9 June days in Norway - seeking highlights & variety

Hi, seeking tips re the highlights for my (cheap as Norwegianly possible) 9 day solo backpacking stay in early June. (Will somehow get there from and to Hesinki).

Am interested in nature, wildlife and also very much into history. The challenge of course is what to cut out in such a short time. . Eg I won't have time to see all the Fjords. Which ones do you most recommend? I know the train trip b/w Oslo & Bergen inc Flam should be on my list. Will see Bryggen & want to see a bit of Viking historical sites. Happy just to do some short hikes, given limited time. Is it worth heading north & see the midnight sun? If the landscape up north is different, it probably is, but I'm not sure about this. Look forward to your tips.
Jule

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!

There you go. Ethymologically, one of the theories about the word "viking" is that it has its roots in that they came from a "vik" (="bay" in Norwegian) - ie the area now known as the Oslofjord, which is where many of the important historical relics from this period have been found.

And thanks for backing me up on Bergen!

W.

Spending a day seeing sights including Vikingskipsmuseet (Viking Ship Museum) in Oslo is okay, but then I'd get out of the Oslo area and go west and north quick-fast as the western part of Norway is far more interesting if history, nature and wildlife is your cup of tea. I would certainly not pick Vestfold over Bergen!

Bryggen is admittedly a bit hyped, but Håkonshallen, Edvard Grieg's amazingly well-preserved home at Troldhaugen and the view from Fløyen in a cozy almost South European atmosphere (hopefully helped by passable weather...) make it all worth the while. A extra tip is going to the history of Natural History Museum to behold their jaw-dropping exhibit of a mounted blue whale skeleton in full size.

For fjords, if you're in a hurry, Sognefjorden and Geirangerfjorden are safe bets and relatively easily combined with stave church visits at Urnes and Borgund for history. A hidden jewel is the mountain road from Hellesylt by Geirangerfjorden to Leknes in Hjørundfjorden - perhaps the most dramatic road in Norway. Get a ride or hire a car if possible.

Break the bank to stay at Union Hotel Øye - kaiser Wilhelm II's favourite during his numerous stay in Norwegian fjords - and then catch jugend architecture at Ålesund and penguin feeding at the city's aquarium. Wild life is covered by visiting the amazing bird nesting mountain at Runde - again, an underrated gem.

If you do go North, I think Helgelandskysten is your best bet - and by plane. Nice scenery, not that far north (in terms of travelling time) and you can have midnight sun. But it's a part of Norway best enjoyed by a two- or three-day drive, or even better boat cruise...

Thanks guys for all your great tips. I've had some unfortunate things happen which mean I will have to delay myNorway plans. However, I have read & will keep all your great ideas. They will inspire me to get there as soon as I can. And hopefully others will find this thread really useful too.

Sorry to hear that. I hope you can work out whatever problems you might have and get to go on your trip sooner rather than later. Good luck.

W.

PS When I do get there, will definitely take your joint advice, & will make sure I include those sights N and W and that "hidden jewel of a road". Really appreciate the time you've taken to write.