3- 5 Day Norway Road Trip Itinerary! Bergen to Alesund & Atlantic Ocean Road.

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I have just got back from doing a Norway Road trip, this was my first time in Norway, and wow, what a country it is! We did a 3 day road trip in Norway starting in Bergen, ending in Ålesund, and visiting the Jotunheimen National Park, Molde, and the Atlantic Ocean Road in between!

Trying to decide on a Norway road trip itinerary and where to go on a road trip in Norway was hard because there are so many places to visit in Norway! We really struggled on where to visit on a road trip in Norway, especially since we had just 3 days in Norway and 4 nights.

We found good flights from the UK to Bergen which is Norway’s second-largest city, therefore, Bergen seemed like a good place to start our Norway roadtrip and we decided on Bergen to Alesund.

We hired a car through Rental Cars at Bergan Airport and dropped it off at Alesund Airport which was a great idea to save us time instead of driving back to Bergen.

Norway Road Trip Itinerary

We had an amazing trip driving up part of the West Coast of Norway seeing Norwegian cities, towns, a National Park, attempting to hike Norway’s highest peak, and even making it to the impressive Atlantic Ocean Road, 1 of the 18 scenic routes in Norway!

In this Norway travel blog, I’ve detailed the 3 day Norway Road Trip I did from Bergen to Alesund and Alesund to the Atlantic Ocean Road including places to stop in Norway that I visited and loved,

We were in a rush so I have amended my Norway road trip itinerary to spend more time in a few places so you can easily turn it into a 4 or 5 day Norway Road Trip depending on how much time you have and how slow or fast you like to travel, and drive.

Norway Road Trip Map

This Norway road trip map covers all of the places I have mentioned below in my Norway road trip itinerary.

It includes the cities like Alesund and Bergen that we stopped in but also incredible waterfalls along the side of the road that you don’t want to miss, observation decks and some cool spots to visit in Norway like the unique Norwegian Stave Churches.

Car Hire in Norway

Before we go into the road trip itinerary from Bergen to Alesund, you will need a car to do this trip!

We hired a car from Hertz via Rental Cars at Bergen Airport. We opted for an automatic which was handy for the long drives we did and a bigger engine which was definitely handy when going up the mountain roads.

Bergen to Alesund

Day 1 in Norway – Bergen to Voss

Bergen is a great place to start a trip in Norway because there are good flights there from other European Countries, we flew with KLM into Bergen.

Fantoft Stave Church

I suggest picking up your hire car at Bergen Airport and before you head into the city stop off at Fantoft Stave Church. This is one of the iconic Stave Churches in Norway and it’s perfect to visit as it’s on the way from Bergen Airport to Bergen City.

There is a car park nearby and then it’s a short walk down a gravel path to the Church.

Bergen City Centre

Head into Bergen City Centre afterwards. We got an afternoon flight so we didn’t have much time in Bergen but it is a pretty city and the second-largest city in Norway.

Luckily, it’s not too big so you can pop in quickly and get a good feel for the city, especially down by the harbour which I loved, or you can spending longer doing things to do in Bergen like this.

Bergen to Voss

On our Norway road trip route we then drove 1.5 hours to Voss as this was a good place to start day 2 of our itinerary from because we had a lot of ground to cover the next day.

We didn’t get into Voss until really late (we stayed at Scandic Voss Hotel which I really recommend) and left really early but the drive there is beautiful (although, all drives are in Norway), and it’s in a lovely location on a lake and tourist attractions like Voss Gondol and Voss Folk Museum if you have more time to spend there on your Norway road trip itinerary.

Recommended Accommodation: Scandic Voss Hotel – A cool, well-designed hotel right on the lake.

Day 2 in Norway – Voss to Leon

We planned a hike in the Jotunheimen National Park for day 2 of our Norwegian roadtrip from Bergen to Alesund so we got up early and left Voss.

This was my favourite day of driving because we drove past Fjords, Lakes, and right up into the mountains. We also passed so many waterfalls!

Tvinnefossen

Tvinnefossen waterfall is definitely worth a stop, or at least look out for it as you leave Voss. It’s one of the bigger waterfalls we saw and drops over 150m.

Flam

We didn’t stop in Flam as we didn’t have time because of the hike, but when researching this Norway trip and the best places to visit in Norway, Flam came up high as it is one of the most popular Fjord destinations in Norway.

The Scenic Flam Railway looks great if you have time, or doing a scenic boat trip. Here are more things to do in Flam.

