We had big plans to visit Norway in May 2020. Like many travelers during that time, COVID-19 put an abrupt halt to our itinerary. The trip had special meaning—we were set to travel with my husband’s mom to connect with Norwegian relatives and explore places tied to his family’s heritage. It was a journey rooted in family, culture, and curiosity.
When borders closed and the world paused, so did our plans.
Fast forward to 2022, and we finally got our chance for a do-over. While it wasn’t the original multigenerational trip we’d envisioned, my husband and I set off on a 10-day adventure across Norway—starting in Bergen for Syttende Mai (Norway’s Constitution Day) and wrapping up in Oslo, a city that truly impressed us with its vibrant food scene and progressive energy.
Know Before You Go
In addition to the information and advice found in other city guides and tour books (such as: yes – Norway is expensive), I found a few things worth emphasizing:
- Public transit (at least in and between Bergen and Oslo) is easy, frequent, safe, clean, and relatively affordable. Download the transit app(s), map your route, and know you’ll get there easy as pie. The one exception to the “easy” part was trying to use fare machines at the station platforms – I couldn’t get them to work with my credit card. The Skyss Billett app in Bergen and Ruter Billett app in Oslo worked easily, however.
- Daylight lasts almost forever in the summer, but restaurants and shops (in Bergen in particular) keep regular hours. With a few exceptions (read below), plan your meals—especially the evening ones—according to your watch, not based on daylight. If you wait until sunset to eat, you’ll find that many (most?) restaurants are closed.
- Norwegians are kind, but not immediately or outwardly warm. Don’t mistake their cool demeanor as unfriendly, though. Talk to a Norwegian for a moment and it’s likely they’ll welcome you with open arms.
- Beginning in 2026, visitors from the U.S. and other countries will need a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) approval prior to arrival in—or transit through Europe (including Norway, Cyprus and other Schengen Zone countries). Follow the link above for more detailed info and note that you’ll need the ETIAS even if you don’t step foot outside the airport.
LGBTQ Safety
Norway consistently ranks as one of the safest and most inclusive countries for LGBTQ travelers. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2009, and strong anti-discrimination laws protect individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In cities like Oslo and Bergen, the LGBTQ community is visible and vibrant, with plenty of queer-friendly bars (but not as many LGBTQ-specific ones), cultural events, and Pride celebrations.
Public displays of affection are generally accepted, and we felt safe and welcomed throughout our trip. While smaller towns may be more reserved, respect and tolerance are deeply ingrained in Norwegian culture. Whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, or in a group, Norway offers a safe and affirming environment for LGBTQ adventurers.
Bergen Highlights
Although Bergen isn’t served by all the European airlines (we planned a long connection at London Heathrow to accommodate a change in carriers), flying in here is a treat. The airport—and the approach to it—is beautiful, the terminal is small and easy to navigate, and the city center is incredibly easy to access via the city’s light rail system.
Bryggen, Bergen’s old wharf community, is probably one of the most recognizable images in Norway. Although many of the buildings in Bryggen have previously burned and been rebuilt, they’ve maintained strict requirements to rebuild them just as they were. The result is a quaint, photogenic collection of buildings housing shops, galleries and more.
Julemarked Byparken and the adjacent fest plaza and lake in the center of Bergen is equally photogenic, and was particularly so when we were there in May with a ton of tulips in full bloom. It’s a focal point of much of the Syttende Mai parade and (if you can get a curbside spot) a great place to watch the parade.
Fisketorget Bergen is just a few blocks from Julemarked and across the water from Bryggen. Don’t be fooled by the literal translation as “fish market,” because this market area has much more than fish. In fact, it’s a particularly great spot to stop and have a meal while looking out on the harbor (see below for some other nearby suggestions). The fish market itself is remarkable too, with a bounty of very fresh fish as well as pastries, coffee, and more.
While shops and cafes weren’t as present along the waterfront near the Moxy Hotel where we stayed, the boardwalks and bridges were quiet and lovely, and provided gorgeous views of the late-night sunsets. A few folks braved the cold water for a swim here, but I suspect that’s not for the faint of heart.
Norwegians love their coffee, pastries, and donuts and if you’re also so inclined, they shouldn’t be passed up. Although I don’t have many specific recommendations, there were plenty of delicious places to stop and sit for a fresh cup and bite while walking through the streets of Bergen.
And then there’s Mt. Fløyen and its funicular. I’m guessing there are as many photos taken here as of Bryggen. If you’re an avid hiker, you can skip the funicular and hoof it up to the viewpoint and along the surround trails. Or you can do like we did and take the funicular up and hike back down. However you make the trek, you’ll be rewarded with incredible natural beauty and panoramic views. And trolls, because Norway loves these mythical creatures and ones of all kinds are present here.
