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The 5 Best Tour Packages to Explore Norway

Home >The 5 Best Tour Packages to Explore Norway

Norway is perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth. It boasts some of the most magnificent scenery on the planet with its majestic mountains, sapphire-blue fjords, roaring waterfalls, midnight sun, and famous northern lights. It’s also teeming with rich cultural traditions, picturesque villages, and kind and adventurous people. To be able to experience all that Norway has to offer, we’ve put together the following Norway tour packages. The best part? They’re day tours!  Whether you’re traveling alone, as a couple, or are bringing the whole family along, these tours offer something for everyone.

norway_tours_packages - Trollstigen (Troll's road) in Norway

Tour package #1: Ålesund from Fjords to Trolls / Åndalsnes the Troll Road and Troll Wall 

Ålesund – Valldal – Troll Road – Troll Wall – Åndalsnes – Ålesund / 

Åndalsnes – Troll Road – Troll Wall – Åndalsnes

We combine these two packages in our #1 spot as they hit the same highlights in troll country. The first is a full-day tour leaving and returning from the beautiful Art Nouveau city of Ålesund. The second is a shorter 3-hour tour package that includes a short film at the tours starting point, the Tindesenter in Åndalsnes.

The full-day package, Ålesund from Fjords to Trolls, is a great way to spend the day exploring the land of the trolls. Leaving the beautiful city of Ålesund, the tour heads toward the town of Sjøholt then drives along the beautiful Storfjord leading to Stordal. There’s a stop in Stordal to pay a visit to the old Rose Church, which was built in 1789. 

From there you will travel through Valldal, famous for its incredibly delicious strawberries. One taste and you’ll see why they are a sense of Norwegian pride! Next stop is the beautiful Gudbrandsjuvet, a 5m narrow and 20-25m deep ravine. Here you’re able to walk over a bridge that spans the ravine while hearing local folklore of forbidden love. 

From Gudbrandsjuvet you’ll head further into the land of the trolls as the bus makes its way through Reinheimen National Park to the Trollstigen plateau. This plateau offers incredible views over Trollstigen (Troll Road). Here you’re also able to see the mountains Norwegians call the King, the Queen, and the Bishop as well as the mighty and impressive waterfall, Stigfossen. An exciting part of this vacation package is that after looking over the Troll Road, you get to drive down it (with a professional driver, of course)! After going through the 11-hairpin bends that make up Trollstigen, the tour makes a photo stop with great views of the waterfall Stigfossen.

Last but definitely not least, this excursion takes you to the mighty Trollveggen or Troll Wall. This impressive beast is Europe’s tallest vertical rock face. The tour finished, then heads back to Ålesund.

The 3-hour version, Åndalsnes the Troll Road and Troll Wall, begins in Åndalsnes in the heart of troll country. Starting at the visually striking Tindesenter (Mountaineering Museum) with the movie “Trollfolk” shown on a unique 3D screen designed to mimic an actual rock wall. This short film gives a great overview of local folklore as well as the history of climbers who’ve explored the area, a compelling watch!  From there, you’ll head to Europe’s tallest vertical rock face, Trollveggen (Troll Wall) – home to the stories you’ve just watched in the film. From this picture spot you can also view the famous Romsdalshorn. 

If you’re headed to Norway looking for adventure, buckle-up. The tour will now journey all the way up Trollstigen (Troll Road). From the road, the mountains known as the King, the Queen, and the Bishop watch over you as you make your way through 11 hairpin bends to the Trollstigen plateau. Here you can take in the view of the valley below, buy some souvenirs, and grab a bite to eat.

norway tour packages

Tour package #2: Geiranger Mt. Dalsnibba and Eagle Road

Geiranger – Flydalsjuvet – Dalsnibba – Djupvatnet – Eagle Road – Geiranger

You can’t go wrong with the Geiranger Mt. Dalsnibba and Eagle Road excursion. Departing from the charming village of Geiranger on UNESCO’s world-famous Geirangerfjord you will climb uphill by bus through numerous hairpin bends. The first stop on this tour package is at Flydalsjuvet. This spot offers an amazing vantage point to look over Geirangerfjord and take some photos. The view gets increasingly beautiful as you climb culminating at approximately 1500m above sea level on the famous Mount Dalsnibba, home of the Geiranger Skywalk. You will be able to enjoy spectacular views over Geiranger and Geirangerfjord. 

Once you’ve picked your jaw up from the floor, you will head over to Djupvatnet, a beautiful mountain lake and another opportunity for breathtakingly beautiful photos. Before heading back to the pier in Geiranger you will get to experience more hairpin bends, 11 of them, on the Eagle Road. As you make your way down to the last of the bends, the tour stops to give you a break and another incredible view over Geirangerfjord and the waterfall “Seven Sisters”. Finally, the tour leads you back to the quaint village of Geiranger, where it ends. If you’ve got time before your departure, we highly recommend grabbing a softis (ice cream cone) and people-watching in this fun tourist town.

