Things to Do in Flåm & Aurland — Flåm Railway, Nærøyfjord & Sauna Retreats

Flåm sits at the end of the Aurlandsfjord, a narrow branch of the Sognefjord, ringed so tightly by mountains that the valley receives only a few hours of direct sunlight in winter. It is one of Norway’s most visited places — and yet, just minutes from the cruise ships and the railway station, the landscape is wild, the fjord is silent, and a handful of genuinely exceptional experiences are waiting for those willing to look past the souvenir shops. Aurland, a few kilometres along the fjordside road, offers much of the same drama with far fewer crowds.

The Flåm Railway — Norway’s Most Spectacular Train Ride

The Flåmsbana is the centrepiece of any visit to the area, and it earns every superlative. Running 20 kilometres from the fjordside station at Flåm up to the mountain station at Myrdal — a climb of 865 metres — it is one of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world, with gradients reaching 5.5 percent. The engineering alone is remarkable: tunnels spiral inside the mountain itself to gain height, and the train pauses mid-journey at the Kjosfossen waterfall, where in summer a theatrical display awaits alongside the roaring cascade.

The round trip takes just over two hours, and both directions offer different views. Upbound, you face into the narrowing valley as it tightens to a gorge; downbound, the fjord opens below you like a map. At Myrdal you connect with the Bergen Railway — making the Flåmsbana a natural component of the classic Norway in a Nutshell route from Bergen or Oslo.

Book in advance during summer: the train fills quickly, particularly with day visitors arriving by cruise ship.

Nærøyfjord — A UNESCO World Heritage Cruise

The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest fjord in Europe and one of the most dramatic — in places just 250 metres wide, with sheer walls rising 1,700 metres on either side. It carries UNESCO World Heritage status alongside the Geirangerfjord, and rightly so. The standard boat trip departs from Flåm and runs the full length of the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, a journey of roughly two hours one-way.

Seasonal ferries run daily throughout summer; a passenger-only express option is also available. Kayaking the Nærøyfjord independently is increasingly popular for those who want to experience the silence of the fjord at water level — several operators in Flåm offer guided half-day and full-day kayak tours.

Stegastein Viewpoint & the Aurlandsvangen

The Aurland Snow Road (Aurlandsfjellet) climbs from the valley floor to a high plateau, and at 650 metres above the fjord, the Stegastein viewpoint cantilevers out over the valley wall: a wooden platform with a floor-to-ceiling glass front, offering a near-vertical view down to Aurlandfjord far below. It is one of Norway’s iconic viewpoints. The road is open only in summer; even in June snow drifts can still line the roadside.

Down in the valley, Aurlandsvangen is a quiet village with a cluster of traditional painted houses and the Aurland church, one of the oldest stone churches in Sogn. The village makes a calmer base than Flåm for exploring the area. Nearby, Undredal — just 8 kilometres away — is Norway’s smallest village with its own stave church, less than 4 metres wide, and a celebrated tradition of making brown goat cheese (brunost) that can be tasted and bought direct from local farms.

Sauna Experiences in Flåm & Aurland

The combination of fjord swimming and sauna is perfectly suited to this landscape — cold, clear water directly accessible from the shore, mountain air, and the particular stillness of the inner Sognefjord.

Fjordsauna Aurland is the area’s flagship sauna experience: a beautifully designed barrel sauna sitting directly above the Aurlandsfjord, with a ladder into the fjord for cold dips. The views up and down the fjord are extraordinary. Booking is essential.

About 15 minutes from Flåm by the Nærøyfjord ferry, Gudvangen is home to two complementary sauna options. Gudvangen Sauna offers a traditional heated sauna at the fjordside, while Wild Sauna Gudvangen takes a more rustic approach — outdoor wood-fired bathing on the banks of the Nærøyfjord, combining sauna with cold river or fjord plunges in a spectacular natural setting. Both are best combined with the boat trip to or from Flåm.

A short 20-minute drive further into the inner Sognefjord, AUGA Bad Lærdal in Lærdal offers a more developed spa and bathing facility — particularly good if you want a longer, more leisurely afternoon’s bathing in a town also worth visiting for its perfectly preserved 18th-century wooden architecture.

Getting There & Practical Tips

Flåm is accessible by the Flåmsbana from Myrdal (itself reachable from Bergen or Oslo by the Bergen Railway), by ferry from Bergen and Gudvangen, and by car via the Aurland valley road or the Lærdal tunnel — at 24.5 kilometres the longest road tunnel in the world. There is no airport; the nearest is Bergen (around 2.5 hours by car) or Sogndal.

The village gets very busy in July and August when cruise ships dock in the fjord. If you’re visiting in peak season, arrive early or plan to spend the afternoon rather than the morning — crowds thin noticeably by early evening. Spring (May–June) and early autumn (September) offer excellent weather, thinner crowds, and full daylight hours without the summer rush.

Flåm and Aurland reward at least one overnight stay. Once the day visitors depart, the fjord settles into a quiet that feels entirely different from the midday bustle — and that evening light on the mountain walls is what you’ll remember longest.