Dates: No dates set for 2010. Customized Trip only.
Starting & Ending Place: Oslo, Norway.
Latitude: Sognefjord 61°N
Price: The price includes all travel from when we meet in Oslo to our return to Oslo, all meals and accommodations, activities, equipment and guides.
Double accommodations are provided.
Day 1: Welcome to Oslo and Norway! We will meet at our hotel in down town Oslo (TBA) at 12:00 (noon). You are welcome to check in earlier. After a lunch and introductions we will explore Oslo for a few hours.
A visit Bygdøy Open Air museum where we will learn about Norwegian history is a must. We also hope to visit the Viking ship museum, The explorers vessel “Fram” used for arctic explorations and maybe we will have time to see Thor Heyerdahls’ Kontiki and Ra II as well.
For those who might already have seen these sights Oslo has much more to offer. The WW II Resistance museum, the National Gallery and the Frogner Park with Vigeland’s sculptures are just a few other great sites. Our leaders will guide you around town and make sure you have a fun and educational afternoon.
Dinner will be served at a local restaurant.
Day 2: After breakfast we will take a cab to the train station and board a morning train to Bergen. We are sure you will enjoy the 6 hour ride as we will see great forests, lakes and then up and across the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. Lunch will be served onboard the train. In Bergen we will check into Hotel Steen’s Bed & Breakfast (2 nights).
The Norwegian King Olav Kyrre founded Bergen between 1066 and 1093. It was the capital of Norway in the 13th century and was the largest city in Norway for over 600 years. Because of its harbor setting and commercial importance, in the Middle Ages Bergen became a vital link in the Hanseatic League (a chain of European and Baltic cities with shared trading agreements).
Bergen is still a bustling city located in a most spectacular setting. Before dinner we hope to take the cable car up on Mount Fløyen (320 meters above sea level) and the walk the old road down the mountainside and through the old part of Bergen. Dinner will be served in a local restaurant on “Bryggen” along the old quay.
Steen’s Hotel / Bed & Breakfast
Parkvei 22, N-5007 Bergen, Norway
Phone:+47-55 31 40 50 / Fax:+47-55 32 61 22
Day 3: Today we will take the local bus south of the city (40 minutes) to Troldhaugen (the hills of the trolls). Troldhaugen farm was built 1885 by Edvard Grieg, the most famous composer in Norway. Edvard Grieg lived here for 22 years and composed many of his best-known works here. Nowadays Troldhaugen is a museum with mementos of the composer's life. There is also a concert hall and if we are lucky we can enjoy one of the many excellent pieces by Edvard Grieg.
In the late afternoon we will walk by the “Bryggen” quay and out to the Tower of Rosenkrantz and Haakons Hall. The tower was built in 1247. The Hanseatic museum on Bryggen wharf is also worth a visit. Bergen was a political center from the early 1300's. Here the German Hanseatic merchant set up one of the most important shipping offices in northern Europe and dominated trade for the next 400 years.
There will be time just to stroll and take in the sights and sounds of the city on your own as well before we enjoy dinner together.
Day 4: After an early breakfast we head down to the Sognefjord Express Ferry which departs around 08:00am. We'll travel into the Sognefjord (the deepest and longest fjord in Norway - 127 miles long and 4,265 feet deep) and to the community of Flåm (3-4 hour ride). Keep your eyes open for the Norwegian “nise” – a small porpoise that live in the fjord.
At the dock we will be picked up and driven to the Heimly Guest House where we will spend the next 3 nights.
After a late lunch we will help you become familiar with the kayaks and our equipment. We provide double and single kayaks. For participants with little or no paddling experience we'll cover the basics of comfortable and fun sea kayaking. This includes kayak anatomy, getting in and out, basic paddling strokes, wet-exits, basic rescue techniques, injury prevention etc. Your leaders will also demonstrate a capsize and assisted rescue so everyone is familiar with our procedures. If you want to work on your rescue skills you are more than welcome to do so. We provide dry suits for this.
In the afternoon we'll go for a day-paddle in the protected waters around Flåm and the Aurland Fjord. Dinner will be served at the Heimly Pensjonat Guest house.
Heimly Pensjonat
Phone: 47-57 63 23 00 / Fax: 47-57 63 23 40
Email: post@heimly.no / Web: www.heimly.no
Day 5: After breakfast (served at our Guesthouse) we will pack a "niste pakke" (lunch bag) and head down to the beach and our kayaks again. Today we will venture out on an all-day trip. The weather, our groups paddling abilities and interest level will dictate our travel decisions. If the abilities and energy level differs we will split our group up in two paddling groups. By doing this everyone will get as much out of each day as they want.
After a couple hours of paddling we will come to the community of Undredal. According to the citizens of the community, Undredal is the "Goat Cheese Capital of the World". We'll take a break here, stretch our legs and try some of the famous goat cheese. In Undredal there is also one of the smallest Stave kirke (church) in Norway. The church is from 1147.
Expect waterfalls and grand views on this great day of paddling! Back at Flåm we will clean up and then have dinner at the old Flåm Hotel. Expect fresh seafood. Tonight we will be staying at Heimly Pensjonat guesthouse again.
Day 6: Today we will do some trekking and biking or more paddling. The Flåm Railway is one of the world's most attractive and spectacular railway lines. The train journey from Flåm to Myrdal (1 hour) at the mountain plateau provides a panoramic view of some of the wildest and most striking examples of the glacially carved Norwegian landscape. We will board the train with our bikes. At the Berekvam station we will drop off the bikes and continue the ride all the way up to Myrdal.
Once on top we will enjoy the mountain plateau before we start our descent. We will walk along the old wagon road from late 1800's. We will pass rivers that cut through deep ravines, waterfalls cascading down the sides of granite cliffs, snow capped mountains, and mountain farms clinging to the slopes. This beautiful trek takes approximately 4-5 hours, including picnic lunch along the way. At Berekvam station we will pick up our bikes and then ride the road out through the lush Flåm valley.
If you rather go paddling today you are welcome to do so. There will be staff available for both paddling and the railroad trek/bike ride.
Dinner tonight will be at our Guest House. This is our last night in Flåm.
Day 7: Today we will pack up our gear and take the fjord ferry over to Gudvangen in the Naerøy Fjord where we will stay one night. Naerøy Fjord is one of the latest designated UNESCO World Heritage areas in Norway. A late afternoon trip with the kayaks will top off our day. The Naerøyfjord is one of the most dramatic and narrow fjords in the Sognefjord. We will stop and walk along the old postal trail and enjoy a picnic lunch.
For those who prefer not to paddle we recommend a visit to one of the oldest farms in the area. Here you can learn about how to churn butter, cheese making, dying yarn with plant extracts and see all the old farm tools in use. The cafeteria serves traditional foods and the views are amazing of the Naerøy Valley and fjord.
Dinner tonight will be served at Gudvangen Fjordtell.
Gudvangen Fjordtell.
N-5717 Gudvangen, NorwayPhone: +47-57 63 39 29 / Fax: +47-57 63 39 80 Email: fjordtel@online.no
Day 8: Today we will return to Oslo via bus and trains. Expect a gorgeous ride with views that will take your breath away. We will again check in to our hotel (TBA) where we started. There might be a couple of hours to see more of Oslo or do some shopping before we get together for our last dinner.
Day 9: Final breakfast and group photo will mark the official ending of our adventure. Please do not make plans to depart Oslo until this morning.
