Visiting Sognefjord, Nærøyfjord and Flåm from Bergen

Carving 205 kilometres inland from the North Sea to the foot of the Jotunheimen mountains and plunging to depths of 1,308 metres, Sognefjord is the longest and deepest fjord in Norway ("The King of the Fjords"). Its most dramatic southern branch, the 17-kilometre Nærøyfjord, narrows to just 250 metres wide beneath 1,400-metre vertical rock walls, hanging valleys and ribbon waterfalls, earning UNESCO World Heritage status. From Bergen, you can experience Nærøyfjord and the neighbouring village of Flåm in a single memorable day via two distinct routes.

Option 1: The Classic Rail-Fjord-Bus Loop (Year-Round, ~9 to 11 hours)

This circular route (sold as a bundled "Norway in a Nutshell" ticket or booked significantly cheaper step-by-step on the official Vy.no and Norway's Best websites) never retraces the same stretch twice:

1. Bergen to Myrdal by Train (~2 hours): depart Bergen Railway Station early in the morning on the Bergensbanen or regional R40 train through Voss up to the mountain junction of Myrdal (866m).
2. Myrdal to Flåm on the Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana, 55 minutes): step across the platform onto the green carriages of one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world, descending 20 tunnels and stopping for five minutes at the roaring Kjosfossen waterfall down to Flåm on the Aurlandsfjord.
3. Flåm to Gudvangen by Electric Fjord Cruise (2 hours): glide silently aboard the carbon-fibre zero-emission vessel Future of The Fjords or Vision of The Fjords out of Aurlandsfjord and all the way up the narrow UNESCO Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen.
4. Gudvangen to Voss by Bus, then Train to Bergen (~2 hours total): ride the connecting shuttle bus 50 minutes up the Nærøydalen valley to Voss station, and catch the frequent Vy train back to Bergen (45 minutes).

Option 2: The Norled Sognefjord Express Boat (April to October)

If you want to sail the entire length of the Sognefjord from the coast to the inner mountains, board the Norled Express Boat (Hurtigbåt) departing daily early in the morning from Strandkaiterminalen across Vågen harbour from Bryggen. The catamaran sails north through the coastal skerries and turns east right up the main spine of the Sognefjord past Vik and Balestrand, arriving directly in Flåm around midday (where you can ride the Flåm Railway up to Myrdal and take the main train back to Bergen by dinner time).