Norway: Day cruise on the Sognefjord (to Balestrand-Fjærland)

Hi there, We’re heading to Norway in May for a self-drive trip around the Bergen area, and we’d love to do a few-hour cruise on the Sognefjord—especially on the day we’ll be near Balestrand-Fjærland. I can’t find any reliable info (the *Routard* guide doesn’t say much except that it’s expensive!). Any ideas? Where should I look or ask? Do we need to book in advance?... Thanks for any tips!

Good evening,

The company Norled runs daily shuttles in the Sognefjord from Bergen to Flåm and back, passing through Balestrand. But you’ll need to budget much more than "a few hours."

The classic option is the cruise in the Nærøyfjord—a UNESCO World Heritage site—from Flåm to Gudvangen and back (two hours each way). But you’ll need to get to Flåm, or better yet Aurlandsvangen, which is much quieter. See here. Rest assured, this cruise is very popular (maybe less so in May).

A huge thank you! I went to check it out, and it's exactly the kind of cruise I was looking for. I could only find long cruises, but I'd heard about round-trip day cruises we could do. Thanks so much for your help.

One more little question: when you say 'very crowded—maybe less so in May,' does that mean it’s so packed that it’s not worth the time/money, and I’d be better off looking for hikes or other things to do along the way? (We’ll have a car. Thanks so much.

In May, I’m not sure. Either way, I think it’s best to book in advance and avoid Flåm if possible.