Top 25 Places To Visit in Norway - Travel Guide

What's up guys my name is Ryan and I recently returned from exploring the beautiful country of Norway and I want to share with you my favorite places. So here's my Norway top 25. Norway has to be one of my all-time favorite countries. From the jaw-dropping fjords of western Norway to the sea mountains of Lofoten, Norway offers some of the world's most unique landscapes. I mean I just can't get enough of this country. Now let's start this video off at Geringerfjord. Now located about a six hour drive from Oslo, Geringerfjord is one of Norway's most popular destinations. The fjord is over 260 meters deep and surrounded by massive mountains. Now one of the most spectacular features of the fjord is the Seven Sisters Waterfall. It consists of seven separate streams that descend 410 meters to the water below. The best way to see the fjord is by boat. Some people arrive by cruise ship, but you can also take a ferry or tour boat to show you around. This is by far the best way to witness the waterfalls and majesty of the fjord. Now the main reason I wanted to go to Geringerfjord was to visit Skagenfla. It's this historic farm built on a cliff 270 meters above the fjord. Now you can only access the hike by taking a ferry over. It costs about 50 dollars per person and the ride had some amazing views. Now when we got off the the hike was no joke. It just goes straight up the mountain where you get some amazing views on your way up. When you reach the farm you'll feel like you're in a fairy tale. The cabins are covered in moss covered roofs and the views you get up there are just astounding. I'm just jealous of whoever owns those cabins. Farmers used to live here all the way back in the middle ages and it wasn't inhabited until the early 1900s. Back when it was a farm it could support over a hundred animals. Now due to its location it was a somewhat dangerous spot due to avalanches and rock slides and also the remoteness of it made a tricky place for agriculture but the farmers made it work. Today it's easily one of Norway's most beautiful hikes and one of my favorite places I visited during my time in Norway. Now afterwards we're going to take the drive on the Geringervegen. If you're driving south out of Geringerfjord you have to take this road. It's this mountain pass with so many amazing spots. Now one of the first places I came across was this set of mountain cabins right next to some waterfall. It looked like it could be a movie set for a fantasy film. Now as you keep driving up the road you'll come across this unique landscape with exposed rock and hardly any vegetation. The road just winds through the scenery and it's such a beautiful drive. I love the lakes that were up there. One was called Juvatnet and it had this dark blue color with an impressive mountain backdrop and then down the road was Langvatnet which had some towering mountain walls. I mean on the drive there's just so many cool lookout spots. One of the most impressive is the Geringer Skywalk. It's the highest ford view in Norway and costs about 25 dollars to access. Now after we're going to head to Strine. Now it's about an hour and a half drive from Geringer. We stayed here several days and it's this beautiful village with this serpentine river that winds through the valley. What's great about Strine is that it's close to so many places. One of my favorites is Juvatnet. It's located just 20 minutes from Strine and it's glacier lake with a distinct turquoise water and has an incredible backdrop of the mountains. Now when we were there we drove to the other side of the lake to this place called Ludalen. Now there was this insane waterfall called Ramnefjellfossen that was easily one of my favorites that I saw in my time in Norway. Now while Juvatnet is stunningly beautiful the lake has had its fair share of tragedies over the last few centuries from landslides. Now right next to that waterfall I was talking about in 1905 a massive rock from the Ramnefjell mountain came loose and fell 500 meters where it hit the water and it caused a tidal wave that wiped out some villages completely off the map. Despite this history Juvatnet is a place you gotta visit. It's hard to match the beauty of this Norwegian lake. Now right next to Juvatnet is another glacier lake called Oldevatnet. Now I thought this area was incredibly beautiful. I love driving around the lake's edge. Now if you go to the very end there's some impressive glaciers and waterfalls. There was this waterfall called Vålefossen that I thought was so impressive and you can also hike to this glacier called Bryggsdalbrin. It's about a five kilometer round-trip hike and on the way you'll experience waterfalls and incredible views of the Bryggsdal glacier. Now afterwards we're going to visit this mountain called Eginneba. Now it's located about an hour's drive from Strine and it's this perfectly shaped mountain peak. It kind of reminded me of the Matterhorn. We went to this lake at the base of the mountain called Bergheimsvatnet. I just had a great time chilling on the shore and marveling at the mountain. If it's not too windy the lake gives off a perfect reflection of the peak. I mean just such a lovely spot. Now afterwards we're going to visit Romsdalen. Now when I got to Norway this summer this was the first place I went. It's about a five hour's drive to get there from Oslo