Norway ports excursions recommendation

[Sallyandtex]

Hi,

We are cruising to Norway In June and July this year.

Going to the following places as per image. 

We plan on booking the Blue Puffin North Cape tour, but which other ports are better to have transport and guide, rather than doing it ourselves around the ports?

 

Thanks!

[Sallyandtex]

Just to add, we imagine we can see Bergen by ourselves (long time in port), but we don't go to Flam, so would time permit sightseeing in Bergen plus a trip on the famous  train to Flam and back?

[hallasm]

If this is you first visit to Bergen stay in Bergen.

In Stavanger take an excursion to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock

Into Olden is scenic cruising - be at upper deck at sunrise 4:30 am. Shuttle from Olden to Loen Skylift.

Cruising Trollfjord is very interesting - mistake in timetable - it’s likely after Svolvær - from 6:30 pm to 7 pm (not a full day)

Tromsø - take Fjellheisen to viewpoint.

You’ll have midnight sun the first days of July.

In Honningsvåg you need to book excursion to North Cape.

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by hallasm

[kitkat343]

In Olden, the Loen Skylift was the absolute highlight and should be your priority there.  That being said, you actually have a lot of time in Olden and might want to consider also going to see the Briksdal glacier.  As a glacier it isn't the most amazing one since its been hit hard by global warming, but the ride there is lovely and it is a beautiful hike to the glacier.  Precovid you could rent golf carts to take you most of the way there, so it is more accessible for small children and people with disabilities.  We had a 2 year old and 6 year old and were able to easily do both excursions in one day in Olden.  But if you wanted to choose one, it should be the Loen Skylift

Edited January 19, 2023 by kitkat343

[Sallyandtex]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:31 PM, hallasm said:

If this is you first visit to Bergen stay in Bergen.

In Stavanger take an excursion to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock

Into Olden is scenic cruising - be at upper deck at sunrise 4:30 am. Shuttle from Olden to Loen Skylift.

Cruising Trollfjord is very interesting - mistake in timetable - it’s likely after Svolvær - from 6:30 pm to 7 pm (not a full day)

Tromsø - take Fjellheisen to viewpoint.

You’ll have midnight sun the first days of July.

In Honningsvåg you need to book excursion to North Cape.

 

Thanks very much!

[Sallyandtex]

On 1/20/2023 at 7:46 AM, kitkat343 said:

In Olden, the Loen Skylift was the absolute highlight and should be your priority there.  That being said, you actually have a lot of time in Olden and might want to consider also going to see the Briksdal glacier.  As a glacier it isn't the most amazing one since its been hit hard by global warming, but the ride there is lovely and it is a beautiful hike to the glacier.  Precovid you could rent golf carts to take you most of the way there, so it is more accessible for small children and people with disabilities.  We had a 2 year old and 6 year old and were able to easily do both excursions in one day in Olden.  But if you wanted to choose one, it should be the Loen Skylift

Thanks so much , some great ideas, we usually like to spend our money locally rather than the cruise tours, so I will research the suggestions 😊 

[FionaMG]

On 1/19/2023 at 8:46 PM, kitkat343 said:

In Olden, the Loen Skylift was the absolute highlight and should be your priority there.  That being said, you actually have a lot of time in Olden and might want to consider also going to see the Briksdal glacier.  As a glacier it isn't the most amazing one since its been hit hard by global warming, but the ride there is lovely and it is a beautiful hike to the glacier.  Precovid you could rent golf carts to take you most of the way there, so it is more accessible for small children and people with disabilities.  We had a 2 year old and 6 year old and were able to easily do both excursions in one day in Olden.  But if you wanted to choose one, it should be the Loen Skylift

Thanks for this. I have a stop in Olden in July and was wondering if it might be possible to do both.

[Sallyandtex]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:31 PM, hallasm said:

If this is you first visit to Bergen stay in Bergen.

In Stavanger take an excursion to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock

Into Olden is scenic cruising - be at upper deck at sunrise 4:30 am. Shuttle from Olden to Loen Skylift.

Cruising Trollfjord is very interesting - mistake in timetable - it’s likely after Svolvær - from 6:30 pm to 7 pm (not a full day)

Tromsø - take Fjellheisen to viewpoint.

