Norwegian Fjords sailing

Norwegian Fjords Sailing - Norway
Distance
Varies with your plan. For scale, the Sognefjord alone is 205 km from the sea to its head, and the Coastal Express calls at 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes.
Country
Norway
Difficulty
Moderate to challenging
Type of trip
Sailing route

There’s no single fjord sailing route. Most trips start in Bergen and head for the big fjords of western Norway. The Sognefjord begins north of the city and runs 205 km inland to Skjolden. The Hardangerfjord begins about 80 km south of Bergen and is 180 km long. With your own or a chartered boat, you plan your own route and stay in guest harbours. At many of them you pay by app or at a machine on the pier.

Without a boat, the Coastal Express ships sail from Bergen to Kirkenes. One way takes 6 to 7 days, and the round trip takes 12. In summer the ships turn into the Geirangerfjord. Inside the fjords the water is mostly deep. Among the islands outside there are many more rocks and skerries, so watch your chart. Bergen is one of the wettest cities in Europe, so bring proper waterproofs even in summer.

Highlights along the way

  1. Sognefjord: Norway’s longest and deepest fjord, up to 1,308 m deep.
  2. Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord: two arms of the Sognefjord. Flåm, at the head of the Aurlandsfjord, is the bottom station of the Flåm Railway, which climbs 864 m in 20 km.
  3. Hardangerfjord: Norway’s second-longest fjord, known for its fruit orchards. The 182 m Vøringsfossen waterfall is up the Måbødalen valley from Eidfjord, not on the fjord itself.
  4. Geirangerfjord: a 15 km fjord further north in Sunnmøre, on the UNESCO World Heritage list with the Nærøyfjord since 2005. The Seven Sisters waterfall faces another fall, the Suitor, across the water.

Distance

Varies with your plan. For scale, the Sognefjord alone is 205 km from the sea to its head, and the Coastal Express calls at 34 ports between Bergen and Kirkenes.

Best time to go

June to August, for the warmest weather and the longest days. July is usually the busiest month. Since 1 January 2026 passenger ships under 10,000 gross tonnage must run with zero emissions in the Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord. If you’re chartering or bringing a boat, check the current rules with the Norwegian Maritime Authority.

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