Flam Norway travel blog — The fullest Flam guide for first-timers

January 30, 2024

Flåm is a tiny town in terms of population, it only has a few hundred people, located at the end of Aurlandfjord, a branch of Sognefjord fjord, it can be said to be one of the biggest highlights in the Norway tours attract more than one million tourists every year. So, is Flam worth visiting, how to visit Flam, what to do in Flam? Let’s check out our Flam blog (Flam travel blog) with the fullest Flam travel guide (Flam guide) from how to get to Flam, top things to do in Flam Norway to help you maximize your trip as follows!

We visited Flåm for the first time on a cruise along the Norwegian fjords and a few Nordic cities in late summer 2023.

After two days at sea, our fjord entered the bay at midnight. At dawn, the ship had entered deep into the fjord, the vast ocean had been replaced by mountains on both sides of the cliffs, with waterfalls pouring down like a tornado, and villages built entirely of colorful wood gradually appearing from behind the mist.

However, popularity also brings some consequences. The success of Flåm tourism workers will likely cause much debate. About a village with a population of only a few hundred people, but every year it welcomes more than a million visitors, so it is more like a large open-air museum specializing in tourism for the masses rather than a very authentic place. A private place to explore the fjords and immerse yourself in nature.

Tourists have so many reasons and conveniences to visit Flåm on a journey to explore Norway. People come to Flåm to explore the magnificent landscape of “fjords” – a specialty of Norway. Come to Flåm because it is one of the most important cruise ports on cruise routes exploring along the Norwegian coast. Come to Flåm because it is part of the Tour “Norway in the nutshell” – “Norway through its most quintessential things”. Come to Flåm to take the Flåmsbana train which is considered “One of the world’s most Beautiful Train journeys”. There are many reasons why anyone coming to Norway will choose to visit Flåm.

There is no denying that Flåm is a place to serve “mass tourism”, and for this purpose, I find it very well managed. We still went during the tourist season, even though it was no longer the peak season, but all activities went smoothly without any “holiday season” scenes with crowded with tourists. Although all its activities revolve around tourism, the beauty of nature, the fjords and the wonderful picture of nature around Flåm is indisputable, and we were very satisfied and overwhelmed by the first day I set foot on Norwegian soil, it’s true that when it comes to love, the first moments are always the most impressive and profound. Don’t have high expectations, and just love it gently.

What to do in Flåm? (# flam guide)

If asked about attractive tourist destinations in Norway, it is impossible not to mention Flåm. It’s not difficult to go, and just go to Flåm to admire almost all of Norway’s most unique landscapes, and get frames like postcards. Flåm has enough “activities” to fill the experience of a short trip of one to two days. Below is a list of a few activities worth trying when visiting Flåm and the surrounding area.

Tip:

As written above, tourism in Flåm are quite well organized. All activities are managed through Norway’s best company (norwaysbest.com). Here you can find information and book in advance all the experiences you can do in Flåm. And the surprising thing is that after trying to research many different channels, I found that the price ordered through Norway’s best is always the most reasonable.

Flåm – Flåmsbana Railway (# flam travel guide)

Many people come to Flåm just to experience the Flåm – Flåmsbana Railway. This is the experience that attracts the most tourists in Norway. Many famous travel magazines have voted Flåmsbana among the most majestic scenic train routes in the world (National Geographic Traveler Magazine, Lonely Planet…). The 20-kilometer-long railway, a blue-painted felt chair train, runs from Flåm to Myrdal (at an altitude of 867 meters above sea level), passing through 20 tunnels, spreading out before your eyes a wonderful picture of nature: streams and waterfalls like tornadoes pouring out from the mountain. Snowy mountain peaks, fluttering with colorful wooden houses.

