Road Trip in Norway: Driving from Bergen to Oslo

A road trip in Norway is a thing of beauty. We experienced driving from Bergen to Oslo and were awed. So, I thought of documenting our magical journey for other travelers to perfectly plan this road trip.

Read More: 7 Days in Norway Itinerary

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. That means if you click and buy something, I may earn a teeny-weeny commission (think chai money, not a private jet) at no extra cost to you. It’s a small way to keep this blog running, the words flowing, and the pages free for you to enjoy. I only recommend things I truly love, use, or secretly wish I invented, because trust matters, and so do good recs. Thanks for supporting the little cozy corner of the internet I call my virtual home.

Road Trip in Norway: Driving from Bergen to Oslo

I’m a sucker for great train journeys and great road journeys and great plane journeys and….alrighty… great journeys at large 🙂

This is why I mix up all modes of transportation into a single journey for an all-inclusive experience.

I had heard a lot about the Oslo-Bergen train and how it’s one of the most scenic train journeys in Norway.

We booked the much-talked-about journey from Oslo to Bergen by train on the scenic Bergen Railway thusly.

Find deals on the best hotels in Bergen

Meanwhile, my curiosity was piqued, and I thought how wonderful it would be to experience the same route by car.

I mean, a road journey or self-drive from Oslo to Bergen would let you take in the super gorgeous Norwegian scenery up close, unlike the train journey.

You can stop wherever and whenever you want. You can click as many pictures as you want. You can spend as much time as you want at the location you like best. Isn’t it?

That’s how I ended up planning a return journey from Bergen to Oslo by road.

Now that I’ve experienced both the train from Oslo to Bergen and the drive from Bergen to Oslo, I can pretty much answer all your queries about how to get from Oslo to Bergen or the other way around.

Related Read: Renting a Car in Europe

We absolutely rely on and recommend Discover Cars for car rentals wherever you go.

Why Take a Road Trip in Norway?

Norway is untamed, wild, and beautiful. It’s insanely gorgeous at any time of day.

Nature never leaves you here, I mean, even cities and urban areas are lush. The country, for sure, is a nature lover’s dream.

Road-tripping across Norway is the perfect way to experience its wild and rugged beauty.

We witnessed hundreds of fjords, glaciers, and lakes as we traveled across Norway.

There’s more water than you can ever cruise by boat. No wonder 99% of Norway’s power comes from hydropower.

The Norwegian road trip in summer is all the more magical because 24-hour daylight (Midnight sun) gives you more time to explore.

Driving from Bergen to Oslo

The drive from Bergen to Oslo lets you experience the striking mountain passes and out-of-this-world (literally) fjord countryside.

The drive takes about 7 to 9 hours, depending on the route you follow.

There are quite a number of routes to choose from while traveling from Bergen to Oslo or Oslo to Bergen, each more beautiful than the next.

I researched all the possible routes and felt at sea about which one to take. There are endless detours that lead you to one or the other gorgeous locations, but you can’t have the best of both worlds, or maybe you can 😉

Anyhow, after exhausting research, I realized that essentially there are two main routes – E16 and E134, with umpteen deviations like Rv7, Fv50, Rv52, Rv51, Rv55, and many others.

Suggested Read: 3-Week Nordics Itinerary

I have tried to explain the routes based on my personal research while planning a road trip from Bergen to Oslo.

Whichever route you choose, make sure to set aside time (add an extra hour or so to your journey) for the beautiful attractions along the way.

Route RV7 via Hardangervidda

Bergen – Voss – Eidfjord – Geilo – Gol – Oslo

The shortest route from Bergen to Oslo and vice versa, it takes a little over 7 hours.

On this route, you get an opportunity to drive through parts designated as a National Tourist Route.

You can take a slight detour to Norheimsund from Granvin to see Steinsdalsfossen Waterfall. It’ll add another hour to your entire trip duration, but that’s totally worth it.

What’s so unique about Steinsdalsfossen? Well, there’s a wooden walkway just behind the waterfall that lets you feel the waterfall up close without getting wet.

Another detour from Granvin (about 35 km) takes you to Øystese village, where you can see the old suspension bridge, Fyksesund Bridge, dating back to 1937.

The Hardangervidda Route offers gorgeously stunning vistas that make you stop your car again and again before you coax yourself to reach your final destination on time.

Related Read: Best Places to Visit in Norway with Kids

With an 182-meter fall, Vøringsfossen Waterfall, falling beautifully into a steep and narrow valley of Måbødalen, is a sight to behold.

