Excursion Fjords & glacier tour at Vik

Experience the spectacular fjord and ice landscape of Norway firsthand as you visit an arm of the massive Jostedalsbreen Glacier and explore the country’s award-winning center for glacier and environmental knowledge, the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjaerland.

From Vikøyri, a brief 20-minute drive brings you to Vangsnes pier, where you’ll board the local ferry for a short but immensely scenic crossing over the Sognefjord to Hella, on the other side. From there, get ready for an abundance of impressive fjordland scenery as your drive continues for about 90 minutes en route to Fjærland Valley. You’ll skirt the Norafjorden and narrower Sogndalsfjorden, pass through the Sogndal Valley, and traverse two tunnels cut straight through the mountains – witnessing a landscape sculpted by glaciers over several million years and through successive ice ages.

Stopping at Bøyabreen, an optional short walk allows you to see an arm of the mighty Jostedalsbreen Glacier up close. Bøyaglacier is a prodigious icefall capable of crawling up to 6 ft / 2 m a day, making it one of the fastest-moving glaciers in Norway. That constant motion leads to frequent "talking" – the audible rumbling heard as the ice shifts down the mountainside.

A visit to the Glacier Museum will deepen your understanding of how this wondrous landscape of glaciers and fjords was created, how it has evolved over eons, and how climate affects its behavior today. As architecturally fascinating as it is packed with glaciological exhibits, this award-winning venue even allows you to interact hands-on with 1000-year-old ice from nearby Supphellebreen.

A coffee break in Brævasshytta will warm you up at the outing’s midpoint, and the return by coach and ferry retraces the same route – its terrain now more understandable thanks to the new knowledge you’ve just acquired.

Points of interests

Points of Interest: ferry ride across Sognefjord, drive into FjærlandValley, Norwegian Glacier Museum, Bøyabreen glacier viewpoint

Note

Please note: This moderate excursion involves about 0.6 mi/ 0.9 km of walking, about half of which is optional at the glacier viewpoint. Guests must be able to board the coach unassisted. Vehicles are not wheelchair accessible; chairs can be placed in the luggage compartment. Wear weather-appropriate clothing and flat, closed-toe shoes. A windbreaker is recommended. A coffee and snack stop is included. Note that this excursion involves extensive driving, including some sections through tunnels. The order of sights and activities may vary.