The fjord occasionally appears between the trees in short glimpses. There’s a flash of steel-grey water, then rock, then a bright blue patch of sky. Then I’m back to just seeing trees again, the road curving away before I have quite processed what I saw. I lean closer to the glass. There’s yet another gap in the hillside, and the water shows itself again, for longer this time this time. By now, the far shore is visible with its dark wall of mountain rising straight from the surface.
The car moves through it all at a pace that feels a little too fast for my liking. The landscape arrives and departs in small fragments, and I find myself willing the road to slow down, to hold the view for a moment longer so that the fjord is able to declare itself fully, rather than in these short increments. It doesn’t, of course. The road does what roads do and winds and bends, but by the time the trees finally open and the Hardangerfjord spreads itself before me in its entirety, it feels as though it has been worth the wait. The valley has an unreasonable width, filled with water that shimmers immensely in the morning light, the mountains on either side are still topped with the last of the season’s snow. Kilometre by kilometre, the journey pays off.
We had left Bergen in the early morning, the city only just waking up, the road out through the suburbs giving way to farmland and then to the wilder and more vertical valleys that deepened, around us as we pushed east. The first stop was Steinsdalsfossen, outside Norheimsund, where a waterfall of around fifty metres talle towers over the surrounding landscape.
A few colourful wooden houses sit at its base and a path winds up behind the falls, cut into the rock face, letting me stand inside the cascade without getting wet while watching the water thunder past at arm’s length. I stand for a while, looking through the wet curtain across the valley. We arrived before the coaches, which made all the difference. The path was empty but the cacophonous sound of the falls filled my ears. The light coming through the water in shifting patterns projected a rainbow into the spray.
Moving on, the drive south from Norheimsund follows the western shore of the Hardangerfjord and then turns onto the Sørfjorden, the narrower southern arm where the orchards begin. In May, the hillsides above the road are in blossom with the pinks and whites of the apple, cherry and pear trees flowering simultaneously on the steep south-facing slopes, covering the entire thing in a blanket of colour. We were a little too early and the branches are only just showing the burgeoning buds that have the potential to light up the valet in a few weeks’ time.
The monks who first planted these trees in the thirteenth century understood something about this microclimate that the science has since confirmed: the fjord reflects warmth onto the slopes above it, the Gulf Stream keeps the winters mild, and the result is fruit of an unusual sweetness grown at a latitude where, in most other parts of the world, the cold would make the whole enterprise impossible. You do not need to know any of this to take it in. The orchards simply look, once May hits, like an argument that the world occasionally gets things exactly right.
To take in these perfectly arranged rows of trees, we stop at Ulvik in the late morning, following a hand-lettered sign off the main road and down towards the water. Ulvik is a village small enough that anywhere else, it wouldn’t be anything special. However, the farming here is an integral part in why this small area of Norway is known as the nation’s ‘fruit basket’. Over 600,000 fruit trees that blanket the lower fjord slopes, with conditions that produce fruit far superior to that found almost any where else in the world.
The Fruit and Cider Route that connects three farms here is best approached on foot; a slow walk between the orchards, the fjord visible at the end of every gap in the trees, the farms opening their gates for tastings with a warmth that suggests that they genuinely want you there.
At Lekve Gard we tasted four ciders made from different apple varieties – dry, semi-dry, and one that sat somewhere in between with a faint effervescence and a finish that tasted, with no exaggeration, of the hillside it came from. The man pouring talked about spontaneous fermentation, about wild yeasts from the apple skins, about the particular character that this valley’s fruit produces compared with orchards only a few kilometres away.
These farmers have lived their whole lives here and while their knowledge is not necessarily academic, it is used to produce some of the finest fruit and ciders in Europe. We drank slowly, asked questions, and I left with a few bottles that I didn’t have room for.
Lunch was at Brakanes Hotel in Ulvik, which has been receiving guests since 1860 and has the elegance of a place that is confident of its place as a local institution and has never needed to try particularly hard to be remarkable. The hotel sits directly on the water, the dining room giving onto the fjord, and on this clear April afternoon, the view from the table is the kind that makes you pause to gasp between bites.
Everything is focussed around local produce; vegetables from the Undeland farm in Ulvik, Hardanger fruit, fish from the fjord, and we wolf down turkey from a nearby farm, a meat that i usually find too dry but this is so moist and succulent that it is almost unrecognisable from what I’m used to. It all arrives on the plate that is so perfectly arranged that it feels a shame to dismantle it with my cutlery.
By the time coffee arrived, the afternoon had taken on a sense of all time being suspended that the best meals in the right places occasionally produce, where nobody mentions leaving because leaving has temporarily ceased to feel like something that needs to happen.
Outside, the fjord continues to hold its particularly special kind of light into the afternoon, the sky moving through shades of gold and rose and a pale, luminous grey that will continue into the late hours at this time of year. We drove back along the water with the windows down, the orchards dark above the road, the fjord carrying the last of the day’s colour.
It felt to me, that a day in Hardangerfjord was not nearly enough and leaving, I was already planning my return, mapping out walking routes and marking villages I need to visit. This, as I have since discovered, is what Hardangerfjord does to people. The place is not easily finished with.
