Guide · Winter

Day trips from Bergen in winter

Snow on the plateau, ice on the fjord edges and short blue days: day trips from Bergen in winter can be magical, but some roads and sights close. Here is what keeps running, what shuts, and how to plan around the light.

Check availabilityfrom $422 · cancellation is free

Editorial team, daytripfrombergen.comUpdated October 19, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes21 sources

The tour that goes with it Bergen Day Winter Tour: Nærøyfjord Cruise, Flåm & Stegastein 4.9 (25 reviews) 11 hours from$310per person Check availabilityCancel for free up to 24 hrs ahead

Quick answer

01Still running: The Nærøyfjord cruise runs all year, and Norway in a Nutshell departs daily.¹ ²
02Winter tour: A dedicated winter day with the cruise, Flåm and Stegastein: 11 hours, rated 4.92.
03Open viewpoint: Stegastein stays open year-round; the road to it from Aurlandsvangen is kept open.³ ⁴
04Closed: Parts of Vøringsfossen and Steinsdalsfossen close in winter.⁵ ⁶
05Daylight: Bergen has 5.8 hrs of daylight in mid-December.⁷

What winter changes around Bergen

Winter in western Norway is less a closed season than a different one. The main railways and many boats keep running, and the mountains above the fjords turn white. What changes is the light, the state of the mountain roads, and the opening of some waterfall paths and viewpoints. For many visitors that is the appeal: the same famous places, but white, quiet and lit by a low sun.

The light is the biggest factor. In mid-December Bergen has 5.8 hrs of daylight, against 19 hrs in mid-June.⁷ In mid-January it is 6.6 hrs and by mid-February 9.1 hrs, so late winter gives you noticeably longer days for the same trips.⁷

The weather is wet rather than bitterly cold in the city. Bergen's average January high is 4.7 °C and its average low 0.6 °C, and 17 January days bring 2.5 mm of rain or snow or more.⁷ Inland and higher up, on the plateau around Myrdal and Voss, the landscape is often white for months.

A winter fjord day

The winter tour, stop by stop

8:00

Leave Bergen

By minibus from outside the Tourist Information.
Morning

Dale and Tvindefossen

A 15-minute coffee stop, then 15 minutes at the falls.
Late morning

Gudvangen

30 minutes before the boat.
Midday

Nærøyfjord cruise

2 hours on the winter fjord to Flåm.
Afternoon

Flåm and Stegastein

45 minutes in Flåm, 15 at the viewpoint.
By 7:00 PM

Back in Bergen

The return the listing gives.

Fjord cruises that run all winter

The Nærøyfjord cruise between Flåm and Gudvangen takes about 2 hours and runs all year round, so the World Heritage fjord is open to you in every month.¹ In winter the snow on the walls and the low sun on the peaks give it a very different mood from summer. Wrap up for the deck: the wind off the water in winter is raw, and the best views still come from outside.

Closer to the city, one 3.5-hour cruise to Mostraumen leaves from behind the Tourist Information all year round.⁸ It is a good short winter outing, because it fits into the brightest hours of the day and brings you back in time for an early dinner. In the darkest weeks, book the midday departure if there is a choice, so you sail in the best light.

The express boat to Rosendal also keeps sailing on weekdays outside summer, though weekend sailings run only from 1 May to 30 September, and there are no departures on 24 and 25 December.⁹ ¹⁰ ¹¹ Check the timetable around Christmas and New Year before planning a boat day.

Light and weather

Bergen month by month

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Bars: hours between sunset and sunrise at mid-month. Dots: days bringing 2.5 mm or more. Data from NOAA's Bergen Florida station, 1991 to 2020.⁷

Open or closed

What runs from Bergen in winter

Trip or sight	In winter	Source
Nærøyfjord cruise	Runs all year	Visit Bergen
Norway in a Nutshell	Daily departures	Visit Bergen
Mostraumen cruise	One operator all year	Visit Bergen
Stegastein	Open year-round	Scenic Routes
Aurlandsfjellet road	Closed	Scenic Routes
Vøringsfossen	Partly closed	Scenic Routes
Trolltunga hike	Guide only	Visit Bergen

Winter status as stated by Visit Bergen and the Norwegian Scenic Routes of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.¹ ² ⁸ ³ ⁴ ⁵ ¹²

Winter picks

A winter tour, the classic loop or a short cruise

Rated 4.92

Winter fjord day

Cruise, Flåm, Stegastein

Length: 11 hrs
Rating: 4.92
Price: from $310

See dates

Bergen: Viking Village, Nærøyfjord Cruise & Flåm Railway

Most reviewed

Railway loop

Adapted to winter weather

Length: 10.5 hrs
Rating: 4.78
Price: from $422

See dates

Bergen: Mostraumen Fjord Cruise, Mt Fløyen, City Sightseeing

Short day

Mostraumen and city

Cruise, Fløyen, Bryggen

Length: 6.5 hrs
Rating: 4.74
Price: from $209

See dates

Decision helper

Your winter day out of Bergen

Choose by how much light and energy you have

Winter fjord day

The cruise, Flåm and 15 minutes at Stegastein.

