Bergen Itineraries: 10-Day and 14-Day Sample Routes
Bergen’s central position on Norway’s western coast makes it the ideal base for exploring the country’s finest fjords. The itineraries below are designed as flexible frameworks – your captain and Boatcrowd charter specialist will adapt stops, pacing and activities to your group’s interests and the weather on the day.
10-Day Bergen Yacht Charter: Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord Circuit
Day 1: Bergen
Board your yacht in Bergen harbour. Walk the Bryggen wharf (UNESCO), ride the Fløibanen funicular to Mount Fløyen (320 metres), and visit the Fisketorget fish market for fresh provisions. Welcome dinner on deck.
Day 2: Bergen to Rosendal
Cruise south through the island-studded coast to Rosendal on Hardangerfjord (roughly 55 nautical miles). Berth beneath the Folgefonna glacier and visit the Baroniet Rosendal estate with its Renaissance rose garden.
Day 3: Hardangerfjord – Lofthus and Eidfjord
Continue into Hardangerfjord, pausing at Lofthus for orchard walks (stunning in May bloom). Anchor at Eidfjord and hike to Vøringsfossen waterfall (182 metres) or explore the Hardangervidda Nature Centre.
Day 4: Eidfjord to Flåm
Depart north for the Sognefjord system. Enter the narrow Aurlandsfjord and anchor near Flåm (roughly 90 nautical miles). Ride the legendary Flåm Railway, climbing 866 metres through tunnels and switchbacks.
Day 5: Nærøyfjord (UNESCO)
Tender or kayak into Nærøyfjord – 250 metres wide, with 1,400-metre cliff walls and waterfalls cascading from hidden valleys. The silence between the waterfalls is extraordinary. Afternoon cruise deeper into Sognefjord.
Day 6: Lustrafjorden and Urnes Stave Church
Cruise to Lustrafjorden and take the tender ashore to visit Urnes Stave Church (UNESCO), Norway’s oldest surviving stave church. The 12th-century carved portal blends Viking dragon motifs with early Christian symbolism.
Day 7: Jostedalsbreen Glacier
Continue to the head of Sognefjord for a guided glacier walk on Nigardsbreen, an arm of Jostedalsbreen. Crampons, blue-ice crevasses and meltwater channels – followed by hot chocolate and a gourmet lunch back on the aft deck.
Day 8: Return via Balestrand
Begin the return journey westward through Sognefjord. Pause at Balestrand, a pretty fjordside village with Swiss-style wooden villas built by 19th-century English visitors. Explore the Kviknes Hotel (since 1877) and the nearby Viking Age burial mounds.
Day 9: Outer Sognefjord and Coastal Islands
Cruise through the outer reaches of Sognefjord and into the coastal island archipelago. Anchor in a quiet bay among the skerries for a final evening of fjord prawns, aquavit and the soft northern light.
Day 10: Return to Bergen
A relaxed morning cruise back to Bergen harbour (roughly 80 nautical miles from the fjord mouth). Arrive by early afternoon with time for a final walk through the city or a farewell Michelin dinner ashore.
14-Day Bergen Yacht Charter: Hardangerfjord, Sognefjord and Geirangerfjord
Day 1: Bergen
Board your yacht in Bergen harbour. Explore Bryggen wharf (UNESCO), the Fløibanen funicular and the Fisketorget fish market. Welcome dinner on the aft deck overlooking the harbour lights.
Day 2: Bergen to Rosendal
Cruise to Rosendal on Hardangerfjord (roughly 55 nautical miles). Visit the Baroniet Rosendal estate beneath the Folgefonna glacier. Dinner ashore featuring Hardanger cider, smoked trout and local strawberries.
Day 3: Hardangerfjord – Lofthus and Eidfjord
Explore Hardangerfjord’s orchard-lined shores. Pause at Lofthus, then continue to Eidfjord for a hike to Vøringsfossen waterfall or a kayak session in the sheltered inner fjord.
Day 4: Eidfjord to Odda
A short cruise to Odda at the head of Sørfjorden. Ambitious hikers tackle the Trolltunga trail (10–12 hours round trip) – a rock ledge 700 metres above Lake Ringedalsvatnet. Others explore Folgefonna glacier trails.
Day 5: Hardangerfjord to Flåm
Depart north for Sognefjord and the narrow Aurlandsfjord. Anchor near Flåm and ride the Flåm Railway. Evening cocktails on deck as the mountains reflect in the still fjord water.
Day 6: Nærøyfjord (UNESCO)
Kayak or tender into the 250-metre-wide UNESCO fjord. Cliff walls, waterfalls and extraordinary silence. Return for lunch and an afternoon exploring the Sognefjord’s wider reaches.
Day 7: Lustrafjorden and Urnes Stave Church
Visit the UNESCO-listed Urnes Stave Church on the shore of Lustrafjorden. Afternoon kayaking in turquoise glacier-fed water surrounded by snow-capped peaks.
Day 8: Jostedalsbreen Glacier
Guided glacier walk on Nigardsbreen with crampons and ice axes. The ice beneath your feet is thousands of years old. Gourmet lunch on the aft deck overlooking the glacier’s meltwater lake.
Day 9: Sognefjord to Nordfjord
Depart westward and cruise north to Nordfjord (roughly 60 nautical miles). Anchor near Olden and hike to the Briksdal glacier arm through a lush green valley with cascading streams.
Day 10: Nordfjord to the Coast
Cruise past the Stad Peninsula and the outer coastline. Pass fishing villages and sheltered island anchorages before settling into a quiet bay surrounded by granite skerries and sea eagles.
Day 11: Geirangerfjord (UNESCO)
Enter Geirangerfjord’s narrow, cliff-walled approach. The Seven Sisters waterfall plunges 250 metres beside the yacht. Anchor in Geiranger and explore abandoned mountain farms by tender.
Day 12: Geirangerfjord and Eagle Road
Spend the morning in Geirangerfjord. Drive to the Ørnesvingen (Eagle Road) viewpoint for a panoramic perspective, or take a further tender excursion to lesser-known waterfalls. Afternoon departure south.
Day 13: Hjørundfjord
Cruise through Hjørundfjord, flanked by the Sunnmøre Alps rising to 1,600 metres from the waterline. Hike, kayak, or visit the historic Hotel Union Øye. Final evening dinner on deck beneath the peaks.
Day 14: Return to Bergen via Coastal Route
A full day’s cruise south along the coast back to Bergen (roughly 120 nautical miles). Arrive by late afternoon with time for a farewell walk through Bryggen or a final dinner at one of Bergen’s Michelin-starred restaurants.