How to Get to Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjord sits roughly 75 kilometres southeast of Bergen, and the journey there, whichever way you choose to make it, is as beguiling as the final destination. As you leave the city and the roads narrow, you’ll find yourself in deeper valleys with fjord views all around.
There are no airports within the Hardangerfjord area itself; the closest is Bergen Airport Flesland, with Haugesund Airport as a secondary option for those approaching from the south. Bergen is well connected to most major European cities, and from the airport the fjord is less than two hours away by road.
By Car
The simplest way to reach the fjord, and by far the most flexible, is by car. The drive from Bergen takes around an hour and a half, beginning on the E39 highway before it turns into the E16, with the route running alongside lakes and farmland on largely two-lane roads with some stunning scenery throughout.
With that in mind, it is always worth hiring a car. I tend to use Discover Cars for my car rental when travelling, as they allow you to book in advance and compare multiple providers for the best deal. A hire car also opens up the fjord’s internal road network and the ability to stop at an orchard gate, take a detour up towards the plateau, or time your arrival at Vøringsfossen before the tour buses appear. From Bergen, one particularly good option is to take a car ferry from Tørvikbygd to Jondal, cutting across the water and arriving on the southern shore. Car ferries on the fjord do not require advance booking and you can simply arrive at the terminal and join the queue.
Norway’s roads are well equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles, so EV drivers should have no difficulty on the Bergen–Hardanger route. Be aware that toll roads are a fact of life on Norwegian highways; if renting a car, ask your hire company about the best method for paying them as most rental agreements include an AutoPASS transponder, but it is worth confirming.
Public Transport
Travelling without a car can be slower, but it is relatively straightforward. The local bus network, run by Skyss, connects Bergen, Voss, and the main Hardanger villages, with most routes running year-round and some operating seasonally. The Hardangerfjord Express boat, operated by Rødne, runs all year round between Bergen and Rosendal, with daily departures from Strandkaien quay in the centre of Bergen, and one of its stops is Flesland, meaning those arriving by plane can board directly from Bergen Airport without going into the city first.
In summer, a tourist passenger ferry on the Hardangerfjord starts in Norheimsund and corresponds with buses from Bergen, and it is also possible to take the passenger ferry from Bergen to Rosendal and then a bus onwards to Ullensvang.
For timetables and booking, Skyss handles local buses, while Vy covers train connections.
By Train
The Bergen Railway runs between Oslo and Bergen all year round and is quite an experience in itself, passing through the Hardangervidda National Park. If you’re heading for Eidfjord, you can alight at Geilo and take the VY25 bus from there directly to the fjord. If you’re starting in Bergen, alighting at Voss and picking up a local Skyss bus is the standard connection.
From Oslo
The drive from Oslo takes approximately five hours. The Haukeliekspressen bus, which runs from Oslo via Haukeli, makes reaching Hardanger straightforward, with a journey time of around six hours and fifty minutes from Oslo. The Bergen Railway from Oslo to Voss, with an onward bus connection, is the scenic alternative, albeit slower.
By Organised Tour
If you are after ease and just want a seamless day without the logistics of piecing together ferries and bus times, the organised tour options are genuinely good. The ‘Hardangerfjord in a Nutshell’ tour, run by Fjord Tours, takes in a fjord cruise, a visit to Vøringsfossen, and a scenic train ride between Voss and Bergen, operating as a flexible self-guided journey that allows you to add activities and overnight stays along the way.
Go Fjords also offers daily excursions by bus and boat from April to October, departing from central Bergen and travelling directly to Norheimsund before a passenger boat cruise on the fjord. Both operators are well regarded, and the coordination between transport legs is reliable enough that it is worth the premium over piecing the journey together independently.
When to Visit Hardangerfjord
Although Hardangerfjord is a year-round destination, it is a very different place, season to season. Each month gives you a different version of the place, and the best time to visit depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.
Blossom Season (Late April to May)
This is considered by many to be the time when Hardangerfjord is at its best. In late April and into May, the apple, cherry, and pear orchards along the Sørfjorden burst into flower, with tens of thousands of trees simultaneously in blossom. The hillsides turn white and pale pink against the dark rock faces behind them. The light, still low and golden at this latitude in spring, catches the blossom in a way that photographers and painters have been trying to do justice to for centuries.
It is also worth noting that this is, increasingly, a busy time and the fjord noticeably fills with tourists towards the end of April. Accommodation books up months in advance, particularly farmstays and smaller guesthouses on the Sørfjorden. The trade-off of crowds for one of the most visually extraordinary natural spectacles in northern Europe is, for most visitors, entirely worth it. I recommend that you go early in the day, or stay for more than one night if you can, and plan around the annual open days on the Fruit and Cider Route in Ulvik, which typically fall on the second weekend after Norway’s Constitution Day on 17 May.
Summer
Like in much of Scandinavia, summer in Hardanger can, in a way, feel rather generous. By June, the days stretch to eighteen hours or more, and the light in the hours either side of midnight can be quite magical. Temperatures along the waterfront are warm by Norwegian standards, typically 18–23°C at their best, with the fjord microclimate keeping the orchard belt noticeably warmer than the mountains.
It is actually an ideal time to visit as all the hiking trails are open, kayak and RIB tours run daily, farm shops and cider producers have longer opening hours, and the fjord passenger ferries are have a more continuous schedule, connecting the villages. However, It is also one of the busiest time of year outside of blossom season, with Norwegian holiday traffic from late June and a steady stream of international visitors throughout July and August.
Harvest Season (September to October)
If you are not constrained to a summer visit, Autumn can be quite a rewarding time to head over to Hardangerfjord. The apple harvest runs from late August through October, when, each autumn, the apples are carefully handpicked and pressed into juice, which ferments slowly over winter, and visiting during this period means you get to see this process first-hand.
The crowds start to thin out after the first week of September, meaning that the roads are quieter and hotels are easier to book. In terms of the landscape, the colour on the hillsides gradually turns gold through September and peaks in October, contrasting against the dark water and the greenery of the orchards green. Temperatures are cooler, typically 10–15°C in September, dropping towards single figures in October, but the weather is often more settled than in spring, with long clear spells that can produce some of the nicest days of the entire year.
Winter
Winter in Hardanger isn’t really for the faint of heart as it can be an entirely different proposition to the warmer months and demands a particular kind of traveller: Some mountain roads close when snow arrives, ferry services run reduced schedules, and most hotels and restaurants operate on limited hours or close entirely until spring.
While this complicates things, it does mean that a winter trip gives solitude and a version of the landscape that most tourists never get to see.
In short: Come in blossom season for spectacle, summer for accessibility and long days, autumn for harvest and solitude, winter for something a little different.
Things to Do around Hardangerfjord
Although this guide is all about taking a day trip to Hardangerfjord, I’ll be the first to admit that the region deserves a little more time and is more likely to reward travellers who resist the urge to see as much as possible in one day. While there are a few headline sights to see, most of the appeal lies less in single must-see attractions and more the cumulative effect of small, specific experiences; whether that be hiking an orchard path, standing beneath a roaring waterfall, or taking a slow ferry crossing, these things together build a picture of a landscape still shaped by the people who farm and fish it. Below are the experiences worth building a day, or several days, around.
Take a RIB Boat Ride on the Fjord
The scale of Hardangerfjord is only properly visible from the water. Guided kayak tours depart from several villages in summer, offering a different perspective on the cliffs and shoreline that aren’t visible from the roads, which you can explore at a slow, paddling pace. If you prefer to stay dry, fjord cruises and the regional ferries give you a similar view, particularly the crossing between Kinsarvik and Utne, which is as much a scenic experience as it is a way of getting around.
For a faster, more adrenaline-fuelled way to experience the fjord, several companies run RIB (rigid inflatable boat) tours from villages such as Eidfjord, Norheimsund, Øystese, and Odda. These are fast-paced trips along the water, gliding beside steep mountains and past roadless hamlets that aren’t really accessible by road. One popular stop is Hotle, a place reachable only by boat, where goats come down to the shoreline to greet visitors.
We travelled with Hardangerfjord Adventure, departing from the jetty of the Brakanes Hotel in Ulvik. Reaching thrilling speeds of up to 90 knots, our itinerary included a passing of the Hardanger Bridge, Norway’s longest suspension bridge, taking in the waterfalls of Simadalsfjorden, and visiting the remote Osafjord. Each step of the way, our driver/guide told us tales of rural life in the region, including the tragic story of how Bride’s Cove got its name – when a wedding party was washed away in inclement weather – and a village of 37 people where, in the winter, children have to walk across the frozen fjord to catch a boat to school.
The route depends on which company you choose and your departure point. Further south, operators based around Odda and Lofthus run RIB tours that take in the area’s glaciers, waterfalls, and golden eagles nesting along the cliffs, sometimes combined with a Hardanger cider tasting to round out the trip.
It’s probably the most exhilarating way to take in the fjord, speeding across the water with the wind in your face and the landscape rushing past. Goggles, gloves, hats and flotation suits are provided and keep you warm regardless of conditions, and the tours run in all weather. Book ahead in peak summer months as tours fill quickly
Walk the Orchard Trails Around Lofthus and Ullensvang
This stretch of the Sørfjord’s western shore is Norway’s fruit basket, and a network of marked paths winds directly through apple, cherry, and pear orchards. It’s best seen during blossom season – from late April into May – when the trails are at their most photogenic. However, the orchards have a certain appeal no matter the season. They are heavy with fruit in late summer, while bare and atmospheric in winter. The walks here aren’t particularly challenging, and they offer consistently great views.
Hardangervidda National Park
Rising directly above the fjord near Eidfjord, Hardangervidda is Europe’s largest mountain plateau. It’s worth a visit if you have a little more time. This is a vast, stark expanse of tundra, lakes, and wild reindeer herds that is quite a contrast to the easy-going orchard country that sits below it. Trailheads near Eidfjord give access to day hikes onto the plateau’s edge, and these are ideal if you want to swap the fjord-side greenery for something a little closer to Arctic tundra without having to wander too far.
Vøringsfossen
Vøringsfossen is the best-known waterfall in Norway, with water plunging 182 metres into the valley below. The recently upgraded viewing platformslet you get close enough to feel the spray and hear the roar properly. It is, deservedly, one of the most visited sites in the region. Just make sure to arrive early or late in the day to experience it without the crowds that gather at midday in summer.
