Ålesund, Norway: Part 4 - Day 4 and 5: Tafjord, Trollstigen Visitor Center

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4 and 5

6/7 Day 4: Drive to Tafjord and Trollstigen Visitor Center

7/7 Day 5: Flight back to Stockholm

Costs
(1) Petrol 18,46 liter at NOK28,69 per liter - NOK381 (SEK370,66)

Food
(1) Coffee break at Tafjordcafe - Coffee with refill NOK35 (SEK33,97), Cheese cake NOK60 (SEK58,23)
(2) Whale sausage at Trollstigen visitor center NOK149 (SEK144,59)
(3) Salami burger at Gategrill, Sylte town NOK99 (SEK96,07)

(4) Coffee at airport NOK39 (SEK37,84)

The Story

06072025 - Today, we enjoyed our breakfast slowly as we had no fixed plans and time to accommodate. It is a day for a roadtrip. I had my brown cheese and two eggs. It is so filling! It helps too that I had oats with yoghurt. I was not even hungry during lunchtime. Well, I finished my breakfast by 9.30am so it is not surprising I was not hungry during lunch.

We started our drive towards Tafjord at 10am. My friend wanted to see another fjord. We stopped at Stordal for a break for 20 minutes. She had coffee and I enjoyed the view. A lovely day today.

Beautiful views along the way. We stopped at a dedicated spot along the highway to take photos. 

Ålesund, Norway: Part 3 - Day 3: Geirangerfjord cruise

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 3

5/7 Day 3: Geirangerfjord cruise

Costs

(1) Ticket for Geirangerfjord cruise - NOK1860 

(2) Ticket for Geiranger visitor center - NOK135 (cheaper by NOK20 when bought together with the cruise ticket)

 

Food

(1) Coffee on the ferry NOK30 (SEK29,12)

(2) Lunch from Fiskekaka - Fish cake NOK60 per piece x 2 = NOK120 (SEK119,46), Bacaluo NOK120 (SEK119,46)

(3) Ice-cream 1 scoop NOK40 (SEK38,82)

(4) Dinner from Jaf - Fish burger NOK115 (SEK111,60)

The Story

05072025 - Today, we go on a ferry cruise to Geirangerfjord, the reason for our trip. It is a whole day activity. The ferry leaves at 8.30am and reaches Geiranger town at 11.30am. We have 3 hours to check out the area. Then, we get back on the ferry again at 2.30pm and reach Ålesund at 5.30pm. During our discussions about the trip, we talked about staying in Geiranger and renting a car from this town but car rental and accommodation options were limited hence expensive. So, we agreed on Ålesund being our base. Geiranger is a lovely place for hiking. We could have stayed a night here to hike, if we had an extra day. 

As we were unable to have breakfast at the accommodation, we were given packed breakfast. Initially, we thought we had to book the packed lunch as we will miss breakfast but the staff told us that this is our packed breakfast so we did not need to pay. They offer packed lunch for NOK60. 

We drove to Ålesund town and parked at the open parking lot, the same place we parked on the first day, at Parkgata 18B. It is free today as it is a weekend! We had our packed breakfast in the car. We received four slices of bread, butter, jam, some slices of cheese and ham. I wished we got egg. 

From the parking lot, it was a 15-minute walk to the harbour. We were definitely not the first ones. Look at the weather! Blue skies and sunny! The ferry departed exactly at 8.30am.

The ferry is very clean. Toilets are cleans too. There were 3 toilets, where 1 of them is for handicap. We sat on the upper deck during the entire journey since the weather was good. Initially, many people sat at the upper deck, and when the view got boring as it was the same, and it got cold too due to the wind, many people shifted downstairs.

Ålesund, Norway: Part 2 - Day 2: Sukkertoppen, Old Town

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 2

4/7 Day 2: Hiked up Sukkertoppen. Walked around Old Town.

Costs

(1) 50 minutes parking - NOK23,02 (SEK22,54)

 

Food

(1) Drink bottle at Kiwi grocery store - 1 liter concentrated apple juice NOK37,90 (SEK36,81)

(2) Lunch at Raccoon Coffee - Chicken and egg wrap NOK109 (SEK106,76), Cappucino NOK50 (SEK48,57)

(3) Kiwi grocery store - 500ml carbonated water NOK22,40 (SEK21,76), 500g Norwegian strawberries NOK69,90 (SEK67,90), 1kg nectarine NOK39,90 (SEK38,76)

(4) Dinner from Jaf - Fish NOK65 (SEK63,14)

The Story

04072025 - The morning started with a breakfast buffet in the accommodation. I was very surprised to see prayer words for before and after meals on the wall. I wondered if this is a religious school. The breakfast kept me full until dinner time. I enjoyed the brown cheese. This is caramelised cheese. I had two eggs which was a good way to keep me full. I know I am not missing out on any local food in Norway as the food here is similar to Sweden. Plus, everything is expensive here. 

