Exceptional natural beauty, comfortable accommodation and delicious local delicacies – Norway has it all. But with so much to explore, making the most of this magnificent country on limited time can be tough. Thankfully, Bentours’ Norway in a Nutshell tour has done all the hard work for you, selecting the country’s very best experiences, from its famed train journeys and crystalline fjords to cosmopolitan cities, and wrapping it up into a neat package.
From Oslo, begin your journey traversing gentle farmlands surrounded by deep forests and glacier-encrusted mountains to Voss, world-renowned as Norway’s adventure capital. Thrill seekers will delight in the myriad activities on offer including sky diving, paragliding, whitewater rafting and more than 55 kilometres of ski runs to carve up fresh powder. Known for its strong food heritage as well as abundance of extreme sports, a trip here wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Smalahovetunet, a farmhouse and restaurant dating back to the 1700s. Tuck in to local delicacies like sour cream porridge, a variety of smoked and cured meats and smalahove (it’s direct translation means ‘sheep’s head), the farm’s speciality and the only producer of this dish in the country.
Now you’re fuelled up, you’re ready to experience Norway’s most spectacular sites of natural beauty. Cruise through the valley of Gudvangen, an old Viking village dotted with farming communities and surrounded by the God-like presence of monolithic rock that seemingly soars into the heavens. Beyond, you’ll discover blankets of green meadows, dotted with wild flowers in the spring or a winter wonderland in the colder months, and behold the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nærøyfjord, the narrowest fjord in Norway – it spans just 250 metres across – and arguably the most beautiful. Nestled within the Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest fjord (spanning 205 kilometres and plunging more than 1300 metres into the earth’s crust), this arm is perhaps the most dramatic. Board the ferry to sail across, the bow of the boat cutting through the water’s glassy reflections of the snow-frosted mountains above. The beauty of Nærøyfjord is only rivalled by the Flåm Valley, where you will have the chance to admire towering mountains and cascading waterfalls, as well as the train’s ingenious engineering, on a 20-kilometre train journey up through the valley to Myrdal Station.
After a morning at your leisure, embark on another train ride from Voss to Bergen, voted one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys. Views out to the Norwegian Sea are breathtaking, only interrupted by copses of birch trees and the occasional wooden cabin splashed in the classic Norwegian deep red. For your final night, the coast takes you to the bustling seaside city of Bergen and its jam-packed cultural calendar of shows and performances.
The Norway in a Nutshell is available in two-, three- and four-day packages. To make the most of the country’s breathtaking sights the latter is recommended. Four-day tours start from US$870.
Bentours
bentours.com.au
P: 1800 221 712
E: enquiry@bentours.com
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