You’ll have midnight sun the first days of July.

In Honningsvåg you need to book excursion to North Cape.

 

Hi, thanks agian, yes I think there is a typo there with the Trollfjorden times.

I will book in the ships excursion I think for Pulpit, as Rodne tours says if we don't dock then there is no refund.

Do you think the Skylift in Olden and the Tromso Fjellheisen need to be prebooked?

We had thought of the Blue Puffin tour on Tromsoe, as well as the North Cape, but now not sure as its a new tour I dont think been taken much.

 

[hallasm]

4 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

Do you think the Skylift in Olden and the Tromso Fjellheisen need to be prebooked?

It is perfectly fine to buy tickets on the day.  It can also depend on the weather.

4 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

We had thought of the Blue Puffin tour on Tromsoe, as well as the North Cape, but now not sure as its a new tour I dont think been taken much

I have no experience with Blue Puffin Tours, but to the North Cape it is necessary to have a pre-booked tour.

 

[Sallyandtex]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:31 PM, hallasm said:

If this is you first visit to Bergen stay in Bergen.

In Stavanger take an excursion to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock

Into Olden is scenic cruising - be at upper deck at sunrise 4:30 am. Shuttle from Olden to Loen Skylift.

Cruising Trollfjord is very interesting - mistake in timetable - it’s likely after Svolvær - from 6:30 pm to 7 pm (not a full day)

Tromsø - take Fjellheisen to viewpoint.

You’ll have midnight sun the first days of July.

In Honningsvåg you need to book excursion to North Cape.

 

Just reading over all the great tips as our trip in getting closer!

In Svolvaer, I was thinking of doing a self guided walking tour to look at all the old fishing buildings and interesting scenery. 

Possibly the eagle viewing  RIB or other tour.....

Do you know if our ships "cruising " of the Trollfjord we would see similar as the electric  boat excursions taken from Svolvaer?

 

Thanks again.

[edinburgher]

but which other ports are better to have transport and guide

 

It depends what you decide to do in each port, with some being an easy DIY and inexpensive day, others better suited to a guided tour.  taking a shorex in every port can add up to a huge sum, and Norway is quite an expensive country so you might want to DIY where it is easy to do so.

 

Most of what you would want to know about Alesund can be found on this past thread.so definitely worth reading through.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62526938

 

You can easily pull up past threads and posts to read for all your ports, although do also look at local TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE websites, Tripadvisor  and any other websites which appear when you search "(name of town) tourist info"as it really is a case of doing pre-trip research and the more you read the easier it will be for you to decide what is of interest to you.  It can be time consuming but you are tailoring your trip to your own interests so a worthwhile thing to do.

 

To read past threads and posts without back paging, all of your ports will be on the N. Europe and Baltic Sea Forum.  If you do not know how to use the search tool, go to that general forum (not an individual thread) and input the name of your first port in the empty search box under your username then hit the little spy glass.  All previous threads containig that name will appear ready for you to read.  Repeat the process with each name in turn.

 

We find it helpful to copy/paste info we want to use initially  onto a Word Document  which will become huge by the time we work through every port, but we then delete what we don't want, tidy it up and print off before travel.  it is useful to also include arrival and departure times, but double check before leaving the ship, opening days, hours and entry costs of any sight to be visited, also the address and if using public transport, bus/metro/train stops and route number /direction info. Also note if you need to buy tickets or reserve ahead of time for any particular sights/sites.

 

Arriving into each port, you should then know where you are going, how to get there and opening hours, and if you had to pre-book, the time you need to be there.

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by edinburgher

[hallasm]

7 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

Do you know if our ships "cruising " of the Trollfjord we would see similar as the electric  boat excursions taken from Svolvaer?

If your ship is cruising Trollfjord you’ll have the same experience - I would even think that ship cruising will be more spectacular than a small boat - in particular late evening in June/July.

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by hallasm

[janetcbl]

7 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

Just reading over all the great tips as our trip in getting closer!

In Svolvaer, I was thinking of doing a self guided walking tour to look at all the old fishing buildings and interesting scenery. 

Possibly the eagle viewing  RIB or other tour.....

Do you know if our ships "cruising " of the Trollfjord we would see similar as the electric  boat excursions taken from Svolvaer?

