Country guide
Norway
Fjords, coastal ferries and mountain plateaus; midnight sun in summer, northern lights above the Arctic Circle in winter.
Currency
NOK
Language
Norwegian
English
Everywhere
Payment
Cards everywhere
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+47
Destinations
Bergen
A Hanseatic wharf, seven mountains and the fjord boats, all leaving from the same small harbour.
✓ best May-SepKristiansand
Norway's own summer coast: a beach in the middle of town, a wooden old quarter and a thousand skerries offshore.
✓ best May-JulLofoten (Svolvaer)
Granite peaks straight out of the sea, red fishing cabins on stilts, and a road that runs the length of it.
✓ best JulOslo
A fjord capital where the opera house is a hill you climb and the metro ends at the ski trails.
✓ best May-Jul, SepStavanger
The base for Norway's most famous cliff walk, with a white wooden old town and a working oil harbour behind it.
✓ best May-JulSvalbard (Longyearbyen)
A coal town at the top of the world, with glaciers, polar bears and an abandoned Soviet town down the fjord.
✓ best Jul-AugTromso
An Arctic university town under the aurora, with whale boats, ski peaks and polar history on the same waterfront.
✓ best Jul-AugTrondheim
Norway's medieval capital, built around a cathedral over a king's grave, with a student city grown up around it.
✓ best May-SepThe sweet-spot windows
Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.
| Where | When | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fjords | Jun-Aug or Nov-Feb | Summer: long days, waterfalls. Winter: northern lights | Shoulder = wet + short days |
Climate zones, month by month
Norway has 8 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.
Bergen →
✓ Best May-Sep
Conditions Jan-Feb Cold, aurora · Mar Cold · Apr Spring · May Mild, waterfalls · Jun Long days · Jul Midnight sun · Aug Mild · Sep Autumn · Oct Cool, aurora · Nov-Dec Cold, aurora
Watch for Oct-Jan monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Kristiansand Southern Coast →
✓ Best May-Jul · ✗ Avoid Dec-Mar
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Lofoten (Svolvaer) →
✓ Best Jul · ✗ Avoid Nov-Apr
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Oslo →
✓ Best May-Jul, Sep · ✗ Avoid Nov-Mar
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Stavanger →
✓ Best May-Jul · ✗ Avoid Dec-Mar
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Svalbard (Longyearbyen) High Arctic →
✓ Best Jul-Aug · ✗ Avoid Sep-Jun
Watch for Feb-Mar extreme cold risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Tromso →
✓ Best Jul-Aug · ✗ Avoid Oct-Apr
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Trondheim →
✓ Best May-Sep · ✗ Avoid Nov-Mar
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions