Luxury 7-night Norway two-centre holiday combining by the two cities of Bergen and Alesund by Hurtigruten ferry
This luxury two-centre holiday introduces you to Norway’s two most important port cities of Bergen and Alesund, connected by an overnight trip on the Hurtigruten ferry. Start by flying into Bergen via a short stopover in Oslo. Known as the city of the seven mountains, Bergen is a beautiful city which used to be the capital of Norway. It is possible to reach one of these mountains by funicular from the city centre, which awards spectacular views of Bergen and the surrounding landscape. Bergen is also known for the colourful façade of Bryggen with its picturesque wooden structures, now recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For those more interested in the cultural attractions the Troldhaugen was the home of composer Edvard Grieg and houses a museum and a concert hall where his music is still played. After three nights here you will take the Hurtigruten cruise ship along the western coast to Alesund. Board the ship in the evening and arrive into Alesund the next morning, where you check into your hotel for the next three nights. The port town of Alesund is known for its art nouveau architectural style following a fire in 1904, and you may want to spend some time here taking in the architecture in its downtown district. For a true appreciation of this, Fjellstua is a famous viewpoint over the city which gives the best outlook on the townhouses and the surrounding waters. Alesund Museum provides an insight into the history of the city, from the great fire to the German occupation. It also features many exhibitions on fisheries and boats, an important part of Alesund’s history and culture. At the end of your time here you will be transferred to the airport, where you take a flight back to the UK via Oslo.
Highlights
Bergen • Alesund • Hurtigruten cruise
Day by day
Fly from London to Bergen with a short stopover in Oslo. Upon arrival check in to your hotel in Bergen for three nights.
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and was the capital throughout some of the country’s most influential periods. One of your days here should start with a visit to the iconic Bryggen wharf, first established in the 14th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its colourful buildings today house a small museum, shops and restaurants. Bergen is known as the city of the seven mountains, the most easily accessible of which is Fløyen, which can be reached funicular from the city centre and awards spectacular views of the city and surrounding area. It is possible to take the funicular back, or you may want to hike back down at your leisure. For a full immersive experience you should take the time to visit Bergen Fish Market. Bergen has the busiest seaport in the country and the market offers an abundance of fish, shellfish, fruit and vegetables. Cultural attractions include the Troldhaugen, the former home of Edvard Grieg and today host to a museum about his life and works as well as a concert hall where you can hear his music performed. Its location in the fjords also makes Bergen an excellent base from which to explore more by boat, and there are multiple options ranging from a quick trip to an all-day experience.
On the evening of your final day in Bergen you board the Hurtigruten cruise ship heading northwards along the western coast to Alesund. Depending on the time of year you may have plenty of hours of sunlight left to enjoy the stunning fjords as you pass by them.
You arrive into Alesund in the morning, your base for the next three nights. You may want to organise an early check-in at a supplement, dependent on availability.
The port town of Alesund is built on a row of islands protruding into the Atlantic Ocean. This unique position has made it home to Norway’s most important fishing harbour, next to which is Holmbua, a warehouse which was built in 1861 and today houses the fisheries exhibitions of Alesund Museum. Here you can learn about the town’s production of fried cod before sampling some of this delicacy at the markets. Besides the port, Alesund is perhaps most-known for its architecture. After a fire destroyed the city in 1904 it was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style, and you may want to spend some time exploring and appreciating the vibrant buildings which line the waterfront. You will find more information about this part of the town’s history, as well as many other periods including that of the German occupation, at the Alesund Museum. For an excellent view of the city and the surrounding area, Fjellstua is a famous viewpoint which is accessible from the city centre.
On your final day you will be transferred from your hotel in Alesund to the airport, where you will board a flight via Oslo back to the UK.
It was an excellent holiday - due to excellent planning on your side. Super efficient, very professional.Mrs F, Holiday to Norway, Oct 2023
Holiday price guide From £1,910 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
Holiday Code SCBA01
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury 7-night Norway two-centre holiday combining by the two cities of Bergen and Alesund by Hurtigruten ferry
Fly from London to Bergen with a short stopover in Oslo. Upon arrival check in to your hotel in Bergen for three nights.
