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The Railway Touring Company · Escorted tour

Rail and Fjords of Norway

Twelve-day Norwegian fjords and steam railways from Oslo to Ålesund

Illustration of Rail and Fjords of Norway

The Railway Touring Company's 12-day Rail and Fjords of Norway tour is an escorted journey through some of Europe's finest rail routes and most dramatic landscapes. Starting in Oslo and ending in Ålesund, the tour combines travel on seven named trains, including four preserved steam railways and the electric Flåm Railway, one of the world's steepest, with two major fjord cruises and stays in five Norwegian towns. A Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, coordinating all transfers, meals, and activities. Days feel mixed: some are devoted to train journeys across mountains and through forests; others offer cruises on Sognefjord and the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord; still others include time in cities like Oslo and Bergen to explore museums, heritage railways, and local sights. The pace is relaxed, with most stops lasting one to three nights. This trip suits repeat rail travellers drawn to heritage lines, photographers keen on scenic rail routes, history lovers interested in vintage locomotives and railway museums, and anyone seeking a fully organised holiday with a knowledgeable guide.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure listed: July 2026. Confirm availability and other dates with The Railway Touring Company.
  • The ground-only price (£2,745) excludes rail or flight services from the UK and transfers on the first and last days; the from-price (£2,895) includes return flights from London Gatwick.
  • Day 7 involves a cruise from Bergen to Stavanger; luggage travels separately by coach and meets you in Stavanger.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Oslo

    Tour of Oslo

    You take a morning flight from London Gatwick to Oslo and check in to your hotel for a 3-night stay. In the afternoon you have a sightseeing tour of this rapidly developing city. Norway has eighteen hours of daylight at this time of year and your tour takes full advantage.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Oslo

    Steam on the Krøderbanen and Urskog-Hølandsbanen railways

    Today you take a private road coach to Krøderen and join a steam-hauled train with teak carriages on the Krøderbanen, Norway's longest preserved railway line. You'll travel 26 km to Vikersund and back. In the afternoon your road coach takes you to Sørumsand for a chartered trip aboard a steam-hauled train on the Urskog-Hølandsbanen line, a 750mm gauge preserved railway once part of the Oslo-Stockholm main line, with photographic run pasts staged. You return to your hotel in Oslo in time for dinner.

  3. Day 3overnight: Oslo

    Free day to explore Oslo

    Today you have a free day to explore all that Oslo has to offer. As well as the Bygdøy Royal Estate, the peninsula has five national museums: The Viking Ship Museum, the Fram Museum, the Norwegian Folk Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum and the Norwegian Maritime Museum. You also have the option to visit the Royal Opera House and the Royal Palace, plus many other places of interest.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Bergen

    Spectacular mountains and fjords en route to Bergen

    Today you leave Oslo on the morning train to Bergen for one of the greatest railway journeys in the world. The route climbs to high altitude at 1,303 metres, passing lush forests, snow-capped mountains, sparkling lakes, and thundering waterfalls. After Finse, the highest station on the line, your train continues across barren and windswept mountain plateaux with everlasting snow, through tunnels and beside deep fjords as you descend to Bergen, arriving mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is free for sightseeing in Bergen, a UNESCO World Heritage city surrounded by hills and fjords, including the old city, the fish market, the busy quayside, and the home of Edvard Grieg. Bergen will be your base for the next three nights. Dinner is not included this evening.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Bergen

    Cruise on Sognefjord and riding the Flåm Railway

    Bergen is the gateway to the fjords and today you board a ship for a cruise along the Sognefjord, Norway's largest fjord at over 200 km, to Balestrand and Flåm. You arrive at Flåm for lunch ashore, before an afternoon ride on the electric Flåm Railway, one of the steepest railway lines in the world, climbing 865 metres in 20 kilometres through spectacular scenery to Myrdal Station, with a stop at the Kjosfossen waterfall for photos. You then change trains at Myrdal for the journey back to Bergen. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Bergen

    Bergen and Garnes to Midttun

    After a free morning to explore Bergen, you transfer mid-afternoon by road coach to the Gamle Vossebanen, a heritage railway near Garnes. Here you join a chartered train from Garnes to Midttun, and return hauled by an ex-main line steam locomotive, an 18 km line with photographic run pasts staged through the Arna Valley. Later you return to Bergen by road coach for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

