Self-guided day tour - Grand Sognefjord Cruise & Flam Railway

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Alverstraumen, Norway

Alverstraumen is a strait in Lindås municipality. It is located between Radfjorden and Radsundet and the village of Alversund is at Alverstraumen. On the east side of the strait lies the mainland in Lindås, while Radøy is on the west side. The channel is between 100 and 200 meters wide and one kilometer long, and is characterized by strong tidal currents. It is an important route for coastal shipping, and across the strait Alversund bridge provides Radøy mainland connection.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Skjerjehamn, Gulen, Norway

Skjerjehamn is a place north of Sandøyna in Gulen municipality in Sogn og Fjordane. Previously, Skjerjehamn, which is located on a islet close to the inner main lane along the coast, was a hub for shipping traffic in western Norway. In 1929, 17 different boat routes had stops there in addition to local boat routes. There were both onshore, postal, drop, mechanical workshop, lumber warehouse, telegraph and inn. In 2007, Knut Stone's statue of King Olav V was unveiled here.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Lavik, Lavik, Hoyanger Municipality, Sogn og Fjordane, Western Norway

The main ferry connection over the outer part of the Sognefjord, since it started in 1955, had Lavik as a ferry dock on the north side of the Sognefjord. Lavik is an old church town. There has been a church here since 1100.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Sognefjorden, Pyramiden Kontorfellesskap, 6868 Norway

The Sognefjord, nicknamed the King of the Fjords, is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. It stretches 205 kilometres (127 mi) inland from the ocean to the small village of Skjolden in the municipality of Luster. The fjord takes its name from the traditional district of Sogn, which covers the southern part of the county.

Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Balestrand, Balestrand, Sogn og Fjordane, Western Norway

Kvikne Hotel in Balestrand, built in the 19th century and is one of the most famous buildings in Balestrand. The Kvikne family, who own the place, took it over in 1877. Since then the establishment has undergone constant development which continues to this day. There are many new buildings and remodeling and expansion projects have been carried out.

Today, the hotel is a highly modern facility resounding with tradition and culture. An impressive collection of art and historical pieces is a central feature of the hotel's interior, and one of the elements of its distinct personality. Kviknes Hotel was made popular for European visitors in the early part of the 20th century by Kaiser Wilhelm II, who often visited there during his summer vacations prior to World War I. The Kaiser is accompanied on the list by a number of emperors, kings, presidents, Prime ministers, film stars, and artists from many countries.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Aurland Municipality, Aurland Municipality, Sogn og Fjordane, Western Norway

Aurland is located on the south side of the Sognefjord in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Aurlandsvangen. The earliest inhabitants lived by hunting and fishing until they gradually started farming about 2,000 years ago. Agriculture is still important with the rich valley floors and abundant mountain pastures. As in all of western Norway, the area was overpopulated in the middle 19th century, and cotters were forced to clear land far up the mountainsides. This difficulty led to emigration and in the 20-year period after 1845, 1,050 people moved out of the community—most of them moving to America. Tourism came to the community as early as the middle of the 19th century, in the form of sport fishing and hunting. Tourists from England were dominant during this time and one can still find English names for mountaintops, hunting cabins, and fishing holes.


Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Flam, Flam, Aurland Municipality, Sogn og Fjordane, Western Norway

Flåm is a village in Flåmsdalen, at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjorden—a branch of Sognefjorden. The village of Flåm has since the late 19th century been a tourist destination. It currently receives almost 450,000 visitors a year. Most ride the 20-kilometre (12 mi) Flåm Railway between Flåm and Myrdal, one of the steepest railway on normal tracks in the world. A former rail station building in Flåm now houses a museum dedicated to the Flåm railway. The harbour of Flåm receives some 160 cruise ships per year.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Flåmsbana, A-Feltvegen 11, 5743 Flåm, Norway

The Flåm Railway is a 20.2-kilometer (12.6 mi) long railway line between Flåm and Myrdal. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is 866 meters (2,841 ft); it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway. Construction of the line started in 1924, with the line opening in 1940. It allowed the district of Sogn access to Bergen and Oslo via the Bergen Line. Electric traction was taken into use in 1944.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Vossevangen, Vossevangen, Voss Municipality, Hordaland, Western Norway

Voss is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Voss is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes and fast-flowing whitewater rivers. This has led to its development as a notable center of skiing, water sports, skydiving, paragliding and other adventure sports. Every year in the last week of June the area hosts the Extreme Sports Week which is regarded as the world's premier extreme sports festival. Bømoen, the local airstrip, is home to Skydive Voss, one of the largest dropzones in Norway, as well as a gliding club. The rivers provide various levels of white water, attracting kayaking, rafting and river boarding. Kite surfing and para-bungee may be seen on lake Vangsvatnet. The ski area, to the north of the town, is accessible via a cable car, Hangursbanen.


Duration: 15 minutes