Let me start by saying, one day in Olden is not enough. Despite being a dreamy little fjord town with a population of less than 500, there is plenty to do in this stunning place! Olden is located in Vestland County, Norway, at the southern end of Nordfjord, a 66 mile long fjord. It’s in the municipality of Stryn, which boasts a beautiful river that winds through the area, popular for salmon fishing. Olden is absolutely incredible, and a haven for hiking, kayaking, biking, and exploring. There are so many adventures to be had in this area! As we barely scratched the surface on all Olden and Vestland County has to offer, we are already planning to return someday. Norway’s beauty is unparalleled to any other place I’ve been. This was our 3rd trip to Norway, and it did not disappoint!
Getting There
We visited Olden via a Norwegian Fjords cruise. This made the logistics of getting there simple – no flights or rental cars! If you’d like to stay in Olden longer, or cruising isn’t for you, flying into Alesund is an option; it’s about a 3 hour drive. From Bergen, the drive to Olden is just under 5 hours, a bit longer by bus. It’s more than 6 hours drive from Oslo but I imagine the drive is absolutely spectacular. I’d love to go back to Norway and drive through the country!
Visiting Norway on a cruise can have advantages – you get to see more places, and some of the locations are hard to get to by plane or car. You can also walk right off the ship, without worrying about hotel and travel arrangements! We came to Olden on a 7 day P&O Cruise that left from Southampton. The ship was Iona, which currently does cruises to Norway in spring, summer, and fall. I selected the cruise solely for the itinerary (our cruise had two stops deep within the fjords – Olden & Hellsylt, whereas many others mostly stopped at cities on the Western coast of Norway). When looking for a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, pay close attention to the itinerary and the map. In my opinion, the prettiest places are stops within the actual (western) fjords such as Olden, Geiranger, Hellsylt, Flam, etc. Avoid cruises to Norway that solely stop on the coast, otherwise you’ll miss out on the beauty of cruising within the fjords!
We also strategically selected early July for our cruise. We wanted it to be before British School Holidays (late July through August), but also in peak summer weather. That said, we had rain in our forecast almost every day of the cruise, but the actual weather in Norway was never as bad as the forecast. It was cooler than mainland Europe, so be sure to bring a fleece/sweater and waterproof jacket! If you’re traveling earlier in the season, you might consider bringing a winter coat or packable down jacket. Regardless of when you travel, waterproof boots are a must!
Sailing In
While I’d have loved more time in Olden, traveling on a cruise did have it’s advantages. For one, the sail in, through Nordfjord was absolutely spectacular. We headed outside around 5:15 am (with pulling in to Olden around 7:30) and the views were worth the early wake up call! We found ourselves moving around the ship, looking from both sides, as well as the front and aft. The landscape was dotted with little homes and villages, some of which seemed to have no road access! The morning was foggy, but dry, and begin to lift later. However, the fog made for a moody, dreamy landscape. If you are visiting Olden on a cruise ship, waking up early to see the fjords in the peace and quiet of the morning, is non-negotiable. The views are incredible!
Views of Nordfjord From the Cruise Ship
The Town of Olden
We left the ship in the morning when it was drizzling. But, in Norway, the weather can (and usually does) change. However, you can’t let the rain stop you from exploring, or you might as well stay on your ship or in your hotel room. We weren’t outside more than 40 minutes before the sun came out and the rain stopped (and we started sweating – layers are key in the fjords!). The town of Olden is quite small, and other than a few scenic walks, souvenir shops, and cafes, the town is more of a springboard for outdoor adventure activities. There are a few hikes in the area that are accessible from the center of town and/or cruise terminal. One is Huaren Viewpoint and it’s steeper hike, around 5.5 miles roundtrip. Some reviews referred to it as challenging, but that depends on your fitness level. Another is Skarsteinssaetra, which is on the “other” side of the fjord as Huaren Viewpoint. We read reviews of Skarsteinssaetra that stated the hike was easy, and could be done with a pram (stroller). We were planning on doing this hike, but the low clouds and fog meant we wouldn’t have much of a view in the morning, and we already had an activity planned in the afternoon. I wish we had more time in Olden so we could do some hiking! We opted for a walk heading out of town towards the church in the distance, and a stroll along the other side of the fjord.
In the afternoon, we were able to check something off our travel bucket list – kayaking in the Norwegian fjords. If you’re coming to Olden on a cruise ship, you’ll likely be able to book kayaking through your cruise line. An alternative, is to book through Olden Active. They offer tours for kayaking, paddle boarding, RIB boats, and glacier hikes! The cruise ships use Olden Active as well, so you can either book through the ship or directly with the company. Our tour used two person kayaks, and the guides took us into the fjords, stopping periodically to teach us about the area and the fjords. We loved this tour, and lucked out with a dry afternoon for kayaking! I honestly wish we had gone farther and didn’t stop as much, but this tour was suitable for beginners. If you are advanced, you might want to rent kayaks and go solo.
Things to Do
Olden is on our list of places we’d like to return to and stay a few days, mostly because there is a lot to do in the area around Olden if you are active and like the outdoors. When we go back, we’d take advantage of the nearby hiking trails. Another popular thing to do in Olden is the nearby Loen Skylift. The skylift will take you up over 1,000 meters to the top of Mount Hoven, treating you to spectacular panoramic views of the nearby mountains, lakes, and fjords. There are also hiking trails that start near the Skylift and other activities to do. It can be foggy and cloudy in the morning, but often the clouds break in the afternoon. There’s a webcam on the Skylift’s website to help give you an idea of the current view and visibility. You can use public transportation and book the skylift on your own, or you can also book through Olden Adventures. Another popular excursion in Olden is a tour of the Briksdal Glacier. This tour looked interesting to us, but since we’d seen glaciers up close in Iceland and Switzerland, we opted for the kayaking tour instead. Briskdal Glacier and the nearby lake is something we’d do when we go back to Olden! For the thrill seekers, there’s also a zipline near Olden that looks incredible. I wish we were able to spend more than one day in this amazing town! I can’t wait to go back and visit nearby places like Loen and Stryn.
Accomodations
Not visiting Olden on a cruise ship? Here are some nearby accommodations.
Olden Packing List
- Waterproof jacket
- Layers!
- Breathable clothes for outdoor activities
- good footwear
- water/water bottle as there aren’t too many stores
Olden was an absolute dream for us, and we can’t wait to go back someday and explore more of the surrounding areas, as well as hit some of the hiking trails. Visiting on a cruise ship was a great taster, and made for easy access, but I’d like more time there. The beauty of Nordfjord is unlike anything I’ve seen. Is Norway on your bucket list?
My Weekend Wanderlusts 
Beautiful! Thanks for another adventure living vicariously though you! 🙂
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