Last updated on June 17th, 2023

Flåm Ferry Dock, Visit Flam

Flåm Ferry Dock, © Can Stock / Leaf

Visit Flåm – Norway in a Nutshell

Most of the tourists who visit Flåm make use of the Norway in a Nutshell ticketing system. Several online web sites are authorized to sell the tickets. You can start your package tickets in Bergen, Oslo or Voss. The online booking includes the Flam Railway, plus a number of options such as the famous Nærøyfjord cruise and the Stegastein Viewpoint. You can also choose whether you take the cruise first or the Flam Railway first. While you can book all these segments individually, you might need to book months in advance. Space on the Flam Railway may be unavailable at the last minute during the height of the cruise season.

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Aurland on Aurlandsfjord near Flam

Aurland near Flam, © Can Stock / hansok

Flam Railway

The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) climbs nearly 3,000 feet in 12 miles from Flam to Myrdal Station. The train ride takes an hour, including a brief stop at Kjosfossen Waterfall along the way. At the waterfall a young women pops up out of a distant rock outcropping to perform a Norse mythology Huldra dance designed to seduce men into the woods – quite strange, yet very popular.

Sit on the right side going up to Myrdal Station for the best views, but both sides are good. You can buy your ticket as part of a Norway in a Nutshell ticket package or you can make your own arrangement and even make a round trip. Just make sure you buy your tickets early, as the train sells out during the height of the cruise ship season.

Flåm Railway Route, Visit FlamFlåm Railway Route, © Can Stock / scanrail

Voss to Gudvangen – The Steepest Road in Norway

The Norway in a Nutshell ticket package includes a rail stop in Voss (Vossvangen), where you then catch a bus down to Gudvangen for the Nærøyfjord cruise or continue on by bus through the Gudvanga Tunnel to Flam. The buses wait for the train to arrive in Voss, so you won’t have to wait at all. Extra buses are always on standby, so you don’t have to worry about pre-booking this section of your visit.

The switchback bus ride down the Stalheimskleivane to Gudvangen is the steepest road in Norway. You will catch views of the Tvinde Waterfall and pass by the Stalheim Hotel, overlooking the Nærøy Valley. With your Norway in a Nutshell ticket package, you can add on a visit to the Viking Village Njardarheim open air museum, located right next to the Nærøyfjord cruise jetty.

Naeroyfjord Fjord near Flam

Naeroyfjord Fjord, © Can Stock / jul88

Nærøyfjord Cruise

The Nærøyfjord Cruise is an added option to Norway in a Nutshell or you can book the cruise directly yourself. This fabulous, modern, large electric tourist ferry runs twice a day between Flam and Gudvangen. You can book a round trip, but most people book a one way ticket with an add-on bus ride back to their starting point. The Naeroyfjord is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is too narrow for cruise ships to enter. The cruise runs twice a day and also makes brief stops at 4 small villages during each 2 hour voyage.

Visit Flåm Village

  • FjordSafari  Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) tours at high speeds through the Aurlandsfjord.
  • Njord – Kayaking on the Aurlandsfjord or the Nærøyfjord.
  • Flåm Railway Museum & Documentation Centre – next to the Flam Railway station, with free admission.
  • Ægir Brew Pub at the Flamsbrygga Hotel – try an Ægir Viking dinner, which is sometimes packaged with a FjordSafari.
  • Fjord Sauna
  • Flam Beach
  • Flam Church – wooden church built in 1667 and located 2 miles up the Flam River from the harbor.
  • Take a half hour drive from Flam to Undredal. See the smallest stave church in Norway. Enjoy lunch on the deck facing the Aurlandsfjord. Watch the Nærøyfjord Cruise pick up or drop off a few pre-booked passengers.
Aurlandsfjord near Flam, Norway

Aurlandsfjord near Flam, © Can Stock / mikos

Sognefjord Fjord Adventures

For even more fjord adventures, ride the ferry to Balestrand and dine along the water at the majestic Kviknes Hotel. If you want an even longer fjord cruise, take the Sognefjord in a Nutshell ferry for the entire 5.5 hour one way cruise from Flåm all the way to Bergen. Norled calls this an express boat, but the ferry makes 10 stops at small villages along the way, including Balestrand.