Hardanger Folk Museum, Utne
Founded in 1911, the Hardanger Folk Museum is the regional museum of Hardanger, having spent over a century collecting artefacts, buildings, and cultural knowledge from the area. Inside, exhibitions cover traditional folk costumes, Hardanger embroidery, and the Hardanger fiddle, alongside historic buildings, art exhibitions, a shop, and a café.
Most importantly, there’s an open-air section with several historic buildings that sit alongside the main museum, along with an orchard of old apple, pear, and cherry varieties and a path known as Diktarstien, the poet’s path. It’s worth noting that the museum produces its own cider and juice, available only on-site. The village of Utne itself, reached by ferry from Kinsarvik, is worth the detour alone.
Trolltunga
For travellers who want Hardanger’s landscape at its most dramatic, Trolltunga is possibly the region’s most famous sight. This rock outcrop juts horizontally over Ringedalsvatnet lake, roughly 700 metres above the water, and there is no doubt that you have seen it plastered all over social media, such is its beauty.
This is not something to be tacked onto a day trip: the hike takes around 10–12 hours for a round trip and demands proper preparation and a decent level of fitness. Guided hikes are available and certainly recommended in the winter months for those wanting a more supported ascent. It is not for everyone, and it is not compatible with a single day that also includes the orchards and the area’s waterfalls, but if you are an outdoors enthusiast and planning a longer stay around the fjord, it is one of Norway’s most rewarding hikes.
Cider and Fruit Tastings
There is a reason Hardangerfjord produces around a third of all Norway’s fruit. The fjord creates a microclimate with its long, light-filled summer days, cool autumn nights, and the reflected warmth of the water on the steep south-facing slopes. Even the influence of the Gulf Stream keeps winters mild enough to spare the trees.
The tradition of apple cultivation here dates back to the 13th century, when Cistercian monks first introduced the practice to the region. For several centuries the orchards were tended primarily for eating and for juice. Cider production followed later, experiencing a peak in the late nineteenth century, collapsing during prohibition in the 1920s, and then reviving slowly and steadily from the 1990s onwards, gathering pace through the 2000s and 2010s as a new generation of producers began rejuvenating this old craft.
Today, Hardanger cider carries protected geographical indication status and are the first alcoholic product in Norway to do so, meaning that, much like champagne must come from Champagne, true Hardanger cider must come from the orchards of this region. The comparison sound almost fanciful, but it is deserved. The unique weather along the narrow fjords has proved ideal for apple cultivation and the result is fruit that has an unusual complexity with varieties including Aroma, Summered, Discovery, and Gravenstein grown alongside dozens of older and more obscure cultivars, each contributing its own character to the finished cider.
In Ulvik, Norway’s only dedicated Fruit and Cider Route connects three farms and allows you to walk between them. Here are the producers most worth seeking out:
Syse Gard, Ulvik
One of the originators of the Fruit and Cider Route in Ulvik, Syse Gard has been in the same family since 1888, with fruit cultivated on south-facing slopes and a farm shop where you can purchase apple cider and other fruit products alongside traditional meat specialities such as cured sausages and fenalår.
A cider tasting here typically includes four local ciders made from different apple varieties, paired with traditional food such as cured meats, jams, and cheese from the region. There is also a summer café, and the farm doubles as an Économusée: a working museum where the processes of fruit growing and cider making are open to visitors. Guided tastings run on set days in summer; drop-in cider boards are available during shop hours.
Hardanger Saft- og Siderfabrikk (Lekve Gard), Ulvik
Another family-owned fruit farm in Ulvik, Lekve Gard, has cultivated fruit for generations and has been producing authentic, spontaneously fermented Hardanger cider since 2004. The range includes dry, semi-dry, and sweet ciders, both sparkling and still, as well as apple brandy, liqueurs, aquavit, and cherry spirits. You can book guided tours of the production facilities and around the farm, concluding with a tasting of the finished products. A farm restaurant serves traditional Norwegian dishes, and a farm shop lets you pick up local produce and take a little of Ulvik home with you. Drop-in tastings run on fixed days during summer, and the farm shop is open Monday to Saturday.
Ulvik Frukt & Cideri, Ulvik
The third farm on the Ulvik Fruit and Cider Route, Ulvik Frukt & Cideri welcomes around 10,000 visitors a year to its farm shop, which just shows how much the region’s cider tourism has developed. The farm grows over 20 apple varieties, many of them old, and produces a wide range of apple juices, ciders, and apple cider vinegar. Guided tastings are available on set days throughout summer, with group bookings possible year-round.
Lofthus Sideri, Lofthus
Run by four childhood friends and their families, each with ancestral orchards in Eidnes and Lofthus, Lofthus Sideri grows its apples on slopes where sunny summers, fertile soil, and a favourable climate produce fruit with a natural balance of sweetness and acidity. The farm shop sits beautifully among orchards and farmyards at the end of the Dronningstien, the Queen’s Trail, where you can enjoy a glass of cider or fresh apple juice in stunning surroundings following your hike.
Aga Sideri, Ullensvang
Situated by the Sørfjorden in Ullensvang, Aga Sideri produces award-winning Hardanger cider and offers guided farm tours with tastings. The setting, among orchard slopes dropping to the water, with the fjord spread out below, is probably the most dramatic of any producer in the region, and the cider has the medals to match the scenery.
