We started our next morning with coffee from the cafe connected to the aquarium right on the water before catching the express ferry to our next destination—Flam/Aurland. It was only a 1.5 hr boat ride to Flam, but it had the prettiest views! The fjord between Balestrand and Flam becomes more narrow and one of the arms actually ends in Flam. While Flam is technically a village, it’s more of a port for ships and the railway. It has several restaurants, souvenir shops and a grocery store there in the port. The Flam Valley, however, does have a lot more to offer than just the port.
We were in Flam long enough to have lunch and realize we needed to be back on the ferry in ~3 minutes to get over to Aurland, which is where we stayed the night. It’s about a 10 minute bus ride down the road or a 5 minute ferry ride. Aurland was also super cute and larger with approximately 1,200 residents. Though Aurland was bigger, there wasn’t much to do in the town itself. Most things were outside of town—like the Stegastein viewing platform. So we took a leisurely walk and checked out the town. There’s a marina, an old church, a souvenir shop and cafe. The *only* restaurant open for dinner that night was the one connected to our hotel, so thats where we went! The views were amazing and looked over the water.
Where We Stayed
Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri: Super cute hotel. We had a double room with a garden view from our windows, but when out on our stairs, we could see the fjord and water. Again, no AC but we didn’t need it. Centrally located in Aurland and a quick walk to literally everything.
Where We Ate/Drank
Ægir Microbrewery: Flam / Really good! We split a beer flight and a couple entrees. The inside is very lodge feeling and decked out with live edge wooden tables and chairs.
Hotel Restaurant: Aurland / Pricey! But had amazing views.
Marianne Cafe and Bakery: Aurland / Adorable cafe overlooking with a patio overlooking the canal. We stopped here the next morning before heading back to Flam to leave the fjords. The coffee was delicious.
Toget Cafe: Flam / Cafe in what looks like an old train depot. It was fine…nothing terrible special.
It also looked like there were food trucks/stalls that would normally be in the Flam port. There was only a couple the days we were there, but I would assume that it would change during the high tourist season.
Though there wasn’t much to do in Flam/Aurland, it was still such a great relaxing couple of days that we had. Everyone we encountered was so pleasant and the views were unforgettable. I would totally recommend doing this type of cruise/trip to anyone who wants a few relaxing, slow days in the middle of a trip. Plus the scenery was amazing!
—m.