I’m a Norwegian Travel Advisor—Here’s My Ultimate Itinerary for Exploring the Country Like a Local
From Oslo to the fjords, here’s how to travel through Norway like a local.
Credit: serts/Getty Images
As a Norwegian, when I saw how many visitors from abroad were barely scratching the surface of what my home country has to offer, I knew I had to act. Ten years ago, I set up a luxury travel-curating company to showcase the incredible places and people of Norway (and broader Scandinavia ). Rather than trying to cover as much ground as possible on a trip, why not go deeper?
Here are my insider tips for visiting Norway—slowing things down, being present, and returning home with a new perspective on this beautiful country.
Make the Most of Your Time in Oslo
The exterior of the Deichman municipal library in Oslo, Norway. Credit: Robson90/Adobe Stock
Oslo , Norway's capital, is a dynamic city, brimming with great dining spots, amazing museums, and contemporary architecture. Check in at Sommerro , a former electric company headquarters turned art-filled hotel, and then head into town. It's a very walkable environment, with sites such as the Nobel Peace Center (a museum dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize), the waterfront's floating saunas, leafy parks, and Deichman Library, a strikingly designed public library. The Opera House roof has amazing views, while the nearby Munch Museum has an expansive collection of famed Norwegian painter Edvard Munch's works, including the instantly recognizable "The Scream."
Later, enjoy an evening stroll through the cobbled streets of Fredensborg, and visit local watering holes like Nektar vinbar and restaurants like Hrimnir Ramen , which serves delicious Nordic-Japanese food. Coffee lovers can head to roastery Tim Wendelboe . Interested in local culinary traditions? Visit Mathallen Oslo , an indoor food hall.
Unwind at One of Norway's Longest Fjords
Views from Rondane National Park near the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. Credit: VisualStories/Getty Images
Leave the city behind and head northwest to Storfjord Hotel , a charming, ultra-stylish boutique stay in a forest overlooking Storfjorden, the fifth-longest fjord in Norway. To get there, take a train through Gudbrandsdalen Valley, crossing turquoise rivers and passing the mighty Troll Wall, the tallest vertical rock face in Europe. Get off in Åndalsnes, a small town, where you can rent a car or arrange to be picked up and brought to the hotel.
Explore the dramatic landscape with a local nature guide on one of my favorite mountains, Mefjellet. Enjoying a local matpakke (packed lunch) along the way is an essential part of Norway's famed friluftsliv (open-air life). Back at Storfjord, enjoy a well-earned sauna and massage before drinks in the hillside garden, with more stunning fjord outlooks. Dinner in the boathouse, Naustet, is a memorable culinary experience with inspired wine pairings.
A Car-Free Village Framed by Mountains and Fjords
Mount Slogen in the Sunnmore Alps. Credit: arild lilleboe/iStockphoto/Getty Images
Switch home bases and arrive by boat to Storfjord's sister hotel, Union Øye , where modern comfort and style await in a historic homestead setting, with the Slogen Mountain as a dramatic backdrop. The Conservatory's, Union Øye's fine dining restaurant, menu is always a highlight, followed by digestifs in the cozy library. By day, e-biking these country roads feels like a dream and is highly recommended. Ditto their fjord-surrounded sauna experience.
Enjoy a private cruise on the Hjørundfjord, stopping for a lunch of seasonal fjord ingredients at Christian Gaard Bygdetun in the car-free village of Trandal. It's a local, family-run institution in one of the most jaw-dropping settings, with a wooden swing that makes you feel like you're flying over the fjords.
Discover the Art Nouveau of ÅLesund
The town of Alesund seen from above. Credit: Vithun Khamsong/Getty Images
For a final adventure, traverse the jaw-droppingly beautiful Norangsdalen valley, and continue on a ferry cruise to the village of Geiranger. A separate ferry will then bring you to the city of Ålesund, spread across a series of islands and built in an Art Nouveau architectural style at the turn of the 20th century.
Check in to Hotel Brosundet , and enjoy a final night by the waterfront before it's time to depart, hopefully inspired, refreshed, and ready to explore more of Scandinavia.
Torunn Tronsvang is a member of Travel + Leisure's A-List and specializes in trips to Norway. You can create a tailor-made itinerary with Tronsvang by contacting travel@upnorway.com.
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