Hakastad Gard, Ulvik
This fruit farm in Ulvik has roots going back to the 18th century but Hakastad Gard has been fully developed with 22 different apple varieties since 2001 and has produced apple juice and cider since 2007. The products are made using wild yeast from the apple skins and spontaneous fermentation, resulting in flavours that clearly reflect the farm and its surrounding landscape. A farm shop is open during the season; group tastings are available by arrangement.
Top Tip: All farms have farm shops, and several offer drop-in cider flights, tastings by the glass, and cider boards during opening hours without pre-booking. Guided tastings with tours of the production facilities run on set days at most farms during the main summer season, but it is worth checking tastehardanger.com for current schedules and to book. If you are visiting in late May, the annual open days on the Fruit and Cider Route in Ulvik, where farms open simultaneously for a day of walking, tasting, and exploring, are worth timing your trip around.
Salmon Eye and the Aquaculture Story
Salmon Eye, the world’s largest floating art installation, sits in the heart of the Hardangerfjord and offers you an insight into the region’s aquaculture industry, with the restaurant Iris located inside. It’s a striking addition to the fjord, which is as much an art piece as it is a working explainer of an industry that has shaped the modern Norwegian coastline. It’s worth the detour if you’re interested in how the fjord sustains itself today.
Kunsthuset Kabuso and the Hardanger Skyspace
Kunsthuset Kabuso offers rotating art exhibitions, concerts, and events throughout the year, alongside the Hardanger Skyspace, a James Turrell installation, and the Ingebrigt Vik Museum, with a café serving homemade food and offering fjord views.
Steinsdalsfossen
Where Vøringsfossen impresses through sheer vertical drama and as the region’s most famous waterfall, Steinsdalsfossen oives you the chance to actually step behind the waterfall itself.
Located just outside Norheimsund and surrounded by a small hamlet of cute and colourful wooden houses, the waterfall drops around 50 metres, and its defining feature is a walkway that leads behind the water curtain, letting you feel the full force of the falls while staying dry, and take in the cascade from both front and behind. The path continues out to a vantage point on the far side, with views back across Norheimsund and over the entire Steinsdalen valley.
The waterfall was a favourite of Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, who visited almost every summer during his reign. Its appeal has not diminished since and at its fullest in May and June, the snowmelt swells the flow to its peak. It’s easy to visit: roughly an hour and a half from Bergen by car, it makes a natural first or last stop on the way in or out of the fjord.
Where to Eat & Drink
Unlike Bergen, the Hardangerfjord area is certainly not a region known for fine dining in any metropolitan sense, and this is part of the appeal. What you find here instead is food that is intrinsically linked to the surrounding landscape and knows exactly where it comes from: fruit from the nearby orchards, lamb from farms up on the plateau, and trout pulled from the same rivers that run through the valleys. The restaurant scene is modest but still serious about quality, and there are enough good options spread across the fjord’s villages to eat extremely well without ever feeling like you are eating for tourism’s sake. Cider, too, is worth your attention: Hardanger produces the vast majority of Norway’s fruit, and the local apple juice and cider operations range from small farm-gate concerns to proper tasting rooms. Order a glass wherever you see it offered.
Restaurant Draumen at Brakanes Hotel, Ulvik
Where: Promenaden 3, 5730 Ulvik
Best for: a full fjordside dinner with local produce in a venue with a long history
The sprawling and historic Brakanes Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1860, when it opened as a coaching inn for road-weary travellers. Its restaurant, Draumen (the Norwegian word for the dream, apparently, which tells you something about their ambition) sits in a dining room with large windows looking out at the water’s edge in the village of Ulvik and does actually manage to deliver on its name.
The dishes appear relatively simple, but the kitchen works with locally sourced ingredients throughout, crafting elegant fjord-inspired plates, while Bar Après serves several varieties of Hardanger’s famed cider alongside local craft beers and apple brandy. In summer, fresh vegetables are brought directly from the Undeland farm in Ulvik; straight from the fields and into the kitchen. The result is cooking that is traditional rather than showy: You can expect dishes built around what the land and water are doing that season instead of a menu that is showy for the sake of it. In summer, meals can be served outside on the terrace and in the hotel garden, right at the edge of the fjord. If the weather is kind, there are few better places in the region to sit with a glass of local cider and watch the sun set over the water.
Vik Restaurant, Bakery & Café, Eidfjord
Where: Simadalsvegen 10, 5783 Eidfjord, Norway
When: Monday and Thursday to Saturday 12pm – 8pm; Sunday 12pm – 7pm; Closed Wednesday
Best for: an informal, warmly-run spot that punches well above its weight
Vik Restaurant, Bakery & Café in Eidfjord combines international cuisine with traditional Hardanger dishes, serving homemade food and baked goods in a warm, inviting Setting. It’s the kind of place that has earned its reputation through genuine care for its customers and produce; the bread is made properly, the stew is slow-cooked, and the staff treat visitors as guests rather than just a passing trade. For day-trippers who have spent the morning at Vøringsfossen and need somewhere to sit, eat something real, and warm up, this is exactly the place to go. Turn up early if you want the full range of baked goods, as they sell out quickly.
