Bergen travel guide: harbour, funiculars and fjords
Bergen is a small harbour city with a wet reputation that is mostly deserved. Take the rain as part of the deal, pick your hours well, and the city pays you back with views.
Bergen in short
The old heart of Bergen sits around the Vågen harbour. On the waterfront stand the gabled timber houses of Bryggen, the Hanseatic wharf that UNESCO lists as World Heritage, and the Bergenhus fortress area lies close by. Everything you will want on a first visit lies within a short walk of that harbour.
What sets Bergen apart is how fast you leave the streets behind. A funicular lifts you to a 320 m summit in about six minutes, a cable car goes higher still, and the fjords start just beyond the city. The cost is weather: between October and March it rains on 17 to 19 days a month, so plan indoor hours on purpose rather than hope.
How long to stay
- One day: Bryggen, the fish market and the funicular. It is enough to understand the city, not to enjoy it.
- Two days: add Ulriken, a museum and a slow walk round the lake, with a buffer for the weather.
- Three days or more: give one whole day to a fjord trip. It is the part of the trip most people remember.
A three-day plan
Day 1: the old harbour
Start at Bryggen while the lanes are quiet, then go on to the Bergenhus grounds, open from 06:00. Eat at the fish market around noon. The funicular runs until midnight, so a late ride up for the lights over the harbour is the way to close the day.
Day 2: mountain and museums
Take the Ulriken cable car in the morning, when you still have the whole day to adjust to the weather. Come down to the lake, and keep the afternoon for KODE or the aquarium, depending on what the sky is doing.
Day 3: out on the fjords
Choose Flåm for the railway and the fjord, Voss for an easy day by train, or the Vøringsfossen tour for the big waterfall. Details and timings are on the day-trip page.
When it rains
Rain is the norm here, so the better question is what to do with it. A mixed day works well: one indoor block, one outdoor block, and a good chance that the weather changes between them.
If you are travelling on a Sunday or a holiday, check shop hours first. Many shops close, and some cut their hours before a holiday.
- Morning: the Bryggens Museum, NOK 170, open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Locals suggest asking about its membership, which reportedly also opens several partner museums, among them Håkon’s Hall, Rosenkrantz Tower, Old Bergen and the Leprosy Museum. Check the current terms at the desk.
- Afternoon: the KODE art museums, with Edvard Munch, Harriet Backer, Nikolai Astrup and J. C. Dahl. The permanent collection costs NOK 200; hours are 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Friday and until 4 pm at the weekend.
- With children: the Bergen Aquarium in Nordnes, NOK 415 for an adult, open daily 9 am to 6 pm.
- Any time: the fish market, indoors and out, 9 am to 9.30 pm every day. Ask the price before ordering anything prepared. In the Bergenhus fortress area, Håkon’s Hall costs NOK 120 and Rosenkrantz Tower NOK 170, both open 10 am to 4 pm.
Where to stay
- City centre, near the Fløibanen
- The funicular’s lower station is in the centre, and Bryggen and the fish market are on foot. This is the easy choice for a first visit.
- Nordnes
- The aquarium is here, a quieter district across the water from the harbour front. Right if you want to wake up away from the tourist lanes.
- Along light rail line 1
- The Bergen Light Rail connects the airport with the centre. Each stop further out buys a calmer street and costs you some ride time.
- Near the airport
- Only for a very early flight. Light rail takes about 45 minutes into town, the airport coach about 30.