Give your kids the chance to experience the mountains and fjords! Flåm and Myrkdalen are located just 45 minutes apart by car and are perfect for an adventurous family holiday. Here, the sky is the limit when it comes to deciding what activities to choose. To make it easier, we have listed some of the best choices when travelling with children below.
A holiday between fjords and mountains in western Norway provides lots of experiences for the whole family. The combination of a few days by the fjord in Flåm and a few days of mountain activities in Myrkdalen is perfect for active families with children of all ages.
Here you can meet real Vikings, find unique places to swim or shower under a waterfall, join in on a fishing trip or go on a family-friendly hike, and experience one of the steepest railways in the world. Go on a voyage of discovery along the fjord and experience the joy of learning mountain biking. Try the longest zipline in Scandinavia and take a ski lift into the mountain. Sleep and eat well at one of our hotels.
Create your own family adventure in Myrkdalen and Flåm!
Who hasn’t been fascinated by the Viking era at some time? When you walk through the gates to the Viking village of Njardarheimr in Gudvangen, you’ll be transported to a different age. Here, you will encounter real Vikings with long hair and beards who’ll show you how they lived in Norway a thousand years ago.
You can wander around freely on your own and enjoy a chat with the people you meet, or you can join in with a guided tour included in the entrance fee. Remember to take a quick look inside the chieftain’s house – you might see Chieftain Georg sitting on his throne. And whatever you do, don’t leave until you’ve tried axe throwing or archery!
Tip: Buy packed lunches from Flåm Bakeri
Plan a fun day out on the fjord from Flåm, combing fjord safari in a RIB, a gentle 5-kilometre-long walk on the shore, and a relaxing fjord cruise back.
The UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord is still a hidden gem in the wilderness. One of the best ways to explore it close up is by walking the historical Royal Postal Road from Bleiklindi to Styvi farm. As there are no road connection into the fjord, a boat trip is another must. On this family-friendly half-day tour, you get to experience it all. Bring packed lunch and drinks and enjoy the tranquillity of the fjord!
A trip on the Flåm Railway is a must when you’re in the area. This train has been transporting people up and down Flåmsdalen valley from Flåm at the fjord to Myrdal, 867 metres above sea level, since 1940. The 20 km journey takes about 50 minutes, including a stop at Kjosfossen waterfall. Did you know that this is one of the world’s steepest railways?
Families with older children may enjoy combining the railway journey with Flåm Zipline – Scandinavia’s longest zipline with a span of 1381 metres. To do that, get off the train at the penultimate stop, Vatnahalsen station. You can look forward to panoramic views across the valley from the starting point at Vatnahalsen, and at the bottom you’ll find Kårdal mounatin farm and Rallarrosa Stølsysteri. When everyone has their feet firmly back on the ground, we recommend taking a breather with a traditional Norwegian pancake called svele, sold at the farm. When your adrenaline levels are back to normal, walk down the valley to Blomheller station and jump on a train back to Flåm. Alternatively, you can book a zipline package that includes train ticket, zipline, and rental bikes, and cycle back down to Flåm. The minimum weight for taking the zipline is 25 kg and the recommended age for cycling is 12.
When you first are by the fjord, you really ought to take a boat trip. Join a fjord cruise through the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord aboard one of the modern electric vessels Vision and Future of The Fjords. There’s plenty of space, both indoors and outside, and it’s easy to move around all the different levels, even up onto the roof. The gangways along the boat symbolise the zigzag pathways along the steep mountainsides adjacent to the fjord. They offer ease of access too, so both pushchairs and wheelchairs can be rolled up and down without any hassle. Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for porpoises, seals, and eagles along the way!
You’ll see lots of wonderful waterfalls during your holiday to Myrkdalen and Flåm! On a ride with the Flåm Railway, you’ll see no fewer than four; Brekkefossen, Rjoandefossen, Setsdalsfossen, and Kjosfossen. Standing out on deck on Fjord Cruise Nærøyfjord, you’ll get up close and personal with Sagfossen, which cascades several hundred metres down into the fjord. Driving through Nærøydalen valley from Flåm to Myrkdalen, you can see both the 126-metre tall Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen at the upper end. Sendefossen at Vikafjellet is another alternative if you’d like to get so close to a waterfall that you can feel the droplets of water raining down on you.