Norway in a Nutshell

Daily departures all year.²

Mostraumen cruise

3.5 hours from behind the Tourist Information.⁸

Voss

40 km of slopes, just over an hour by train.¹³ ¹⁴

Wait for spring

Parts of Vøringsfossen close in winter.⁵

The road is closed in winter, but the stretch from Aurlandsvangen is open as far as the viewpoint at Stegastein all year round.

Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Norwegian Scenic Routes)Source 4

Railways and guided tours in the cold season

Norway in a Nutshell departs from Bergen station every day of the year, which includes the Flåm Railway, the bus and the fjord cruise.² ¹⁵ In winter the ride between Myrdal and Flåm passes frozen waterfalls and snow-covered farms, and the stop at Kjosfossen is just as dramatic in ice.

The tour this site recommends also runs in winter, but the listing is clear that from October to April the day may be adapted to the weather: photo stops can change, and ice on the fjord can alter the cruise route. In winter its coach stop is in Voss rather than at Tvindefossen. Read your confirmation carefully in winter, and take the guide's word on the day if a stop changes; the plan exists to keep you safe.

A dedicated winter tour is the other choice. It runs 11 hours by minibus with a coffee stop in Dale, 15 minutes at a snowy Tvindefossen, the 2-hour Nærøyfjord cruise, 45 minutes in Flåm and 15 minutes at Stegastein, and it is back in Bergen by 7:00 PM. It holds 4.92 from 25 reviews.

Checklist

For a winter day trip

Wear

Wool layers under a windproof jacket
Boots with grip, or ice cleats
Waterproof gloves and a hat

Plan

Your day around the hours of daylight
Holiday timetables around 24 and 25 December¹¹
A margin for weather changes on tours

Cost calculator

What a winter day costs for your group

Choose your winter outing and the number in your party.

Winter fjord day11 hrsfrom $310 Railway loop10.5 hrsfrom $422 Mostraumen and city6.5 hrsfrom $209

People 2

Total from$619

per traveler from $310

Check availabilityfree cancellation

The calculator starts from the GetYourGuide from-price and switches currency at the day's ECB reference rate; the booking page has the exact total.

Video

The Flåm Railway in winter

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Viewpoints and roads: what stays open

The Stegastein platform stays open year-round, and although the mountain road over Aurlandsfjellet is closed in winter, the stretch from Aurlandsvangen up to Stegastein is open all year round.³ ⁴ That is why winter tours can still include the view 650 m above the Aurlandsfjord.¹⁶

The Norwegian Scenic Route Hardanger is open for traffic throughout the year, so a winter drive along the Hardangerfjord is possible.¹⁷ The road over the Hardangervidda plateau, by contrast, may close for short periods in bad winter weather.¹⁸ Roads in the valleys are cleared, but conditions change quickly, and a drive that takes an hour in summer can take longer in snow.

Some of the most remote roads around Bergen may be closed in winter, so a self-drive day needs a check of the road status before you leave.¹⁹ Our page on day trips by car explains the drive times and the winter closures in more detail.

Waterfalls and hikes that close

Well-known waterfall sites partly close in winter. Parts of the Steinsdalsfossen attraction close, and parts of the Vøringsfossen site close as well.⁶ ⁵ The tours to Vøringsfossen are therefore summer and autumn days above all. If you have your heart set on one of them, plan your trip for the warmer months, when the whole site is open again.

Trolltunga changes completely. From 1 October to 31 May it should only be hiked with a guide, and the short winter daylight makes the long route a serious mountain undertaking.¹² It is not a day trip from Bergen at any time of year, and in winter even less so.

Waterfalls that stay visible from the road or the railway, such as Tvindefossen and Kjosfossen, can be spectacular in winter, half frozen into towers of blue ice. Keep to the marked areas: ice on paths and platforms is the main hazard of a winter day.

Snow days: skiing and the gondola in Voss

Winter adds an option that summer does not have. Voss is just over an hour from Bergen by train, and Voss Resort, the largest ski resort in Western Norway, has 40 km of groomed alpine slopes and 24 runs.¹⁴ ¹³ You can ski for the day and be back in Bergen for dinner.

Even without skis, Voss Gondol climbs from the town to 818 m above sea level in 9 minutes, straight into the snow.²⁰ The evening Vy Express bus back to Bergen takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes, a useful alternative if you miss a train.²¹

For families, a Voss day is the easiest winter outing: frequent trains, a gondola, snow at the top and cafés in town. It needs no tour, no tight connection and no early start, which counts for a lot in the dark months.

Planning a winter day around the light

In the darkest weeks, every winter day trip from Bergen runs partly in twilight, so plan the scenic parts for the middle of the day. In mid-December the city has 5.8 hrs of daylight, and in mid-November 7.5 hrs.⁷ By mid-March that has grown to 11.7 hrs, which makes late winter the sweet spot for snow and light together.⁷

Choose a tour that puts the fjord cruise or the railway around noon, and treat the drive back as rest time rather than sightseeing. On your own, start early and aim to be on the most scenic stretch when the sun is highest, then head home as the light fades.

Pack for cold and wet together. A woollen base, a fleece on top and a shell that keeps out wind and rain cope with Bergen's raw damp and with the snow on the plateau alike. Add boots with grip, and keep a dry pair of gloves in your bag for the boat deck.

Plan your loop