Sights and excursions

If you are aiming for the most famous sites, such as Preikestolen or Trolltunga, arm yourself with patience. They are magnificent places, but victims of their own success: the trails and especially the spots where everyone wants to take the same photo can be packed in high season. Set off early in the morning and remember that Norway's beauty is not limited to a few postcards: it is all around you.

For culture lovers, the site Museumsguiden.no lists the country's museums, exhibitions and opening hours. It is particularly handy for planning a rainy day.

Organised excursions are often expensive in Norway. A boat trip, a northern-lights hunt, a fjord excursion or a private tour can quickly make up a large share of the travel budget.

Before booking, compare what is actually included in the price: transport, the real duration of the activity, meals, warm clothing, equipment, photos, entrance fees and hotel pick-up. Two offers with almost the same name can provide quite different services.

Also check the cancellation terms, the minimum number of participants and what happens when the weather prevents the activity. For natural phenomena, such as the northern lights or whale watching, no sighting can be guaranteed.

The official sites of Norwegian towns and regions usually list the available excursions: guided tours, fjord cruises, kayaking, fishing, whale watching, northern lights or dog-sledding trips. The listings generally include a booking link or let you book directly online.

It is often the best starting point, because the selection is local and sometimes covers small providers that are barely visible on the big international platforms. See for example Visit Oslo, Visit Bergen or Visit Tromsø. For other destinations, simply search for the name of the town or region preceded by “Visit”.

The national portal Visit Norway also lets you discover activities and operators across the country.

It is generally not necessary to go through a travel agency to book an excursion. You can book on a tourist-office site, on a specialised platform or directly with the local provider. That last option sometimes gets you a better price and makes it easier to communicate in case of a change or cancellation.

That does not mean you should always go it alone. For a glacier hike, a trip out to sea, kayaking in difficult conditions, a snowmobile excursion or certain winter hikes, professional supervision remains strongly recommended, even essential. The travel agency is optional; the guide or activity operator, on the other hand, may be necessary.

GetYourGuide and Viator offer access to local guides with a wide choice of excursions, guided tours and activities all over Norway. These sites make it easy to compare times, the languages spoken and reviews.

The site Norway with Pål lets you discover Norway with Pål Bjarne Johansen, who knows his country especially well.

• Fjord Tours for tours combining trains, boats, fjords and activities, notably “Norway in a Nutshell”
• Go Fjords for excursions and transport to several natural sites, especially from Bergen and Stavanger
• Norway's Best for activities in Flåm, the Nærøyfjord, Myrkdalen, Geiranger and Narvik
• Norway Excursions for day tours and excursions, with an offering particularly suited to cruise stopovers

Fjord Tours, Go Fjords and Norway's Best are particularly interesting for the fjords and itineraries combining several modes of transport. They do not, however, replace the tourist-office sites, which are often more complete for small local activities.

In high season, book early enough for activities with limited capacity: fjord excursions, scenic trains, boat trips, private tours and much-in-demand activities in the Lofoten or around Tromsø.

For weather-dependent activities, booking early in your stay leaves more options for postponing the outing. If you are travelling by cruise ship, carefully check the return time and allow a comfortable margin before the ship departs.