Oslo, the mountain railway, one great fjord, and Bergen — without a car, and without spending every day in transit. This is the version most first-time visitors end up wishing they'd booked.
Two nights in Oslo, one night in Flåm at the head of the Aurlandsfjord, three nights in Bergen. Fly into Oslo and out of Bergen; both have direct flights across Europe and Bergen has a short airport bus. If you must fly in and out of the same city, do this in reverse and finish with the train back to Oslo — it's the same scenery.
Arrive, drop bags, walk the harbour from the Opera House roof to Aker Brygge. If it's summer, swim at Sørenga. Dinner in Grünerløkka.
Bygdøy museums by ferry in the morning (the Fram and the Kon-Tiki are the ones people talk about afterwards), Vigeland Park late afternoon when the light is low. Book tomorrow's train seat if you haven't.
The 08:25 Bergen Line train (check Entur for your date) climbs onto the Hardangervidda plateau — sit on the left. Change at Myrdal for the Flåm Railway down to the fjord. Sleep in Flåm; the day-trippers leave by 16:00 and the valley goes quiet.
Use the Nutshell calculator to see whether separate tickets beat the package for your group.
Morning fjord cruise Flåm–Gudvangen through the Nærøyfjord, the narrow UNESCO one. Bus to Voss, train to Bergen, arriving mid-afternoon. Walk Bryggen before the cruise ships' passengers come back for the evening.
Fløibanen funicular up, walk down. Fish market for lunch (yes, it's touristy; the fish soup is still good). KODE art museums if it rains, which it might — Bergen has more rain days than any other Norwegian city.
Choose one: the Hardangerfjord and Vøringsfossen by bus, or the long day to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) via Stavanger if you're a keen hiker and it's May–September. Hardangerfjord day tours take the logistics off your plate.
Morning coffee on the harbour, airport bus from the bus station. Twenty minutes.
Trains and Flåm Railway: Vy. Fjord cruise and tours: see options. Hotels: Oslo · Flåm · Bergen.
Two people, mid-range hotels, one restaurant dinner a day and lunches from bakeries and supermarkets: expect roughly NOK 22 000–28 000 for the two of you excluding flights. Trains and the fjord day are about NOK 3 500 per person booked separately. Norway is expensive but it's expensive in predictable ways; the calculator pages exist so you can see the numbers before you commit.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Timetables checked ; always confirm on Entur before travelling.