Gløyp Spiseri, Kinsarvik
Where: kinsarvikvegen 45, 5780 Kinsarvik
When: Daily 1pm – 8pm
Best for: a proper sit-down dinner with serious local sourcing
You’ll find Gløyp Spiseri in Kinsarvik, and it’s a place where genuine effort goes into preparing dishes using local and first-class produce. It sits in the Ullensvang area, on the eastern shore of the Sørfjord, and has developed a reputation as one of the more considered kitchens in the region. The menu changes with the seasons and tends to reflect what is available from the farms and waters immediately around it. For anyone spending more than a day in Hardanger and looking for an evening meal that is a destination in itself rather than merely a place to refuell, this is a spot that is worthy of a reservation.
Where to Stay
Hardangerfjord is a sprawling network of villages strung along the water’s edge, each with its own character and a different relationship with the fjord. Lofthus and Ullensvang, on the southern shore, are the most established bases consisting of the orchard country, with long views across to the Folgefonna glacier. Eidfjord, tucked at the head of the fjord where the river meets the water, is quieter and wilder, the natural gateway to Vøringsfossen and the Hardangervidda plateau. If you’re just visiting on a day trip, it’s important to chose which town will be your starting point; but for those extending into a long weekend, the choice of base may shape your entire experience.
Accommodation varies, from grand historic hotels that have existed since the nineteenth century, to working fruit farms where you sleep amongst the orchards. Although big hotel chains are few and far between, you will find that the places to stay are a mix of guesthouse hospitality and genuine local life, which is a big part of the appeal.
Ullensvang Hotel, Lofthus
Best for: a classic fjordside stay with history and views
There are hotels with good views, and then there is Ullensvang. Sitting directly on the water at Lofthus, with the Folgefonna glacier visible across the fjord on clear days, this is the kind of place that has been offering the perfect fjord experience since it first opened in 1846.
The hotel has gradually evolved over the generations, but it remains family-run, and while it has all the comforts of a modern four-star property. Composer Edvard Grieg was a regular visitor, and a small cottage in the grounds where he worked survives as a piece of Norwegian cultural heritage. The morning light on the water makes a stay heret worthwhile, and the onsite restaurant leans into local produce, with Hardanger fruit, fresh fish, and regional cheeses.
Eidfjord Fjordstove
Best for: an intimate base close to the plateau and waterfall
Eidfjord sits at the point where the Eidfjord arm of the fjord meets the Bjoreio river valley, and the landscape here is more rugged than the softness of Lofthus. The hills are steeper, greener, with the constant soundtrack of roaring water.
Eidfjord Fjordstove is an intimate guesthouse-style property that suits the village’s character well: It’s unfussy, warm, and genuinely well-placed for the area’s main attractions. Vøringsfossen is a short drive up into the valley, and the trailheads for Hardangervidda hikes are close-by. Rooms are comfortable without being lavish, and the staff tend to have a good knowledge of the region.
Lofthus Camping & Gard
Best for: A rustic and simple stay, sleeping close to the land
To stay on a working fruit farm in Hardanger during blossom season is a travel experience that is quintessentially Norweigan. Lofthus Camping & Gard offers exactly that: simple accommodation set amongst the apple and cherry trees that are omnipresent on this stretch of the fjord’s southern shore. Options range from pitches for tents and campervans to basic cabins. While none of the offerings are particularly luxurious, you benefit from proximity to the land and, to the way this place has fed people for centuries.
A Note on Newer Boutique Properties
Although classic hotels are in the majority, there has been a change to Hargangerfjord’s accommodation scene in recent years, with a handful of design-led guesthouses and small hotels opening as the region draws a more international travelling audience. Properties around Norheimsund and along the Sørfjord arm in particular have seen new investment, but keep an eye out for places that emphasis local materials, farm-to-table sourcing, and access to outdoor activities, as these tend to reflect the best of what the region genuinely has to offer.
Top Tip: Book accommodation well in advance if travelling during blossom season (late April to mid-May). This is Hardanger’s most popular time, and the fjord’s limited stock of good hotels fills months ahead.
How to Spend a Day: A Suggested Itinerary
Hardangerfjord has a lot to offer, so if you’re only here for a single day, you have to be selective and realistic about what you can achieve. The fjord is 179 kilometres long and its villages are strung across both shores and several arms of water meaning that there is no way that you will be able to see all of it, and attempting to do that means seeing none of it properly.
The itinerary below is built around a car, departing from Bergen, and is designed to move at a relatively leisurely pace that would allow you to enjoy each stop rather than rushing.
7:30am - Leave Bergen
Although it’s an early start, the drive from Bergen into Hardanger is worth it. It becomes scenic almost as soon as you leave the city and departing before 8pm means that you will arrive at the first stop before the coaches and tours.
Take the E16 out of the city, following signs for Voss, before picking up the Rv7 towards the fjord. The drive from Bergen to the heart of the Hardanger region takes just under three hours if you drive via Voss and then across the Hardanger Bridge, which offers remarkable views when you cross it.
9am - Steinsdalsfossen, Norheimsund
The first stop should be Steinsdalsfossen, near Norheimsund. It’s roughly ninety minutes from Bergen and a good way to break up the journey. The waterfall stands at around 50 metres high, and there’s a path that leads from ground level, up directly behind the water, giving you the unusual experience of watching the falls from the inside.
