Geirangerfjord

Geirangerfjord is the image most people carry when they think of Norway: sheer cliffs, thread-like waterfalls, a turquoise channel almost too dramatic to be real. This four-day route approaches slowly from the south via the Trollstigen mountain road, takes a full day on the fjord itself, and exits north over the Geiranger-Trollstigen National Scenic Route. It is shorter than the other two itineraries and sits well as the final chapter of a longer Norway journey.

Trip Highlights

• The Seven Sisters and Suitor waterfalls seen from the ferry deck
• Driving or cycling Trollstigen, eleven hairpin bends up a waterfall-flanked cliff
• The Dalsnibba mountain road to 1,500 metres above sea level
• Kayaking out to the abandoned farmsteads clinging to the cliff walls
• The Geiranger-Trollstigen National Scenic Route in full summer light
• Eating klippfisk (salt-dried cod) at the old trading post in Geiranger village

Day by Day

1. 1

   Day 1 - Arrive Alesund, drive to Trollstigen

   Fly into Alesund and spend an hour walking its art-nouveau waterfront before picking up a rental car. Drive south through the islands and across to the mainland, arriving at Trollstigen in the late afternoon. Walk the viewing platform above the falls and hairpins, then continue to a small hotel just below the mountain.

2. 2

   Day 2 - Trollstigen to Geiranger via Ornesvingen

   Drive the mountain road north and then east, taking the Ornesvingen viewpoint road for the first aerial view of the fjord. Descend the 11 hairpins into Geiranger village and check in. The evening walk along the quay as the last tourist boats leave is the best time to see the fjord in quiet.

3. 3

   Day 3 - Full day on the water

   Hire a small electric boat for the morning and navigate out past the Seven Sisters waterfalls to the abandoned farms at Skageflaa and Knivsflaa, accessible only by water or a long cliff path. Return for lunch and spend the afternoon kayaking the near section of the fjord. End the day at Dalsnibba mountain if energy allows.

4. 4

   Day 4 - Dalsnibba and return to Alesund

   Drive the toll road to Dalsnibba early, before the tour coaches, to see the fjord from 1,500 metres. Snow often lingers here into July. Return through Stranda and along the coast to Alesund for a late afternoon departure.