Norwegian Fjords by Private Yacht

Flåm and the Flåm Railway

After breakfast, the picturesque village of Flåm — wedged between steep mountains, tumbling waterfalls and narrow valleys. In spring and summer, giant cruise liners glide up the slender fjord and moor at its pier.

Then the Flåm Railway up to the mountain village of Myrdal, one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world. You can ride back by train, but we recommend descending by mountain bike to take in the valley at your own pace.

Lunch at a local pub: Bergen fish soup, Norwegian rullepølse or fish dumplings, with a delicate nut cake for dessert. Later, the Stegastein viewpoint suspended high above the Aurlandsfjord and the historic Otternes mountain farm.

Aboard the yacht: Nærøyfjord and Sognefjord

Your driver collects you at the hotel and takes you to the quay, where a private yacht is waiting. Ahead lie 60 nautical miles and three to six hours of cruising through Norway’s most celebrated fjords.

First is the Nærøyfjord, one of the wildest and most beautiful arms of the Sognefjord and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005. The passage is among the most dramatic in Europe: 17 kilometres between the cliffs, only 250 metres wide at its narrowest point.

Along the way: sheer snow-capped peaks, roaring waterfalls, tiny farms clinging to the slopes and the villages of Undredal, Stivi and Gudvangen. In the afternoon two more fjords, the Sognefjord and Lustrafjord, and in the evening the yacht moors near the village of Solvorn.

Lærdal and Fjærland: the glaciers

Past glaciers and mountains, the yacht slips by the charming village of Lærdal and heads for Fjærland — Norway’s first “book town” and home to the Norwegian Glacier Museum. Here a narrow fjord with steep, forested slopes runs right up to the mighty Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier in Europe.

Then on to Bøyabreen, one of its most accessible arms. Spend the day with a guide among Fjærland’s second-hand bookshops, or take to the air: a helicopter flight over the glacier and fjords is one of the most powerful moments of the trip.

Today’s distance is 70–100 nautical miles; the passage takes between 3.5 and 8 hours.

Balestrand → Bergen

Over breakfast the yacht threads the Fjærlandsfjord to the little town of Balestrand, known for its late-19th-century St Olaf’s Church, historic “dragon-style” villas and statues of Viking kings. Step ashore to explore the town and taste local produce — Ciderhuset cider and Kviknes wines.

In the afternoon a long passage to the idyllic Finnafjord, and late in the evening the yacht returns to Bergen. Today covers 100–120 nautical miles, six to eight hours under way.