Norway is a Scandinavian country renowned for its dramatic fjords, northern lights, and stunning natural beauty. From the vibrant streets of Oslo to the UNESCO-listed Bryggen in Bergen, Norway offers a perfect blend of outdoor adventures and cultural experiences.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Drobak
Drobak is a small wooden-house town on the eastern shore of the Oslofjord, best known as the place where the German cruiser Blucher was sunk by Oscarsborg Fortress in April 1940, an event that delayed the Nazi occupation of Oslo by crucial hours. It functions today as a low-key seaside town with a working harbor, a year-round Christmas shop, and a short boat crossing to the fortress island. It suits a slow half-day rather than a packed itinerary.
Highlights: Norway's Christmas town with charming wooden houses · Drobak Aquarium · Oscarsborg Fortress — site of Germany's 1940 naval repulse · Fresh shrimp at the harbour
Hadeland Glassverk
Hadeland Glassverk is Norway's oldest glassworks, founded in 1762 on the shore of Randsfjorden, and it still operates as a working glass factory rather than a museum piece. Visitors watch glassblowers shape molten glass in the historic Hytteopera hall, then browse a large complex of shops selling both factory seconds and finished glass and ceramic ware. It's an easy family day out built around craft rather than scenery.
Highlights: Norway's oldest glassworks (est. 1762) · Live glass-blowing demonstrations · Craft shop with locally made glass · Adjacent strawberry farms in summer
Flam and the Flamsbana Railway
Flam sits at the head of the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the vast Sognefjord, and is the starting point for the Flamsbana, one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world, climbing roughly 860 meters in 20 kilometers to Myrdal. The train itself is the main event: the line was built for freight and passengers through the 1920s-40s and now exists almost entirely to move visitors through a landscape of switchback tracks, tunnels, and waterfalls. Combined with a fjord cruise, it makes for a full and satisfying day even though it starts as a long trip from Bergen.
Highlights: Flamsbana railway — one of the world's steepest standard-gauge lines · Kjosfossen waterfall stop · Naeroyfjord UNESCO scenery · Aegir Viking brewpub at journey's end
Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
Preikestolen is a flat-topped cliff rising roughly 600 meters above the Lysefjord, reached only on foot, and it's one of the most recognizable images of Norway for a reason: the plateau itself has no railing, just open rock ending in a sheer drop to the fjord below. This is a physical day out, not a sightseeing stroll - the round-trip hike takes several hours over uneven, sometimes wet terrain, and reaching Forsand from Stavanger already involves a ferry and bus before you start walking.
Highlights: Iconic 604m cliff above Lysefjord · 600m sheer drop views · Classic 8 km return hike · Wild blueberries along the trail in season
Fredrikstad Old Town
Fredrikstad's Gamlebyen (Old Town) is Northern Europe's best-preserved fortified town, a star-shaped 17th-century stronghold built by Norway's Danish rulers to guard the mouth of the Glomma river, with its original moats, ramparts and cobbled streets still intact and still lived in. Unlike a restored museum village, people actually reside and run shops inside the walls, which gives the streets a lived-in feel alongside the fortifications. It's compact enough to see well in a few hours without rushing.
Highlights: Best-preserved fortress town in Scandinavia · 17th-century moated city walls · Cobbled streets with artisan workshops · Kongsten Fort ruins
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized Norway in a Nutshell day tours from Bergen or Oslo from NOK 1,400 ($130). Fjord Norway day tours from Bergen from NOK 800 ($74).
- Private
- Car hire from NOK 500-900 ($46-84)/day — essential for accessing fjord viewpoints, waterfalls, and rural areas not served by public transport
- Public
- NSB/Vy trains, Nor-Way buses, and Fjord1/Norled ferries connect most major day trip destinations. Book in advance for minipris train fares.
- Rental
- Car rental from NOK 500-900 ($46-84)/day from Hertz, Avis, or Sixt at Oslo and Bergen airports — mandatory for scenic coastal route drives
Multi-day tours from Norway
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from NorwayWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start hiking day trips (Preikestolen, Trolltunga) by 7-8AM to beat tour groups to the summit
Book Flåmsbana Railway tickets 4-8 weeks ahead in summer — it sells out completely
Norway in a Nutshell round trip from Bergen (Bergen-Flåm-Gudvangen-Voss) is the classic day tour