Stegastein Viewpoint

Located 20-30 minutes off the main road leading into the national park up a windy road is Stegastein Viewpoint offering panoramic views of the fjord and definitely worth the stop and detour if you have time.

Related Post: How to do the easy hike to Stegastein Viewpoint in 3-4 Hours!

Laerdalstunnelen

One thing I didn’t realise about Norway until I started researching is the number of tunnels it has! In 3 days we drove through over 90 tunnels!

Laerdalstunnelen or Lærdal Tunnel is the largest road tunnel in the world at 24.5km! It starts just after Flam around Aurlandsvangen and finishes near Tonjum.

When planning your Norway road trip, it’s definitely worth keeping in mind the number of tunnels you’ll be in, and keep a note of where this one is as it’s impressive to go through!

It’s also great that there are places to park on the side of the tunnel so you can get out and take photos.

Sognefjorden

After the longest tunnel and our first ferry, we drove all the way along Sognefjorden along a road called 55. Sognefjorden is apparently known as the king of the fjords in Norway because it’s the longest fjord in Norway!

This was a spectacular drive and was one of the highlights for me of our road trip through Norway, we had to stop multiple times to take photos.

If you have time, there is a town called Skjolden which is officially at the end of Sognefjorden and there is a small statue to indicate it’s the end.

As you approach Jotunheimen National Park from here, it’s worth noting that this is the last biggest town you’ll go through with bigger supermarkets so it’s worth getting some lunch and snacks from here (which is something we didn’t realise!)

Note – If you do want to amend this 3 day Norway road trip and go straight from Bergen to Sognefjord then you can do this too as it’s just 3 hours 30 minutes from Bergen.

Jotunheimen National Park

After Sognefjorden ended we started to climb really high into the mountains via road F55.

We did this road trip in Norway in September so Autumn was on its way and as we got higher the trees suddenly turned golden, and we started to see snow!

There are quite a few dedicated scenic spots along F55 and viewpoints. One of the ones we loved was Nedre Oscarshaug Viewpoint which had a glass structure with all of the peaks around us on.

Our main aim from visiting Norway was to climb the highest mountain in Norway which is Galdhøpiggen.

This is a serious hike requiring equipment and a guide. Unfortunately, the weather turned for us that afternoon, it was no longer safe to hike and therefore we didn’t reach the summit but it was good to try!

However, there are so many hikes in Jotunheimen National Park to do for different abilities and times. This post about Jotunheimen gives a few different hikes to do.

If you aren’t into hiking or the weather isn’t on your side, it is still truly beautiful to drive through the National Park and will definitely enhance your Norway road trip route from Bergen to Alesund, after all, the scenery we pass on a road trip is what the trip is all about!

Loen

I suggest spending the night in Loen, which is a really beautiful village and a good place to stop on the way further North.

One of the most popular things to do in Leon is the Loen Skylift which says it gets you from the fjord to the sky in 5 minutes via a Cable Car taking you 1011m high.

They have a restaurant at the top and offer activities such as a Via Ferrata. You will need more time to do this and if you follow this Norway road trip itinerary you’ll have to do these things on day 3 as you probably won’t arrive in Loen until later in the evening

Recommended Accommodation: Hotel Alexandra Loen – A beautiful family-run hotel with personal touches and modern facilities.

Day 3 in Norway – Loen to Molde and Atlantic Ocean Road

We actually stayed in Stryn on our Bergen to Alesund road trip, not Loen, but in hindsight we wish we had stayed in Loen as we didn’t really like Stryn and we met a local later that day who said Loen is really stunning.

Stryn River

We stayed in Stryn though because we wanted to see the winding river in Stryn. This is only worth visiting if you have a drone and like getting cool shots like this because from the ground it doesn’t look overly special.

Geiranger & Geirangerfjord

Next, we headed to the town of Geiranger which is home to the impressive Geirangerfjord, this is one of Norway’s most popular natural attractions.

As you reach Geiranger, before you come down the windy road into the town, look out for Flydalsjuvet view point.

Geiranger is a popular stop for tourists on cruises and fjord tours so it is catered for tourists with activities and things to do in Geiranger like kayaking and biking.

The season had just finished when we arrived in late September so everything was closed or closing but summer in Geiranger definitely offers a lot and it’s buzzing with activity I heard.

Ørnevegen

As we left Geiranger up some very tight hairpin bends we reached Ørnevegen which is a viewpoint overlooking Geiranger & Geirangerfjord.

I love that the viewpoints in Norway like this are all right on the road and free to enter so you just stop, have a look and carry on with the road trip.