Swimming or bathing may not be the first activity you think of when planning a trip to western Norway. But believe it or not, there is a fair chance you will experience nice, warm spring and summer days. And warm or not, isn’t a bath always refreshing?
The beach in Flåm is a safe bet. You might not be completely alone here, but it’s easy to find and there are toilets nearby. The same applies for the beach in Aurland centre.
If you’d like to swim at the heart of the World Heritage site, you can drive to Bakka along the Nærøyfjord. It’s a short detour on the road between Flåm and Myrkdalen. Park across the path to mt. Rimstigen and plunge into the UNESCO-listed fjord. A little closer to Myrkdalen, you’ll find Lake Oppheimsvatnet, here there’s a small beach and a floating pier in Haugsvik at the east end of the lake.
In Myrkdalen, you can enjoy the river and the many mountain lakes. Hiking and swimming go hand in hand on hot summer days, and you’ll have no problems finding a place where you can be alone. You can even find tiny natural beaches to enjoy. If you walk from the chairlift in Myrkdalen to Mørkvesstølen mountain farm, you can take dips in small pools in the river, and in Lake Svortetjødn.
Myrkdalen Mountain Resort is a paradise for kids who love cycling. Directly outside Myrkdalen Hotel is an 850 square metres pumptrack and a beginner’s mountain biking trail, with one blue and two green trails. The large asphalted pumptrack is made up of formations, depressions and turns to teach you how to position yourself on the bike and how to create pressure and speed without using the pedals. It's suitable for everything from regular bicycles and scooters to skateboarding. Playing here is just as fun for adults as it is for kids.
If you have teenagers who enjoy cycling, you can hire regular or electric bikes and head out on the gravel roads to mountain farms such as Vetlebotn, Revhaugen, and Bygdadalen.
The lakes in and around Myrkdalen are not just great for swimming, they are also perfect for family friendly fishing trips. You can even join a guided fishing tour specially designed for families.
Location varies according to group size and weather. It can be everything from fishing in mountain lakes combined with an easy hike to fishing from a boat in a larger, nearby lake. Common for all locations are that they are in close proximity to Myrkdalen Mountain Resort. At the end of the tour, you will prepare and cook the catch of the day for lunch.
Did you know that Myrkdalen also operate one of their ski lifts in summer too? Just a few metres from Myrkdalen Hotel, you can get on the chair lift and let it take you straight into the mountains without wasting a single drop of sweat!
From the Myrkdalen Express lift’s upper station at 860 masl, you have a number of options to choose from. Head down to the lovely Mørkvesstølen farm with views over Myrkdalsvatnet lake, and then on up to Svortetjødn tarn for a swim. Feeling fit? Hike up to mt. Finnbunuten, 1358 masl, for panoramic views of the surrounding mountainous fjord landscape. Families with younger children can walk the trail back to Myrkdalen Hotel via Vetlebotn and test your knowledge on the nature quiz along the way. Pop by the café in Vetlebotn for lunch with a view! You can also take the lift back downhill after enjoying in the views from the top.
Enjoy spacious accommodation at Fretheim Hotel’s family rooms in Flåm. There’s room for a family of four here, with double beds and bunk beds. Alternatively, you can reserve a Junior Suite with a sofa bed, dining table and balcony or patio. The wonderful garden is an excellent place to relax for people of all ages, and there’s a fenced-off playground for the youngest directly next to the hotel.
In Myrkdalen, you can choose between hotel rooms at Myrkdalen Hotel, cabins or apartments. Maybe you’d like the freedom of self-catering after a few nights at a hotel in Flåm? The cabins and apartments are within walking distance of Myrkdalen Hotel, making dinner at Restaurant Tunet an easy option after a fun day of cycling on the pumptrack.
If you’d like to bring your dog with you on holiday, they can stay with you at some of the cabins and apartments in Myrkdalen, and also at Fretheim Hotel (surcharges apply). Get in touch if you’d like more information.
