FALL SALE: Save up to $1,058 on our trips! Limited spots. Book Now.

How to Best Explore Norway's Waterfalls

Kjosfossen waterfall
Kjosfossen waterfall | © Jorge Láscar / Flickr

Did you know Norway is home to some of the tallest waterfalls in the world? One-third of them, to be exact, and all of them equally mesmerizing. Waterfalls in Norway can mostly be found in the south-western parts of the country, connecting mountains with fjords or becoming cascading extensions of rivers. They’re beautiful all year long, but even more so between May and June when the water levels are higher because of the melting ice caps. Here’s exactly how you should go about chasing waterfalls in Norway.

By boat

Remember that thing about waterfalls connecting the mountains to the fjords? Well, as it turns out, sometimes you have to be on a boat to get the whole picture (both literally and figuratively). At the UNESCO site Geirangerfjord, you will come across the Seven Sisters: seven cascading waterfalls thought to resemble the long hair of women. The terrain up the mountain is prone to avalanches, so the safest way to admire them is from a boat while cruising the fjord.

The Seven Sisters waterfall in Geirangerfjord

By train

Sight-seeing by train may seem odd, but it really depends on the train. The Flåm Railway, for instance, not only is one of the most beautiful trains you can take in Norway but also it goes quite slow and stops at all the important sights along its way from Flåm to Myrdal and back. One of these sights is the Kjofossen waterfall. The train stops directly in front of Kjofossen, so you can take in all its beauty and, if you’re lucky, catch one of the actresses dancing and singing as a Huldra (a Scandinavian kind of nymph) in the summertime.

An actress performing at the Kjosfossen waterfall

On a hike

Of course, for some waterfall sightings, all you need is your own two feet on a hike. Sogn og Fjordane county is a good place to start, as it’s also called ‘waterfall country’. At 755 meters high, you can visit (or at least get close enough to) Kjelfossen, one of the area’s most famous waterfalls located in Gudvangen. Vettisfossen, the highest single-drop waterfall in Norway, is also nearby. Hordaland county is also a good place for waterfall ogling, specifically Folgefonna National Park. Hiking the park is an adventure on its own, but you should also make sure to stop and stare at the Furebergfossen waterfall.

Furebergfossen, one of the waterfalls in the area

About the author

Danai is a writer and editor by day, a tarot card reader by night, and a cat person, 24/7. Born in Athens, Greece, Danai spent the last 5 years as the Editorial Director of Savoteur in NYC before deciding to relocate to Scandinavia and learn how to forage berries. When not covering all things Norway for Culture Trip or all things relationships for Marie Claire, she enjoys watching superhero shows, baking cakes for loved ones and trying to live each day as magically as possible. Want to share ideas for cool features, or just cat videos? Reach out at danai.christo@gmail.com

Culture Trip Fall Sale

Save up to $1,058 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

toast-message-image
close-ad
Edit article