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and was the capital throughout some of the country’s most influential periods. One of your days here should start with a visit to the iconic Bryggen wharf, first established in the 14th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its colourful buildings today house a small museum, shops and restaurants. Bergen is known as the city of the seven mountains, the most easily accessible of which is Fløyen, which can be reached funicular from the city centre and awards spectacular views of the city and surrounding area. It is possible to take the funicular back, or you may want to hike back down at your leisure. For a full immersive experience you should take the time to visit Bergen Fish Market. Bergen has the busiest seaport in the country and the market offers an abundance of fish, shellfish, fruit and vegetables. Cultural attractions include the Troldhaugen, the former home of Edvard Grieg and today host to a museum about his life and works as well as a concert hall where you can hear his music performed. Its location in the fjords also makes Bergen an excellent base from which to explore more by boat, and there are multiple options ranging from a quick trip to an all-day experience.
On the evening of your final day in Bergen you board the Hurtigruten cruise ship heading northwards along the western coast to Alesund. Depending on the time of year you may have plenty of hours of sunlight left to enjoy the stunning fjords as you pass by them.
You arrive into Alesund in the morning, your base for the next three nights. You may want to organise an early check-in at a supplement, dependent on availability.
The port town of Alesund is built on a row of islands protruding into the Atlantic Ocean. This unique position has made it home to Norway’s most important fishing harbour, next to which is Holmbua, a warehouse which was built in 1861 and today houses the fisheries exhibitions of Alesund Museum. Here you can learn about the town’s production of fried cod before sampling some of this delicacy at the markets. Besides the port, Alesund is perhaps most-known for its architecture. After a fire destroyed the city in 1904 it was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style, and you may want to spend some time exploring and appreciating the vibrant buildings which line the waterfront. You will find more information about this part of the town’s history, as well as many other periods including that of the German occupation, at the Alesund Museum. For an excellent view of the city and the surrounding area, Fjellstua is a famous viewpoint which is accessible from the city centre.
On your final day you will be transferred from your hotel in Alesund to the airport, where you will board a flight via Oslo back to the UK.
It was an excellent holiday - due to excellent planning on your side. Super efficient, very professional.Mrs F, Holiday to Norway, Oct 2023
Holiday price guide From £1,910 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
Holiday Code SCBA01
Our prices include
● Return flights with British Airways from London to Oslo
● Scheduled return flights from Alesund to Oslo
● 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard double room at Bergen Børs Hotel, Bergen
● 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard double room at Hotel Brosundet, Alesund
● 1 night’s bed and breakfast in a Polar outside cabin on the Bergen to Alesund Hurtigruten
● Private transfer from Hotel Brosundet to Alesund airport
● Concierge service and Expressions Holidays regional helpful hints
Our prices do not include
● Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (although we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
● Any other services not mentioned above, such as transfers and meals except breakfast at hotels
● Personal holiday insurance. This is essential and cover should be in place from when you book the holiday.
● Possible local tourist tax, usually the equivalent of £1 to £3 per person per night, and payable locally to the hotel
● Transfers in any cities
Additional information This holiday can be arranged throughout the year. Timings can vary depending on the month and day of the week.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury 7-night Norway two-centre holiday combining by the two cities of Bergen and Alesund by Hurtigruten ferry
An hotel that is a fusion of the historic and the modern, 4-star, in the centre of Bergen, opposite the Fish Market and with 127 rooms. A cosy and exhilarating atmosphere. Restaurant with Michelin star.
Standard double room
Hotel Brosundet is a charming, 4-star design hotel occupying a traditional warehouse on the side of the water in the historic centre of Ålesund. 131 rooms, restaurant, stylish rooms.
Standard double
It was an excellent holiday - due to excellent planning on your side. Super efficient, very professional.Mrs F, Holiday to Norway, Oct 2023
Holiday price guide From £1,910 per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room.