and it's this phenomenal valley surrounded by some of Europe's highest cliffs. I mean just like unbelievable how massive and sheer the mountain walls are. Now another thing about Romsdalen was the mountain waterfalls. It's home to some of the tallest waterfalls not just in Norway but in the Rilde. The waterfall called Mungefossen is the fourth highest single drop waterfall in the Rilde with a height of 773 meters. There's just waterfalls everywhere you look and a pristine river that runs through the whole valley. Now one reason I wanted to come here was to witness Trollvegen. It is the tallest vertical rock face in all of Europe with a height of 1700 meters. Now one of the best places to view Trollvegen is from Littlefella or Little Mountain. Now to get there you take a toll road that costs about 10 dollars and it's a fairly easy hike that takes about 20 minutes. Now when you're up top you'll be facing the daunting Trollvegen mountain across the valley. When I was there it was pretty cloudy but I still got a good look at it. Now aside from Trollvegen there's so many amazing views from the top such as the Romsdalhorn peak which is one of the most uniquely shaped mountains I've ever seen. You also get great views of the winding river and valley below. I mean this place is just freaking amazing. If you come up for sunrise you'll get a great view of Trollvegen as the sun hits the cliffs. Overall one of my favorite places I visit in Norway. While we're still on the topic of trolls we'll go take a drive on the Trolls Path or Trollstigen. Now it's located just 20 minutes from Trollvegen. This is possibly the most famous road in all of Norway. It has 11 hairpin turns as it scales up the mountain with a 10 percent incline. It was first opened in 1936 after taking eight years to build. I thought driving on would be a little sketchy but it wasn't too bad except when you're passing a bus or two. Now one thing I love about Trollstigen is its waterfalls. There are two of them. My favorite was Stigfossen. It's 320 meters high and has this arch bridge that passes over it. Now on top of Trollstigen there's this really cool visitor center and a lookout point. It's just like a short five minute walk and you'd be able to get panoramic views of the road and all its turns. It was really cloudy when I was there but that just added to the magic of a location. Norway sure knows how to make good roads. Now another one of Norway's most famous drives is the Atlantic Ocean Road. Now the 8.3 kilometer road runs over an archipelago of islands. The Atlantic Ocean Road was completed in 1989. It's made up of eight bridges and four resting places and viewpoints. The route is an impressive feat in engineering and it won the Norwegian construction of the century award. So if you decide to do a Norway road trip you have to take a drive on this scenic road. Afterwards we're going to head down to southern Norway to Lisebotn to drive down another Norwegian road. Now Lisebotn is this small village that's about a three hour drive from Stavanger. Now what I think is so scenic about Lisebotn is the road that leads down to it. Now when I first saw pictures of it I just couldn't believe it. It consists of 27 hairpin turns that descend down the fjord to the village below. When you're at the bottom you'll be amazed by the surrounding walls of the fjord. Now after we're going to head over to the nearby Pulpit Rock located in the same fjord as Lisebotn. Pulpit Rock is a famous flat top cliff with a straight drop of over 600 meters. To get there you can park in the base camp and make a six kilometer hike. The rock can get super packed so if you want to avoid the crowds wake up early and get to the rock to enjoy the sunrise. Now after we're going to do another hike to the iconic Trolltunga. Now located about a six hours drive from Oslo, Trolltunga is possibly the most famous rock formation in Norway as it shoots out over 2,000 feet from the lake below. Trolltunga is definitely one of the hardest hikes you'll ever do. It's a 28 kilometer round trip trek that takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours to do. While it is extremely strenuous, it's hard to beat the views of Trolltunga. Afterwards we're going to visit some of Norway's most beautiful cities starting with Bergen. Located on Norway's southwest coast surrounded by fjords, Bergen is one of Norway's most charming cities. Bergen was founded back in 1070 thanks to its maritime trade domination. Bergen was the largest city in Norway until the 1830s. Today it's famous for its colorful wooden houses on the old wharf. You can hike the Fløyen mountain to get some amazing panoramic views of the city. After Bergen we're going to visit Alisund. Now located about a seven hour drive from Bergen, Alisund is one of Norway's most prominent fishing towns built on a uniquely shaped archipelago. Similar to Bergen, it's home to beautifully colored buildings perched right against the ocean. Now to get one of the best views of the city, you can go up to the Byrampin viewpoint or Mount Askeladd Lookouts. Both will give you incredible panoramic views of the fjord and archipelago. If you go to Alisund during the winter months, you might be lucky and witness the stunning Aurora Borealis as it dances across the Norwegian sky. After we're going to visit Norway's capital, Oslo. Located on Norway's southern coast, Oslo was founded at the