Flåm Railway Station, Visit Flam

Flåm Railway Station, © Can Stock / Leaf

Visit Flam – More Sights

  • Visit the village of Lærdal, passing through the 15 mile long Laerdal Tunnel on a 45 minute drive from Flam. Lærdal has many protected 18th-century buildings. Continue on another 15 minutes to the Borgund Stave Church, built from wood in the 1100s.
  • Visit Osterbo Mountain Lodge, which is 45 minutes east of Flam on a steep drive up from the fjord.
  • Visit Otternes Farm at Aurland, less than 10 minutes from Flam. See this heritage site of 27 buildings dating back to the 1600’s that 4 Norwegian families once lived in.
  • Bike the Rallarvegen Bike Trail from Finse down to Flåm on the Roof of Norway route.
  • Travel about 2.5 hours from Flam to the Urnes Stave Church, the oldest stave church in Norway. The Kaugpanger Stave Church is along your route to Urnes.
Borgund Stave Church, Laerdal

Borgund Stave Church, © Can Stock / phbcz

Jostal Glacier Arms

Take a day trip to Solvorn or continue north even farther to Jostedalsbreen to see arms of the largest glacier in Europe. The word “breen” in Norwegian means “glacier”. The Jostedal Glacier has more than 40 arms, including the Nigardsbreen and Bøyabreen nearer to Flam. The Nigardsbreen is popular for glacier walks on the ice, while the Bøyabreen also has the Norwegian Glacier Museum nearby.

The Briksdalsbreen and Kjenndalsbreen are closer to Olden and can only be viewed from the valley. The Jostedalsbreen National Park Center is located past Olden and 4 hours by car from Flam.

Jostedal Glacier, Jostedalsbreen National Park

Jostedal Glacier, © Can Stock / gophoto

Get to Flam

You can get to Flam in several different ways:

  • The Flam Railway from Myrdal. Myrdal is on the main train route between Bergen and Oslo, but there is no access by vehicle through Myrdal.
  • By car or train from the town of Voss and then down to Gudvangen.
  • Take the Norled ferry from Bergen for 5.5 hours to Flam.
  • Take an ocean cruise liner that stops in Flam.
Aurland, Norway

Aurland, © Can Stock / tupungato

Stegastein Viewpoint

You can add the Stegastein Viewpoint on to your Norway in a Nutshell ticket package or you can purchase the Stegastein mini bus ride on your own in Flam. If you have your own vehicle, visit the small village of Aurland before you take the steep series of switchbacks up to the Stegastein Viewpoint. You will be rewarded with fabulous views over the Aurlandsfjord in either case.

Aurlandsfjord, Fjord, Flam, Norway

Aurlandsfjord, Fjord, © Can Stock / mikos

Flam Weather

Flam weather never gets very warm, because it’s so far north. The long days of the Norwegian summer from May to September are the best time to visit this area. July and August are the warmest months with average highs of 61 F (16 C) and average lows of 45 F (7 C). Cloudy days are common any time of year in Norway.

In the winter months from December – February, average highs are 28 F (-2 C) and average lows are 16 F (-9 C). Rainfall is spread fairly evenly over the year, but is slightly higher in July and August. Many attractions close at the end of the busy summer tourist season, but the Flam Railway and the Nærøyfjord Cruise are both open all year.

Visit Flam – Hotels

  • Flåm Marina & Apartments
  • Flåmsbrygga Hotel
  • Fretheim Hotel

Visit Flam – Background

Flam is a popular destination on Aurlansfjord, an arm of Songefjord. The name Flam means “flat land” in Norse, which refers to the small area of flat living area on the fjord. Flam has become a standard port of call for cruise ships visiting the Norwegian fjords during the summer. Tourists also often include a trip to Flam when they visit Bergen.