Norway in a Nutshell is a self-guided transport chain connecting the Bergen line, the branch line to Flåm, and a cruise through the narrow Nærøyfjord. It is not an escorted coach tour, but a set of scheduled public connections sold as one package or booked independently. You can complete the full route in a single day or break it with an overnight stop in Flåm or Gudvangen.
What Norway in a Nutshell is
Operated by Fjord Tours AS, Norway in a Nutshell combines the Bergen Railway, the Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana), and an electric fjord cruise on the narrow Nærøyfjord. The tour can take one day or more, and begins or ends in Oslo or Bergen. You can also start the tour in Flåm, Voss or Geilo.
The core route runs from Myrdal down the Flåm Railway, then by boat to Gudvangen, bus to Voss and train to Bergen. It can be travelled from Oslo to Bergen, from Bergen to Oslo, or as a return trip from Bergen. After descending the Flåm Railway, you can continue to Bergen the same day or spend the night in Flåm and travel on the next day.
What the package costs and what it includes
Fjord Tours prices Norway in a Nutshell from 2698 NOK. According to Visit Bergen, the tour costs NOK 2,698.00 per adult and NOK 1,204.00 per child under 16, with prices subject to change. The package includes all transport – train, bus and fjord cruise tickets – alongside a self-guided journey and a detailed itinerary with travel documents. Food is something you buy along the way, for example in Flåm, with general food costs covered in our guide to whether Norway is expensive.
The tour operates year-round with daily departures, except on 24 and 25 December and 1 January. Visit Bergen calls it Norway's most popular tour and advises booking in advance. Dates for 2027 are already open for booking. You can add extra nights in Flåm or Gudvangen when you book.
Fjord Tours also sells a luggage transfer service with its tours, available only between Oslo and Bergen. To use it, you leave your bags at your hotel reception before 6:00 am and collect them at your destination hotel by 9:00 pm. This service works only if you stay at the specific hotels to which the bags are delivered.
The Flåm Railway
The Flåm Railway opened in 1940 and is operated by Vy. To reach it from the main network, you change trains at Myrdal on the Oslo to Bergen train line. The railway runs every day, throughout the year.
The line is 20 km long, runs from Myrdal to Flåm, takes 1 hour and stops at 8 stations. It drops from Myrdal, at 867 metres above sea level, down to Flåm, just 2 metres above sea level at the head of the Aurlandsfjord. It is one of the world's steepest train lines; most of the route has a gradient of 5.5 per cent. The railway passes through 20 tunnels, 18 of which were dug by hand; building the route took around 17 years, from 1923 to 1940.
As the route is single-track, Berekvam is the only place where trains can pass each other. The train stops at Kjosfossen for about 5 minutes, a 93-metre waterfall, so passengers can alight and take photographs. The carriages have toilets, overhead luggage racks and large windows. There is no food service on board, but refreshments are sold at Flåm station and at Café Rallaren in Myrdal.
Booking the Flåm Railway yourself
You can book tickets directly without buying the combined package. According to Vy, a single adult ticket on the Flåm Railway costs from NOK 399. Children aged 6 to 17 pay 50% of the adult fare, a bicycle costs NOK 280, and dogs travel for free. If you want to bring a bicycle on the train, you must reserve a space when purchasing your ticket.
Seating on the Flåm Railway is unallocated; you cannot book a specific seat in advance, but instead choose one when you board. Travelling down from Myrdal, sit on the left for the best views of the valley and the bends, including the Rjoandefossen waterfall.
The line is busy in summer. If you have fixed travel dates, book early, especially for July and August when departures can sell out. Spring and early autumn bring smaller crowds and a better chance of a seat without booking ahead. Planning around seasonal passenger traffic is detailed further in our overview of the best time to visit Norway.
If you need to leave heavy bags while exploring, self-service lockers outside the Visitor Centre in Flåm hold luggage for up to three days. For passengers with mobility requirements, Flåm, Vatnahalsen and Myrdal stations are accessible for wheelchair users boarding and alighting.
The Nærøyfjord cruise from Flåm to Gudvangen
From Flåm, the cruise sails through the Aurlandsfjord and then into the narrow Nærøyfjord before docking at Gudvangen, located at the inner end of the Nærøyfjord. The crossing takes around two hours one way. A shuttle bus operates year-round, allowing you to turn the boat trip into a return journey.
The cruise runs every day from Flåm, Aurland, Undredal or Gudvangen, and tickets are sold at norwaysbest.com. The route is served by The Fjords' vessels Vision, a hybrid, and Future, which is fully electric. Both vessels run solely on battery power through the most exposed sections of the fjord.
The Nærøyfjord is an arm of the Sognefjord and measures just 250 metres wide in places. In 2005, the Nærøyfjord and the Geirangerfjord were inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the title West Norwegian Fjords. UNESCO describes the fjords' steep crystalline rock walls as rising up to 1,400 m from the sea and reaching 500 m below sea level.
The bus from Gudvangen to Voss, and the train on
After alighting from the boat in Gudvangen, the onward link is by road. The bus between Gudvangen and Voss travels through the narrow Nærøydalen valley and terminates at Voss bus station, directly beside the railway station.
The Gudvangen–Voss bus takes 1 hour 5 minutes, operates year-round, and costs from 200 NOK. You must buy your bus ticket in advance; tickets cannot be purchased on board. From Voss, you can connect back onto regular Vy passenger services to continue to Bergen.
Winter
Norway in a Nutshell also runs in winter, with the Flåm Railway and a Nærøyfjord cruise through the winter landscape. In winter the Flåm line is likely to be under snow, the waterfall is frozen, and the ride is calmer and quieter. Fjord Tours also sells 2-day winter packages to Flåm that combine transport, accommodation and activities, timed around winter daylight.