end of the Viking age during the 11th century. Today Oslo is one of Europe's fastest growing cities. I love all the modern buildings and museums throughout the city. The Oslo Opera House is an impressive piece of architecture that resembles an iceberg. It was completed in 2007 and features slanted marble and granite that slide down to the water. After Oslo, we're going to head up to northern Norway to visit Tromsø. Now when you look at Tromsø on a map, it's wild to see how high up it is. It's the northernmost city in the world with a population over 20,000 people. Tromsø and the area around it is one of the best places in the world to witness the northern lights. Now from Tromsø, there's a lot of cool places you can visit. You can go to the Lingen Alps which are about an hour and a half away and hike to the crystal clear Blåvatnet Lake. Now one interesting place in northern Norway is Nordkapp or the North Cape. It's the northernmost point in continental Europe and stands upon a 370 meter cliff that dives into the sea. Now to get there, you can make the nine-hour drive from Tromsø or you could also fly into Honingsvag or the Alta airports. It's a journey to get there but sure is worth it. After, we're going to cross the Barents Sea to visit the world's northernmost inhabited area, Svalbard. Located right between the North Pole and Norway lies this arctic archipelago. Now the capital of Svalbard is this town called Longyearbyen which has a population of 2,000 people. Now what's cool about Svalbard is that it's a visa-free zone so basically anyone can move and work there. The biggest danger on Svalbard is the arctic cold and polar bears. In some places, you're required to bring a gun to protect yourself from them so that's pretty wild. Now after, we're going to head back to mainland Norway to visit the iconic Lofoten Islands. Now Lofoten is located in northern Norway and even though it is in the arctic circle, it feels like you're on a tropical island. I was lucky enough to go there a few summers ago and just had an incredible journey road tripping through the islands. Our first pit stop was at this little fishing village called Henningsvær. Henningsvær is home to the world's most scenic soccer field. When we got there, we sadly didn't have a ball but we had a good time playing on the field and enjoying the incredible views of Henningsvær. We kept driving and made it to the iconic town of Rhine. Now when you think of Norway, this is it. It has those red houses surrounded by massive sea mountains. I'd have to say this is the most beautiful town in Lofoten. Now when I was planning my road trip to Norway, I remember just seeing a picture of this place and I couldn't believe it existed. If you want to do an amazing hike, I recommend hiking to Kvalika beach. It's about a four kilometer road trip trek and I promise it's worth it. When you get to the beach, you're going to be amazed by the landscape. It has mountains that remind me of Switzerland, an ocean that looks like the Caribbean, and it's green as a tropical island. I mean, I just can't believe places like this exist, especially in the arctic circle. Now afterwards, we're going to head to Selstrummen to witness one of the world's largest whirlpools. Now located about a three hour ferry ride from Lofoten islands, Selstrummen is a natural wonder with over 110 billion gallons of water passing through the strait every six hours, making it one of the strongest currents in the world. One of the coolest features of Selstrummen is the whirlpools that the changing tides make. While they aren't whirlpools that you'd imagine from movies, these whirlpools can get over 33 feet in diameter with a depth of 16 feet when the current is at its strongest. You can take a boat ride through the current or can witness the whirlpools from the ridge above. For our final destination, we're going to visit the magical island of Senja. Senja is located above the arctic circle and is Norway's second largest island. The reason I wanted to go to Senja was I wanted to hike to this seamelon called Segla. So I drove to this town called Fjordard and got to the base of the hike, eventually made it to the top and was just baffled by the views. The rock formation rose hundreds of meters out of the ocean. I was just having the time of my life and I decided I wanted to spend the night on top of the mountain so I could see the northern lights. All I had was a blanket and I used my camera bag as a pillow. I set up camp on a mossy cliff ledge and waited for the northern lights to show up. Around 11 pm, I awoke to the aurora borealis above my head. I mean, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They move surprisingly fast like snakes in the arctic sky. Now seeing the lights made you feel like a kid again and will forever be one of the most special nights of my life. Sometimes you don't need to fall asleep to start dreaming. Well that is it for my Norway top 25. There are endless beautiful places in Norway and I plan to go back next summer to discover even more so expect a part two. Let me know where your favorite place in Norway is in the comments below. I also have a relaxation channel where I make hour-long films to bring some peace and nature in your life. I did a video on Norway that I think you'll enjoy. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at shirley.films. It's Ryan and we will see you later.