Things to do · Bergen · Norway
16 best things to do in Bergen
16 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Bergen are Bryggen, Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen and Fish Market. Of the 16 picks below, 3 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Bryggen
- Free sights
- 3
- Good on a rainy day
- Bryggens Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryggen | Bryggen | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen | Fjellsiden | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Fish Market | Vågen | 45 minutes | Mid-priced |
| KODE art museums | Sentrum | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Bryggens Museum | Bryggen | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Ulriken cable car | Landås | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Troldhaugen | Paradis | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Bergenhus Fortress | Bryggen | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Bergen Aquarium | Nordnes | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Old Bergen Museum | Sandviken | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mostraumen fjord cruise | Vågen | 3 hours | Expensive |
| VilVite Science Centre | Møhlenpris | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Fantoft Stave Church | Fantoft | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| University Museum of Bergen | Nygårdshøyden | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Vidden hike from Ulriken to Fløyen | Ulriken | 5–6 hours | Free |
| Nordnesparken and Nordnes sea pool | Nordnes | 1 hour | Free |
The 16 best things to do
Historic site · Bryggen
1.Bryggen
The row of gabled wooden buildings along the east side of the Vågen harbour was the trading base of German Hanseatic merchants from the 14th to the 18th century. Rebuilt in the same style after repeated fires, the buildings lean and creak along narrow wooden passageways behind the facades, now filled with craft shops, galleries and restaurants. Bryggen has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1979.
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
2.Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen
The Fløibanen funicular climbs from near the fish market to Fløyen, about 320 metres up, in around 5–8 minutes. At the top, the viewing terrace looks over the harbour, the islands and the sea, and trails lead through forest to the Skomakerdiket lake, troll sculptures and a playground. You can walk back down in about 45 minutes.
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
Market · Vågen
3.Fish Market
Bergen has had a fish market at the head of the harbour since the 13th century. Today there is an indoor glass hall, Mathallen, open all year, with outdoor stalls in the warmer months selling shellfish, smoked salmon, fish soup and cooked seafood to eat on the spot, including king crab and whale meat.
Check prices per 100 grams before ordering; they add up quickly, and seafood is cheaper in supermarkets.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- Iconic
Gallery · Sentrum
4.KODE art museums
KODE is one of Scandinavia's largest museums of art, design and music, spread across buildings on the shore of Lille Lungegårdsvann lake. Highlights include a large collection of works by Edvard Munch, Norwegian landscape painting by J.C. Dahl and Nikolai Astrup, and design and decorative arts.
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
5.Bryggens Museum
Built over the excavated remains of Bergen's earliest buildings, the museum displays the foundations of 12th-century wharf houses and finds from the medieval city, including runic inscriptions carved on wooden sticks that record everyday messages, trade deals and love notes.
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
6.Ulriken cable car
Ulriken, at 643 metres the highest of the mountains around Bergen, is reached by a cable car from its lower station a short bus ride from the centre. The summit has wide views over the city, fjords and islands, a restaurant and the start of the Vidden trail across the plateau to Fløyen.
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
7.Troldhaugen
Edvard Grieg's Victorian villa above Lake Nordås, about 8 km south of the centre, where the composer lived for 22 years. Visitors see the house, his composing hut by the water and the grave where he and his wife Nina are buried, and the Troldsalen concert hall hosts lunchtime concerts in summer.
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
Castle · Bryggen
8.Bergenhus Fortress
At the mouth of the harbour, one of Norway's oldest and best-preserved fortresses includes Haakon's Hall, a 13th-century royal stone banqueting hall, and the Rosenkrantz Tower, a 16th-century residential tower. The grounds and ramparts are free to walk around.
Stroll the free grounds and ramparts even if you skip the interiors.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Free
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Aquarium · Nordnes
1.Bergen Aquarium
At the tip of the Nordnes peninsula, the aquarium shows Norwegian coastal and fjord species, seals, sea lions and penguins, with feeding sessions through the day and a tropical section with reptiles.