The view, however, requires an easy hike from the parking.

Alternatively, you can drive up to the Hotel Fossil (a slight detour from Rv7) to get a 360-degree view of Måbødalen Valley and Vøringsfossen waterfall.

Hardanger Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspension bridges, crosses the Hardangerfjord. With a separate lane for pedestrians and bikers, it definitely becomes an impressive sight to marvel at the views of Hardangerfjord and the mountains.

You’ll pass through a natural area of Hallingdal, popular among skiers and hikers.

Gol Stave Church, located in Gordarike Family Park, is a replica of the original Gol Stave Church in Hallingdal, built in the 11th century. You can see the original Gol stavkirke at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy in Oslo.

You must spend some time at Bear Park in Flå if you’re traveling with kids.

Gardnos Meteorite Crater in Nesbyen is another attraction along this route. You can take a guided tour to explore the park.

If you’ve got time on your hands, I’d suggest you take a detour to visit Hardangervidda National Park, Norway’s largest national park.

Route E16 via Filefjell

Bergen – Voss – Gudvangen – Flam – Borgund – Fagerness – Oslo

This route takes about 8 hours. The lærdal tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world, is a unique feature of this route.

In fact, this route also takes you through Norway’s second-longest tunnel, the Gudvangen Tunnel.

The route offers some of the most visited and thus, most crowded (especially in the summer) places like Flam, Aurland, and Gudvangen.

Take a slight detour from E16 to drive one of Northern Europe’s steepest roads, Stalheimskleiva Road.

Starting from Nærøydalen Valley, a 1.5 km-long stretch of road with 13 hairpin bends snakes its way up the mountainside, passing two gushing waterfalls on either side (Sivlefossen and Stalheimsfossen) to reach the top of the village of Stalheim.

Gudvangen, a tiny and charming Viking village, is full of limitless beauty. Located by the Nærøyfjord, it has quite a few attractions in and around.

You can visit the Viking town of Njardarheim, gawk at Kjelfossen waterfall, or just sit and relax at one of the cafes or restaurants at Gudvangen Fjordtell by the fjord.

If you haven’t explored Flam, spend a day here to enjoy its world-famous attractions – Ride the world’s steepest rail trips with Flam Railway to Myrdal, or take a fjord cruise to marvel at the beauty of Sognefjord, Nærøyfjord, and Aurlandsfjord, or take a trip to Undredal, located in Aurlandsfjord.

At about 25 meters, Lærdalstunellen (Lærdal tunnel) is not only the longest tunnel in Norway but also the longest in the world, making it an attraction in itself.

Driving such a long route through a tunnel can be monotonous and scary (it was for me at least). The tunnel is thoughtfully lit with blue and yellow lights to keep you awake and active during the drive.

Borgund Stave Church in the municipality of Lærdal is Norway’s best-preserved medieval stave church. It’s a museum now and well worth a stop.

A slight detour before the Laerdal tunnel takes you to this amazing viewpoint with insanely gorgeous views across the Aurlandsfjord, Stegastein viewpoint. You have to do this any which way. We visited here during our stay in Flam.

Einangsteinen (Einang Stone), a runestone, is another attraction along the E16 just before Fagernes.

Route E134 via Haukeli

Bergen – Odda – Haukeli – Drammen – Oslo

This route takes a little over 8 hours and presents a chance to witness the second-longest fjord after Sognefjord, Hardangerfjord.

You can also stop by Heddal Stave Church on the way.

There are a few detours from the E134 that let you see some of the beautiful attractions in Norway – Rosendal Barony, Langfoss waterfall, Gaustatoppen, and Rjukan.

If the Trolltunga hike is on your mind, this route is for you. You can book a stay at Tyssedal or Odda.

Note: This route includes ferries.

Route Fv50 via Aurland – Hol

This again is a bit of a deviation from E16. Just after crossing the river Aurlandselvi, you take a roundabout; rather than taking the 2nd exit to Laedar Tunnel, you take the 1st exit to Havsdalsvegen.

This route takes around 8 hours and 10 minutes.

Bergen – Voss – Gudvangen – Flåm – Aurland – Hol – Gol – Oslo

Some of the most famous and beautiful fjords in Norway – Nærøyfjord, Sognefjord, and Aurlandsfjord- ceaselessly accompany you en route.

We traveled through so many long tunnels in Norway that I lost count. This route alone passes through 8 to 9 long tunnels.

Check out the Vassbygdvatnet lake near Aurland.

