Experience a Western Norwegian adventure
The route between Stavanger and Bergen and inland takes you along majestic fjords and magnificent landscapes.
Travel route in Western Norway: Stavanger - Bergen - Eidfjord - Sand
Want to experience some of Western Norway’s most famous fjords and landscapes in a single trip? The Stavanger - Bergen - Eidfjord - Sand route takes you through fjord landscapes, historic small towns and bustling cities.
Along the way, you experience everything from spectacular viewpoints and waterfalls to cultural history, mountain hikes and fjordside towns. The route starts with two of Norway’s biggest cities before continuing to the Hardangerfjord and further through Ryfylke.
You can travel between Stavanger and Bergen by plane, bus, boat or car. The flight takes around 40 minutes, while the coastal bus takes around five hours. You can also travel by boat between the cities with the Fjord Line, which takes around five and a half hours.
Start your adventure in Stavanger
Stavanger is a great starting point for exploring Western Norway. Here you'll find city life, history and nature experiences close to the city centre.
Thon Hotels has three hotels in Stavanger: T hon Hotel Stavanger, Thon Hotel Maritim and Thon Hotel Stavanger Forum. The hotels are located either in the city centre or close to Stavanger Forum and IMI Forum. If possible, spend a few days in the city before heading north towards Bergen.
Experiences in the Stavanger area
From Stavanger, you can easily take a detour to Hafrsfjord, where the 'Swords in rock' monument is located. The monument marks the battle in which Harald Fairhair united Norway into a single kingdom in the year 872.
Another popular destination is Preikestolen, located 604 metres above Lysefjorden. The viewpoint is said to be one of Norway’s most famous mountain destinations.
From Stavanger to Bergen
When driving between Stavanger and Bergen, you take the E39 motorway heading north. The drive takes four to five hours and passes through lush coastal landscapes with fjord branches and green hills.
Along the way, you'll have to take a ferry from Mortavika to Arsvågen, a crossing that takes around 25 minutes.
You can also take a detour to Karmøy, an area rich in history from both the Viking and Middle Ages.
Sites along the way:
- Åkrasanden, one of Norway’s most famous sandy beaches
- Skudeneshavn, a well-preserved boathouse town
Stop in Haugesund
Just north of Karmøy is Haugesund, a city known for both the Norwegian Film Festival and Sildajazz jazz festival. The city centre has restaurants, shops and cafés. Just outside the city is Haraldshaugen, a national monument erected in memory of Harald Fairhair.
If you want to spend the night, you can stay at Thon Hotel Saga, located in the centre of Haugesund.
Experience Bergen
The drive from Haugesund to Bergen takes around three hours. Along the way, there is a ferry from Sandvikvåg to Halhjem, which takes about 45 minutes.
Founded in 1070, Bergen was the largest city in the Nordic region for centuries. Today, it is Norway’s second largest city and one of the country’s most popular destinations.
Some of its best-known attractions:
- Bryggen
- Fisketorget
- Fløibanen
In Bergen, you'll find several Thon hotels, whether you want to stay in the city or just outside the city centre.
Norheimsund and Hardangerfjord
From Bergen, the route continues towards the Hardangerfjord. After around an hour and 20 minutes by car, you reach Norheimsund, a small fjordside town.
Here you can stay at Thon Hotel Sandven,a historic hotel from 1857 located down by the water.
A stone's throw away is Steinsdalsfossen, one of Norway’s most popular waterfalls. Here you can follow a trail behind the waterfall and experience the water up close.
Norheimsund is also home to the Hardanger Maritime Centre, where you can see how traditional wooden boats are built.
Hardanger Bridge and Vøringsfossen
The route continues over Hardanger Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspension bridges, with a span of 1380 metres.
At the very end of the fjord i Eidfjord, a small town surrounded by mountains and water.
If you continue along national road 7, you reach Vøringsfossen, one of Norway’s most famous waterfalls. It has a fall of 182 metres and is a popular stop when travelling through Hardanger.
Orchards and mountain hikes in Hardanger
Further south in Hardanger are Kinsarvik and Lofthus, areas known for fruit and berry cultivation.
You can also hike along Dronningstien, a mountain trail named after Queen Sonja. The trail goes up to around 1,100 metres above sea level and offers views of the fjord, glaciers and orchards.
Trolltunga and Folgefonna
On your way to Odda, you can take a detour to Trolltunga, one of Norway’s most famous mountain formations. The hike is demanding and takes a full day, but the views of the fjord are spectacular.
In the same area, you can also go on a glacier hike on Folgefonna, Norway’s third largest glacier.
Continuing to Sand in Ryfylke
From Odda, the trip continues through Oddadalen, where you pass several waterfalls, including Låtefossen.
When you arrive at Røldal, you can visit the Røldal Stave Church from the 1200s.
From here, you take national road 13 to Suldal, an area with fjords, mountains and lots of hiking trails.
Destination Sand
The trip ends in the small town of Sand in Ryfylke, famous for its wooden houses.
Here you can walk over Høse Bridge, a walkway that crosses the Suldalslågen, one of Norway’s most famous salmon rivers, where you can also go on a guided salmon tour.