We took a walk around the area and enjoyed the view of the waters for a bit. I needed a water bottle as I forgot to bring one from home. So, we went to Kiwi grocery store and I could not find any small water bottle. They sell sugary water and I thought that I finally found one and bought it but when I reached back to the hotel, I found out that I bought a 1-liter concentrated juice which needs to be diluted. Thankfully, it was not hot outside so I could survive without water temporarily. 

Ålesund, Norway: Part 1 - Day 1: Arrival and Aksla viewpoint

The summer holidays 2025 started in the beginning of July with a short getaway (5 days, 4 nights) to Ålesund in Norway. My friend was interested to see the fjord in Norway and she chose Geirangerfjord as it is one of the recommended places and I saw that it is a UNESCO World Heritage. So, I am sure that it is worth the trip. We booked the flight, accommodation and car rental in April. There is no direct flight to Ålesund and the layover is in Oslo. We took Norwegian Airlines. 

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 1

3/7 Day 1: Flight from Stockholm to Ålesund. Collect car. Went up to Aksla Viewpoint. 

Costs

(1) Flight ticket return Stockholm to Ålesund SEK3327. We shared a check-in luggage and a handcarry for SEK440 (including return), since I bought the Low Fare which allows only a small bag (30x20x38cm) to put under the seat. My friend got the Low Fare Plus which includes check-in and a larger handcarry (55x23x40cm) that can be put on the overhead cabin. 

(2) Car rental from Hertz for 4 days SEK5621 (shared between two). We included extra driver NOK168 (with 25% tax) and full insurance NOK912 (amazingly tax-exempted). It is really expensive as some of the itemized costs include 25% tax! The item that caught me by surprise was Location service surcharge of NOK599,63 (including 25% tax). From Hertz website: This is an extra fee charged at certain location (e.g., airports and railway station) to reflect the higher cost of providing services from these locations. WOW! This is so ridiculous! As if the rental costs itself is not sufficient. I wanted to choose a cheap car rental but the one I checked closes at 4pm and our flight arrives at 5pm. 

Accommodation

(1) Borg Sommerhotell for 4 nights including breakfast SEK4735 (SEK2367,50 per person, SEK592 per night per person). It would have been worth it if the trip to and from Ålesund town did not include toll charges of NOK30 + 25% tax = NOK37,50 per direction each time!

 

Food

(1) Lunch at Panini in Årlanda airport - Pita gyros chicken SEK87, delicious cappucino SEK37

(2) Snack at Bit Union in Oslo airport - Pizza  salami and pesto NOK119 (SEK114,95)  

(3) Dinner at Hotel 1904 - Fish soup NOK268 (SEK260,32)

The Story

03072025 - We had an easy lunch at Arlanda aiport and I was pleasantly surprised at the affordability of the food in Panini restaurant, and the cappucino was unexpectedly good and relatively cheaper compared to other cafe! I was so shocked when I heard the price and amazed at the good taste! Plus it is not a small cup too! I took a photo because I needed to put this up.

We departed Arlanda aiport on time at 1315 hours to Oslo. It was a short 1-hour flight, arriving Oslo at 1415 hours. We had almost two hours layover in the airport. We bought a slice of pizza to share from a pizza kiosk, Bit Union. That is very convenient to buy a slice of pizza. Eating in the kiosk costs more than taking away. So, we took away and sat on the airport benches beside the kiosk. I thought it was funny. The picture is my portion of the pizza. 

The flight departed from Oslo at 1605 hours to Ålesund. It was on time too. It was 13 degrees in Ålesund. Goodness, how is that called summer? I brought my fleece jacket. I cannot believe I needed that during summer. I used it quite often during the trip too!

Oslo and Bergen: Part 14 - Day 6 Afternoon: Island Hopping - Hovedoya, Gressholmen, Lindoya

Day 6 Afternoon

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 6 Afternoon.

7/8 Day 6 Afternoon: Harbour opposite City Hall -- Hovedoya Island -- Gressholmen Island -- Lindoya Island
8/8 Day 7: Train back to Stockholm from Oslo

Must-Incur Costs

(1) 24-hour transport card - NOK105 (can be used on boats, buses, trains and trams)
(2) Train ride from Oslo to Stockholm - SEK195

The Story

070818: The day continues on with a teabreak with my first host, Thomas. He treated me to a filling sandwich and a huge cup of red tea. Actually, it was a bowl! Chinese version of bowl-drinking but multiplied many times. We had a good chat for about an hour before we bid goodbye again, but this time, we were unsure when we will meet. 

My afternoon was spent island hopping - as suggested by Shafiq, my second host. This was never in my itinerary and I thought I would have a boring day in Oslo after exploring it the first day upon my arrival. But it turned out to be such a fantastic experience, except for the last 2 hours of the evening where it rained and I got drenched and had to wait in the cold for the boat to arrive. 

Initially, I did not understand how B1, B2, B3 and B4 worked. I just stood in line and hopped on the first boat that arrived. Well, it turned out each B has its own route as can be seen in the next photo. So, you can choose which boat to hop on to go to your island of destination. Well, I did not wait for the relevant boats. I just jumped on any incoming boat because I did not want to be left alone on the island, in case it gets cold or it rains (which it did in the end).

Oslo and Bergen: Part 13 - Day 6 Morning: St Olav Church, Telthusbakken, Kuba Park, Damstredet, Royal Palace, Karl Johan Gate

Day 6 Morning

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 6 Morning.

7/8 Day 6 Morning: St Olav Church -- Telthusbakken -- Kuba Park -- Damstredet -- Royal Palace -- Karl Johans Gate

The Story

070818: I reached Oslo (from Bergen) at 6.13am via train. I couchsurfed today, but unfortunately, I did not get to take a photo with Shafiq. Shafiq is a tour guide in Oslo and he gave me awesome suggestions to explore more of Oslo, where some of them were not on the web, or maybe I am not very good in that. I am happy that I listened to his suggestions and did not get lost!

I stepped inside St. Olav Church on the way to my host's house. It was still too early and so, I decided to go in as I saw the doors were open. I saw 2 worshipers. When they were done praying, I took a photo of the red outline from the painted glasses. They were beautiful. I have never seen this before.

Oslo and Bergen: Part 12 - Day 5: Mount Floyen (again), Midway to Ulriken

Day 5

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 5.

6/8 Day 5: Mount Floyen -- Midway to Ulriken -- Train from Bergen to Oslo

Must-Incur Costs
(1) Train ride from Bergen to Oslo - NOK469 (super expensive and the price fluctuates. It was cheaper when I checked it the first time)

Optional Costs

(1) Backpack storage at Bergen Train Station - NOK50 (Medium Size Locker) for 24 hours.
(2) Paella Rice from the Fish Market - NOK189

The Story

060818: My penpal left for London that morning and I find myself back at Bergen Train Station to store my backpack while I explore Bergen again. I was taking the train back to Oslo tonight because it is the cheapest ride. I stored my backpack in the medium size locker. There are samples of lockers for you outside the Storage Room so you can determine which locker fits your bag. One needs to pay first before the locker unlocks itself. So, make the right choice! Plus, once you have stored your bag and locked the locker, and you change your mind because you could have forgotten something, then you have to pay again to lock it again.

Oslo and Bergen: Part 11 - Day 4 Evening: Mount Floyen, Hanseatic Museum

Day 4 Evening

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4 Evening

5/8 Day 4: Bergen Fish Market -- Mount Floyen

Optional Costs

(1) Funicular ride up Mount Floyen - NOK50 (one-way)

The Story

050818: Stuffed with lunch from Bergen Fish Market, we made our way to the funicular (Floibanen) which will bring us up Mount Floyen. One can hike up to the peak which will take about 45 minutes. It is a 3km walk and the funicular takes less than 8 minutes to reach. We took the ride up and hiked down.

The stairs to hike up the mountain is located next to the funicular, and the funicular is located next to a yellow building - the oldest school (Christi Krybbe School) in the Nordic countries. You won't get lost. I am pretty sure everyone knows where is the funicular station.

Oslo and Bergen: Part 10 - Day 4 Afternoon: Bergen Fish Market

Day 4 Afternoon

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4 Afternoon

5/8 Day 4: Bergen Fortress -- Bergen Fish Market

Optional Costs

(1) Lunch: Shrimp, crab, roe, salmon plate (NOK170), Grilled prawn and salmon (NOK150 per piece) - treated by my friend's mum. She is so generous.

The Story

050818: From Bergenhus Fortress, we are happy to walk our way to the Bergen Fish Market. Simply a must-go if you are there. Well, of course, you cannot miss it. It is pretty much one of the centre-point in Bergen with the red canopies. Can you see that the Bergen Fish Soup costs NOK69 in the below photo? In comparison to the one in Flam that costed us NOK190. 

Oslo and Bergen: Part 9 - Day 4 Morning: Bergen Wharf and Bergenhus Fortress

Day 4 Morning

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4 Morning

5/8 Day 4: Bergen Wharf -- Bergen Fortress

The Story

050818: From our hostel (Citybox), we walked to Bergen Wharf. We got to see the town of Bergen, well some of it, if not all. It was an easy route that would have taken us 20 minutes but because we stopped to snap so many photos, it took us about an hour. Haha! The town is charming and Bergen Wharf was just bursting with tourists! The architecture at the Wharf reminded me of Gamla Stan. 

Oslo and Bergen: Part 8 - Day 3: Norway in a Nutshell - Leg 4 (Gudvangen to Voss), Leg 5 (Voss to Bergen)

Day 3

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 3.

4/8 Day 3: Norway in a nutshell - Leg 1 (Oslo to Myrdal) -- Leg 2 (Myrdal to Flåm) -- Leg 3 (Flåm to Gudvangen) -- Leg 4 (Gudvangen to Voss) -- Leg 5 (Voss to Bergen)

The Story

040818: After the 2 hour ride from Flåm to Gudvangen, we reached rainy Gudvangen. There were 5 buses waiting for the tour, and we just hopped in to whichever that has available seats. 

The fourth leg - bus ride from Gudvangen to Voss. 6.05pm to 7.20pm.
The fifth and final leg - train ride from Voss to Bergen. 7.38pm to 9.01pm. 

We went down a winding road that was once upon a time, the only road from Gudvangen to Voss. This road closes during winter. 

Oslo and Bergen: Part 7 - Day 3: Norway in a Nutshell - Leg 3 (Flam to Gudvangen)

Day 3

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 3.

4/8 Day 3: Norway in a nutshell - Leg 1 (Oslo to Myrdal) -- Leg 2 (Myrdal to Flåm) -- Leg 3 (Flåm to Gudvangen) -- Leg 4 (Gudvangen to Voss) -- Leg 5 (Voss to Bergen)

The Story

040818: After the 1 hour ride from Myrdal to Flåm, we reached a super-congested tourist site in Flåm. Lots of restaurants and shops for the tourists. We had our overpriced lunch here. I found out it was overpriced because I compared it to the prices in Bergen. There are so many Chinese tourists here that most of the menus have Mandarin too! Regardless of the tourists and commercialised area, the mountains surrounding the town were a sight to behold. Everywhere is postcard perfect, minus the humans, of course.

The third leg - cruise ride from Flåm to Gudvangen. 4pm to 6pm. It was a free seating on this ride. The ferry is a huge one, so there is ample of space to choose. There is also WiFi and sockets provided. They do cater to their customers very well. Surprisingly enough, it was not cold during the cruise. The air was warm and the ride was pleasantly cooling. Yay to that! 

Oslo and Bergen: Part 6 - Day 3: Norway in a Nutshell - Leg 2 (Myrdal to Flam)

Day 3

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 3.

4/8 Day 3: Norway in a nutshell - Leg 1 (Oslo to Myrdal) -- Leg 2 (Myrdal to Flåm) -- Leg 3 (Flåm to Gudvangen) -- Leg 4 (Gudvangen to Voss) -- Leg 5 (Voss to Bergen)

The Story

040818: After the 4.5 hour ride from Oslo to Myrdal, we were greeted by a scenic view of the mountains surrounding us at Myrdal. Now, to continue our train ride from Myrdal to Flåm - one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. Yes, I do agree that it is a beautiful ride but we went in through many tunnels that I feel that this ride is overrated as I could not appreciate much of the landscape. 

The second leg - train ride from Myrdal to Flåm. 1.27pm to 2.25pm. It was a free seating on this ride. So, one must hurry inside if you want to sit together in a group. 

We did stop at a waterfall for about 10 minutes where a lady in red appeared (close to the falls) and started to sing and dance for about 3 minutes.