 

Thanks again.

We have seen eagles while cruising the Trollfjord. Prefer the ship to a RIB as the scenery is amazing and the sides of the entrance seem so close you feel you could touch them! ( You can’t). If you like art Svolvaer is known for the North Norwegian Artists—-some nice galleries and no high pressure to buy. There is also a War Memorial Museum. One of my favorite cities in Norway!

[Sallyandtex]

On 5/6/2023 at 5:32 AM, hallasm said:

If your ship is cruising Trollfjord you’ll have the same experience - I would even think that ship cruising will be more spectacular than a small boat - in particular late evening in June/July.

 

Great advice thanks

[Sallyandtex]

On 5/6/2023 at 5:45 AM, janetcbl said:

We have seen eagles while cruising the Trollfjord. Prefer the ship to a RIB as the scenery is amazing and the sides of the entrance seem so close you feel you could touch them! ( You can’t). If you like art Svolvaer is known for the North Norwegian Artists—-some nice galleries and no high pressure to buy. There is also a War Memorial Museum. One of my favorite cities in Norway!

Excellent thanks I think we might stay in the town given the advice from you and hallasm

[Sallyandtex]

On 5/5/2023 at 11:28 PM, edinburgher said:

but which other ports are better to have transport and guide

 

It depends what you decide to do in each port, with some being an easy DIY and inexpensive day, others better suited to a guided tour.  taking a shorex in every port can add up to a huge sum, and Norway is quite an expensive country so you might want to DIY where it is easy to do so.

 

Most of what you would want to know about Alesund can be found on this past thread.so definitely worth reading through.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62526938

 

You can easily pull up past threads and posts to read for all your ports, although do also look at local TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE websites, Tripadvisor  and any other websites which appear when you search "(name of town) tourist info"as it really is a case of doing pre-trip research and the more you read the easier it will be for you to decide what is of interest to you.  It can be time consuming but you are tailoring your trip to your own interests so a worthwhile thing to do.

 

To read past threads and posts without back paging, all of your ports will be on the N. Europe and Baltic Sea Forum.  If you do not know how to use the search tool, go to that general forum (not an individual thread) and input the name of your first port in the empty search box under your username then hit the little spy glass.  All previous threads containig that name will appear ready for you to read.  Repeat the process with each name in turn.

 

We find it helpful to copy/paste info we want to use initially  onto a Word Document  which will become huge by the time we work through every port, but we then delete what we don't want, tidy it up and print off before travel.  it is useful to also include arrival and departure times, but double check before leaving the ship, opening days, hours and entry costs of any sight to be visited, also the address and if using public transport, bus/metro/train stops and route number /direction info. Also note if you need to buy tickets or reserve ahead of time for any particular sights/sites.

 

Arriving into each port, you should then know where you are going, how to get there and opening hours, and if you had to pre-book, the time you need to be there.

 

Thankyou Edinburger! We going to Scotland too!

[edinburgher]

Thanks for acknowledging as many don't bother.

 

Hope you enjoy your Scottish ports.

[LondonTowner]

10 hours ago, Sallyandtex said:

Excellent thanks I think we might stay in the town given the advice from you and hallasm

Have you looked on the VisitNorway tourist board website. It has some very good suggestions.

[Taconix]

On 5/5/2023 at 9:28 AM, edinburgher said:

Word Document  which will become huge by the time we work through every port, but we then delete what we don't want, tidy it up and print off before travel.  it is useful to also include arrival and departure times, but double check before leaving the ship, opening days, hours and entry costs of any sight to be visited, also the address and if using public transport, bus/metro/train stops and route number /direction info. Also note if you need to buy tickets or reserve ahead of time for any particular sights/sites.

Thanks for the advice on creating a Word document.  I have cruise notes everywhere and it makes much more sense to collect comments, recommendations, and reviews this way. Now I am putting them in one document on my phone with subtitles (and attributions).  Appreciate the tip!

[edinburgher]

7 hours ago, Taconix said:

Now I am putting them in one document on my phone with subtitles

Thanks for that.  Pleased you thought it a useful tip for port info, although I had omitted to say that we do a Word document for each port, not one for all of them. On arrival at each port we simply take out the page(s) relevant to each. as otherwise there was too much information to remember.