Solo travel · Bergen · Norway
Solo travel in Bergen
How to enjoy Bergen at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Andreas Sandberg, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Bergen is easy and comfortable for solo travellers: compact, English is widely spoken, and hiking trails, fjord cruises and museums are all simple to do alone. The main challenge is cost. Many solo travellers base themselves in Nygårdshøyden and Møhlenpris.
Key facts
- Base
- Nygårdshøyden and Møhlenpris
- Getting around
- Walking
- Emergency number
- 112 police, 113 ambulance, 110 fire
- Language
- Norwegian
Solo travel tips
- Hostels and budget hotels around the centre and Nygårdshøyden are the best value for single travellers.
- Join a group fjord cruise or guided walking tour to meet other travellers.
- Popular mountain trails like Fløyen are busy and well marked, but tell someone your plans for longer hikes such as Vidden.
- Eat a bigger lunch and a supermarket dinner to manage costs.
- Use the Skyss app for tickets; it is quicker than finding a ticket machine.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and families
Nygårdshøyden and Møhlenpris
Behind the centre, the university district on Nygårdshøyden has the University Museum of Bergen, student cafés and the green Nygårdsparken, while Møhlenpris below it holds the VilVite science centre and good-value apartments. The streets have a relaxed, local feel within walking distance of the centre.
- Good
- Better-value rooms; Student cafés and bars; Close to VilVite for families
- Watch out
- Uphill from the harbour; Less polished than the centre
- Nearby
- University Museum of Bergen, VilVite, Nygårdsparken, Johanneskirken
Great on your own
Historic site · Bryggen
Bryggen
Walk into the passages behind the facades, early in the morning or in the evening, before or after the cruise-ship crowds.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Fjellsiden
Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen
Ride up and walk down via the zigzag paths, or go early in the day to avoid summer queues at the lower station.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Gallery · Sentrum
KODE art museums
One ticket covers all the lakeside buildings for the day, so pace yourself and break for coffee.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Bryggen
Bryggens Museum
Spend time with the runic sticks; the translated messages bring medieval Bergen to life.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Landås
Ulriken cable car
Choose a clear day; low cloud often hides the summit view entirely.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
Museum · Paradis
Troldhaugen
Time your visit for a summer lunchtime concert; take Bybanen to Hop and walk about 20 minutes.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Couples
- Outdoors
Meeting people
- Seafood at the fish market — Order a plate of prawns, smoked salmon or fish soup at the stalls by the harbour. It is touristy and pricey, but the setting by the boats is classic Bergen.
- Cinnamon bun crawl — Compare skillingsboller at a few bakeries in the centre with a coffee; it is one of the least expensive local treats in an expensive city.
- Bryggen and Vågen — Pubs and bars in old wharf buildings and harbourside terraces, popular with visitors.
- Vaskerelven and Ole Bulls plass — Bars, clubs and late-night venues in the centre near the theatre and the Grieghallen.
Sensible precautions
Bergen is generally low-risk for visitors. Pickpocketing is uncommon but happens in summer crowds around Bryggen and the fish market. The main hazards are weather-related: slippery wet cobbles and steps, and fog and fast-changing conditions on the mountains, so carry layers and keep to marked trails.
- Emergency number
- 112 police, 113 ambulance, 110 fire
- Staying connected
- Mobile coverage is excellent, including on the main mountain trails; card and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, and many places are cashless.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Bergen good for solo travellers?
Bergen is easy and comfortable for solo travellers: compact, English is widely spoken, and hiking trails, fjord cruises and museums are all simple to do alone. The main challenge is cost.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Bergen?
Nygårdshøyden and Møhlenpris: The university hill, museums, students and cafés.