2-Day Round Trip from Bergen: THE GRAND HARDANGER – fjords, waterfalls, glaciers

Our tour starts in the city of Bergen - the Gateway to the Fjords. The city was founded in 1070 and contains many historical and cultural landmarks. We will pass some of them on our way from the city and also on our return to Bergen.

We can visit the factory outlet and maybe pick up some woolen souvenirs there. From September till May the factory outlet is closed on Sundays.

We pass through the town of Voss on our way to Gudvangen. The main historical attractions are Vangskyrkja - church from 1277, and the St. Olaf's cross from 1023.

We arrive to the Bordalgjelet gorge, where a short walk awaits. The walking path inside the deep and dramatic Bordal gorge is safe and secure. During winter months the path can be closed, when there could be snow and ice which make walking difficult. Sheer rock walls on each side and a raging river at the bottom. Here you get a good view of the fantastic giant caves that ice and the river have shaped over the millennia.

On the way from Voss to the Hardangerfjord, we take a short detour on an alternate road and make a stop at Skjervsfossen waterfall, with its twin falls plunging out from a height of 150 meters.

Recommended option: We take the old road via Espeland valley and arrive in Ulvik, situated in the end of the Ulviksfjord – a secluded part of the Hardangerfjord. Ulvik is a small village and home of the Cider Route: three farms making hard cider from apples, juice, apples brandy, beer, pickled fruit, cured meats ect. We can visit all three farms or just one, purchase some of the local produce, or have an extended visit with an excursion, tastings and lunch (farm excursion, tastings and lunch must be booked in advance – not included in the price of this tour).

It is one of its narrower places, which we will cross the fjord on the Hardanger bridge – a suspension bridge from 2013 with a main span of 1310 metres (4300 ft). This magnificent structure is preceded by a tunnel. Another tunnel awaits on the other side. We stop at the viewpoint overlooking the fjord and the bridge on the other side.

lsfjord, branching off the Hardangerfjord. From here we start our ascend to the mountains.

Until 1974 this farm, located on a mountain side at about 1740 feet (530 meters) ASL, used to be known as "the world's most inaccessible". In 1974 a car road was built, and this is the road we will take. It is, of course, possible to hike up to the farm. The hike is demanding. The view alone is worth visiting this place.

tination, we drive to Øvre Eidfjord, where we visit the "Norwegian Nature Center – Hardanger", a museum and visitor center of the Hardangervidda National Park, dedicated to flora, fauna, geology and history of the region. There you may also watch a beautiful film on 5 screens (Supervideograph system) by a Norwegian-Italian director Ivo Caprino – a film about the magnificent sights on the Hardangervidda plateau. After the museum, there will be time for lunch at a cosy yet spacious café.

ll, 182 metres (597 ft) tall, located at the very end of Måbødalen valley where the Hardangervidda begins. The viewpoint consists of several secure platforms overhanging the waterfall and the canyon. The view is mesmerizing: raging waters falling to the bottom of the canyon, the rugged valley with a stream meandering below surrounded by lush yet fragile tundra landscape.

ngervidda plateau above the timberline – where the landscape changes and we find ourselves in bare mountain landscape surrounded by rock and lichen.

Usually it is a village called Eidfjord, which has several hotels. There are also other hotels in the area: Kinsarvik, Lofthus, Odda... Accommodation is not included in the price of this tour, but we will be glad to help you book your overnight stay or recommend hotels in the area. The choice of the place to stay the night should depend on the activities during this tour.

Optional: Our next stop is Husedalen valley – the valley of waterfalls. We ascend the valley and make stops at Tveitafossen waterfall and—if the road is open—at Nyastølfossen (a short hike i required). If we have enough time, and you are up to it, we can take a longer hike up the valley to the third waterfall—Nykkjesøyfossen—before we return to the fjord. A more extensive hike is also possible: to the mountain lakes and other waterfalls high up in the mountains.

the largest settlement on the Hardangerfjord, an important town for tourism and industry, recently made popular by the Netflix series Ragnarok. We can stop here for a cup of coffee and a snack before we drive to Låtefossen waterfall.

Actually, the waterfall is a merging of two falls: Låtefossen and Skarsfossen. Both are fuelled with water from Lotevatnet Lake uphill. This waterfall was one of the most favourite attractions among cruise ship tourists in the 19th century. This stop is our southernmost. From here, we start our return to Bergen.

The trek is demanding. It takes about 5-6 hours one way. The best way to do this trek is to split it in 2: in the afternoon of Day 1 – take the trail to the Trolltunga Rock, avoid all the tourists who come during daytime and have a sunset photo session, spend the night there in an Arctic Dome tent (overnight stay and a local mountain guide can be arranged through a local company), meet the morning in the mountains, Day 2 – hike back.

The Folgefonna Tunnel is Norway's fourth longest tunnel, as of 2020: 11.15 km long, dug under 4500 feet of rock and the Folgefonna glacier.

narrow fjord branching off the main Hardangerfjord. We drive along this fjord until we reach Furebergsfossen waterfall.

The hike to the lake on the easy-to-walk gravel road takes from 30 to 60 minutes. The path is ascending slightly, so the walk back is faster. At the lake we take a break to enjoy the view of the lake and Bondhus glacier visible in the mountains on the other side. Here we will have our lunch if this option is booked.

3940 feet (1200 m) ASL, the mountain road takes us to Folgefonna glacier. Folgefonna has a ski center operating during summer. After a short refreshing break at the bottom of the glacier and maybe something to eat at the ski centre café, we are going to the next hightlight of the tour. A glacier hike can be booked as a part of a group or with a private glacier guide (3-5 hours), for additional payment in advance - we would have to make arrangements. After a refreshing break at the bottom of the glacier we start our return to Bergen.

A car ferry takes us across the fjord, and we continue our journey along the fjord.

We make a stop at the outlook over the fjord not only to enjoy the view, but also to visit two sights with stone carvings. There is some walking involved down and up moderately steep trails to see the petroglyphs from the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.

You can actually walk behind the falling water without getting wet. A walk behind the waterfall to the view point is highly recommended.

The view is great and you can take some memorable pictures here. A short walking tour to the bottom of the waterfall is highly recommended – you simply must feel the roaring freshness and gentle and pure water drops on your face. This is the last stop before Bergen. From here, we continue to the Osterfjord and return to Bergen.

Our tour ends in Bergen. If you feel like experiencing more, and that two days are not enough, this tour can be extended with one or several more days. We will be happy to recommend, discuss and arrange an extended itinerary, overnight stays, activities (such as shorter fjord cruises, kayaking, mountain hikes, zip-lines etc.) along the way. Please, do not hesitate to contact us for a more complete offer.