I traveled to Sweden 2023 to visit a friend, and then we spent eight days in Norway together. Below is an in-depth breakdown of the adventure as well as some things I learned along the way. One note: I’ve referenced my time in Sweden below briefly as they were days spent visiting the local area where my friend lived.

Trip Details

Trip Dates: July 7-18, 2023

Main Places Visited:

• Orebro, Sweden
• Flam, Norway
• Bergen, Norway
• Lofoten Peninsula, Norway
• Arctic Circle

Total Cost: $2,550 (see note below)

Cost Breakdown:

• Flights:
  • U.S. to Sweden/Norwary to U.S.: I had a $1,000 voucher from United (that’s what happens when you get kicked off your flight from Delhi-Chicago due to them needing to carry more fuel as they were unable to fly over Russia at the time). So, I splurged and booked Premium Economy on the long-haul segment, spending an extra $738 of my own money.
  • Stockholm-Bergen: $108/person
  • Bergen-Evenes: $137.50/person
  • Evenes-Oslo: $82/person
• Eight nights of accommodation: $399 (see breakdown of each night in the itinerary)
• The Flåm Railway, Flåm Zipline and Cycling excursion: $155/person
•  8-hour kayak Nærøyfjord: $121.50/person
• Rental car for five days at Evenes: $175/person
• Midnight Sun Whale Watching/Bird Watching Tour: $192/person
• Food/Souvenirs/Miscellaneous (trains, bus, ice bar, etc.): $750

Itinerary

July 8-9

• Arrive at 12:30 p.m. in Stockholm and meet my friend!

July 10

• Depart Stockholm for Bergen, Norway at 3:10 p.m.
• Land 4:30 p.m. and take bus 2.5 hours to Lilandtunet Gjestgiveri Inn.

July 11

• Depart 11:30 ish for Flam via bus.
  • Well, this was the original plan. The bus never showed. And we had a tour to catch! We ended up taking the train which included a ride on the Flam Railway (scenic and expensive) but we got to Flam just in time for our tour.
• The Flåm Railway, Flåm Zipline and Cycling excursion:
  • 2:35 p.m. Flam Railway (1 hour ride)
  • Flam zipline
  • Bike ride back (15 km, must return by 7 p.m.)
  • Book it? Yes! Rain or shine, this was a great experience. We did the zipline in the rain, but it was incredible all the same.
• Stayed at Flåm Camping og Vandrarheim
  • Note: It was an interesting experience to stay in Flam during the evening. We watched a cruise ship depart. The town namely exists on tourism, so it quickly got quiet.

July 12

• 30-minute bus ride to Gudvangen
  • This again was the intention, but we ended up paying for a taxi as we learned from locals Flam buses were not reliable.
• 10 a.m. start for 8-hour kayak of Nærøyfjord
  • Book it? Heck. Yes. Again, it rained but it was EPIC. Nordic Ventures is the way to go.
• Depart 5:20 p.m. and take 3-hour bus ride back to Bergen
  • This was the plan and stayed the plan!
• Stay at Citybox Bergen

July 13

• Depart 10:25 a.m. to fly to Evenes
• Land at 1:20 p.m.
• Pick up car at 5 p.m.
  • We ended up picking up the car earlier, keeping the same price to bring it back a bit earlier!
• Drive 1.5 hours to Gullesfjord Campsite
  • We stayed in several camp cabins to help keep the cost low. Honestly, they were VERY nice. As long as you’re OK walking to the restroom, this is a great way to travel affordably.

July 14

• Drive 30 minutes to Sortland — entire village is blue!
  • We grocery shopped here! Eating out in Norway was expensive. We only ate out once a day.
• Drive 1.5 hours to Matind (3-4 hour hike)
  • Tip: DO IT. This hike was surprisingly stunning. My friend found it on a whim as it was one of my favorite parts. It isn’t for the faint of heart, though.
• Stayed at Kristina Apartment and Alma House
• Arrival 8:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. Midnight Sun Whale Watching/Bird Watching Tour
  • Book it? HECK YES. We were walking distance from the tour, which was super nice. We only saw one whale, but what a chase! And then we visited this magical bird island with thousands of puffins. It felt like a dream. Plus, it was incredible seeing the sun and glancing at your watch to find it’s 1 a.m.
  • Tip: Make sure to check you messages from the tour. I didn’t have cell service until we got to our place to stay. I got a message there that the tour was leaving 30 minutes early. Thankfully, we saw it just in time. They have to change based on the weather conditions and where the whales are.

July 15

• Depart 8 a.m., short drive to do the hike to Røyken
  • Tip: Do it! Excellent views!
• Drive 4 hours to Furu Hostel
  • You can take the scenic route like we did: Andøya Tourist Route in Northern Norway
• Stop in Svolvaer to visit the Magic Ice Bar
  • Book it? While a little touristy, it was really neat to see all the ice sculptures. I’d say if you haven’t seen an ice bar before or detailed ice sculptures, this is a neat experience.
• Check in by 8 p.m. at Furu Hostel

July 16

• Drive 30 minutes to Haukland Beach
• Drive 35 minutes to Rambergstrand
• Drive 10 minutes to Ryten Hike — 5.4 miles roundtrip (4-5 hours)
  • Here’s where we parked: parking lot
  • Tip: The “parking lot” is run by a local who you will pay in cash. He actually was very helpful as we warned us of incoming weather. So, we hurried to the top, beating most of the weather until the last 5-10 minutes on the way down.
  • DO THIS HIKE. I can’t stress enough how incredible the hikes are in this are.
• Stop in Nusfjord (fishing town) and Reine
  • It was just neat to see these villages, although there isn’t much to do that’s free. You do have to pay for parking. I believe we just drove through Nusfjord, but actually parked in Reine.
  • I had wanted to do the Reinbringen Hike (1,600 stairs up to viewpoint) in Reine, but it was very cloudy so we ended up not. We got dinner instead!
• Check in by 9 p.m. at Lofton Beach Camp

July 17

• Drive 4 hours from Beach Camp to Evenes Airport
  • We made various stops along the way, just enjoying the views. We considered doing the Offersøykammen Hik (1 hour) but ended up not.
• Arrive at 2 p.m. at Evenes airport for car return.
• Depart for Oslo at 6 p.m.
• Land 7:40 p.m.
• Stay at Radisson Hotel and Conference Center at the airport.

July 15

• Depart Oslo at 8:20 a.m. to fly home!