Holiday Code SCBA01
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury 7-night Norway two-centre holiday combining by the two cities of Bergen and Alesund by Hurtigruten ferry
About Norway
Norway is a fascinating destination for a luxury, tailor-made holiday. The land and the culture of Norway lend themselves to a diverse and rich array of holiday experiences and a choice of mode of transport. At first glance, Norway offers magnificent, dramatic, severe and wild natural surroundings in its glaciers, Arctic snow and ice, majestic fjords, crashing waterfalls and mystical natural phenomena such as the Aurora Borealis and Fata Morgana. However, Norway also offers cultural ties, a shared history dating from the days of the Vikings, a cosiness in its orchards and pastures, brightly-painted wooden houses, folk tales and mythology, world-class art, literature and music in the works of Munch, Ibsen and Grieg, to name but three, and international philanthropy as exemplified by the Nobel prize. Many towns have superb museums, ancient wooden stave churches are well-preserved, the heritage of the Vikings is visible not just in major centres such as Oslo but all around, and seemingly small places are rich with music and drama festivals. Whilst the length of Norway with is 2518 km poses a challenge to the visitor, this also means that it makes sense to use a variety of transport modes to travel around; scenic trains, sleeper trains, boat rides, coastal cruises and car-hire can all be incorporated. The landscape lends itself well to hiking and cycling and there are many national parks that offer a variety of conditions depending on your ability. Norway’s cities are vibrant and manage to blend modernity with tradition. The iconic Oslo Opera House sits a short distance from the Akershus fortress, the Old Town Hall dating from 1641 is a stroll away from the Akrobaten pedestrian bridge, a near-futuristic construction of steel and glass.
Highlights of Norway
The numerous fjords: Eidfjord – branch of the Hardangerfjord, Geirangerfjord – precipitous, one of Norway’s signature images, Hardangerfjord – rolling hills and pretty villages, Jossingfjord – vertiginous fjord in the flatlands of the south, Lysefjord – plunging cliffs, cruises and look out points, Naeroyfjord – narrow and very pretty, Sognefjord – Norway’s longest and one of the most beautiful, Trollfjord – very steep fjord on Lofoten, Vestfjord – sheltered bays and pretty villages separating Lofoten from the mainland. The Hurtigruten ferry that covers over 2500 km from Bergen to Kirkenes with over 30 stops. The Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights. Stave churches, beautifully preserved in wood, dating from Viking times, for example at Borgund, Lom, Ringebu and Urnes. Viking ships and artefacts, burial mounds and trinkets in museums throughout the country. The red, wooden houses perched stilts over the sea on the Lofoten Islands. The modern architecture of Oslo. Picking wild blueberries, sampling aquavit made from potatoes and caraway, and tasting reindeer steak with cranberries. The charm of Oslofjorden with its pretty, arty village and towns, harbours with sailing boats, islands offshore and beaches. Hike over the Jotunheimen and relish the natural landscape of this stunning National Park.
Cultural highlights of Norway
The architecture of stave churches dating from the Viking era and Viking treasure in museums around the country. The literature of Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun. Folk tales and mythology. The music of Edvard Grieg and the art of Edvard Munch. Contemporary jazz and folk music.
Gastronomy of Norway
Norway’s gastronomy is a clear reflection of its land and sea. From the land come reindeer, venison, lamb, cured meats and potatoes of all types: boiled, roasted and fried. From the freshwater lakes and streams come salmon served grilled and smoked, and freshwater fish. Sea fish is a vast array of cod, haddock, shrimps, mackerel, fish soup, fish balls, salt cod. From the orchards particularly around the Hardangerfjord come apples, cherries and plums as well as berries of all sorts including blueberries, cranberries, bilberries and, a great delicacy, cloudberries. Cheeses include Jarlsberg and brown cheese. Coffee is almost certainly the national drink, followed by beer, of which there are all sorts of craft beers brewed locally, and Aquavit is the national spirit made from potatoes and caraway.
Facts in brief
Capital OsloAirport Oslo Gardermoen
Size 323,878 sq km
Population 4.4 million