Molde

After more driving through incredible scenery and taking our longest ferry of the trip from Vestnes to Molde, we arrived in Molde.

We didn’t see much of Molde and there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of things to do in Molde, although the town is pretty and Molde Panorama where you can sight the top of 222 mountain peaks sounds really impressive.

We stayed at the Scandic Seilet Hotel which was an amazing place to stay right on the water with great service, a delicious breakfast and best of all, all bedrooms have a view of the water.

The sunrise view was sooo amazing and staying here made our stay in Molde so memorable!

Atlantic Ocean Road

Our final stop of day 3 in Norway was the Atlantic Ocean Road! We had seen images and videos of this road on Instagram and it was one of the main reasons for deciding where to do a road trip in Norway and why we ended up doing Bergen to Alesund, but via the Atlantic Ocean Road!

Just after our visit, the new Bond film came out ‘No Time To Die’ and it turns out the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway is one of the filming locations in the new Bond movie, which is pretty cool!

I read and saw some videos with different opinions on this road and whether it’s worth visiting, especially if you don’t have a drone.

I wrote this post on is the Atlantic Ocean Road worth visiting, but I’ll tell you here that we really loved it, especially at sunset and I was surprised by how many places there are to walk around the area so you don’t need a drone to appreciate it.

And it is 1 of the 18 Norwegian scenic routes!

Recommended Accommodation: Scandic Seilet Hotel – You don’t get a better location on the water in Molde!

Day 4 in Norway – Molde to Ålesund

The drive from Molde to Alesund is really easy. You take the ferry back to Vestnes and go West from there. It wasn’t the most scenic drive we had in Norway but it was still stunning.

Alesund is an incredibly pretty city. In fact, the reason it’s so pretty is because in 1904 there was a fire that destroyed most of the city and it was rebuilt in an Art Nouveau style.

This is not the usual style of buildings in Norway and even though most European Cities have some Art Nouveau buildings in them, often it’s a small area, so it’s really unique to see a complete Norwegian city in this design.

Here are the best things to do in Alesund for your day in Alesund if you have time and have 4 days in Norway.

We didn’t have much time to see the city but our first stop was the Alesund Viewpoint which is definitely worth the visit!

Recommended Accommodation: Hotel Brosundet – The most iconic yellow building in Alesund is this hotel right in the centre and on the water!

Day 5 in Norway – Ålesund To Bergen

We ended our trip in Alesund withour staying overnight in Alesend and we got an internal flight back to Bergen before flying out the next morning.

We got a flight because we were short on time and therefore did not have time to return the hire car back to Bergen.

When hiring a car, dropping it at a different location makes the rental cost a lot more money which was definitely the case for us, but we were time short so we had to do this.

Search for the best car hire prices in Norway on Rental Cars here!

If you have time and have 5 days in Norway or more, driving back to Bergen to drop the hire car off and to get your return flight from Bergen is a great idea.

The quickest route from Alesund to Bergen is 420 kilometers long and takes approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes, but as Visit Bergen says, you will drive through more of Norway’s most beautiful fjord landscape.

Recommended Accommodation: Scandic Flesland Bergen Airport – High-quality facilities and a 5-minute walk from Bergen airport.

Norway Road Trip FAQ

Let me answer the top questions about a Norway road trip:

Is Norway good for a road trip?

Yes! The best way to see and experience Norway is by driving around the country and it is a good place for a road trip because the roads are good and the scenery is incredible.

Can tourists drive in Norway?

Yes, tourists can hire a car in Norway and tourists can drive in Norway.

Is driving in Norway difficult?

The roads in Norway are extremely good, well surfaced and empty. There are many roads in Norway with tight hairpin bends which require you to drive very safely around. In winter when the roads in Norway are full of snow driving will become more difficult but in Summer, late spring and early autumn without snow it is not difficult.

How many days are enough to visit Norway?

At least 3 days in Norway is enough for a road trip and to cover a lot of ground. Many people spend 5 days, 7 days or even 2 weeks in Norway doing a road trip.

I hope this post has helped you with your Norway Road Trip itinerary!

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• More of my posts you might like:
• 20 BEST Things To Do in Stavanger & Near Stavanger! Hikes, Cruises, Museums!
• How to do the Pulpit Rock Hike from Stavanger! By Cruise, Car & Bus, Plus Tips!
• Is the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway Worth the Visit?
• Easy Hike to Stegastein Viewpoint in 3-4 Hours! Most Scenic Platform in Norway!