Give your kids the chance to experience the mountains and fjords! Flåm and Myrkdalen are just 45 minutes apart by road, in the heart of the county of Vestland, and have activities and great experiences to offer for whole family. Here, the sky’s the limit when it comes to deciding what adventures to choose!
A holiday between fjords and mountains in western Norway provides lots of experiences for the whole family. The combination of a few days of fjord experiences in Flåm and a few days of mountain activities in Myrkdalen is perfect for active families with children of all ages.
You can meet real Vikings, find unique places to swim or shower under a waterfall, join in on a fishing trip or 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. Live and eat well at Myrkdalen and Fretheim Hotel.
Create your very 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’s 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 join in with a guided tour. 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
Not far from Flåm, you’ll find Undredal, one of the places used by Disney as inspiration for Arendelle in the Frozen films. Not only will you find Norway’s smallest stave church and a charming, colourful cluster of houses here, it’s also a fine starting point for a walk on the edge of the fjord.
From Undredal Church, you follow the signs towards Stokko, a 2-kilometre long, family-friendly walk along the Aurlandsfjord. There’s every chance you’ll meet some goats along the way – but they’re not dangerous, they’re just curious. The big, green area at Stokko is the perfect place to enjoy your packed lunch. You can also see straight up to Stigen farm from here. Imagine what it was like living on a cliff directly above the fjord in the old days.
When you first are by the fjord, you really ought to take a boat trip, no? Join a fjord cruise through the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord aboard the modern electric boat Legacy of the Fjords. There’s plenty of space, both indoors and out, 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 with ease. Don’t forget to keep your eyes open for porpoises and seals along the way!
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 from Flåm at the fjord to Myrdal, 867 metres above sea level, since 1940. The 20 km trip takes about 50 minutes, including a stop for photos at Kjosfossen. Did you know, this is one of the world’s steepest sections of railway?
Families with slightly older children may enjoy combining their railway trip with the Flåm Zipline – Scandinavia’s longest zipline at 1381 metres. To do that, you get off the train at the penultimate stop, Vatnahalsen station. The minimum weight for the zipline is 25 kg. You have panoramic views across the valley from the starting point at Vatnahalsen, and at the bottom you’ll find Kårdal farm and Rallarrosa Stølsysteri. When you all have your feet firmly back on the ground, we recommend taking a breather on the hill with a goats cheese Norwegian svele pancake from Rallarrosa Stølsysteri. After that, you’ll head down the valley to Blomheller station and jump on a train back to Flåm. Alternatively, you can hire bikes and cycle back down the last part of Rallarvegen. The recommended age for cycling is 12.
There’s plenty of space for everyone here, so it’s easy to find somewhere to swim that isn’t crowded. You may have to just look around a bit at times. The shore 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 river passes through Flåm near to the shore is also popular on hot days, and you can jump off the lowermost bridge if you dare. Otherwise, Badelagunen in central Aurland is another safe choice for families with children.
If you’d like to swim at the heart of the World Heritage site, you can drive to Bakka at the Nærøyfjord. A small detour on the road between Flåm and Myrkdalen. Park at the path to Rimstigen. When you get a little closer to Myrkdalen, you’ll find Oppheimsvatnet, and there’s a shore and a floating pier at the east end of the lake.
In Myrkdalen, you can enjoy the river and mountain waters. Mountain hiking and swimming go together, and you’ll have no problems finding a place here where you can be alone. In Sendedalen at Vikafjell, you can swim from lake to lake through the valley. You can even find tiny natural shores to enjoy. If you walk from the Myrkdalen Express to Mørkvesstølen, you can swim in little pools in the river, and in Svortetjødn just above the farm. There’s a slightly bigger pool in the Myrkdalselva river, under the bridge at Treskjerartunet 3-4 km further down into the valley from Myrkdalen Fjellandsby.
You’ll see lots of wonderful waterfalls during your holiday to Myrkdalen and Flåm. If you take the Flåm Railway, you’ll see no fewer than four beautiful waterfalls; Brekkefossen, Rjoandefossen, Setsdalsfossen and Kjosfossen. If you stand out on deck on the fjord cruise in the Nærøyfjord, you’ll get up close and personal with Sagfossen, which cascades several hundred metres down into the fjord. As you travel between Flåm and Myrkdalen, you can drive to the bottom of Stalheimskleiva and walk all the way up to the dramatic Stalheimsfossen, which is no fewer than 126 metres high. Sendefossen at Vikafjell 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.
Myrkdalen Fjellandsby is a paradise for kids who love cycling. Directly outside Myrkdalen Hotel is an 850 sq m pumptrack and a 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. The pumptrack is suitable for everything from regular cycling and scooters to skateboarding. Playing here is just as much fun for adults as it is for kids.
Beginners courses and technical courses for both adults and children are also offered every day in summer. The courses for children focus on play and learning how to ride a bike, while the courses for adults look more at technique and balance. The beginners course for adults is ideal for complete newcomers to mountain biking, while the technical course is more appropriate if you have a little bit of experience of trails and terrain.
If you have teenagers who enjoy cycling, you can hire electric bikes and head out on the farm roads to Vetlebotn, Revhaugen or Bygdadalen.
The four mountain lakes in Sendedalen at Vikafjell north of Myrkdalen aren’t just brilliant for swimming, they’re also perfect for a fishing trip with all the family. Vetlavatnet is situated directly below the car park, but if you prefer to walk a little first you’ll soon arrive at Lars-Ola vatnet. After that there’s Kringlavatnet, and in the heart of this valley is Holmavatnet – you won’t find it difficult to walk there.
Every day in summer, you can join in with a family-friendly fishing trip to Vikafjell. You can collect a guide and fishing tackle there, and the group decides whether to go for a 2 or 10 kilometre return trip. The trip ends with a grilling session for whatever you’ve caught.
If you start your trip with the ski lift from the centre of Myrkdalen, everyone can head up into the mountain. Myrkdalen Express takes you up to 860 metres above sea level, and from there 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 for a swim. If you’re fit, take a trip to Finnbunuten, 1358 metres above sea level, which offers panoramic views over Stølsheimen, Myrkdalen and the surrounding fjord landscape. For families, there’s also a nature trail on the route between Vetlebotn and Helgatun – with prizes for everyone!
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 an fenced-off playground for the tinies directly next to the hotel.
In Myrkdalen, you can choose between hotel rooms at Myrkdalen Hotel, cabins or apartments. Maybe you’d like to try self catering after a few nights at a hotel in Flåm? The cabins and apartments are within walking distance of Myrkdalen Hotel, so having dinner at Restaurant Tunet after a fun day of cycling on the pumptrack is no problem even if you’d prefer to stay in a cabin.
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.
