Hike, Kayak and Wild Camp the Norwegian Fjords

To maximise convenience we include as much of your travel and logistics in this package, so you just need to turn up and play. In this trip:

• One night in local accommodation in Voss or Bergen. (4 per en-suite room)
• Camp under the stars on Day 2 and Day 3
• Breakfast and lunch on Day 2, 3 and 4
• Fjord side campfire and BBQ on Day 2 and Day 3 - all beer and drinks are included.
• Kayak equipment and guide
• Camping equipment and sleeping bag/mat
• Return airport transfers from Bergen

You’ll need to book flights to Bergen and insurance. Only other costs will be dinner in a local restaurant on the first night, and any other spending money.

You really do not need any kayaking experience. Your guide will give you full instructions and a safety briefing at the start. You’ll just need reasonable levels of fitness to handle approx 25km of relaxed paddling over two days, a day of hiking and be up for camping out overnight.

The hike is not for beginners and is very challenging, particularly if it is or has been wet. We would only recommend this hike if you are an active person with hiking experience. It just takes a bit of time getting up the steep section but don’t worry, it’s no race to the top.

The route is about 12km each way, making a total hike of 24 km. The elevation is sea level to 3,500 feet and quite steep in places. The hike is about 8 to 11 hours return, with an awesome view from the ridge at the top to the fjord below.

One of the most beautiful places in the world. A fjord is a deep, narrow and elongated part of the sea, that stretches inland for miles, winding around mountains, valleys, and steep cliffs. The fjords were formed by the giant glacier tongues and shaped over several ice ages.

Sure can! This is a great trip for meeting new people. The trips run in groups of approx 8-10 people each.

Our Epic Weekends are very social in nature and we’ve seen lots of new friendships born out of them. Expect a mix of like-minded solo travellers and very small groups of 2 or 3, all with a shared appreciation of escaping the city for the great outdoors to try something new and meet new people.

Yup! The following equipment is supplied on the tour:

• Sea Kayak
• Paddle
• Bilge pump
• Mesh bag for personal gear transport/storage
• Neoprene booties
• Long John wetsuit
• Spray deck
• Paddle jacket with a hood and reflective striping - or you are welcome to use your own jacket if you prefer
• Life jacket
• Dry bag, one per person plus plastic bags for packing up extra gear
• Waterproof Peli-case for your camera – many sizes available
• Tents
• Sleeping bag + roll matt (bring your own if you prefer).
• All cooking gear, plates, cups etc.

To help you pack, here are a few suggested items:

• Rain jacket with hood
• Warm clothes for evenings camping - warm jacket, long pants, fleece, extra socks, a set of base layers (trousers and top).
• Small travel towel
• Cap and a beanie
• Sunglasses (with retainer strap)
• Sun lotion
• Refillable water bottle
• Personal snacks
• Thin gloves (protect from blisters)
• Toiletry items, personal medication
• Camera. Waterproof boxes provided!
• Antihistamines/bite relief if you are allergic to insect bites
• Liner for your sleeping bag
• Flip Flops (for camp site if your hiking boots get wet)
• Torch or headtorch.

For the day hiking:

• Small (15-20l) day rucksack
• Good quality (and ideally worn in) hiking shoes or low ankle support boots. Goretex or waterproof shoes are recommended as you’ll be traipsing through streams and muddy patches
• Rainproof and weatherproof outdoor clothing
• Gators if you have them
• Any personal items (small toilet bag, favourite snacks etc)

When you arrive you’ll put your stuff into a combination of dry bags (22l) and plastic bags for the trip, leaving your suitcases/bags with anything you don’t need in a secure locker at the base. Your guides are experts in packing kayaks and will help you pack your kayak efficiently to use up as much space available as possible.

There are a plenty of kayaks available for you to use with a mix of single and doubles available depending on your preference.

The weather in summer is very comfortable for kayaking and camping, with temperatures at 15-20 degrees Celsius, sometimes more. It can get chilly at night so a warm jumper and some thermals are vital. This time of year daylight in Norway is constant with only 2–3 hours of darkness in the evenings.