The car park is close by and the path takes around 10 ten minutes at a comfortable pace. The café nearby is open from mid-morning, should you need a quick coffee.
10:30am - The Orchard Road, Lofthus and Ullensvang
The drive from Norheimsund south along the Sørfjorden is one of the prettiest stretches of road in western Norway. If you get a chance, pull over occasionally to take in the views. By the time you reach Lofthus, you’ll be surrounded by the orchard belt where apple trees cover the slopes. The Folgefonna glacier is visible across the fjord on clear days, and a stillness to the landscape makes it a lovely place to stop and take it all in.
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Walk one of the orchard trails here. The marked paths are well signposted and the shortest loop takes around 45 minutes. In blossom season, it’s extraordinary and in summer, the trees are in full leaf and loaded with growing fruit. If you are passing a farm shop with its doors open, stop and try some locally produced apple juice.
12:30pm - Lunch in Eidfjord
Continue north along the eastern shore towards Eidfjord, where the fjord starts to narrow and the landscape becomes more dramatic. Vik Restaurant, Bakery & Café is a good place for lunch. Order whatever is on the board, take a table by the window if one is free, and allow yourself an hour to relax.
2pm - Vøringsfossen
From Eidfjord, take the road marked Rv7 towards Geilo. The waterfall is a twenty-minute drive away. The road climbs through the Måbødalen valley, the walls closing in on either side, and then deposits you at the Fossli Hotel viewpoint area, where the scale of what you are about to see becomes apparent. Vøringsfossen drops a total of 182 metres, including a dramatic 145-metre free fall, framed by steep cliffs, a deep canyon, and the surrounding mountains. A metal bridge spanning 47 metres across the waterfall, completed in 2020, allows you to stand directly above the falls.
Allow up to an hour and a half to explore the area, including the viewing platforms and the bridge. If the crowds are heavy at the main viewpoints, which can happen in summer, the path down into the Måbødalen valley below the falls offers another perspective with fewer people.
4pm - RIB or Kayak on the Fjord
Descend back to Eidfjord with an hour or so of afternoon remaining. This is the perfect time, if you booked ahead, for a RIB boat trip on the fjord. Hardanger Fjordsafari operates from Eidfjord harbour. If an exhilarating boat ride doesn’t tickle your fancy, the waterfront in Eidfjord is a good place to sit for twenty minutes with a coffee from the café near the harbour.
5:30pm - Cider Stop in Ulvik or Lofthus
On the return leg, allow time for one more stop either at Lofthus Sideri, beautifully placed at the end of the Dronningstien trail among the orchards, or at one of the Ulvik farms if you are looping back that way. A cider flight and a plate of cured meats is a civilised way to end the day before the drive home, and the cider tastes better for having a very busy day.
Note: For the designated driver, plenty of non-alcoholic ciders are available. It is worth taking into account that Norwegian drink driving laws are, rightly, very strict, so take this into account if you are the one behind the wheel.
7pm - Return to Bergen
The drive back to Bergen from the fjord takes just under three hours via Voss, arriving in the city by nine or ten in the evening depending on how much you have packed into the day. If you are staying on the fjord overnight, ignore this section entirely and walk to dinner instead.
A note on this itinerary: It works best with a hire car and is designed for late spring through early autumn. In blossom season, the orchard stop at Lofthus should be given a lot more time. In autumn, swap the cider stop for a visit to one of the harvest-season farm markets, where the full range of Hardanger’s produce, from juice, cider, and preserves, to cured meats, is on offer.
What to Pack
Hardangerfjord has a tendency to deliver all kinds of weather in a single day. The fjord creates its own microclimate, which can be warmer and more sheltered than the exposed Norwegian coast, particularly along the orchard belt of the Sørfjord, but the mountains that encircle it hold onto the snow well into spring, and the plateau above Eidfjord operates by its own meteorological rules entirely. I would mostly advise packing layers for Hardanger, so that you can shed or add them as the day changes.
Clothing
I would always say that, in Norway, a waterproof outer layer is non-negotiable, regardless of the forecast. Norwegian weather is unpredictable, and standing in a cotton jacket while the mist rolls in from the valley will induce a particular kind of regret. A good mid-layer, such as a fleece or lightweight down jacket underneath it works well, even in summer.
For trousers, something with a degree of water resistance is generally useful. Not full waterproof hiking trousers necessarily, but nothing that will be soaked through after a walk on a wet trail. A spare pair of socks, packed somewhere accessible, can make all the difference between a happy afternoon and one plagued with damp feet.
In blossom season and early summer the evenings can still be genuinely cold, even when the days are warm. Bring one more layer than you think you will need.
Footwear
If you plan to walk, which you should, proper footwear matters more than almost anything else in the bag. The orchard trails around Lofthus are gentle enough in good conditions, but the paths to the Vøringsfossen viewpoints and any route that heads up towards the Hardangervidda plateau involve uneven ground, the occasional scrambling, and the sort of terrain that can be unkind on ankles. A pair of well broken-in walking boots with ankle support is the way to go. If you are not planning anything more demanding than a short waterfront stroll and a long lunch, trail shoes or sturdy trainers will do.
