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Into the Fjords

Bergen & Balestrand
 

Combining a discovery of Norway’s historic second city with a thrilling journey by express boat through the ‘king of the fjords’, this is a varied and delightful break. In both Bergen and Sognefjord, you stay in high-quality, waterfront hotels, and we include a Bergen City Card to help you explore.

Into the Fjords. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Into the Fjords. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A Norwegian city & walking break

Known as the gateway to the fjords, atmospheric Bergen is the perfect place to start your journey through this most spectacular of landscapes. Beautiful and intriguing in its own right, Norway’s second largest city is famously friendly, with a history that spans more than nine centuries. Stroll around its lively fish market – perhaps picking out a few delicacies to order later in one of the excellent harbour-front restaurants – and visit the brightly painted shops and warehouses of the wharf-front Bryggen, before heading out into the fjords on express boat.
Little can prepare you for the sheer majesty of the ‘king of the fjords’. At over 200km, Sognefjord is the country’s longest and deepest fjord, twisting dramatically inland through a series of magnificent steep-sided valleys, where an almost spiritual sense of calm presides. Along its shore lie fruit orchards, farmland and enchanting Balestrand – your destination for the final two nights. This tranquil, rural village is very different from bustling Bergen, offering a glimpse of another of Norway’s many faces.
 

Book with confidence

At present, we are only accepting bookings for Norway for travel from 1 June onwards. Our flexible booking arrangements, commitment to safety and financial protection mean that you can book with confidence, despite the current travel restrictions in place.

What we’re doing so you can book and travel with confidence >
Check the destination entry requirements >

We will contact customers who have a holiday booking with us in spring nearer the date of departure.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • Arrival in Bergen
    Night 1: at Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of exploration.
  • Explore Bergen
    You have a full day to explore the city at leisure using our self-guided walking tour and included 24-hour City Card, entitling you to reduced entry at many of the main attractions. Most of these are easily reached on foot from your hotel, and you can also take the funicular up the slopes of Mount Fløien for superb views across the fjords. Not to be missed is the famous Bryggen – the UNESCO-listed, Hanseatic harbour district with its characterful wharf-front warehouses and former merchants’ houses – or the large, glass-sided Fisk Torget (fish market) – a riot of sound and colour, especially when the catch comes in.
    Bergen's fish market
  • Into the fjords
    Leaving Bergen, you travel by express boat along the coast and into majestic Sognefjord. From water level, the mountains framing it seem even grander, and all you can see ahead is headland after headland plunging into the sapphire waters. Your destination is Balestrand, for two nights in Kvikne’s Hotel, offering sumptuous fjord-side views. (Journey time: 4hrs)
  • Explore Balestrand
    For a small village, Balestrand offers much to discover: stroll along the heritage trail that runs parallel to the shore to learn about the artists who have visited the area; explore the local aquarium; and call in at the Cider House – a distillery and restaurant run by a Norwegian-Turkish couple and set within an organic orchard with over 100 varieties of fruit trees. Walk up the slopes behind the hotel to gain a different perspective of the splendid scenery (9km, 3hrs) or take a trip to one or more of the area’s remarkable ‘stave churches’ – elaborate wooden structures which date back to the 12th century.
    Follow Balestrand's Heritage Trail
 

Accommodation

You stay in comfortable hotels where you will find a warm welcome. Norwegian hotels do not have star ratings, but those in our selection are typically of 3- or 4-star standard.
 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter

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  • 4 nights: 16 May 2021 - 30 September 2021

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    16 May - 25 Jun 2021 £820 £160
    26 Jun - 15 Aug 2021 £755 £115
    16 Aug - 26 Sep 2021 £795 £140
    3rd & 4th person discount £0
    Single traveller supplement £0

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Kvikne’s Hotel, Balestrand
    'Demi-suite' in the historic building: 16 May - 30 Sep 2021 £36
    Fjord view in the historic building: 16 May - 30 Sep 2021 £12

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    You can upgrade your City Card in Bergen. For a 48hr Card add £10pp, for a 72 hr Card add £16pp.
    Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret, Bergen (B&B) Double room Single room
    16 May - 15 Sep 2021 £134 £194
    16 Sep - 30 Sep 2021 # £98 £156
    # Add £35pp/n if staying Mon-Wed 16-30 Sep 2021
    Kvikne’s Hotel, Balestrand (with dinner) Double room Single room
    16 May - 30 Sep 2021 £140 £175
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Bergen

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we reccommend flying via Oslo. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Bergen SAS,  Wideroe 
    Aberdeen - Bergen (via Stavanger) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Birmingham - Bergen (via Copenhagen) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Bergen Loganair 
    Edinburgh - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Bergen Loganair 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Bergen, via Copenhagen SAS 
    Heathrow - Bergen, via Oslo (Gardermoen) SAS 
    Heathrow - Bergen, via Stavanger SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Bergen Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Bergen SAS 
    Manchester - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Manchester - Bergen (via Oslo (Gardermoen) SAS 
    Manchester - Bergen (with touchdown in Inverness) Loganair 
    Manchester - Bergen, via Copenhagen SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Bergen Loganair 
    Newcastle - Bergen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we reccommend flying via Oslo. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 2 dinners
    4 breakfasts
  • detailed documentation
  • 24-hr City Card in Bergen
  • return express boat between Bergen & Balestrand
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe, there’s a £35 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £60 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out our recommended travel insurance policy (if you live outside the UK you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Norway, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). There is no need to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) as this (and still-current EHICs) is not valid in Norway. However, should you need medical help, you can show your UK passport at the medical facility and treatment will be provided on the same terms as for Norwegian nationals. It is important that, if you already have travel insurance in place, the terms do not exclude medical cover, especially for existing conditions, in the absence of an EHIC.
  • The most widely spoken language is Norwegian. The currency is the Kroner. Norwegian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021.

    At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them, regardless of what is happening in the European political sphere.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Last fetch time is : 3/7/2021 6:03:10 PM