We recommend joining this trip in July and August for the warmest temperatures, but it’s great all summer.

The portions are more than generous, all the food is fresh and any dietary requirements can be met - just tell us your preferences when you book. Dinner and breakfast is prepared by your guide over a campfire, the menu will vary but you can expect things like rice and pasta with fresh vegetables, egg, bacon and sausages. There is also bread and sandwich filler for lunch breaks. Water, tea and coffee are also readily available as well as beer for the evenings.

Absolutely. Just let us know about your catering preferences when you confirm your booking to ensure any dietary requirements are met.

Yes - when you arrive at the base you’ll be asked to transfer anything you need for the trip into drybags to take with you. You can leave anything you don’t need behind to be safely secured in a locker which you’ll collect again at the end of the trip.

Absolutely. Please just double check you are allocated to stay at Voss on the first night before you do this though! Your host will confirm this with you after booking - look out for an email from them asking to confirm your travel plans.

The train is 45 minutes faster than the included transfer and is one of the most spectacular journeys you can take by rail. Here’s how:

From the airport, get the Flybussen airport shuttle to Bergen bus station ( https://www.flybussen.no/), or the Bybanen (city light rail - cheaper but slower). Buses to/from the airport run every 10-15 minutes, and cost roughly 900NOK (£9) each way. The Bybanen (https://www.skyss.no/en/timetable-and-maps/bergen-light-rail/ ) is approx 40NOK (£4).

From the bus station it’s a few minutes walk to the train station. A taxi from the airport to train station can be booked for between 350-550NOK (£35-£55), depending on traffic.

Trains run regularly throughout the day and don’t need to be booked in advance, with a single ticket to Voss costing roughly 200NOK (£20). Trains to Oslo stop at Voss.

You can buy tickets at the ticket office up until 5.30 pm, or from ticket machines. If you want to check the timetable or book online head to www.nsb.no.

Voss Hostel is a 12 minute walk from the station. Head out of the main station and turn right on the road. Follow the road until just before the roundabout (about 750m) then take the left turning, following the road for 200m more - straight to the hostel.

For the return, make your life easy by jumping on the already included transfers to Bergen Airport.

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There should be no problem with staying back at camp during the hiking day for someone not wanting to hike. It may also be possible to just come along for the first part of the hike and then return to the camp, this does depend on where the group is actually camped as this may affect options. Alternatively, you could consider booking the Kayak and Wildcamp Norwegian Fjords trip instead.

We can recommend the following from budget to high price. There are many other hotels however these are selected for their convenience and / or from experience:

Accommodation in Voss

• Voss Hostel - great prices for individuals, couples or large groups.
• Voss Camping Cabins - ideal for small groups of 3 to 4.
• Store Ringheim Hotel - Perfect for cozy traditional rooms and great food.

Accommodation in Bergen

• Montana Hostel, Bergen - great prices for individuals, couples or large groups.
• Grand Terminus Hotel - Older style but right next to train station.
• Thon Bristol Hotel, Bergen - great central city location for sight seeing and night life.
• First Marin Hotel, central city - great central city location for sight seeing and night life.

Here’s what your local guide has to say on Drones:

We do not really encourage bringing drones on this trip for several reasons:

• There are limited times where there would be possibilities for flying the drone.
• We need to keep the campsites free of drone traffic in agreement with the landowners.
• There is often livestock animals in some areas that may get affected and we need to keep a good relationship with the farmers.
• We have seen some people being frustrated by drone traffic and can understand this.

Having said this we do not prohibit drone use as it is out of our legislation - as long as it does not interfere with the issues mentioned above and you can fit the drone in the kayak it will be OK to bring it along. Just please do discuss the use with other group members sometime after meeting up with them first morning to settle this.

The best way to meet us is to take the train from Oslo centre to Voss (not Bergen), and then head to Voss Hostel. See the FAQ how to get to Voss hostel from the airport and just follow the directions from Voss station to the hostel. The train journey takes about 6.5 hours and goes through some amazing scenery.