Hiking in Bergen, Norway: From Mt. Ulriken to Mt. Fløyen
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links; more info here.
Hiking in Bergen, Norway is a must. There is no debate about it.
And specifically, the trek from Mt. Ulriken to Mt. Fløyen should not be missed.
If you visit Bergen and you don’t hike this legendary trail, then your trip to Bergen will result in complete and utter failure. That is how important it is for you to do this hike; it is simply spectacular, and for as long as you live, you will never forget it.
Before hiking in Bergen, Norway, you’ll need to prepare yourself.
Complete these steps before your hike:
- Start by purchasing good quality, waterproof hiking boots if you don’t already have a pair. I highly recommend these boots for women.
- Check the weather, and make sure you plan to go hiking in Bergen, Norway on a sunny, mild temperature day.
- Pack a backpack with plenty of food and water to last you throughout the day. There will be no place to get food along the journey, though you will find fresh mountain water should you need to refill your bottle.
- Apply sunscreen all over your exposed skin and bring plenty more to reapply later. Don’t forget your sunglasses too! And perhaps a hat.
- Dress in sportswear and accordingly for the weather. Bring a lightweight and waterproof jacket, as Bergen is famous for its rain; the weather can change in an instant on Norway’s west coast.
- Make sure that you’re at least moderately fit. If not, unfortunately, you should just forget about this adventure altogether.
Now, once all of those steps have been completed, you’re ready for the hike of your life through tall mountains, past clear blue lakes and gushing waterfalls, overlooking unbelievable views of beautiful cities, fjords, and cliffs.
Please note, however, that this hike is not for wimps.
- This hike is about 11 miles long (about 18 kilometers).
- This hike will take anywhere from 5 to 9 hours, from start to finish. But that depends on how fast and skilled you are at hiking.
Surprisingly, we finished the hike from Mt. Ulriken to Mt. Fløyen in about 5 and a half hours, though we figured we’d be on the tail end of the average time!
How to start hiking in Bergen, Norway:
To start hiking in Bergen, Norway, leave your hotel (which hopefully will be the beautiful Clarion Hotel Admiral) and head to the Fisketorget, or Bergen’s Fish Market, to catch the line #2 bus at the stop Strandkaiterminalen. You will take this bus for about fifteen minutes, until you reach the stop Haukeland Sjukehus S.
From there, follow the signs and/or the passersby in hiking gear to the Ulriken643 cable car.
Take the Ulriken643 cable car up 643 meters to the peak of Mt. Ulriken. Meanwhile, enjoy the wonderful panoramic views and mentally prepare yourself for the moderate to difficult hike that’s about to ensue.
When you reach the top, make sure that your bottle is filled to the brim with water, and if not, refill it. Head to the restroom for your last chance at a proper toilet for the next few hours.
We started our hike off on the complete wrong foot, in the complete wrong direction.
If it wasn’t for the kind Norwegian man who showed us the way, we would probably be wandering around somewhere in the mountains right now, trying to find civilization… if we could have even made it this long! Who knows.
Many different trails begin at Mt. Ulriken’s peak and head in all directions, and the vague signs don’t help ease the confusion. If you don’t know which way to go, ask someone. Every single person we encountered in Norway was helpful and friendly, so don’t be shy to ask.
Once you find the right path and get going, navigating the hike will become much easier. Just follow the giant cairns (mounds of rocks) that serve as trail markers and you’ll find your way!
While hiking in Bergen, Norway, we climbed up and down snowy mountains, we passed by rushing streams, and we gawked at half-frozen lakes. We proclaimed, “Oh my gosh, this is so pretty!” over a thousand times. Maybe two thousand times, actually.
Surrounded by 360 degree views of small towns along the deep fjords below us, clear blue skies above us, and rugged mountains beneath our feet, we hiked from Mt. Ulriken to Mt. Fløyen.
We laughed, we sweat, we appreciated Norway’s boundless beauty, and later, we were pretty damn sore.
Hiking in Bergen, Norway is an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives, and for you, I cannot recommend this hike enough.
As we trekked, we encountered groups of hikers here and there. Some of them were actually cross-country skiing on the flats and downhills and hiking up the steep inclines on foot. If you’re a skier as well, this looked like bunches of fun. Just say, “Hallo!” or “Hei!”, to them as you pass by. They might even mistake you as a local for using their lingo!
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of walking through the rocky, snowy terrain, we stopped for some lunch which consisted of croissant sandwiches and fruit which we pilfered from the breakfast buffet at our hotel. Oops!
It felt so glorious to sit down and take a break after about four hours of hiking, but soon after, I realized that it was a mistake.
We only rested for about fifteen minutes, and as soon as I began to hike again, my muscles felt fatigued and stiff. If we’d have ate while hiking, I could have avoided a bit of discomfort, but nevertheless, sitting, after hours and hours of walking, felt so good.
