9 June days in Norway - seeking highlights & variety

Stay south! Consider a bus to Hardangerfjord, head south to Haugesund and Stavanger and hike to Prekestolen. Bergen and Bryggen is ok but not a must. Vestfold, south-west of Oslo is best for viking history. There are also charming costal wandering path to hike. Inland, the Kongsberg and Rjukan area is good for further hiking. May the Weather God be with you!

I'm biased, of course, as I live here, but I strongly disagree with jostmoen's claim that Bergen is not a must. Prekestolen is wonderful, as is the longer and slightly more demanding hike to Kjerag (also in Lysefjord). For Viking history, don't miss the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo (it's at Bygdøy near the Polar Museum and (partly outdoor) Folk Museum, both of which are also recommended.)

You can fly from Helsinki to Oslo with Norwegian for a reasonable price. I am not so sure their flight show up on the flight booking websites as they are a low-price operator.

Sample fare (Helsinki - Oslo - Helsinki (June 3-13): €84.20. Not bad at all. Bear in mind, however, that there will be surcharges for everything from checked-in luggage to seat reservation.

W.

Actually, "walkingmzungu", Norweigan don't do to many surcharges. Checked in luggage you have to pay for but not for seat reservation or using credit cards (like most other low-fare airlines). I fly Norwegian alot, especially to Oslo, and as far as low-fare airlines go they are very good.

Bergen is nice-ish, but I've never been to impressed by it. I wouldn't go there unless there was something in particular I wanted to see or do. Bryggen is a very small part of town and is, honestly, covered in an hour. But the scenery, as most of Norway, around the town is stunning.

You do have to pay for seat reservation unless you buy "full-price" tickets (about 4-5 times the price quoted above). We're going to have to agree to disagree about Bergen: there's any number of things to see and do infinitely more interesting than Bryggen, mind.

W.

In my opinion if you are going to Bryggen the thing to see above all others is the Viking ship museum. For me i found them jawdroppingly beautifull, about the most beautifull structure we humans have ever made, i was completly entranced by them, and i can't recomend them highly enough.

@strauss1944

While Bergen has plenty of attractions, the Viking Ship Museum isn't one of them: it's in Oslo. I agree that it's highly recommendable though.

Indeed it is in Oslo, on the Bygdoy pensinula, and indeed not in Bergen, sorry for the confusion. And i would agree, Bergen is a great place!