Fjord Magic is a round trip by train, bus and boat organised by the company 62°NORD. Starting at Oslo Central Station or Oslo Airport Gardermoen, the train takes you through the beautiful landscape of the Gudbrandsdalen Valley and further to Åndalsnes.
From Åndalsenes the Fjord Magic bus takes you up the incredible Trollstigen Mountain Road. As the bus slowly descends the 11 hairpin bends of the Trollstigen Mountain Road, you are amazed by the dramatic view. There is a short stop here so that you can stretch your legs and take photos.
Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road)
The trip proceeds to the small town of Geiranger via the narrow Ørneveien Road with hairpin bends. From its view point you see waterfalls diving into the green fjord, the mountain farms Knivsflå and Skageflå perched on small mountain shelves and the cruise ships on their way to Geiranger.
The Geirangerfjord
Cruising on the Geirangerfjord is without doubt one of the highlights of the tour. In 2005, the Geirangerfjord was included in UNESCO's World Heritage listing, and in November 2006 it was voted no. 1 by National Geographic Traveller Magazine
among all the National Heritage sites world-wide.
- The boat trip on the Geirangerfjord was a dream come true with sunshine and stunning scenery. It was particularly interesting to see the farm at Matvika. It’s hard to imagine that people have actually lived in such a secluded place until recently, says Takako Fujiki from Japan.
Hellesylt
After the splendid boat trip on the Geirangerfjord, you rejoin the bus in the village of Hellesylt with its lovely waterfall and stone bridge. From Hellesylt the bus heads towards the historic Hotel Union Øye and the Hjørundfjord, driving through the wild and beautiful Nordangsdalen Valley with its underwater village.
Lake Lygnstøylsvatnet - an underwater village
A whole village lies beneath Lake Lygnstøylsvatnet’s surface. In 1908 a landslide cut of the entire valley and the small village that stood here was slowly flooded.
- You get to see so much on the Fjord Magic trip. Lake Lygnstøylsvatnet with its underwater village was particularly interesting, says Marie Byrne from the USA.
Hotel Union Øye
Shortly after Lake Lygnstøylsvatnet, the bus drives past the historic Hotel Union Øye. Hotel Union Øye was established in 1891 in order to cater for the increase in tourism of the late nineteenth century. The old guestbooks show names like King Oscar II, King Haakon, Queen Maud, Queen Wilhelmina, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg.
A few minutes after passing Hotel Union Øye, it is time for your second fjord cruise.
Whilst cruising on the Hjørundfjord to Ålesund, you enjoy fantastic views of Sunnmørsalpene, with snow-capped peaks and glaciers.
For your return trip you have several options:
- Stay a couple of nights in Ålesund
- Take the train back to Oslo: Stay overnight in Ålesund, and take the bus after lunch from Ålesund to Åndalsnes. Continue by train from Åndalsnes to Oslo with late evening arrival.
- Take Hurtigruten (The Norwegian Coastal Voyage) to Bergen: Overnight stay onboard the Hurtigruten ship from Ålesund at midnight to Bergen with arrival after lunch. Overnight stay in Bergen or take the Bergen Railway to Oslo with late evening arrival.
- Flight from Ålesund: Choose between direct flights from Ålesund to Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen or Stavanger.
Facts
- You can stop and rejoin the bus as you choose, so you can tailor the trip exactly to your needs – use one day or up to a week.
- Hop on - hop off possibilities at Åndalsnes, Valldal, Eidsdal, Geiranger, Hellesylt, Nordangsdalen Valley, Hotel Union Øia, the Hjørundfjord, Trandal and Ålesund