Oslo to Bergen and the Fjords

DAY 1 International Flight

There are several flights a day from the UK to Oslo, so we will recommend and book the ones that work best for you. On arrival at the airport you can take the train into the Norwegian capital and make your way to your city centre hotel home for the next two nights.

DAY 2 Oslo by Bike & Opera House

After a leisurely breakfast this morning you will be met at the hotel by your guide for a three-hour private cycle tour of Oslo and along the fjord on which the city sits. Taking the city's plentiful cycling routes and the occasional backstreet, you will see a lot of the city while your guide regales you with stories of the Norwegian culture and history. The good news is that the vast majority of the seven or so mile ride is on the flat, with only a couple of inclines and small hill leading up to Royal Palace, which is worth the effort!

After a well-earned lunch you can enjoy an afternoon wandering around the city, but we'd recommend a quick tour of the famous Opera House as well. Your private guide will take you backstage to see the costume workshop and scenery rooms while explaining how the various operas and ballets are put on. If the weather is good, it's also great fun to walk on the roof of this remarkable building, which slants up from the waters of the fjord like an ice shard, and which sometimes forms a huge outdoor seating area for al fresco performances.

This evening you can enjoy dinner in one of Oslo's excellent restaurants. Our detailed destination Dossier will recommend a few.

DAY 3 Train Time

You have the morning to relax at the hotel and enjoy a long leisurely breakfast before making your way to Oslo central train station and the train to Myrdal, connecting on to Flam. The journey is about six hours in total but passes through lovely scenery in the heart of southern Norway, so bit back and enjoy a slice of slow travel. On arrival in Flam, you will be met by one of our team and transferred the 15 minutes to your next property, a tastefully converted farm in a beautiful setting beside a river that flows into the nearby Aurlandsfjord. You will most likely arrive in the early evening, so you can enjoy a drink by a roaring fire and dinner before bed.

DAY 4 Farm Visit

This morning is yours to explore your surroundings in more detail, maybe going for walk along the banks of the Aurlandselvi river, a famous salmon fishing river. After a delicious lunch at the hotel, you will be met by your guide for a tour of a local farm. The region is famous for its goats and, consequently, excellent goat's cheese. This afternoon you'll learn about looking after goats and the cheesemaking process and then sample some of the charming farmer's homemade cheeses and jams. This evening, enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel before an earlyish night - you've got a full day of activities tomorrow.

DAY 5 Paddle and Walk

This morning you will take to the water on a kayak trip along the fjord, passing colourful painted fishermen's huts and taking in the stunning mountain views. Then return to the hotel for lunch before an afternoon hike to see the fjord from another perspective - above.

DAY 6 Fly Fishing (seasonally dependent)

Aurlandselvi river is renowned as one of the most famous sea trout rivers in Norway, and this morning you will have the chance to learn the fine art of fly fishing from a local instructor, and hopefully then catch yourself a trout that you can then barbecue for the freshest fish lunch imaginable. This afternoon you can relax at the hotel, go for another hike or - if you caught a fish and caught the fishing bug in the process - cast a few more flies on the river.

DAY 7 Waterfall Hike & Ferry

After a hearty breakfast this morning you can hike to the nearby Turlidfossen waterfall with your host, who will tell you about local myths and legends while you then tuck into tea/coffee and cinnamon buns overlooking the fjord. After lunch back at the hotel you will be transferred to the jetty in Flam for the ferry to Bergen. The voyage takes around five-and-a-half-hours so settle in and watch the scenery slipping by as you enjoy a packed supper provided by the hotel. On arrival in Bergen, you will be met for the half-hour transfer to your final hotel.

DAY 8 Bergen & Beyond

This morning you will be met at the hotel after breakfast and transferred back into Bergen for a three-hour walking tour of the city. You will visit the Fish Market (which, slightly confusingly, also sells flowers) and learn about Bergen's previous life as one of key ports in the Hanseatic League in medieval times, which brought the city great wealth. After lunch you can take the weight of your feet on a funicular (steep gradient) train up to Mount Floyen in the city. This 1,000ft high viewing point is an ideal spot from which to really get your Bergen bearings, and there are walking trails to explore on the summit.

DAY 9 Row Your Boat

This morning borrow an Oselvar traditional Norwegian rowing boat to explore along Bjornefjord. When you've suitably worked up an appetite you can return to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon maybe indulge in a spa treatment or two at the hotel.

DAY 10 Rosendal

Today you can take a ferry along the fjord to Rosendal, a beautifully preserved 17th century manor house, where you can explore the interiors and wander through the elegant rose and kitchen gardens before lunch in the garden café and the return voyage. Then enjoy one final supper in Norway.

DAY 11 Return Home

Enjoy one last breakfast at your hotel and time to relax before a private transfer to Bergen airport for the return flight to the UK.