After a few minutes more of hiking, the aching subsided and I forgot all about it, and that’s mostly because the incredible views of Norway distracted me.
After one more hour of hiking, we reached the summit of Mt. Fløyen and it felt SO GOOD. I can’t imagine a better reward, after an 11-mile, 5-and-a-half-hour hike, than seeing the view from the top of Mt. Fløyen, overlooking all of beautiful Bergen. Except for maybe a huge banana and chocolate fudge ice cream. That would be pretty rewarding, too.
If you’re feeling even more adventurous after you’ve completed the hike, you can continue on, and hike down Mt. Fløyen and into Bergen.
During the hike, we were like, “Oh yeah, let’s just finish it and hike all the way down!” Nope. Didn’t happen. Not even close.
The hike was absolutely beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But with the Fløibanen funicular at such easy access, we opted to take the funicular down to rest our weary feet and aching legs.
Why, hello, Bryggen! It’s so nice to see you again on the ground. And now it’s time for a shower and a nap!
Hiking in Bergen, Norway allowed us to experience Norway as the Norwegians do. We saw the incredible sights from above, we worked off some of the inevitable feasts that always seem to occur while traveling, and we conquered a very difficult hike, up steep and snowy inclines and down icy mountains, just as the Norwegians do daily.
Take my word for it, hiking in Bergen, Norway is an unforgettable experience that you’re sure to enjoy and don’t want to miss!
This post contains affiliate links. Maddy’s Avenue visited Bergen as a guest of both the Visit Bergen tourism board and the Clarion Hotel Admiral. As always, all opinions are our own.
What to Pack for Bergen
- Wool coat: During the colder months in the city a beautiful wool coat is essential for style and practicality. You will fit in with the locals with this one. For this hike, a more practical hiking jacket will be better.
- Comfortable boots: As expected, you’ll need good hiking boots for this hike.
- Daypack: Make sure you are prepared with essentials, a decent backpack will be needed for your water bottle, snacks, and extra layers. This one is great and the perfect size for a day hike.
- Hat and gloves: When you go into the mountains it will be much colder so prepare with a good warm hat and gloves to take that chill away.
- Sunscreen: Nothing spoils your trip (and your photos!) more than sunburn, and snow glare is no joke. Remember to prepare with a good, natural sunscreen and stay protected.
- Reusable water bottle: Remember to keep hydrated during your adventures; it can’t all be wine and coffee all the time! Bring a reusable water bottle so you can keep topped up, you will especially need this when hiking and snowshoeing.
- Travel insurance: As with any trip, you should ALWAYS purchase travel insurance in case anything goes wrong. I’ve had my fair share of travel mishaps!
Quick Bergen Tips
- HOTEL: I use this website for scoring amazing deals on accommodation worldwide. Find great hotels in Bergen here. For this trip I stayed at the incredible Clarion Hotel Admiral.
- HOSTELWORLD: If you’re traveling on a budget, this is the best website to score cheap hostel deals.
- VACATION RENTAL: I use this site for finding the perfect vacation rental for an unforgettable getaway.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: Never go on a trip without travel insurance! SafetyWing is great for most trips, but if you are a remote worker and/or traveling regularly it also has an awesome monthly subscription for digital nomad insurance.
- GUIDED TOURS & EXCURSIONS: Many of the tours I recommend are hosted with Viator, which also works with local tour operators. Search them all here.
- CHEAP FLIGHTS: Fly into Bergen Flesland Airport, it is easy to get to the city center from there. Get great deals on flights using my favorite flight fare aggregator.
- TRAVEL GEAR: A collection of all of my must-have travel gear are all listed here. Most important to remember is hiking boots.
- CAR RENTAL: It is unlikely you will need to rent a car but if you are using Bergen as a start-off point for a longer road trip book car rental in advance here for the best deals.
It looks beautiful! Great photos as usual too. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, this looks unreal… Hope to do it one day as well!! :)
Unbelievable! Adding this to the travel bucket list :D Thanks for posting!
Good shots. My wife and I visited Bergen a few years back but failed to do a hike sadly. Maybe one day if we ever return. It was nice there, so it’s possible!
I can’t think of a better day. It’s so pretty! Thanks for sharing this.
XXX
Wow… This looks so incredible !!
Gorgeous hike!!! I’d love to!
Simply unbelievable :) I will definitely be going here!
Great post! I really enjoyed reading it!
Beautiful pics!
Hi I would love to do this hike! I will be going to Bergen during the end of december. Is it possible to do this hike during the winter?
Hello! Your blog is really inspiring and helpful. I am planning a trip next month to Bergen and because of this post I have included hiking in the itinerary.
You mentioned that the Ulriken Funicular is included free with the Bergen card, but I cannot find the information form VisitBergen’s site. Just want to confirm that it really is included before I get the card. Thank you again and keep inspiring!