Essential Reading: The Train from Oslo to Bergen

Route Rv52 via Hemsedal

You drive the E16 route a little further from Borgund, then take the 1st exit at the roundabout onto Hamsedalsvegen to get onto Rv52.

Bergen – Voss – Gudvangen – Flam – Borgund – Hemsedal – Flå – Oslo

This route takes around 7 hours.

The unique attractions on the way include the ski center in Hemsedal, epitheted as the Alps of Scandinavia, Rjukan Falls (Rjukandefossen), Hydnefossen Falls, and Hydalen, a protected landscape region.

Find deals on the best hotels in Oslo

Tyrifjorden

You pass Norway’s fifth-largest lake, Tyrifjorden, or Lake Tyri, on most of the routes from Bergen to Oslo or Oslo to Bergen.

Which Route Did We Take?

We explored Gudvangen, Filefjell, Borgund, Lærdal, and Odda during our time in Flam.

Thus, we chose to drive the Hardangervidda route, and it was an utter delight.

Related Read: Best Things to do in Oslo with Kids

Renting a Car in Bergen, Norway

You won’t need a car to get around Bergen. Buses, as well as Bybanen (Bergen Light Rail), are simple and easy to use to get to nearly anywhere in the city.

However, you’d need a car if you plan (which you must) to explore the fjords and mountains outside of Bergen, the Gateway to the fjords of Norway.

Book a Rental Car in Bergen

We rented a manual car (automatics are scarce and expensive) in Bergen, explored some famous and amazing sights outside Bergen for a few days, and then drove the scenic route to Oslo. The entire trip was hassle-free and fun because we didn’t have to worry about transportation.

However, the downside is that it’s a one-way rental, which means you pick up at one place and drop off at another, ultimately increasing the cost, but the ease and comfort you get are priceless.

You’d need to show your driving license and a valid passport with a visa to rent a car in Norway or anywhere in Europe, for that matter. We have an ultimate guide to renting a car in Europe to help you with the process.

Visa for Norway? You’d require a Schengen Visa for your trip to Norway. Read our guide to the Schengen Visa to know more.

Where to Stay Between Bergen and Oslo

There are many picturesque small towns to spend the night in on the way from Bergen to Oslo.

I’d recommend staying at offbeat, less touristy places to enjoy the rugged nature without the hordes of people, like Aurland, Geilo, Gol, Hol, Ål, and other tiny villages along the way.

There are a few options to stay in Undredal, too.

We use and recommend Booking.com for all accommodation needs while traveling.

Read More: Where to Stay in Oslo

Where to Eat Between Bergen and Oslo

The options along the route are sparse. You’d have to take a bit of a detour from the highway, mostly. Voss, Gudvangen, Flam, Eidfjord, Geilo, and Gol have a few decent places to eat. Here are some of our recommendations:

• Ringheim Kafe in Voss
• Gudvangen Fjordtell restaurant
• Flam Bakery in Flam
• Restaurant Fjell and Fjord in Eidfjord
• Sofias Cafe & Bar in Geilo
• Kjersti’s Mat og Vinhus in Gol

We relished the Italian artisan ice cream at DolceVidda Iskremeri in Eidfjord municipality and strongly recommend stopping for one if you’re driving along the Rv7.

Tips for Norway Road Trip

• Make sure to pack a first-aid kit.
• Fill your car with dry snacks and water bottles, as there are not many options to eat while road-tripping from Oslo to Bergen or Bergen to Oslo, and the ones you find on the way are ridiculously expensive. REMA 1000 is one of the cheapest supermarkets in Norway and is the best for all your food and water needs.
• How can you forget the camera? After all, you’re traveling in one of the most beautiful countries on earth.
• Keep your travel documents and your car documents handy.
• All the routes from Bergen to Oslo have tolls. Lot many. More than you can imagine. And they are expensive. Your rental car comes with AutoPass, which lets you pass toll roads effortlessly and pay the total amount to your rental company later.
• Know the parking and driving regulations in Norway before hitting the Norwegian roads. Read this guide to getting around Norway by car. I found it incredibly helpful.

Searching for good places to stay in Oslo and Bergen? We’ve got you covered! Check out these awesome hotels to stay in Bergen and Oslo.

More Travel Resources to Plan Your Norway Trip

• Nordics Itinerary
• Best Places to Visit in Norway with Kids
• 7 Days in Norway Itinerary
• 2-week itinerary for Norway
• Oslo with Kids
• Where to Stay in Oslo
• Undredal in Norway
• The Train from Oslo to Bergen
• Best things to do in Bergen

Save a Road Trip from Bergen to Oslo Guide to Pinterest