The train will stop at Kjosfossen waterfall longer than other spots. Everyone will step down to the train platform just to admire the waterfall. Suddenly the music started, a huldra appeared, a character in Norse mythology like a fox, a beautiful girl with a magical dance that captivated every guy, the only difference was that she had one thing,… the oxtail, a show that is both surprising and enchanting. Personally, I think perhaps there were too many expectations, but this itinerary didn’t have the wow effect that I imagined even though it was very beautiful.

Of course, if anyone has comfortable economic conditions, and has come this far, they should still experience it. You should book tickets in advance, especially during peak summer. If you buy a two-way ticket, from Flåm to Myrdal and then immediately back to Flåm, I find buying through Norway’s best website (norwaysbest.com) is the most reasonable price. If you buy a one-way ticket, buy it through the website of Vy railway company (www.vy.no).

Cruise on the fjord to Gudvangen (# flam guide)

If you go to Flåm by road, but still want to explore the fjords around Flåm by waterway, you can take the cruise line connecting Flåm and Gudvangen (Link to buy tickets on norwaysbest.com). The total time to explore the Aurlandfjord and Nærøyfjord fjords takes about two hours. We advise that if you have to return to the starting point, going by water one way and returning by bus will be much cheaper and faster. The bus journey from Gudvangen to Flåm only takes 20 minutes (Link to buy tickets and see bus schedules). In winter when there is a lot of ice, cruise only run between Flåm and Undredal.

Kayaking in Flåm

For those who like to combine exploring the fjords with an outdoor sports activity, they can choose a tour to experience the fjords by kayak (You can find out more information about the tour at this link).

Floating sauna on the fjord

This is my personal favorite activity in Flåm. This is a very beautiful sauna style house built in containers floating on the fjord. Sit in the sauna while watching the fjord, and if you like (with a little courage), jump into the fjord and swim, making your body’s metabolism extremely refreshing. For large groups, you can rent a private sauna room. Otherwise, charge per user with other groups. You can find out more information and book in advance via this link.

Go up the high point Panorama Stegastein

Located at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level, Stegastein viewpoint is a bridge extending into space from the mountainside with beautiful architecture that allows us to enjoy panoramic views of Flåm and Aurlandfjord from above. For those who have a private car to Flåm, getting here is quite simple, just enter the GPS name and address Stegastein viewpoint or GPS coordinates: 60.9100729, 7.2125584, note that you need a stiff steering wheel because the road up is full of curves, and during peak season, car parks along both sides of the road, making the road quite narrow. If not, you can buy a bus tour from Flåm from this link, the tour will take you to the destination and stop to take pictures for 30 minutes. Another way for those who need more privacy is to rent a self-driving two-seat electric car.

How to get to Flam?

By car

Flåm is located on the E16 arterial road connecting Norway’s two largest cities, Oslo and Bergen, so the road to Flåm is very easy to drive. When crossing mountains, most of the sections are tunnels, not passes, and it is rarely closed due to snow in winter. For those who travel to Flåm in the cold season, if you are more careful, you can see advance information on the Norwegian Public Roads Administration website to update the road situation (Vegvesen.no).

We didn’t come to Flåm during peak season, so finding parking here wasn’t too difficult. There are many large parking lots right in the village next to the fjord. Parking tickets are NOK 20 for an hour and NOK 100 for a day (2023 prices), with campervans costing NOK 400 for overnight stays. It takes about 5 hours to get from Oslo to Flåm by car and almost 3 hours from Bergen.

By train

Tickets can be purchased via Vy railway company’s website (www.vy.no). The train from Oslo or Bergen will stop at Myrdal, from here you change to the legendary train Flåmsbana to get down to Flåm.

By bus

From Oslo, there are two companies operating bus routes to Flåm: Vy (www.vy.no) and Nor-way Bussekspress (www.nor-way.no). There is one bus every day and takes from 6 and a half to 7 and a half hours. From Bergen, Nor-way Bussekspress operates a direct bus route to Flåm, which takes about 3 hours.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Flam you can refer to

Read more Norway guide here.