Flåm is a village of a few hundred people at the very end of the Aurlandsfjord, and on cruise days your ship is the biggest thing in it by far. That's fine. You step off the gangway and the famous Flåm Railway is right there, the fjord is right there, and the mountains go straight up on both sides. The only thing you need to plan is the order, because everyone else on the ship wants the same train.
The reason Flåm is famous. Book a fixed departure before you arrive, because on ship days the trains sell out, and there's no ticket office or machine at the top.
The Nærøyfjord is the narrow, green, waterfall-covered fjord on all the posters, and it's on UNESCO's list. Boats leave from the quay you just walked off.
The village centre is about 200 metres away, and the railway station, the shops and the fjord boats are all within a few minutes' walk. You really can't get lost.
Anchored in the fjord
Tender boat · 15 min to the centre
Only one ship fits at the quay. If another ship has it, yours anchors and you go ashore by tender boat. Allow time for the queue, both ways.
How much time you really have
Time in port, minus the trip into town and back, and 30 minutes' margin before all aboard.
Fifty-five minutes each way between Flåm by the fjord and Myrdal up on the mountain, climbing about 865 metres in 20 km through 20 tunnels. One of them turns a full U inside the mountain. The train stops for about five minutes at the Kjosfossen waterfall, so you can step out and get a face full of spray.
Local tip
Seats aren't reserved, and windows are what you're paying for. Be at the platform early. And note that Myrdal has no ticket office or machine, so buy a return before you go up.
In the old station building, right next to the platform. How on earth they built a railway up this valley, told with photos, old tools and film. Free entry and open all year, so it's perfect while you wait for your train.
Stegastein viewpoint
90 min
A wooden platform that juts 30 metres out from the mountainside, 650 metres above the Aurlandsfjord, at the top of a road full of hairpin bends. Sightseeing buses go up from Flåm. Look straight down if you dare.
Out along the Aurlandsfjord and into the Nærøyfjord, one of the narrowest fjords in Norway. The quiet electric boats take about two hours to Gudvangen, and you come back by bus or boat. Only on long stops, and only if the return is well before all aboard.
Free and straight from the village. Walk 1.5 km up the valley along the river on a flat road, then climb a rocky, steep path to the waterfall with a view back over Flåm. About 5 km and 2.5 to 3 hours there and back, with around 155 metres of climbing. Good shoes, please.
A beer at Flåmsbrygga
45 min
The big wooden building by the harbour has its own brewery and a pub that looks like a Viking hall. Try a local beer and pretend you rowed here.
Train up, bike down
240 min
Rent a bike in Flåm, put it on the train, and roll back down the valley on the old road the railway builders used. It's downhill most of the way, but the top is steep gravel hairpins, so you need to be comfortable on a bike.
Local tip
There's a zipline at Vatnahalsen, one stop below Myrdal, 1,381 metres long. Mad, but people love it.
Book these before you arrive
Flåm Railway ticket
Pick a departure that brings you back with plenty of time. Ship days sell out, especially in July and August.
You're in the middle of the most famous round trip in Norway. Travellers on Norway in a Nutshell come down the Flåm Railway and take the boat to Gudvangen, which is exactly what you can do from your ship. Want the whole route on another trip? Our guide explains it.
Flåm is tiny, so a big ship changes the whole village. The first trains and boats after you dock fill up fast. Book fixed times before you arrive, or do the free things first, like the museum or the walk up the valley, and take a later train.
Docking on a Sunday or a holiday?
Most shops in Norway close on Sundays and public holidays. Museums, cafés and restaurants in the centre usually stay open, often with shorter hours. Here are the public holidays for the next twelve months:
Friday 25 December 2026: Christmas Day
Saturday 26 December 2026: Boxing Day
Friday 1 January 2027: New Year's Day
Thursday 25 March 2027: Maundy Thursday
Friday 26 March 2027: Good Friday
Sunday 28 March 2027: Easter Sunday
Monday 29 March 2027: Easter Monday
Saturday 1 May 2027: Labour Day
Thursday 6 May 2027: Ascension Day
Sunday 16 May 2027: Whit Sunday
Monday 17 May 2027: Constitution Day and Whit Monday
Ship excursion or on your own?
Flåm is one of the easiest ports in Norway to do on your own, because everything starts at the quay. Just book the railway and the fjord boat ahead, and pick departures that bring you back with a good margin. A ship excursion makes sense if you want the railway and the fjord in one go without juggling times.
Practical tips
The weather in the mountains is colder than down by the fjord. Bring a warm layer for Myrdal.
Cards and phone payments work everywhere. Leave the cash on the ship.
On the train, everyone rushes to the same side. The view changes sides as the line twists, so relax.
