Oslo to Bergen: Rail & Hike

The main challenge is the terrain, which can be very wet and boggy. The elevation varies, but as all walks are optional and many can be shortened, the required fitness level is moderate.

Before your tour, we recommend hiking regularly and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure to check the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

The terrain is diverse, encompassing various landscapes. You will traverse woodland areas where the ground can become particularly wet and boggy, requiring careful footing. Some routes follow well-maintained cycle paths, providing a more stable and even surface. In certain sections, the terrain becomes rocky, which can be especially slippery in wet conditions, necessitating extra caution.

This tour is graded moderate, with a couple of days stepping up to moderate-to-strenuous. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some might be a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

We've carefully chosen traditional hotels in spectacular mountain and fjord-side locations that offer great service, wonderful views and good restaurants.

If our standard accommodation is unavailable, we'll arrange your overnight at our preferred alternative, discussing any additional cost with you in advance and only going ahead once you're happy. There may also be an opportunity to upgrade your accommodation or room for a supplement.

Unfortunately, this is not available to solo travelers. We can, however, offer single rooms if you are traveling with others. These are available for a supplement.

This is due to the remote nature of some of the walks on this tour.

Breakfast is included every day, along with evening meals at Finse and Lofthus.

Other lunches and dinners aren't included, though most accommodations are happy to prepare a packed lunch, or you can stop at a cafe or restaurant of your choice en route.

Drinks aren't included but are available at all overnight accommodations.

You can start this tour on any day of the week except Wednesday and Thursday, from the beginning of July to mid-September.

Summer is the most pleasant time of year to explore Norway, with long daylight hours and warm daytime temperatures, although depending on the weather and the preceding winter, there may still be some snow on the trails at the start and end of the season.

We recommend booking as early as possible, as accommodations fill up quickly, though we'll always do our best to accommodate your plans.

Luggage transfers on this trip work a little differently from our usual inn-to-inn routes.

When you are traveling by train you should take your luggage with you. Please keep your luggage to a minimum size and a weight that you can easily handle - this will give you a more pleasurable experience when traveling between towns, as well as on and off the trains.

When you hike from Myrdal and Flåm, you'll need to carry your bags with you, or arrange a locally payable transfer. The luggage transfer is easily done at the train station cafe at Myrdal, and the bags will wait for you at Flåm station. It costs around 200 NOK and is payable locally.

Norway has an excellent system for trail-marking, and all of the paths you'll follow on this tour are well way-marked.

Walks usually begin and end at a central point in town, such as a church or bus stop, and our app will guide you from there to your accommodation.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Recommended Reading:

Although not essential, if you wish a paper map then we recommend the following:

• Geilo by Nordeca (map)
• Finse by Nordeca (map)
• Aurland by Nordeca (map)
• Hardangerjokulen by Nordeca (map)
• Voss by Nordeca (map)

Oslo Airport (OSL) is well connected by air from most major cities in Europe, and from some cities in North America. Flight times include about 2 hours from London, 3 hours from Rome and 7.5 hours from New York.

Bergen Airport (BGO) is also well connected, with direct flights to a number of central European cities. Flight times include about 1.5 hours from Amsterdam or Copenhagen and 2 hours from London or Paris. You can also fly to Bergen via Oslo, which takes about 55 minutes, with up to 20 flights a day between the two.

If you prefer to arrive by sea, the Hurtigruten coastal cruise stops in Bergen, Norled runs high-speed ferries along the Norwegian coast, and Fjord Line sails from Stavanger.

If you are flying home from Oslo at the end of your tour, we can book a return train ticket for you. Please let us know on booking. The train journey from Bergen back to Oslo takes about 7 hours in total.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Trip Info will give you a complete packing list.

All train tickets included as part of this tour are in a standard cabin or seat. If you'd like to upgrade to first class, just let us know and we can price this for you on request.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation