Three Weeks in Norway: Fjords, Mountains, Musk Oxen, and Unforgettable Hikes
This is the third post in my series about our five-week adventure through Norway and the Netherlands.
The first provided an overview of our trip, while the second focused on our Northern Lights adventure in Tromsø, Norway.
In this post, I'll share the highlights from the rest of our three weeks in Norway. It was an incredible adventure that required both careful planning and flexibility to make the most of our time.
Before diving into the destinations, here are a few things we learned about travelling in Norway that may be helpful if you're planning a trip of your own.
A Few Things to Know Before Visiting Norway
We arrived in Oslo on March 18 and immediately flew to Tromsø, above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. It was still very much winter, so proper clothing was essential. Winter boots, warm coats, toques, gloves, and rain gear were all necessary. At several of our stops, we were snowshoeing or hiking through deep snow. Be prepared for a true winter experience.
Norway is a large country, and if you plan to visit multiple regions, you'll need a strategy to make the best use of your time. We were fortunate to discover Sarah through her website, Solo Female Wanderer. In addition to providing an outstanding travel resource, she also offers personalized trip-planning services.
The money we spent working with Sarah was one of the best investments we made for the trip. She helped us maximize our time and provided recommendations for accommodations, restaurants, activities, and transportation. The process began with a Zoom call to understand our travel style and priorities. She then created a draft itinerary, which we refined together through several rounds of feedback. Her expertise significantly improved our experience.
Another thing to know: Norway is expensive. Very expensive.
This certainly isn't a reason to avoid visiting, but it's something you should factor into your planning. My favourite example was paying the equivalent of about CAD $25 for a small beer—less than a pint. Yikes.
That said, I would still highly recommend Norway. The scenery, outdoor experiences, and overall quality of travel make it well worth the cost.
Finally, be prepared to use a variety of transportation. During our trip, we travelled by plane, train, ferry, rental car, bus, and even a small cruise ship. While occasionally challenging, it was also part of what made the trip such an adventure.
So where did we go? Here are the highlights.
Tromsø
Tromsø was our first stop after arriving in Oslo. I've already written a detailed post about our Northern Lights adventure, so I won't repeat it here other than to say it was absolutely amazing. You can find my post on Tromso here
Dovrefjell National Park and Dovrefjell Lodge
Teresa and I love hiking whenever we travel, and if you're going to hike, it might as well be somewhere spectacular. Dovrefjell National Park certainly qualifies.
One of the things that initially attracted me to Dovrefjell Lodge was the incredible photographs of musk oxen featured on its website. The lodge offers guided Musk Ox Safaris, providing the opportunity to see these remarkable animals in their natural habitat.
After returning from Tromsø, we flew back to Oslo to begin our journey to Dovrefjell.
My original plan had been to take the train and rent a car near the park. However, the nearest town is very small, with only one rental agency and no vehicles available, even months in advance. Instead, we rented a car at Oslo Airport and drove to the lodge.
More than 80% of the vehicles available through Avis were fully electric. That reflects Norway as a whole, where approximately 96% of new vehicles sold in 2025 were electric.
I had never driven an electric vehicle before, and our six-hour drive seemed like quite the introduction. Although Norway's charging infrastructure is outstanding, we still experienced plenty of battery anxiety along the way. Thankfully, everything worked out perfectly.
We made several scenic stops en route, including Lillehammer, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics. We explored the town and visited the famous ski jumping facility before continuing north.
Dovrefjell Lodge is owned by a couple who purchased the property in 2020 and transformed it from a campground into a collection of cozy cabins and lodge rooms. The main building serves as both a reception and a dining area.
One of the owners, Lina, is a wildlife photographer, and her stunning images are displayed throughout the property. While spring, summer, and fall are their busiest seasons, they are still developing the winter side of the business. During our stay, that meant a wonderfully quiet experience. On two of our three evenings, Teresa and I were the only guests in the dining room.
The food was exceptional.
During the summer, the lodge employs a full-time chef. In winter, co-owner Jo Andre takes over the kitchen himself—and does an incredible job. On our first evening, we enjoyed roasted reindeer that was so good we deliberately avoided ordering reindeer again elsewhere, fearing disappointment.
As a bonus, Jo Andre spent time chatting with us over dinner about Norway, Canada, travel, and, naturally, solving a few of the world's problems. These unexpected moments are often what make travel truly memorable.
We spent time hiking and snowshoeing around the lodge, but the highlight was undoubtedly the Musk Ox Safari.
Our guide, a former wildlife photographer with more than twenty years of experience, met us at dinner the night before to explain the plan. The next morning, he headed out early to locate the animals before returning to lead our group.
There were only four participants: Teresa, me, and a young couple from Germany.
After a short drive into the park, we hiked for several hours through stunning scenery before spotting a massive bull musk ox weighing approximately 450 kilograms (more than 1,000 pounds).
The landscape alone made the excursion worthwhile, but seeing the musk ox in its natural environment elevated the experience to another level.
Unlike some tours that bring large groups in for a quick look, our guide took time to explain the history, behaviour, and ecology of both the animals and the park. Visitors are required to remain at least 200 metres away from musk oxen, and we respected those guidelines throughout the experience.
I'll simply say that after some additional hiking, we were rewarded with exceptional views while remaining mindful of both the regulations and the animal's well-being.
I've never been on an African safari and likely never will, but the combination of the guide, the hike, the landscape, and the musk ox itself made this one of the most memorable experiences of our trip.
Since Dovrefjell is the only place in Norway where you can see musk oxen in the wild, it became one of the highlights of our entire journey.
Oslo
When planning our trip, Sarah suggested that two or three days were sufficient for Oslo.
While she felt it was a pleasant city, she believed it didn't compare to some of Europe's more iconic capitals.
We followed her advice and spent two and a half days there. In hindsight, it was the perfect amount of time.
Although Teresa and I aren't huge museum enthusiasts, we visited several excellent museums during our stay. We saw the four versions of The Scream at the Munch Museum and took the ferry to Bygdøy to visit the Fram Museum, Kon-Tiki Museum, Maritime Museum, and Norwegian Holocaust Center.
My favourite was the Nobel Peace Center.
The museum occupies a beautiful yet understated building. The first floor explores the history of the Nobel Peace Prize, while the upper level houses exhibits dedicated to current laureates.
The exhibition we visited, Democracy on the Brink, focused on Venezuela's democratic decline and the story of María Corina Machado. We joined two free guided tours, both of which were excellent.
Beyond the museums, we explored the city on foot and enjoyed some terrific meals. Highlights included The Salmon and Mad Love Pizza.
It was a short stay, but a very enjoyable one.
Norway in a Nutshell
Rather than travelling directly from Oslo to Bergen, we booked the two-day version of Norway in a Nutshell, a self-guided journey combining trains, buses, and ferries through some of Norway's most spectacular scenery.
The trip begins aboard the Bergen Railway, often described as one of the world's most scenic train rides. Since we had never experienced a scenic railway before, it was a wonderful introduction.
Next came the famous Flåm Railway, another breathtaking journey through dramatic mountain landscapes.
We spent the night at the Flåmsbrygga Hotel. While the hotel and restaurant were fine, the highlight was our first true Norwegian sauna-and-fjord experience.
Saunas are incredibly popular throughout Norway, but pairing a hot sauna with an icy fjord plunge is something else entirely.
To be honest, "swimming" may be overstating it. We cautiously climbed down a ladder into the freezing water after heating up in the sauna. The shock literally took our breath away.
We repeated the process three times during our hour-long session, and it was exhilarating.
The next day, we boarded the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord Cruise, which turned out to be our second-favourite fjord cruise of the trip.
Norway's fjords are among the country's greatest natural wonders. The combination of towering cliffs, waterfalls, and crystal-clear water is simply spectacular.
Following the cruise, we continued by bus and train to Bergen.
Although Norway in a Nutshell is undeniably a popular tourist experience, I would absolutely recommend it. It's a fantastic way to experience some of Norway's most beautiful landscapes through a variety of transportation modes.
Bergen
Bergen was our favourite city in Norway.
This beautiful coastal city offers a little of everything: fjord cruises, hiking, historic neighbourhoods, great restaurants, and easy access to nature.
We spent four days there and loved every minute.
Our Airbnb was beautiful, although reaching it involved a fairly steep uphill walk with luggage. Once settled, we explored the city before heading to Bryggen, Bergen's famous Hanseatic Wharf.
That evening, we enjoyed dinner at Sushi Roll Sandviken near our apartment. As I've already mentioned, Norway isn't cheap, and sushi in Norway definitely isn't cheap. Fortunately, the meal was excellent.
The next morning, we took the Fløibanen funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen and explored several hiking trails. The hike offered snow, forest, hills, and stunning views.
Before the crowds arrived, we spent time enjoying the panoramic viewpoint overlooking the city.
Rather than taking the funicular back down, we hiked into town. After lunch at the fish market, we headed to our second sauna-and-fjord experience.
This time it was raining, which somehow made the experience even more memorable.
The following day, we took the Mostraumen Fjord Cruise. It was our least favourite fjord cruise, but that's a bit like choosing your least favourite sunset. It was still spectacular.
The scenery was beautiful; we simply found that the transit time to and from the fjord was longer than on some of our other cruises. If this is your only opportunity to experience a fjord cruise while visiting Bergen, don't hesitate—it's still well worth doing.
That evening we had dinner at Pingvinen, one of our favourite restaurants in Norway. This local gastropub was filled mostly with residents rather than tourists, which is exactly the kind of place Teresa and I love.
The food, atmosphere, and service were outstanding.
We enjoyed it so much that we returned for lunch on our final day.
The next day, we tackled Stoltzekleiven, Bergen's famous staircase hike featuring 908 stone steps.
It was a workout.
From the top, we continued hiking across the mountain toward Mount Fløyen before taking the funicular back down.
The views throughout the hike were fantastic, making every step worthwhile.
That evening, we dined at Bryggeloftet & Stuene, a long-established Bergen restaurant housed in a historic building. It was slightly more formal than our usual preference, but the meal was excellent and provided a fitting conclusion to another great day.
On our final day in Bergen, we boarded a small cruise ship bound for Stavanger.
I originally assumed this would be a ferry, but it turned out to be a cruise vessel that also transports passengers between coastal cities. We reserved lounge seating, which provided comfortable chairs, large windows, complimentary snacks, and soft drinks.
It was a relaxing way to travel.
Stavanger
Stavanger was our final stop in Norway.
Our Airbnb was excellent, though somewhat unusual. Unlike many rental properties, it was clearly someone's actual home. There were running shoes everywhere, multiple coffee makers, and plenty of personal belongings.
Still, it was beautifully furnished and made a great base for our stay.
We immediately liked Stavanger. In many ways, it felt like a smaller version of Bergen.
Unfortunately, we visited during Easter weekend, when much of the city was closed. Even so, we enjoyed wandering the streets and exploring the waterfront.
The main reason for visiting Stavanger was to hike to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock).
I had read extensively about the hike and suspected it would become one of the highlights of our trip.
I was right.
We booked a tour that combined a Lysefjord cruise with a guided hike to Preikestolen. You can find the details here.
The day before our scheduled departure, Stavanger experienced such strong winds that the city effectively shut down, and all tours were cancelled.
Fortunately, our day brought sunshine and calm conditions.
Lysefjord became our favourite fjord of the trip.
The scenery was extraordinary: towering cliffs, waterfalls, dramatic rock formations, and beautiful weather.
There were several hundred passengers aboard the cruise, but the hiking portion was limited to a small group. When the captain announced the stop for hikers, Teresa and I were the only passengers who disembarked.
Suddenly, it was just the two of us and our guide.
He offered an alternative route that would avoid the crowds, and of course, we said yes.
For three and a half hours, we hiked through beautiful terrain without seeing another person. The final hour involved deep, wet snow and some challenging climbing.
When we finally reached Preikestolen, the view exceeded every expectation.
It was one of the most breathtaking natural vistas we have ever experienced.
On the descent, we joined the main trail and enjoyed another bonus: a spectacular sunset over the fjord.
Teresa and I often seem to stumble into these extraordinary moments. Whether it's weather, guides, timing, or simple luck, things frequently seem to align perfectly.
To be fair, I spent a great deal of time researching this tour, but having perfect weather and a private guide experience was simply good fortune.
Final Thoughts
From Stavanger, we flew to Amsterdam and continued our adventure in the Netherlands.
Norway exceeded every expectation. The landscapes were extraordinary, the outdoor experiences unforgettable, and the people we met added so much to the journey.
A special thank you to Sarah from Solo Female Wanderer for helping us create such an incredible itinerary.
You can read my other posts on our 5-week adventure in Norway and the Netherlands here:
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com.
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