With kids · Bergen · Norway
Bergen with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: יעקב, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Bergen is a good family city, with an aquarium, a hands-on science centre, a funicular to a mountain playground and troll forest, and fjord boats that children enjoy. Rain is the main challenge, so plan indoor back-ups for every day. Top picks: Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen, Bergen Aquarium and VilVite Science Centre. Families usually base themselves in Nordnes.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Nordnes
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Viewpoint · Fjellsiden
1.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
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Aquarium · Nordnes
2.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 · Møhlenpris
3.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
Museum · Sandviken
4.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
Museum · Nygårdshøyden
5.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
Experience · Vågen
6.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
Park · Nordnes
7.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
Rainy-day ideas
- Bergen Aquarium — Check the feeding times on arrival, then walk to Nordnesparken next door for sea views.
- VilVite Science Centre — It is one of the best rainy-day options for children; allow at least two hours.
- University Museum of Bergen — Look for the whale hall upstairs and walk through the Nygårdsparken afterwards.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, families and couples
Nordnes
West of the harbour, the Nordnes peninsula is a residential quarter of steep lanes and small white wooden houses leading out to Nordnesparken, the Bergen Aquarium and the Nordnes sea pool. It is quiet, a 10–15 minute walk from Bryggen, and has a few small hotels and many apartments.
- Good
- Charming, quiet streets; Aquarium and park on the doorstep; Sea views at sunset
- Watch out
- Few hotels; mainly apartments; Steep in places
- Nearby
- Bergen Aquarium, Nordnesparken, Nordnes sjøbad, Fish Market
Family travel tips
- Pack full waterproofs and rubber boots for children; locals take kids outdoors in any weather.
- The playground and troll sculptures at the top of Fløyen are free once you are up the mountain.
- The Bergen Card covers many family attractions and public transport.
- Supermarket picnics keep costs down in an expensive city.
- Book fjord cruises ahead in summer to secure seats together.
Day trips for families
- Norway in a Nutshell: Flåm and the Nærøyfjord (A full day, about 10–12 hours round trip) — The classic fjord round trip combines the Bergen Railway to Myrdal, the steep Flåm Railway down to the village of Flåm, a boat through the narrow, UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen and a bus back to Voss and the train to Bergen.
- Hardangerfjord (About 1 hour 15–30 minutes by bus) — Norheimsund on the Hardangerfjord has the Steinsdalsfossen waterfall, which you can walk behind, and summer fjord cruises towards Eidfjord and the Vøringsfossen waterfall.
- Voss (About 1 hour 15 minutes by train) — An outdoor-activity town between the fjords, with rafting, paragliding and skiing in season, the Hangursbanen gondola to a mountain viewpoint and lakeside walks.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–August. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Bergen good for kids?
Bergen is a good family city, with an aquarium, a hands-on science centre, a funicular to a mountain playground and troll forest, and fjord boats that children enjoy. Rain is the main challenge, so plan indoor back-ups for every day.
+What can kids do in Bergen?
Fløibanen and Mount Fløyen, Bergen Aquarium, VilVite Science Centre, Old Bergen Museum and University Museum of Bergen.
+Where should families stay in Bergen?
Nordnes: A peninsula of white wooden houses, the aquarium and a seaside park.