Hi Edward,
I’m so glad that you found this post and are now planning to do this hike from Ulriken to Fløyen. It was my favorite thing that we did while in Norway. You will surely love it, too!
We visited Bergen in April 2015, and at that time, the funicular was included in the Bergen Card. While I can’t 100% confirm that it is still included, I would count on it. There’s a funicular up to Ulriken and also one up to Fløyen, and those are two of the most popular attractions. I can’t imagine that the Bergen tourism board would remove them from the Bergen Card.
Enjoy your trip! If you have any more questions, please let us know. We are happy to help. :)
– Maddy
We did Fløyen to Ulriken today and I’m sorry to report that the Bergen Card is not much use any more for this. The Fløyen funicular is no longer free with the card – you get a 50% discount with it but only on a return journey. If you’re buying a single to do the hike it’s no advantage.
Similarly at the other end at Ulriken the card only gets you 10% off the journey down the cable car.
So in summary, don’t buy the Bergen Card (or at least not for that day).
It’s a fantastic hike though of course, although not for the weak-ankled as it’s very rocky. We were very glad we had proper walking shoes!
A description of the journey with general instructions is available from https://floyen.no/en/walks-hikes-floyen/tur-10-over-vidden-til-ulriken/ although to be honest we just followed the cairns and poles after the first hour or so.
We took five and a half hours. We were overtaken by plenty of Norwegians though! Watch out for the rapidly changing weather.
Great hike.
Hi Martin and Jenny,
Thanks for your input. We’ve removed all the information about the Bergen Card from our post, as it is no longer relevant.
We’re glad to hear you had a nice trek.
We undertook this hike yesterday (although we did Floyen-Ulriken, and hiked up Floyen rather than taking the Funicular) and by golly you’re not wrong; It’s simply incredible. Such awe-inspiring views, and whilst on paper it doesn’t appear to cover much ascent/descent as other hikes we’ve completed, the uneven nature of the terrain means you probably cover around 1,000m+ in total. A very rewarding hike, and one that’s so enjoyable that inclement weather doesn’t affect your experience too much! We were caught in a small snowstorm as we hiked along Vidden and up to the Storhauhen Human Rights cairn, which made it feel like full winter conditions, and the views of Folgefonna were not affected in the slightest. Totally recommend this, but definitely get some cardio training in beforehand if you’re not used to the mountains; I consider them home and still found myself sore and aching by the end of it… although I have a tendency to take the hardest path by accident/because they always look more fun!! ;)
Great article Maddy, hopefully we’ll see you in the mountains one day!
Awesome! So glad to hear that you loved this hike as much as we did! :)
Thank you for telling us all about your experience!
Ahh we’re gonna do the hike tomorrow.. So excited after reading your experience! Hopefully sun in stead of snow for us since we’re going to sleep in a tent:-D
That’s awesome! Enjoy your hike! :)
hi Maddy
Great write up and pictures. We are planning to do the hike on the 12th October and taking quite a bit of inspiration from your blog. Just hope the weather holds. Thanks for taking the time to share your adventure and providing inspiration to others.
Hi Soumitra!
We wish you awesome weather! We are having the same problem right now. We are trekking to Machu Picchu in a few days and it’s supposed to rain the whole time! Hopefully you will have better luck.
Have a great trip. :)
Hi Maddy,
I was just looking for things to do in Bergen and found your site. I love how you write details and experience about the hike, very helpful! Do you think it’s possible to do the hike at the end of March?
Thank you!
Hi Nessia!
Thanks for your comment.
It might be tough to do this hike at the end of March. You’ll need to get lucky with the weather while you’re there, and probably during the few weeks leading up to your trip as well — hope for no snow! We did this trek in mid-April, and there was a lot of snow on the mountain then. If there were any more snow, I am not sure that we could have done the hike. The weather changes in Bergen very rapidly, so this hike could potentially turn dangerous if the conditions aren’t good up there. When you arrive in Bergen, I would recommend checking with the tourism office to see what they think. If this hike is not possible, you can take the funicular up to Fløyen, and there you will find a number of other shorter trails that you can walk! Enjoy your trip! :)
– Maddy
Thank you for instructions. We completed this yesterday. It’s really not that long time-wise. We took buss Nr12 to Montana, hiked up mount Ulriken, hiked across to Floyen and hiked down to city center again in under 7hours with plenty of stops on the way resting, shooting pictures, making video and detouring to mountain cabins. So if you take the cable car up and Funicular down the hike itself should not take longer than 5 hours including plenty of stops on the way. But it’s well worth it and gives a nice sense of accomplishment.
Hi! I’m traveling to Bergen the end of December/early January. Reading this thread, will the hike be too snowy? Is there anything else we can do here to enjoy the scenery? Thank you! :-)
Unfortunately, you’re visiting during winter, so the chances of doing this hike — or any other hike — are very, very slim. You can take the funicular up Mt. Floyen for scenery, but for this time of year, that’s all we know of. Good luck!