1 hour journey passed through scenic routes including clear lakes, mountains, waterfalls and valleys. Each moment along the journey was special and unforgettable.

In Voss, we had about an hour before the final leg of the journey. We made our way to Vangsvatnet – a massive lake right at the edge of the city. Park benches along the edge of the lake offered a great view and good opportunity for finishing our final packet of food. After lunch, we made our way back to the train station and left for Bergen.

Writing this blog post, a year after we went to Bergen, the memories are still fresh and the yearning to go back is strong. Either via the Norway in a Nutshell tour package or via preparing your own itinerary, this is a journey everyone should experience once in their lifetime.