Check the feeding times on arrival, then walk to Nordnesparken next door for sea views.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Museum · Sandviken
2.Old Bergen Museum
An open-air museum of about 50 wooden houses from the 18th to 20th centuries, moved here from central Bergen to form a reconstructed small town with a square, shops, a dentist's surgery and a bakery. Costumed guides bring the streets to life in summer.
Go in summer, when the houses are open and guided tours run; take a bus north from the centre.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Outdoors
Experience · Vågen
3.Mostraumen fjord cruise
A cruise of about three hours from the harbour through the Osterfjord to the narrow Mostraumen strait, where steep mountainsides and waterfalls close in on the boat. It is the easiest way to see a fjord from Bergen without a full-day trip.
Sit on the open deck on the side facing the cliffs in Mostraumen, and bring a warm, waterproof layer even in summer.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book ahead in summer, when cruise-ship passengers fill sailings.
- Nature
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
- Photo spot
Museum · Møhlenpris
4.VilVite Science Centre
Bergen's hands-on science centre has interactive exhibits on energy, the body, weather and the ocean, including a section on oil and gas off the Norwegian coast, a 360-degree bicycle loop and experiments that children can try themselves.
It is one of the best rainy-day options for children; allow at least two hours.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Religious site · Fantoft
5.Fantoft Stave Church
A dark wooden stave church with dragon-head gables, originally built around 1150 in Fortun in Sogn and moved to Bergen in 1883. It burned down in 1992 and was carefully reconstructed, and it stands in a pine wood a short walk from the Paradis light-rail stop.
Combine it with Troldhaugen, a few stops further along the same Bybanen line.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Nygårdshøyden
6.University Museum of Bergen
The university's natural history museum reopened in 2019 after a long renovation, with whale skeletons, Norwegian wildlife dioramas, geology and an exhibition on the history of life. Its botanical garden is next door.
Look for the whale hall upstairs and walk through the Nygårdsparken afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Nature · Ulriken
7.Vidden hike from Ulriken to Fløyen
The classic Bergen mountain walk crosses the open plateau of Vidden between the summit of Ulriken and Fløyen, roughly 15 km of marked trail over rocky, often boggy ground with views over fjords and islands. Most people take the cable car up and walk to Fløyen, then down to the city.
Only attempt it in clear weather with proper boots and layers; fog rolls in fast and the plateau is exposed.
- Time needed
- 5–6 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Active
- Nature
- Views
- Free
- Outdoors
Park · Nordnes
8.Nordnesparken and Nordnes sea pool
The grassy park at the tip of the Nordnes peninsula looks out over the fjord entrance, with a totem pole gifted by Seattle, Bergen's sister city, and a heated outdoor seawater pool beside the shore that opens in summer.
Come for sunset over the islands on a clear evening; locals swim off the rocks here in summer.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | KODE art museums, Bryggens Museum, Troldhaugen and Old Bergen Museum |
| History | Bryggen, Bryggens Museum, Troldhaugen and Bergenhus Fortress |
| Views | Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen, Ulriken cable car, Mostraumen fjord cruise and Vidden hike from Ulriken to Fløyen |
| Outdoors and nature | Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen, Ulriken cable car, Troldhaugen and Bergen Aquarium |
| Food and markets | Fish Market |
| With children | Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen, Bergen Aquarium, Old Bergen Museum and Mostraumen fjord cruise |
| On a rainy day | Bryggens Museum, KODE art museums, Bergen Aquarium and VilVite Science Centre |
What to book ahead
- Mostraumen fjord cruise: Book ahead in summer, when cruise-ship passengers fill sailings.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Bergen?
Bryggen. The row of gabled wooden buildings along the east side of the Vågen harbour was the trading base of German Hanseatic merchants from the 14th to the 18th century.
+What can you do for free in Bergen?
Bryggen, Vidden hike from Ulriken to Fløyen and Nordnesparken and Nordnes sea pool. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Bergen when it rains?
Head indoors to Bryggens Museum, KODE art museums, Bergen Aquarium and VilVite Science Centre.