There is much to see and do in the beautiful fjord country. Below are some top tourist activities to do while visiting Flåm. These are easy activities to do with kids and let’s them experience a train journey and Norwegian fjord cruise!
Getting to Flåm
The village of Flåm is a top tourist destination in Norway that sits at the end of the Aurlandsfjord. Aurlandsfjord is a branch of the main Sognefjord, or “Kings Fjord,” the largest fjord in Norway. The Nærøyfjord is the second branch off the Sognefjord near Flåm that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You can visit Flåm via:
- Many Norwegian Cruises will have Flåm as a destination port.
- If you are visiting Norway not via cruise, you likely have seen the “Norway in a Nutshell” tour by Fjord Tours (https://www.norwaynutshell.com/original-tour/).
- Train- The Bergen line from Oslo to Bergen makes a stop at Myrdal Station. From Myrdal you can catch the historic Flåm Railway down to the village of Flåm. https://www.vy.no/en/traffic-and-routes/stations-and-network-maps/the-bergen-line
- Car- if you are renting a car and driving through Norway, you can get to Flåm!
When to go
Flåm is accessible year-round and can be beautiful in any season in Norway. The most popular time to visit Norway is during the summer months May-September.
The tourist season for Flåm is mid-June through mid-September. Therefore, many of the shops, restaurants and the cafe at Myrdal station (https://www.caferallaren.no/) will not be open until the tourist season.
The benefit of visiting during the off season is that there are considerably less crowds; however, restaurant and shop options are very limited.
Staying in and near Flåm
There are hotels in Flåm you can stay at:
- The Flåmsbrygga Hotel: https://www.flamsbrygga.no/
- The historic Fretheim Hotel: https://www.norwaysbest.com/no/fretheim-hotel/
There are also hotels and AirBnBs to stay at in Flåm, Aurland and Undredal:
- https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/43166740?adults=1&previous_page_section_name=1001&federated_search_id=6e22e2d4-9d2e-406e-9d22-2386ddf001c1
- https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/25101847?adults=1&previous_page_section_name=1000&translate_ugc=false&federated_search_id=6e22e2d4-9d2e-406e-9d22-2386ddf001c1&guests=1
- https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16050280?adults=1&previous_page_section_name=1000&translate_ugc=false&federated_search_id=5b010fd9-1711-468a-909b-9534aebd8949&guests=1
Flåmsbana: Scenic Flåm Railway
The scenic Flåm railway: Flåmsbana, has multiple times the train leaves the station in Flåm to make the trek up to Myrdal station (https://www.norwaysbest.com/flamsbana/). You can do the early morning time to avoid most of the crowd and get your day going early.
If you arrived in Flåm via the Bergen/Flåm line, then you have already experienced the Flåmsbana and can choose to either do the fjord cruise or enjoy some time in Flåm eating at one of the cafes!
It is 20.2 km long (12.6 miles) and connects Flåm to the Bergen line. The max gradient is 5.5% and has an elevation gain of 866 meters (2,841 ft.). Construction started in 1920 and was completed in 1940.
The railway passes directly in front of Kjosfossen (waterfall) and its small power station. The power station powers the Flåm Line.
The train passes through 20 tunnels, 18 of which were built by hand! One tunnel takes a 180 degree turn inside the mountain to gain the speed to make the climb to Myrdal Station up top.
You have the option of hiking or biking back down the Flåm Valley (https://www.norwaysbest.com/flamsbana/hike-or-bike-the-flam-valley/?referrer=3919) if you do not want to take the train back to Flåm.
Borgund Stave Church
If you have a car you can make the 45 minute drive to Borgund to see the stave church. Along the drive you will go through the Lærdalstunnelen, the longest road tunnel in the world at almost 25 km.
Once in Borgund you will see the Stave Church and the visitor center. The church was built around 1180 AD and is the best preserved in Northern Europe. Walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name “stave church.” On the gables of the roof, there are four carved dragon heads. Similar dragon heads are found on Norse ships.
There are tour guides to take you into the church and explain the history. They do have tour guides that speak English! The visitor center has a small exhibit with artifacts from the area and the architecture of the stave church.
There is also a cafe to grab an afternoon snack and some ice cream if it happens to be a sunny hot day while visiting.
Vindhellavegen
Vindhellavegen (https://www.mountainsofnorway.com/adventures/all-adventures/vindhellavegen/) is the most spectacular stretch of Kongevegen over Filefjell, one of Norway’s most historic hiking trails. Beginning next to the stunningly preserved Borgund Stave Church the trail leads to the mesmerising switchbacks that lead the road back and forth down the steep hill to Husum. From there, another historical walking trail leads through the forest back to the church.
This is an easy hike to walk along and takes about an hour – 2.5 hours to walk. The road is an excellent depiction of what types of roads were possible to build before dynamite was readily available.
Stegastein Viewpoint
Stegastein viewpoint (Bjørgavegen 83, 5745 Aurland) is a lookout point above Aurland that overlooks the Aurlandsfjord. It is a stunning view that allows you to see the whole branch of the fjord, Aurland and Flåm. The road up to the lookout point continues on as one of Norway’s historic routes, Aurlandsfjellet. This road will take you from Aurland to Lærdalsøyri.
Fjord Cruise Nærøyfjord
You can book a fjord cruise through the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord. The boat leaves from Flåm and ends at Gudvangen near the viking village. The trip takes about 2 hours and you can book a one way ticket or round trip. The Nærøyfjord is a UNESCO world heritage site and it is easy to see why!
The boat can fit 400 people and has multiple decks to view the fjord from either inside or outside the boat. There is also bathrooms and the ability to purchase drinks and snacks on the boat if you get hungry!
The Viking Valley
In Gundavegen there is the Viking Valley where you can have a true viking experience! https://www.vikingvalley.no/ It is open from 10am-6pm and costs about 200NOK for adults and 98 NOK for kids. You can understand who the Vikings were, where they came from and learn about what it was really like to be a Viking!
Undredal
Located along the Aurlandsfjorden, a branch off the massive Sognefjorden in Norway’s “fjord-country.” It was only accessible by boat up until 1988 when a road was built linking it to the E16 highway.
Undredal is home to the smallest stave church in Northern Europe and is dated back to 1147. It is home to 100 people and 500 goats. It is famous for the brown goat cheese (geitost) that is still produced the traditional way.
Ægir Brewery pub
Ægir is a craft brewery that opened in 2007 and is voted one of the best craft brews in Norway (https://www.flamsbrygga.com/aegir-brewpub). The building is inspired by Norse mythology and reminiscent of a stave church. The pub is on the ground floor and the restaurant is upstairs.
You can buy beer within the building but around the corner from the entrance. You can find the beer in grocery stores around Norway, but only certain selections are available in the grocery stores. At Ægir you can find the entire selection available for you to choose!
Flåm and the Railway Museum
The Flåm Railway Museum is just behind the Flåm rail line and is free to get in! Here you can learn about the history of the railway and displays the lives of the engineers who built the line.
There are lots of shops and stores in the town for you to shop until your heart’s desire! You can find souvenirs or Nordic clothing brands.
For those exploring Flåm with kids there is great park right behind the Flåmbrygga hotel with the fjord as its backdrop. If you walk a little further behind the park there is an access point to a beach where can cool off if visiting during the summer!
If you continue to walk the beach there are some WW2 pill boxes you can explore and learn about the war history in the area.
