Once you're here, I don’t think there's ‘Norway’ else you'd rather be. And when it's finally time to leave (bummer), there's ‘Norway’ you'll want to.
I know, I know. Enough puns, let’s get to business. There's an absurd amount of things to do in Norway, and we've already talked about the best places to visit in Norway in our last blog, but beautiful places are only half the story. The real magic lies in what you actually do once you get there…
So this isn't another list of viewpoints and famous towns. Think of it as a collection of experiences I'd genuinely hate for you to miss. Whether it's cruising through beautiful fjords, chasing the Northern Lights, riding one of the world's most scenic railways or spending time with the Sami people, these are the moments that you should have when you’re there!
So, if you're looking for genuinely fun things to do in Norway, or simply the best experiences in Norway, here are 7 of them that I wouldn't miss.
Cruising Through the Fjords
Skipping the fjords on a trip to Norway is a bit like visiting Rome and deciding to skip the Colosseum!
The fjords are the reason Norway looks the way it does. Nærøyfjord. Sognefjord. Geirangerfjord. Pick whichever name ends up on your itinerary; you're not really choosing between fjords, you're choosing which version of breathtaking you'd like first.
It's the absurd geography of the place. Granite walls shoot almost vertically out of the water, waterfalls spill from impossible heights, and every now and then you'll notice a tiny farmhouse clinging to a mountainside so steep you'll spend the next five minutes wondering how on earth anyone gets home, I know right?
Then comes something you don't really expect. The silence. Not the awkward kind though, the kind broken only by the boat cutting through the water, the occasional waterfall crashing somewhere in the distance, or a gull deciding it has something important to contribute!
If someone asked me to recommend just one best experience in Norway, I'd point them here without thinking twice.
Ride the Flåm Railway
In just 20 kilometres, the train climbs from the village of Flåm to the mountain station of Myrdal, packing in more scenery than some countries manage across an entire coastline. Waterfalls thunder past the windows, rivers weave through green valleys, mountains close in from every direction, and you go through tunnels carved straight through solid rock.
The soft, green landscape you began with slowly gives way to harsher terrain. Forests thin out, valleys deepen, the air feels sharper, and before long you're surrounded by windswept mountains that look as though they've barely changed since the Ice Age!
Then comes Kjosfossen. The train stops beside the roaring waterfall long enough for everyone to step onto the platform, where the mist finds you almost instantly. You'll probably reach for your camera first, but don't forget to look up, because some views deserve a few uninterrupted seconds before they become photographs…
Not sure which of these experiences belong on your itinerary? Chat with our destination experts and we'll help you plan the Norway holiday that's right for you.
Wander Around the City of Oslo
Ah, the invisible checklist that most capitals have. See that cathedral, visit the palace, take some photos and move on. Hate to break it to you, Oslo doesn't play that game. So lace up your walking shoes and let your feet make a few decisions for you.
But here’s some of my favourites; start around the Opera House. Not because it's the city's biggest attraction, but because it's one of the few buildings in the world that practically invites you to walk on top of it. From there, follow the waterfront towards Aker Brygge, where cafés spill onto the promenade and the Oslofjord reminds you that even Norway's capital never strays too far from nature.
Then move into Grünerløkka, and walk into vintage stores, independent bookshops, specialty coffee, bakeries that smell dangerously good!
History has its place too. Akershus Fortress still watches over the harbour centuries after it was built, and if you’re into museums, don't skip the Munch Museum. It's a place that explains why Edvard Munch remains one of the most influential artists to come out of Scandinavia.
And if all of that still isn't enough, spend an hour wandering through Frogner Park. Hundreds of sculptures, endless green lawns and locals making the most of every patch of sunshine somehow tell you as much about Norway as any museum ever could!
Spend Winter in Tromsø
If Norway has a capital of winter adventures, it's Tromsø.
Sitting nearly 350 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, this is where people travel not just to see winter, but to live it. It's the place where the night’s forecast becomes very important. Most visitors, of course, come chasing one thing; the Northern Lights.
Tromsø lies directly beneath the Aurora Oval, making it one of the world's most dependable places to witness the Aurora Borealis. Mind you, the lights still play by their own rules. They appear when they please, disappear without warning, but make the wait feel completely worthwhile.
Fortunately, sitting around waiting has never really been necessary here! You can spend the day gliding through snow-covered valleys on a dog sled, weaving across frozen landscapes on a snowmobile, meeting Sami reindeer herders, heading out on an Arctic whale safari, or simply standing outside during the famous Blue Hour, when the entire landscape seems to glow beneath a wash of cobalt light.
If you're exploring Norway winter tour packages, this is the destination that usually convinces people to book the trip in the first place. Create a Norway holiday that's designed around you with our tailor-made tours today!
Go (Maybe) Whale Watching
Northern Norway is one of Europe's finest places to encounter these gentle giants. Come mid-winter, enormous shoals of migrating herring lure humpbacks, orcas and fin whales into the fjords around Tromsø, Alta, Lyngenfjord and Kvænangen. Earlier in the year, the waters off Andenes in the Vesterålen archipelago became the domain of magnificent sperm whales, some stretching well beyond twenty metres in length!
As your boat slips away from the harbour and the coastline gradually fades behind you, look out for a sudden splash, a distant plume of mist or a dark silhouette breaking the surface. Be warned though, some days you'll catch nothing more than a fleeting glimpse of a tail disappearing beneath the water…
On others, a humpback might surface so close you'll hear its breath before you properly see it. An inquisitive pod of orcas could decide to stay beside the boat for a while, completely indifferent to the fact that they're creating memories people will probably talk about for years.
Several operators now sail silent hybrid-electric vessels, making the experience gentler on both the whales and the waters they call home. And if fortune decides to smile on you? Watching a whale breach against a backdrop of snow-draped mountains is one you’ll catch!
Spend a Day Learning from the Sami
Here’s a fun fact. Long before Norway existed on any map, the Sami had already made the Arctic their home. Their connection with these landscapes runs deeper than history books can ever explain, and spending time with them gives you a side of Norway that most travellers never get to see.
Forget museum exhibits for a moment. Sit inside a traditional lavvu as stories are passed around the fire. Feed a herd of reindeer alongside the very families who still depend on them. Listen to generations of knowledge about surviving Arctic winters, seasonal migrations and a way of life that's remained remarkably resilient despite the modern world constantly knocking at its door.
If you happen to visit during April or May, you may even witness the annual reindeer migration, an extraordinary spectacle that has happened across these northern landscapes for centuries.
And naturally, there is food. Many cultural experiences end around a shared table with bidus, the Sami's comforting reindeer stew, accompanied by warm lefse, Norway's beloved soft flatbread.
If your trip is about more than simply ticking off viewpoints and chasing photographs, this is one experience that deserves a place on your itinerary. Afterall, understanding a country begins not with its landscapes, but with the people who have shaped them…
If you're still planning your adventure, explore our Norway tour packages from India and discover just how much of this remarkable country can fit into one fabulous journey!