  7. Day 7overnight: Stavanger

    Cruise to Stavanger

    Today you have a free morning to explore Bergen, before travelling by road coach to Bergen Harbour to join an early afternoon ferry for Stavanger, enjoying a relaxing cruise through the calm coastal waters of the south-western islands, with an inclusive light buffet dinner served on-board. Your luggage will travel separately by coach. On arrival into Stavanger Harbour, you transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Kristiansand

    Free morning in Stavanger: Train to Kristiansand

    You can enjoy a free morning in Stavanger, before re-grouping at the hotel for a group lunch. Following lunch, you meet in the hotel reception with your luggage for a transfer by road coach to Stavanger railway station, where you board a train for Kristiansand. Your luggage remains on the coach and will meet you in Kristiansand for your overnight stay.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Hamar

    The Setesdalsbanen Narrow Gauge Railway

    This morning after breakfast you travel by road coach to Grovane to join a steam charter train on the Setesdalsbanen, a 1067mm narrow-gauge railway with some rare locomotives, including two Dubbs tank locomotives built in 1894. Later you join a regular train from Kristiansand to Hamar for an overnight stay.

  10. Day 10railovernight: Ålesund

    Hamar Railway Museum; Hamar to Åndalsnes via Dombas on the Rauma line

    This morning you visit the National Railway Museum at Hamar to view the national collection and take a trip on their steam operated museum line. Early afternoon you travel by train to Andalsnes via Dombas, covering the Rauma line, awarded the most beautiful railway line in Europe by Lonely Planet in 2022 and featured in the film Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning. On arrival in Andalsnes you transfer by road coach to Ålesund, Norway's fishing capital, where you'll spend the next two nights, with dinner served in the hotel.

  11. Day 11overnight: Ålesund

    Cruise the Geirangerfjord

    Today, you experience a full day's cruise along the Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of Norway's most spectacular fjords, famous for its high scenic waterfalls. You should arrive back in Ålesund by the early evening, with plenty of time to explore this Art Nouveau seaside town. Dinner is again served in the hotel.

  12. Day 12rail

    Return to London

    You transfer by road coach from Ålesund to Andalsnes to join a service train to Oslo Airport for a late afternoon flight back to London.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Steam-hauled train on the Krøderbanen, Norway's longest preserved railway, with teak carriages, running 26 km to Vikersund.
  • Day 4Oslo-Bergen train climbs to 1,303 metres through lush forests, snow-capped mountains, sparkling lakes, and thundering waterfalls.
  • Day 5Cruise on Sognefjord, Norway's largest fjord, followed by the Flåm Railway, one of the steepest in the world, climbing 865 metres in 20 kilometres.
  • Day 10The Rauma line from Dombås to Åndalsnes, awarded Europe's most beautiful railway line by Lonely Planet in 2022.
  • Day 11Full-day cruise on Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its high scenic waterfalls.

Included

  • Return flights London to Oslo
  • 11 nights hotel accommodation in 3 and 4-star hotels including breakfasts
  • 2 Lunches
  • 9 Dinners
  • Rail travel as detailed in the itinerary
  • All transfers
  • Cruises and excursions as advertised
  • The services of a Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

Is the train travel included?
Yes. The from-price includes rail travel as detailed in the itinerary: seven named trains including the Oslo-Bergen line, Flåm Railway, Rauma line, and four preserved steam railways. The ground-only option excludes rail fares from the UK but includes all Norwegian rail legs.
Is this an escorted tour or independent?
It is an escorted tour. The Railway Touring Company provides a Tour Manager throughout, and all transfers, cruises, museum visits, and most meals are included and arranged.
Which trains are featured?
The Krøderbanen (steam, teak carriages), Urskog-Hølandsbanen (750mm gauge, steam), Bergen Line (Oslo-Bergen), Flåm Railway (electric), Gamle Vossebanen (steam), Setesdalsbanen (1067mm narrow gauge, steam), Rauma Line (Dombås-Åndalsnes), and a museum line at Hamar.
What hotels are included?
The itinerary includes 3 nights in Oslo, 3 in Bergen, 1 in Stavanger, 1 in Kristiansand, 1 in Hamar, and 2 in Ålesund, in three and four-star hotels. Breakfasts are included daily.
When does the tour run?
One departure is listed for July 2026. The operator may offer other dates; confirm directly with The Railway Touring Company.
What meals are included?
Breakfasts daily, 2 lunches, and 9 dinners are included. A light buffet dinner is served on the ferry from Bergen to Stavanger on Day 7.

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