Majestic fjords, the icy Arctic Circle and pristine cities come together to create the magnificent country of Norway, where life is lived at the highest standard in plummeting temperatures and endless summer nights.
Experience stunning wilderness and picturesque cities on your tour of Norway
Tours of Norway begin and end in Oslo and the tiny town of Longyearbyen, which is the centre of tourism for the Svalbard archipelago. Activities are largely focused on the incredible nature Norway has to offer, with tours to the North Pole Barneo Ice Camp, presentations and lectures from wildlife experts, included fjord cruises, polar plunges and wood-fired saunas in Skibotn, scenic drives over Geirangerfjord and the Arctic Circle, visits to the Arctic Circle Centre and organised hikes enjoying spectacular fjord scenery.
All transport is organised between private coaches, trains, ferries and cruise ships, as well as cruise ship tours, artic expeditions, and pre-reserved scheduled rail tickets. Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world, and that extends to independent travel – making the discounted rates offered for additional activities and shopping on tours a huge plus.
Returning from the wilderness travellers enjoy knowledgeable guided tours of Bergen and Oslo, orientations of historic Bryygen and Lillehammer, and stopovers in Hell, Korgen, numerous scenic villages and stave churches. Optional excursions in tour comparison Norway include kayaking, snowshoeing, husky dog sledding, Olympic bobsled riding, the Edvard Munch Museum, bicycle tours, the Viking Museum, Fram polar ships and trawler king crab fishing.
To explore further afield, tours visiting Norway offer combinations with other parts of Scandinavia, Russia, Scotland and Europe. There are also specialised Spitsbergen tours so you can experience all this icy island has to offer.
Itching to plan your trip? Take a look at our tour comparison Norway and find the right itinerary for you.
Want a taste of that insider Norway tourism knowledge we mentioned before? We have collected the best facts from real life tour guides. Impress them on tour with how much you already know.
- Norway is part of Scandinavia, and touches several bodies of water from its northern position, including the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Skagerrak Channel.
- Norway is home to Europe’s most northerly point in Nordkapp and the world’s northernmost town Longyearbyen.
- The Arctic Circle passes through the island of Vikingen, and is therefore a prime spot for seeing the midnight sun.
- Some of Norway’s most prominent natural landmarks include Mount Aksla, postcard-famous Geirangerfjord and Sognefjord, the birdlife at Vega and Bear Island, the scenic Lofoten Islands, and the island of Spitsbergen on the Svalbard archipelago.
- Norway’s is also home to a collection of well-kept cities and towns, such as Bergen, known for medieval houses and salmon restaurants, art nouveau Ålesund, the urban capital of Oslo where quality of life is some of the best in the world, the holiday resort Voss, and the Viking Age history-heavy Trondheim.
- The 1994 Winter Olympics were held in Lillehammer, which remains a prime ski resort with picturesque alpine scenery.
- Playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Ludvig Holberg, writers Gunnar Staalesen and Olav Duun, sculptor Gustav Vigeland, and artists Johan Dahl and Edvard Munch – who painted ‘The Scream’ – were all Norwegian.
- Norway is home to the indigenous Sami people, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society
- Viking Harald Fairhair was the first king of Norway, reigning from 872 to 930 AD according to medieval historians.
- Some well-known Norwegian explorers include Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen and Thor Heyerdahl, who travelled from South America to the Polynesian islands on raft Kon-Tiki.
- Trænafestivalen, held annually on the island of Træna off the west coast of Norway, is one of the world’s most remote festivals.
- King Penguin Nils Olav III is the third Nils Olav penguin to reside in Edinburgh Zoo, and holds a special place in the Norwegian army, even being awarded a knighthood!
- Composers Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull, singer Sondre Lerche, band A-ha, pianist Leif Ove Andsnes and Black Metal music all come from Norway.
- Olympic athletes Ole Einar Bjørndalen and Thomas Alsgaard, and footballers Tore André Flo, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Henning Berg.
- The Norwegian women’s handball team are huge crowd favourites in Norway and are regarded as the finest women’s national team in the world, with two Olympic gold medals, three World Championship titles, and a record seven European trophies.
- Statoil, Norsk Hydro, Fred Olsen, Helly Hansen clothing and Hurtigruten are all Norwegian companies.
- Norwegian inventions include the paperclip, the cheese slicer, binded skis, mineral fertiliser, the aerosol spray can.
- Norway have won the most Winter Olympic medals of any country in the world.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