Norway tour packages

Tour package #3:  Ålesund the Ultimate Sightseeing Tour

Ålesund – Mount Aksla & Islands – Sunnmøre Museum – City Center – Ålesund

This next tour package, Ålesund the Ultimate SIghtseeing Tour, is perfect for the traveller who only has a few hours in Ålesund and wants to get a feel for the local sights, culture, and islands. The trip starts by taking you through several underwater tunnels, the deepest part coming in at 140m below sea level! The first destination is the Island of Giske, rather unique in its relatively flat topography and its connection to the famous Viking Rollo. Here there’s a stop at the old marble church, built in the 12th century, where you will listen to some of the many dramatic tales about Giske: the Giske family, the church, and love. 

We leave Giske and head to the next island, the impressive Godøy. Well-known for its natural beauty and its 497m tall mountain, Storhornet. We travel to Godøy’s fishing village, Alnes. Here the tour offers a nice break where you can stroll on the beach and take in the expansive view over the Atlantic Ocean, visit the lighthouse, or pop into the café and grab some of their delicious food. If it’s on offer, we recommend the carrot cake (gulrotkake)! 

It’s time to say goodbye to the islands and head several centuries back in time to when most Norwegians lived a hard life. Norwegians in this region lived in agricultural and fishing societies and were often quite poor. You will learn all about it at the unique Sunnmøre museum located on the outskirts of Ålesund. Your guide will lead you through the quaint open-air part of the museum where 55 old houses are located.  Some of the buildings are open, offering visitors a look inside. Generally, you’ll have time to pop into the café here as well should you need a restroom break or a cup of coffee.

This tour now heads to the most famous photo spot in Ålesund, Mount Aksla! In lieu of climbing the 418 steps zig-zagging their way up the mountainside, you will be driven up to the lookout point. Here you are rewarded, whether you came by foot or by bus, with the beautiful and iconic views of the Art Nouveau city of Ålesund and its surrounding islands.   

From Aksla we drive down the mountain and through the city center.  You will get to see the distinct architecture of the Jugendstil or Art Nouveau style and learn about the historic fire of 1904 that was the impetus for these buildings.

Norway tour packages - Molde

Tour package #4: Molde the Adventurous Atlantic Ocean Road

Molde – Bud – Ergan Coastal Fortress – Atlantic Ocean Road – Molde

Molde the Adventurous Atlantic Ocean Road tour begins in beautiful Molde,  the “City of Roses”. The city emerged as a trading post in the middle ages and is now the administrative center for Møre og Romsdal county and home to numerous parks and public gardens. From Molde the tour heads toward the traditional fishing village of Bud. Along the journey you will pass the beautiful Romsdalsfjord, Malmefjord, and the Elnesvågen area – home of the famous and delicious Jarlsberg cheese!

Arriving in Bud you will visit the historic Ergan Fortress from WWII. This coastal fortress offers a glimpse into the history of WWII in Norway while providing stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.

As the tour heads toward the famous Atlantic Ocean Road, we journey along the 19 km long section of coastline known as Hustadvika. This stretch of the coastline offers boats no protection in the way of offshore islands to shelter them from the open ocean and, as such, is infamously dubbed the “bay of shipwrecks”. 

The landscape grows increasingly rugged and windswept as we approach the Atlantic Ocean Road.  It is a popular spot to film car commercials and has been declared the world’s best road trip by The Guardian. Look out for it in the James Bond film, No Time to Die! This visually spectacular road includes eight bridges – one of them measuring 23m.  A feat of modern engineering, the Atlantic Ocean Road winds its way through the archipelago like a serpent.  

We will stop at Eldhusøya, located in the middle of the Atlantic Road, where you can explore the entire islet, an easy 10-minute stroll that offers fantastic views over the wild and open Atlantic Ocean. There is also time to enjoy a cup of coffee or sample local pastries. After completing the drive across the Atlantic Ocean Road, the tour heads back to Molde. The last stop, before returning to Molde, is a photo stop on the top of Mount Varden for a spectacular view over the city. Your guide may ask you to see if you’re able to count the endless peaks on the other side of the Romsdalsfjord. The answer? 222!

Norway tour packages - Birksdal

Tour package #5: Olden the Amazing Briksdal Glacier

Olden – Olden Lake – Birksdal Glacier – Olden

The last tour package on our list, Olden the Amazing Briksdal Glacier, offers a unique experience. Departing from the village of Olden, you will meander through a picturesque valley and pass a church known as the ‘little red church’, a gift from an American collector from the early 1900s. The tour continues along beautiful Lake Olden to Rustøen located at the end of the fjord. In Rustøen you will see many colorful farms and waterfalls. From Rustøen the excursion takes you to the Briksdal Inn. The walk to the Briksdal Glacier, an arm of Europe’s largest glacier (the Jostedal Glacier), starts here. This is a beautiful hiking trail, surrounded by waterfalls and mountains, that leads to the viewpoint at glacier lake – a stunning view. After taking in the impressive scenery, we venture back to Olden to complete the tour. 

Whether you’re interested in hiking out to icy glaciers, viewing spectacular fjords, gazing at impressive Art Nouveau architecture, or visiting remnants of bygone eras, the west coast of Norway has it all. It’s no wonder our top 5 tour packages are all located in this region. We can’t wait to welcome you into our beautiful country and show you all that it has to offer!

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