Bergen Day Trips
It would be a shame to visit Bergen without visiting Norway’s stunning fjords. I was lucky enough to join the hubby whose second cousin and her mother gave us a personal tour of Hardangerfjord and the stunning areas around it, including a number of sites with the hubby’s family history. But you need not have family history here to appreciate the beauty of the area.
In addition to absolutely stunning views nearly everywhere you look, the towns in the area are equally charming. We spent our lunch hour in Ulvik, enjoying a lovely meal at Den Grøne Kafé, then wandering along the waterside path to the beautiful Brakanes Hotel before visiting the grave of the hubby’s great-great uncle.
The surrounding area was similarly remarkable: the Steinsdalsfossen Waterfall, the Hardanger Bridge (or Hardangerbrua), the hilarious (yet practical) honor fridge stocked with beer at the Granvin trailhead, or the long tunnels which shortcut under the towering mountains (and they’re wild—some have roundabouts underground!).
While the train from Bergen to Oslo may or may not qualify as a day trip for everyone, it is a seven-hour journey through 22 tunnels and through breathtaking river valleys and mountain passes. The Norwegian family we caught up with acknowledged that they’re more likely to fly from one city to the other thanks to affordable airfares and a much quicker trip, but taking the train is certainly a beautiful way to do it at least once. Tickets are easy to purchase at the station and the train is clean and comfortable while you enjoy the spectacular views.
Oslo Highlights
What Oslo lacks in photogenic charm compared to Bergen, it makes up in cosmopolitan, international flair. Public art? Check (actually double- or triple-check). WWII history? Check. Food halls with global cuisine? Check (and double-check).
The Vigeland Sculpture Park in Frogner Park was high on my list of places to visit in Oslo. It’s a large, well maintained urban park stuffed full of sculptures commissioned from Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. It was also a great opportunity to update photos taken by my mom when she toured Europe in the late 60’s, and again when she and my dad returned in 2007.
If a single sculptor isn’t your thing, or maybe you want more hiking with your public art, there’s Ekebergparken, a large urban park in the hills rising above Oslo. The park itself is beautiful (and easy to access via transit) and the art is diverse and fascinating.
And if more modern public art is more to your liking, there’s Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen. The neighborhood is clearly modern and new, as are the restaurants and galleries. My favorite discovery here was the Ugo Rondinone sculpture “Moonrise. east.”, a compliment to a trio of his sculptures “Moonrise.” in San Francisco I’d first seen in 2010. But there’s lots more to see here too.
There’s lots more to see and do in Oslo, but my other favorites tend to fall into the categories of food and beverage, so check those out below.
Syttende Mai
May proved to be a great time of year to visit Norway, with long days and mild weather. But May 17 is extra special: it’s Norway’s Constitution Day, or Syttende Mai. Bergen has one of the country’s most notable celebrations and it’s an all day affair that people dress up for.
We started the day with my husband’s relatives, joining them for a family breakfast before the parade. Almost everyone except for us arrived in traditional and formal dress: women dressed in traditional bunad adorned with family heirlooms and other accessories from significant events like their wedding or children’s birthdays. Some men were in traditional costumes, but many were in suits. Nearly everyone had red, white, and blue flag pins and ribbons. We hadn’t packed appropriately for the day but did our best to dress up, and definitely added flair with ribbons and flags.
The event itself was remarkably joyous and celebratory. The parade was full of revealers, bands, folks dancing and cheering. High-schoolers preparing to graduate brought out trading cards (almost like baseball cards) which younger folks collected obsessively. Folks ate pastries and cakes. And then many of them drank! We made new friends in one of the local pubs before finally pouring ourselves on transit to retire to our hotel and watch the fireworks over the city and harbor.
Eating and Drinking
Norway may have its own cuisine, but the real treat here (in my opinion) was the diversity of foods and the ease of finding all these treats. A few highlights in Bergen include:
- Pingvinen, a slightly upscale eatery near the city center. This is a great place to expand your food horizons and/or check out an elevated version of Norwegian fare, whether that’s meatballs with lingonberries or deer casserole.
- Dalia Kebab was our go-to for late night bites (since most other restaurants closed between 8-10, but it was still daylight ‘til nearly 11pm). It was delicious, comparatively inexpensive, fast, and convenient.
- Sjøboden is a bar that’s on the harbor side of Bryggen and it’s a great spot to stop and enjoy a beer on their patio if it’s a nice day. Immediately east of Bergen’s waterfront is Vinyl Bar, which was a relaxing stop for a beverage in a charming neighborhood. They had a good selection of local beers, good music (hence the vinyl in the name), and a chill vibe.
- Perhaps our favorite place for drinks, though, was Folk & Røvere. In the days before Syttende Mai, it was generally low key, with good beer, friendly service, and plenty of tables inside and out to be able to rest our feet, people watch, or just have a break. But on Syttende Mai, it felt like the post-parade epicenter! Inside it was packed with revealers, bands turning out another song or two after the parade, and pretty much everything in between. Outside, it was practically another parade, with families and festival-goers walking along the street for food, drink, ice cream, or just to continue the party. We made new friends that day, in addition to a wealth of memories!
- But wait! There’s beer! Bergen—and Norway—likes its beer and we had no trouble finding good brews. Nearly every restaurant we went into had multiple local beers on tap. As well, we took the opportunity to sample from the source at Bergenhus Bryggeri, which is right on the harbor (I found their beers weren’t really to my liking, but the location was 10/10). I had also hoped to make it to 7Fjell, one of Bergen’s other local brewers that was on tap at many of the local bars, but alas, we only made it to the one brewery.
In Oslo, our food experiences almost all revolved around food halls, and for good reason: the three places we frequented had great food—and a great variety of food, as well as having great views, great people watching, or both.
Matthallen Food Hall was a gleaming testament to all things culinary, featuring restaurants as well as vendors for meat, produce, pastries, ice cream … you name it. Come hungry, because you’re likely to find more than your stomach can handle at this picture-perfect two-level market. The parks nearby might help you walk some of it off after you’ve had your fill.
Vippa Market is pretty much the polar opposite of Matthallen. Located right on Oslo Fjord and with beautiful views of the water and Hovedøya Island, Vippa houses about a dozen food carts serving a global assortment of street food. Inside, you’ll find folding tables and chairs arranged cafeteria-style, and if the weather’s good, there are picnic tables outside to take in the views and watch the boats cruise by.
Oslo Street Food is something entirely different once again. It felt to me like Oslo Street Food was oriented more to the happy hour and evening crowd, but just like Vippa and Mattthallen, had a dizzying variety of global foods. I ate entirely too much here and I don’t regret it for a moment: it was all delicious. Besides the food, multiple bars ensure your whistle stays wet, and the people watching can’t be beat whether you’re at a table inside or it’s a nice day and you’ve scored a picnic table on the steps or plaza out front. Fun fact: the building that houses Oslo Street Food used to be Torggata Bad, Oslo’s largest indoor pool.
Nightlife
Although we did our best to take advantage of the late sunsets in Bergen, we didn’t typically stay out much past dusk (aka: midnight). While there may be some discos in Bergen, we didn’t fund much specifically gay nightlife, and most of the activity we found was in the local pubs and bars (see: Folk & Røvere and Vinyl above). I suppose that kept us a bit more fresh to explore Bergen’s natural beauty during the day, which was certainly worth it.
Oslo, on the other hand, had a bit livelier nightlife. In addition to a bustling evening scene at Oslo Street Food, we explored a couple of the city’s gay bars, which were fun and welcoming.
London Pub seems to be a staple of Oslo gay nightlife. We joined them on a couple evenings, and though we didn’t join the more obvious upstairs bar, the downstairs one was a lot of fun with friendly bartenders, drag bingo, and a one-of-a-kind cave-with-neon environment.
SLM Oslo is the city’s leather bar (the SLM stands for Scandinavian Leather Men) which hosts a mix of less formal events and dress code-required fetish nights. Yes, there’s clothes check. I found the staff exceptionally friendly and the vibe was what you’d expect for a leather bar (that’s a good thing). At the time of this writing, Google Maps shows it as temporarily closed, but based SLM’s website, it appears this may just be due to scheduled events. Be sure to check before you go.
Lodging
Moxy Hotel was our home base in Bergen and proved to be a great choice. The location right on the water had picture-perfect views and was conveniently located but was just far enough from downtown to also be laid back and quiet. It was also reasonably priced by Norwegian standards, and for Americans in search of Marriott points, it’s hard to beat. The hotel also had a great breakfast spread. I think we paid a little extra for it, but the price was reasonable and the food was good and plentiful.
In Oslo, we stayed at the Comfort Hotel Xpress Youngstorget. Be advised that some of the rooms are really small by American standards. But the hotel staff was friendly and accommodating, and at least for our stay, had a slightly larger room that what we reserved (which hardly had enough room to walk past our suitcases) and were willing to move us. Room size notwithstanding, the hotel’s location was great—convenient to transit and just a couple blocks from Oslo Street Food. You can decide for yourself whether that’s convenient or dangerous.
Upper Left Traveler 