Kit and Essentials
A small daypack is more useful than a large hiking backpack. You don’t want to be hauling excess weight up any kind of incline towards waterfall viewpoints. Fill it with a reusable water bottle (Norway’s tap water is excellent, and the streams running off the plateau are some of the cleanest in Europe), a basic first aid kit, sun cream (the light off the fjord in summer is deceptively strong), and a portable phone charger. Camera equipment beyond a phone would be a personal decision for me, but the light at Hardangerfjord rewards a proper camera and the viewpoints deserve to be captured.
Practical Information
Hardangerfjord is a remarkably easy place to visit as Norway’s infrastructure is excellent, its people speak fluent English, and the region is well set up for travellers arriving under their own steam as well as those joining organised tours. However, there are a few things that you will need to know to ensure that your trip runs as smoothly as possible.
Entry Requirements
British citizens do not need a visa to visit Norway and can stay for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. A valid passport is required; check that yours has sufficient time remaining before you travel. Norway is not a member of the European Union but is a full member of the Schengen Area, so the same entry rules apply as for most other continental European countries.
Currency and Payments
Norway’s currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK). It is worth knowing before you arrive that Norway is one of the most cashless societies in the world, with card payments the norm for almost all transactions, from restaurants and museums to public transport and even remote farm shops.
You won’t be surprised to hear that Norway is an expensive country by most international comparisons. A restaurant main course will typically run to 250–350 NOK, a coffee around 60–80 NOK, and a beer in a bar upwards of 100 NOK. Budget accordingly, and note that supermarkets are a reasonable option for lunch supplies if you want to keep costs down.
Driving in Norway
If you are arriving by hire car, a few rules are worth knowing before you leave Bergen. Speed limits are 50 km/h in town centres and built-up areas, 80 km/h on open roads, and up to 110 km/h on motorways. The limits on the mountain and fjord roads around Hardanger tend to be lower than you might expect, often 60 or 70 km/h, and they are enforced seriously. Speed cameras are widespread, and fines are steep. Ensure you drive to the conditions, which on narrow fjord roads with oncoming campervans and occasional livestock, can be a little hairy.
Headlights must be on at all times, regardless of conditions. Drink-driving laws are strict, with a very low legal limit. Toll roads are common throughout Norway; most hire cars come equipped with an AutoPASS transponder that handles charges automatically, but confirm this with your rental company before departure.
Accessibility
The main villages along the Hardangerfjord such as Ulvik, Eidfjord, Lofthus, and Norheimsund are generally navigable for visitors with limited mobility, with level waterfront paths and accessible facilities in most hotels and restaurants. The orchard trails around Lofthus are relatively gentle and well-surfaced in places, though uneven ground is common on longer routes. Vøringsfossen is more challenging: the path to the main viewing platforms involves steps and uneven terrain, though the upper viewing area near the car park provides a dramatic vista without requiring a descent.
FAQs
Whether you are trying to work out the logistics of a day trip from Bergen, deciding when to book, or weighing up whether the fjord deserves more than a passing visit, here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions about Hardangerfjord.
How far is Hardangerfjord from Bergen?
Hardangerfjord is roughly 75 kilometres southeast of Bergen by road, with the drive taking between one hour and one and a half hours depending on your route and where along the fjord you are heading. The most scenic approach involves a combination of road and ferry, crossing the fjord by car ferry from Tørvikbygd to Jondal and arriving on the southern shore with the water already around you. If you are travelling by public bus, allow around two hours from Bergen to the main fjord villages.
Can you do Hardangerfjord as a day trip from Bergen?
Yes, quite comfortably, provided you are realistic about what you try to fit in. A single day is enough to take in the orchard landscape around Lofthus or Ullensvang, visit Vøringsfossen, and spend time on or beside the water. What a day trip does not allow for is the slower pleasure such as an extended hike, a long lunch that drifts into the afternoon, or kayak trip that doesn’t have a cut off time. You will also miss out on the particular quality of evening light on the fjord when most visitors have already left. If your schedule allows even one night, it is worth staying.
What is the best time to visit Hardangerfjord?
It depends on what you are looking for. Late April to mid-May brings the blossom season and in my opinion, is when the region is at its most beautiful as the apple and cherry orchards are in full flower. Summer, from June to August, offers the longest days, the warmest temperatures, and the fullest range of activities, but also the most visitors. September and October are increasingly popular: the apple harvest is underway, the crowds have thinned, and the autumn colour on the hillsides above the fjord is extraordinary.
Is Hardangerfjord worth visiting?
Norway’s fjords are often associated with its more famous ones, such as Sognefjord or Geirangerfjord, that are grander in scale and more widely visited. Hardangerfjord is a little more off the beaten path and offers something different; there is an intimacy to not having the crowds and the fruit orchards give the sense that the landscape has been lived in and worked for centuries.
Can you visit Hardangerfjord without a car?
Several good options exist. From Bergen, local Skyss buses connect the city to the main fjord villages year-round, with some seasonal tourist services operating in summer. The Hardangerfjord Express boat runs between Bergen and Rosendal with stops along the way
How long should I spend at Vøringsfossen?
Most visitors allow between thirty minutes and an hour at the waterfall itself, which is enough time to walk to the main viewing platforms and take in the full drop of the falls into the Måbødalen valley below. If you are planning to walk any of the surrounding trails, down into the valley or along the plateau edge, build in considerably more time.
