Bryggen
First-timersThe Hanseatic wharf and the harbour.
Bergen city guide
Things To Do In Bergen
Wooden Hanseatic warehouses on the harbour, seven mountains around the city and rain most days. The gateway to the fjords, and the end of the most beautiful railway in Europe.
4
Hostels in the city
8.4
Average, from 4,467 reviews
7
Mountains around the city
1979
Bryggen joins UNESCO
7 h
By train to Oslo
The gateway to the fjords
Bergen was Norway's capital in the Middle Ages and one of the great ports of the Hanseatic League, and its wharf, Bryggen, is still lined with the leaning wooden warehouses of the German merchants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city sits between seven mountains, and funiculars and cable cars take you from the harbour to the hills in minutes. It is also famously wet: it rains on most days of the year.
Bergen is the starting point for the western fjords, with Sognefjord, Nærøyfjord and Hardangerfjord all reachable in a day. Two or three days is right, with a day on the fjords.
Where to stay
The centre is compact around the harbour. Stay near Bryggen or the station.
Sentrum
TransportNear the station and the lake.
Nordnes
A calmer stayThe peninsula of old wooden houses.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 4 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Bergen
Walk through the passageways of Bryggen, between the wooden warehouses. The Hanseatic Museum and the Bryggen Museum tell the story of the merchants.
Ride the Fløibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen for the view over the harbour, and walk down through the forest. Mount Ulriken, the highest of the seven, has a cable car and a ridge walk to Fløyen.
The fish market on the harbour is touristy but good for a first look. The KODE art museums, around the lake in the centre, hold a major collection of Munch.
Troldhaugen, the home of the composer Edvard Grieg, and the Fantoft stave church are both outside the centre.
Free things
Free things to do in Bergen
Bryggen, the harbour and the old streets are free.
Walking up Mount Fløyen instead of taking the funicular is free, and the trails on top cost nothing.
The city's parks and the lake in the centre are free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Bergen
Seafood is the thing in Bergen: fish soup, shrimp and fish cakes from the harbour. The fish market is pricey; the supermarkets and bakeries are the budget answer.
Skillingsboller, Bergen's cinnamon buns, are the local pastry.
A restaurant main is €30 to €45.
Nightlife
Going out in Bergen
Bergen is a student city, and the bars around the centre and Nygårdsgaten are busy at weekends.
A beer is €10 to €13. Pre-drinking is standard.
Getting around
Getting around Bergen
The centre is walkable. The Bybanen light rail runs from the airport to the centre in about forty-five minutes.
The Bergen railway to Oslo takes about seven hours, over the Hardangervidda plateau. For Flåm, change at Myrdal for the Flåm line; the Norway in a Nutshell route combines train, the Flåm line and a fjord boat.
Express boats run to the fjords, and the coastal ship starts its journey north from here.
Costs
What Bergen costs
Bergen is expensive. Dorms start around €38. A careful day is €70 to €90.
The costs that add up are the funicular, fjord trips and eating out.
The currency is the Norwegian krone, and Norway is close to cashless: cards work everywhere. Prices here are euro equivalents.
Safety
Staying safe in Bergen
Bergen is very safe.
The mountain trails get slippery in the rain; wear proper shoes. Take waterproofs everywhere.
Emergency numbers are 112 for police, 113 for ambulance and 110 for fire.
Day trips from Bergen
The western fjords start here.
Norway in a Nutshell
The Flåm railway and a boat through Nærøyfjord.
Hardangerfjord
Orchards, waterfalls and the Vøringsfossen falls.
Sognefjord
Norway's longest and deepest fjord.
Trolltunga
The rock ledge hike, ten to twelve hours return.
What's on
What is on while you are there
In December, the world's largest gingerbread town is built here.
Staff pick
20 Nov – 22 Dec
Bergen Christmas Market
Bergen, Norway, transforms into a festive wonderland each holiday season with the Bergen Christmas Market at Festplassen. Visitors can stroll through rows of beautifully…
Staff pick
20 Nov – 22 Dec
Bergen Julemarked
Looking for the ultimate holiday experience? Explore the enchanting Bergen Julemarked, crowned as Norway's Best Christmas Market in 2020. With over 300,000 visitors annually,…
Staff pick
14–22 October
Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF)
Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) is Norway’s largest film festival, drawing over 50,000 attendees to Bergen each year. Established in 2000, BIFF presents a…
Staff pick
15 November
Macy Gray
Natalie Renée McIntyre, better known by her stage name Macy Gray, is a singer and actress from Ohio. Known for her distinctive raspy voice…
16 October
Candlelight: Tribute to Coldplay & Imagine Dragons
You can enjoy a unique Candlelight concert featuring the music of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons performed by a string quartet in the atmospheric setting…
10 May – 5 Nov
Bergem Market
Bergen's largest weekly vintage market brings together creative sellers offering everything from antiques and home-knitted goods to honey and homemade food. Set up at…
1 October
With Hardingfele in One Hand & Violin in the Other
This concert presents a unique interplay between the hardingfele and violin, performed by Ragnhild Hemsing with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. The program includes new…
2–4 October
Play!
Play! 2026 is a weekend festival in Grieghallen focused on gaming, technology, and game culture. You will find entertainment, e-sports competitions, games, activities, a…
Hostels
Where to stay in Bergen
The top-rated places to stay in Bergen right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
May to September is best, but bring a waterproof whatever the month.
Jan
Wet and dark
Feb
Quiet
Mar
Spring
Apr
Green
May
Festival season
Jun
Bergenfest
Jul
Peak
Aug
Busy
Sep
Good
Oct
Wet
Nov
Gingerbread town
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Bergen is one of the wettest cities in Europe.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in kroner locally; these are euro equivalents. Excludes fjord trips.
—
- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Bergen travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Does it really rain that much in Bergen?
Yes, on most days of the year. Bring a waterproof.
How do I see the fjords from Bergen?
Norway in a Nutshell combines the train, the Flåm line and a boat through Nærøyfjord in a day.
How do I get from the airport?
By Bybanen light rail, about forty-five minutes.
How long is the train to Oslo?
About seven hours.
Should I take the funicular?
It is quick, but walking up Mount Fløyen is free and takes under an hour.
How many days do you need?
Two or three, including a fjord day.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September.
Say yes to hostels, meet the world
Compare Bergen hostels — live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. Then meet the people already there in the app.
Get the App.