Eidfjord, Norway

Getting To Know Eidfjord – Cruise Port Guide

Port Snapshot

Not far from the large city of Bergen, Eidfjord is a charming little village at the end of the Hardangerfjord. Despite its small size, it is a major port of call for cruise ships, owing the wealth of natural tourist sites it has within its vicinity. Welcome to our Eidfjord cruise port guide.

Being a fjord port of call, there are plenty of activities you can engage in here to make the most of your time ashore. You can rent bikes or electric cars from the tourist information centre or engage in kayaking or RIB rides on the fjord with local guides. There are plenty of well-organized hiking trails, ranging from short wheelchair accessible routes along the banks of the river, to more challenging hikes such as the one to the Kjeåsen mountain farm 530 m above sea level, a 3-4 hour round trip up a steep path. If they are too much of an exertion, then there is even a popular trolley train called the Troll Train which does a loop of the town and stops at a vantage point providing stunning views of the fjord and your ship in port.

Port Location and Facilities

Eidfjord is a small town with few amenities and the port is right opposite the centre of the town. There is a tourist information centre at the port which has plenty of handy advice on how to make the most of your time in the area.

What not to miss

Måbødalen Valley

This 7km (4.3 mile) valley starts near the fjord at Øvre Eidfjord and rises up to join the Sysendalen Valley on the Hardangervidda plateau. It is the access point for the Hardangervidda National Park and the Vøringfossen, as well as stunning mountain scenery.

Vøringsfossen

One of Norway’s most popular waterfalls, which has a free fall of 182 metres (597 ft). There are several viewing platforms, plus a spectacular new stairway bridge that spans the canyon where the falls drop down, that capture the full scale of the waterfall and the valley below. The Fossli Hotel overlooks the waterfall and is famous for being the location where renowned Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg created his Norwegian Folk Songs, Opus 66 in 1896.

Hardangervidda Natursenter

A visitor centre and museum for Hardangervidda National Park, Europe’s largest mountain plateau and Norway’s largest national park, is located in Øvre Eidfjord. The national park itself is a popular tourist destination for activities such as hiking, climbing, fishing and cross-country skiing and also for nature spotting. It is said to have one of the largest reindeer herds in the world. It is also a beautifully wild and barren landscape, dominated by mountain lakes and rivers that flow down to form many waterfalls.

Travel Tips

Tourist Information

NoFlyCruises recommends https://en.hardangerfjord.com/eidfjord the official site of Destination Eidfjord.

Currency

The currency in Norway is the Norwegian Krone. Norway has a reputation as one of the most expensive countries in Europe and the average price of a standard cup of coffee is around £3/$4. Budget accordingly if you plan to dine out each day, as meals are roughly around 110kr per person (£11/$13 per person).

Weather

Being located deep into the Hardangerfjord, Eidfjord has a temperate cold climate, with July being its warmest month with an average of 12 degrees Celsius. Summer months are also some of the wettest months, so make sure you pack for all weather eventualities; you may even experience snow up in the mountains in late springtime.

Getting Around

Eidfjord itself is small enough to walk around, but to fully appreciate what Eidfjord has to offer it is recommended to head out further than the town itself. The tourist information centre offers various tours by private vehicle in order to venture further afield, plus there is a car rental company 100m from the port. Price for the day is 2500NOK, but cars are limited.

Safety Whilst Ashore

Eidfjord is very safe as it is a very small town, although places like the Vøringfossen do attract lots of tourists, so it can become crowded.

Where to Eat

NoFlyCruises recommends the following eateries:

Vik Pensjonat og Hytter, Simadalsvegen 10, 5783 Eidfjord, Norway

http://vikpensjonat.no/en/

This boutique hotel has a lovely little café and is located on the banks of the Eio River in the heart of Eidfjord. The menu utilises locally sourced ingredients including trout from the fjord and reindeer and elk from the mountain farmers. They even have their own apple orchard allowing them to create freshly pressed apple juice, make their own Hardanger cloudy apple cider and bake delicious apple tarts.

Hardanger Juice and Cider Factory, Lekve Gard, 5730, Norway

http://www.hardangersider.no/

Did you know that the fertile farmland around the Hardangerfjord is perfect for growing apples for producing Norwegian cider? On his farm just outside Ulvik, Nils Levke makes apple juice, cider and brandy. You can visit and tour the farm and facilities, and they have a restaurant on site if you wish to dine. It forms part of the Fruit and Cider Route in Ulvik.

Key highlights of Eidfjord

• Vøringsfossen
• Hardangervidda National Park
• Hardangervidda Natursenter
• Sysen Dam

Regular cruise line visitors

• Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
• Silversea
• P&O Cruises
• SAGA Cruises
• Princess Cruises
• Celebrity Cruises
• Viking Ocean 

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