The Norwegian Fjords and Northern Lights Adventure

Arrive in Bergen. At 4:00pm we check-in at our furnished apartment in Bergen close to the city center. At 4:30pm there's free-time to Explore the neighborhood. We'll provide plenty of suggestions for nearby sites and coffee-shops. We meet at 6:30 pm and walk to the Floibanen funicular for ride up to the top of Mount Floyan overlooking Bergen. There we'll enjoy a great view, watch the sunset, and share some wine and cheese. Then its back to the apartment around 10:00 pm to share more time together or retire to our rooms.

One our 2nd day in Bergen the entire day is free-time. We suggest exploring Bergen's historic old town, the Bryggen. Shop. Enjoy one of the harbor's many saunas. Visit one of several outstanding museums in city. Back to the apartment for an early lights-out to get plenty of rest for the following day's excursion to the fjords.

We'll take a taxi at 7:30am to the Bergen train station to board our 8:08am train to Mydal. This is a 2-hour trip on typical Norwegian passenger train. We change trains at Myrdal to begin our trip on the world-famous Flambanan railway line. It meanders up the mountains, crossing mountain streams with views of cascading waterfalls and hugging the edge of steep cliffs, then makes its way down to the tip of the Naeroyfjord to the ferry terminal at Flam, Norway. We'll take a peaceful 2-hour cruise up and down Norway's narrowest deep fjords, the Naeroyfjord and Aurlandsfjord, passing impressive waterfalls and quaint little villages. At our cruise destination, Gudvangen, we'll board a taxi, weather conditions permitting, and head up to arguably the best high viewpoint of any fjord in Norway, the Stegastein viewpoint. Then it's back down the mountain to board a bus for a 3-hour journey back to Bergen. Time for a little shut-eye before dinner. Make sure you packed for the next day.

Rise and shine by 10:00 am without check-out at 11:00. An 11:30am taxi will take the group to the airport. Our flight to Tromso departs at 2:25pm, arriving in Tromso at 4:30 pm.

We'll fly mid-day from the Bergen airport to Tromso, arriving between 4:30pm and 5:00pm. We'll take a taxi to our furnished 3-bedroom apartment in the city center of Tromso. We'll meet at 7 pm for dinner with cocktails afterward on the patio to possibly get our first glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Wake and start exploring Tromso at your own pace. It's free-time all morning. At 1:30pm we'll meet at the notorious Raketten Bar & Polse for the country's popular sausage sandwich, a polse and your choice of local beer or wine, including Grogg, a popular Norwegian mulled-wine concotion. At 2:30 we'll join the 1-hour history and harbor cruise on an old-style wooden fishing vessel (the Hermes II). Between 4:00pm and 6:30pm more free time. Maybe and afternoon nap. Maybe a stroll along the harbor. Maybe a visit to the Polar museum .Either way, we'll meet at 7:00 pm for dinner at a nearby restaurant to savor some popular Norwegian dishes. Then from 8:00 pm to midnight, more libations on the apartment patio for another chance at seeing the aurora. The chance of seeing the lights goes from 50% to 75% on the second night.

At 9:30 am we'll pile into our 7-seat SUV for a coastal exploration adventure, driving to the nearby island of Kvaloya and Sommaroya islands. We'll have a mid-day picnic. The more adventurous ones will have the option of doing the 1 1/2 hour Brosmortinden hike up to a fantastic viewpoint out over the Norwegian coastline. The less adventurous can do a relatively easy walk without elevation gain and can watch the more adventurous climb the crag to the strategic viewpoint. We'll then drive to the white-sand beaches of the island for a mid-day picnic. The entire afternoon is free-time. 7:00 pm we meet for dinner. At 9:00 pm we pile into the SUV again to roam the area surrounding Tromso for the best location for aurora watching, using the Hello Aurora spotter app.

The more adventurous will set out early for drive in the SUV to the nearby Lygen Alos for hike up to a beautiful turquoise lake adjoining the Steindalsbreen glacier. The hike is an 8-mile trek, out and back, with about 2,300 feet of elevation gain, taking about 6 to 7 hours. The less adventurous will have all day to explore Tromso. Maybe a look at local crafts and to get it some important shopping. At 7:00 pm we'll repeat the prior evening's activities with another aurora siting excursion between 9:00pm and 11:00pm.

On the final day of our Fjords and Northern Lights Adventure we'll head to the airport with most parting ways. Some will fly back to Bergen. But many or most will fly directly to Oslo or Amsterdam for the widest range of international flight options. Until our next adventure here's wishing everyone pleasant travels to your next destination.