The Inner Fjords Explorer

Begin your cruise in Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city and the Gateway to the Fjords. Explore the historic center around Vågen Bay, including the UNESCO-listed Bryggen quarter with its cobblestone streets and boutique shops. Visit the famous fish market across the bay and enjoy fresh seafood. After you board the ship, meet the Expedition Team and get familiar with your surroundings. Enjoy your first meal on board before the ship sets sail just before midnight. If you are still awake, watch Bergen recede from the deck as you head south towards the fjords of Norway.

Sail into Kvinnheradsfjord, a branch of the Hardangerfjord, and take in the steep mountain slopes, waterfalls and coastal scenery. Arrive in Rosendal, a village surrounded by orchards and the peaks of the Folgefonna Glacier. Visit Barony Rosendal, a 17th-century manor house with historic gardens. You can also explore local art galleries, enjoy coffee and home-baked treats at the garden café, or visit the Folgefonna National Park Center to learn about the region’s ice, rock and natural formations.

Please note: This is an explorer voyage, designed with the freedom to embrace scenic sailing. To give you the best possible experience, the Captain may adjust the route or the order of fjord visits in response to weather and light conditions.

The day today belongs to the Lysefjord, one of Norway’s most dramatic waterways. Towering cliffs rise more than 3,000ft (1,000m) above the sea, and from the deck you may glimpse Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock – a sheer plateau that has become an icon of Norway’s wild beauty. The fjord’s name, meaning “fjord of light”, reflects the pale granite walls that gleam in shifting weather, shaped by ice and time.

Later, you arrive in Stavanger, a lively coastal city where Viking heritage meets modern energy. The Old Town’s white wooden houses line cobbled streets filled with cafés and galleries, while the waterfront offers museums, seafood restaurants and space to wander. As it’s a weekday, this is an opportunity to browse the shops for souvenirs such as Norwegian design, wool sweaters and local crafts. Just offshore lies Flor og Fjære, a small island garden of subtropical blooms and even palm trees – an unexpected oasis in Norway’s otherwise rugged coastal world.

Please note: This is an explorer voyage, designed with the freedom to embrace scenic sailing. To give you the best possible experience, the Captain may adjust the route or the order of fjord visits in response to weather and light conditions.

Today you sail into the magnificent Hardangerfjord, often called the Queen of the Fjords, which stretches 100 miles (179 km). Its broad waters reach deep into the mountains, where glaciers glint above orchards and villages cling to the slopes. In spring, fruit trees burst into blossom while snow still crowns the peaks, and in autumn the ripe fruits hang from the boughs ready for harvest – a vision of Norway at its most poetic. It’s no surprise that so many artists and painters have come to find inspiration here over the centuries – one of the most famous paintings being the Bridal Procession on the Hardangerfjord, by Hans Gude and Adolph Tidemand.

At the fjord’s innermost reach lies Eidfjord, a tranquil village surrounded by sheer cliffs and tumbling rivers. Here, nature and culture intertwine; you might visit the Hardangervidda Nature Center, a gateway to Norway’s largest mountain plateau, or take an excursion to the mighty Vøringsfossen waterfall, which empties dramatically into a mist-shrouded gorge. The area’s deep valleys tell stories of farmers, fishermen and generations shaped by the fjord.

Please note: This is an explorer voyage, designed with the freedom to embrace scenic sailing. To give you the best possible experience, the Captain may adjust the route or the order of fjord visits in response to weather and light conditions.

Sailing into the Sognefjord is like following a silver thread into the very heart of the country. Known as the King of the Fjords, it stretches over 120 miles (200 km) inland – so deep that by the time you reach its end you are almost in the middle of Norway. Towering cliffs rise above still waters, their faces etched by glaciers and dotted with the remnants of abandoned farms and homesteads. These ruins bear silent witness to the generations who once carved a hard living from these steep slopes.    At the fjord’s innermost point lies Skjolden, a tranquil village framed by waterfalls and snow-capped peaks. This was once a retreat for philosophers and artists seeking solitude, including the scholar Ludwig Wittgenstein. From Skjolden, you can explore the mighty Jostedalsbreen Glacier – mainland Europe’s largest – or follow scenic trails through valleys and flowered meadows that lead toward ancient farmsteads.

A little farther along the fjord stands the UNESCO-listed Urnes Stave Church, Norway’s oldest, its wooden carvings blending Viking artistry with Christian symbolism. Standing before its weathered timbers, surrounded by mountains, you sense the deep continuity of life along these shores, where faith, craftsmanship and landscape have been intertwined for nearly a thousand years.

Please note: This is an explorer voyage, designed with the freedom to embrace scenic sailing. To give you the best possible experience, the Captain may adjust the route or the order of fjord visits in response to weather and light conditions.

Arriving in Ålesund, you’ll find one of Norway’s most beautiful and distinctive coastal cities. Rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1904, Ålesund rose again in the graceful curves and pastel hues of Art Nouveau architecture – turrets, towers and floral details reflected in the surrounding waters. The town’s setting is just as striking: a cluster of islands framed by mountains and sea, with views that unfold in every direction.

Wander the cobbled streets and waterfront cafés or visit the Jugendstilsenteret Museum to learn how European design movements shaped this northern gem. For a sweeping panorama, climb the steps to Mount Aksla, where the city’s intricate plan and the Sunnmøre Alps reveal themselves below. If time allows sample local seafood or browse small boutiques selling Norwegian crafts.

Please note: This is an explorer voyage, designed with the freedom to embrace scenic sailing. To give you the best possible experience, the Captain may adjust the route or the order of fjord visits in response to weather and light conditions.

The approach to Nordfjord is among the most scenic in Norway. Stretching over 60 miles (100 km) inland, it links the open sea to glacier-carved valleys and mirror-bright lakes. The fjord’s sheltered waters once carried Viking ships and trading vessels; today, it reveals a gentler rhythm of life where red boathouses, pastures and forested slopes line the shore. Steep mountains rise abruptly from the water, their tops dusted with snow well into spring, while waterfalls descend in silver threads from high plateaus.

At the fjord’s innermost reach lies Olden, a peaceful village framed by the turquoise waters of the Oldeelva River and the mighty Jostedalsbreen Glacier, the largest on mainland Europe. From here, you can take excursions into the valley, visiting glacial lakes and viewpoints where ice, rock and meadow meet. Whether you wander the waterfront or join an excursion inland, Olden captures the stillness and splendor of Norway’s inner heart.

Please note: This is an explorer voyage, designed with the freedom to embrace scenic sailing. To give you the best possible experience, the Captain may adjust the route or the order of fjord visits in response to weather and light conditions.

You arrive back in Bergen this morning, returning to the Gateway to the Fjords after your journey deep into Norway’s Western Fjords. The harbor greets you with its familiar wooden wharves, mountain peaks and the scent of sea air. If you didn’t see Bryggen on your first visit, now’s the time to explore its UNESCO-listed alleyways, where merchants once traded goods from across the world.

You might also stroll over to the fish market, visit local museums or ride the Fløibanen funicular for a sweeping view over city and sea. As you say goodbye on the quayside to your ship, crew and any newfound friends, take a moment to feel the rhythm of Bergen’s harbor life – it’s the same pulse that beats along the entire Norwegian coast. Reflect on the voyage behind you: fjords that shimmered beneath spring blossom or fall gold, waterfalls, quiet villages, and the vast stillness of sea and sky.

By the time you head home, you’ll have traced a route not only through the fjords, but into the living heart of Norway itself. You hope to see you again on your next adventure!