Norway Kayaking Tour

Your guides will meet you in the lobby of the Grand Hotel Terminus in the late afternoon. After introductions and a brief orientation we will enjoy a walk through central Bergen to the city’s vibrant waterfront. Dinner tonight will be classic Norwegian fare at a restaurant located in the colorful Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that was the storehouses of the German Hanseatic League that dominating trade in northern Europe for almost 400 years.

After breakfast in the hotel dining room, we cross the street to Bergen’s central railway station and begin our Norwegian travel adventure. Climbing out of Bergen, the train winds though lake country and the mountains. At the village of Myrdal, we transfer to the Flåmsbana train for an unforgettable ride through a landscape of mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls and tiny farms. Arriving in the village of Flåm at the head of Aurlandsfjord, we check into another of Norway’s historic hotels, followed by a walk down to the shore for outfitting with paddling gear and familiarization with the kayaks. There will be time to explore town before dinner in the dining room of the Fretheim Hotel.

From the hotel dining room we enjoy breakfast and a beautiful fjord view, after which we board vans for the drive through pastoral countryside to the tiny village of Undredal and our first of several scenic launching points on this trip. Before setting off in the kayak we visit an exquisite stave church, the smallest in Scandinavia dating back to 1147 CE. Afterwards, we sample some of the local cheese and sausage.
Gliding through waters of Aurlandsfjord, we are surrounded by beauty even before we make the turn into Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ideal place to start to understand the myth and magic of the fjords. A memorable day of paddling wraps up with a landing at the hamlet of Tufto, where the vans are waiting to whisk us back to Flåm in time to relax before dinner.

A paddle up Aurlandsfjord from Flåm gives a perspective on the impressive setting that makes this town one of Norway’s most popular destinations. In the afternoon, we board the first of several express boats on this journey. The comfortably appointed catamarans offer the fastest way to get around the Fjordlands. Our shipboard route to Balestrand takes us through a landscape rich with legends of trolls, Viking sagas and epic sea battles regaled and illuminated by your guides.
Traversing the main arm of the majestic Sognefjord, “the King of Fjords,” we arrive at picturesque Balestrand. After checking into another of Norway’s historic lodgings, the landmark Kviknes Hotel that has hosted travelers since 1877, there will be time to wander the town and enjoy one of the most painted views in Norway before a lavish dinner in the hotel dining room.

Balestrand’s natural beauty and light have attracted artists for a century and a half. We’ll start today’s paddle with a waterside view of the creatively ornamented villas along the shore. We’ll also pass two distinctive Viking burial mounds, or barrows, upon one of which stands a statue of legendary King Bele erected by Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, who spent significant time in Balestrand before the outbreak of World War I.
Continuing along the shoreline we will arrive at our destination at the island of Kvamsøy, one of the only islands in Sognefjord. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch before touring the island’s church, originally built during the years 1280 to 1300. After a further paddle, we’ll land and travel back to the Kviknes by van. A walking tour of the villas allows a closer look at the unique styling of these fjord-side homes. Dinner tonight is your choice of several unique restaurants in town.

Today we paddle Esefjorden with a panorama dominated by Bjørnabreen Peak, one of the most painted scenes in all Norway. After kayaking to the head of the fjord, we’ll journey to Dragsvik, a headland that holds special significance in Viking history. In the afternoon we’ll board an express boat for the trip down Sognefjord to the most westerly region of Norway’s coast. We will receive a warm welcome from the local kayaking community at the small village of Hardbakke, our base for the next couple of days of coastal exploration. As the sun dips toward the horizon in the late evening, the landscape is different, but no less dramatic.

After being outfitted and set up for kayaks, we’ll explore some of the many islands of Solund. While the islands appear to be barren rock, they’re actually a long-managed heather pastureland on which an ancient species of Viking sheep still thrives. We’ll paddle island to island and learn more about the history and present-day realities of life at the edge of Norway.
We’ll return to Hardbakke with time to explore the village and possibly the viewpoint trails above the town before a sumptuous dinner of Norwegian coast specialties.

After breakfast, we and our kayaks will board the mail boat, an all-weather vessel that provides year-round service to the many outlying islands. After a charming, picturesque cruise, we arrive at the remote island settlement of Gåsvær, a classic outport dating back to the days of the Hanseatic League. One of the small houses incorporates the stern section of wooden ship wrecked over a century ago. We enjoy a memorable paddle around this offshore island group before meeting the returning mail boat on its southbound route back to Hardbakke. That evening we’ll enjoy a dinner with a view of the evening sky as we recall a remarkable day of coastal travel and kayaking.

We board our van for a last drive along the winding roads of Solund to the east shore of the island where we’ll board the express boat for the trip back to Bergen. As we head down the coast we’ll pass through an ever-changing panorama of islands, peaks, and bays with stops at small coastal villages until we make the turn into the ancient seaward route to Bergen.
Arriving at the harbor and the familiar row of colorful Bryggen, we’ll disembark and board a waiting van for the short drive through town to the  Hotel Scandic Ørnen. Our final dinner together will be hosted at a stylish restaurant in the city’s art district that specializes in contemporary Scandinavian cuisine. A lakeside stroll back to the hotel in the late evening light gives time to reflect on our remarkable shared experience of kayaking Norway.

After breakfast in the hotel dining room, it’s time to say goodbye. Transport to the airport is easily arranged, and if traveling on by train you need only walk across the street to the station.