7 days€€€NorwayNorway Fjords by Train
Scenery you reach by train, ferry and funicular
- Best for ages
- 4+
- Pace
- Relaxed
- Driving
- No car needed
NatureRoad trip
View trip
Europe · 5 destinations
Norway with Kids: Itineraries, Where to Stay & When to Go
Norway is the trip families take when the scenery is the point. Fjords, waterfalls and glaciers are visible from the road and the railway rather than requiring a hike, which makes it unusually workable with children — a ferry across a fjord or a ride on a mountain railway is a full attraction in itself. The summer midnight sun gives very long usable days. The caveat is cost: Norway is among the most expensive countries in Europe, and planning around that is most of the work.
- Best for ages
- 4+
- Recommended trip length
- 6–12 days
- Budget level
- €€€
- Best time to visit
- Jun–Sep
Suits up to 17
Higher-end
Why Norway works for families
Scenery you reach without hiking
Fjords, waterfalls and glaciers visible from roads, ferries and trains.
The transport is the attraction
Mountain railways and fjord ferries hold children's attention on their own.
Exceptionally safe and well organised
Excellent facilities, clean water everywhere, and an outdoor culture that assumes children.
Very long summer days
Daylight well past 22:00 in June and July, which takes the pressure off the schedule.
Northern lights in winter
From late September to March, with dog sledding and husky camps alongside.
Ready-made Norway itineraries
Each one has a day-by-day plan, a route map, where to stay and an estimated cost.
- 7 days€€€Norway
Where to go in Norway
The areas worth building a family trip around, and how long to give each.
When to visit Norway with kids
June to August is the fjord season, with long daylight hours, all attractions open and the mildest weather. September brings autumn colour with fewer visitors. Northern lights run from roughly late September to March, which is a different, colder trip requiring warm-weather gear for children.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Where to stay
Family hotels in Norway
We list areas and property types rather than single hotels: family-room availability changes constantly, and the area plus the room requirement is what survives contact with a booking engine.
Flåm / Aurland / VossMid-rangeFjords — cabins and apartments
Cabins are how families make Norway affordable: they sleep four to six, include a kitchen, and sit in better locations than the hotels.
- Kitchen, which offsets Norway's restaurant prices
- Sleeps four to six in one booking
- Often directly on the fjord or a lake
Fitting a family in
Cabins and campsite huts routinely sleep four to six and cost well under two hotel rooms.
Watch out. Some campsite huts do not include bed linen or a private bathroom. Check both before booking.
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Tromsø centreHigher-endTromsø — central hotels with breakfast
In an Arctic winter, being able to walk to dinner and have tours collect you from reception matters more than the room itself.
- Tour pick-up and drop-off at the hotel
- Generous breakfast buffet, often the best value meal of the day
- Walking distance to restaurants in the dark and cold
Fitting a family in
Family rooms are available but limited in winter. Book well ahead for the aurora season.
Watch out. Prices peak between Christmas and February. Booking three months ahead makes a substantial difference.
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Sentrum / GrünerløkkaMid-rangeOslo — central apartments
A kitchen is the single biggest lever on an Oslo budget, and an apartment gives a family separate bedrooms for less than two central hotel rooms.
- Kitchen, which is what makes Oslo's food bill manageable
- Tram or metro from the door to Bygdøy and Holmenkollen
- Room to spread out on a wet or dark afternoon
Fitting a family in
Two-bedroom apartments are widely available and usually cost less than two hotel rooms in the same district.
Watch out. Many central buildings are older blocks with no lift, and four or five flights of stairs with luggage and a pushchair is common. Confirm the floor before booking.
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Reine / Hamnøy / SvolværMid-rangeLofoten — rorbu cabins over the water
Converted fishermen's cabins sit on stilts at the water's edge, take a whole family in one booking and include a kitchen, which is what keeps the food bill survivable this far north.
- Kitchen, in a region with few restaurants and short seasons
- Whole family in one unit rather than two rooms
- Drying space or a drying room for soaked outdoor clothes
Fitting a family in
Most rorbuer sleep four to six across two bedrooms plus a sofa bed; the smaller ones take only two, so check the layout rather than the headline capacity.
Watch out. Older cabins often have steep ladder-like stairs to a sleeping loft, and the decking runs straight to deep unfenced water — worth asking about with toddlers. Summer dates book out many months ahead.
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Vågen / city centreMid-rangeStavanger — harbourside apartments
Everything a family needs here is within a fifteen-minute walk, so an apartment in the centre removes the car entirely and puts a kitchen against Norwegian restaurant prices.
- Walk to the fjord boats, the old town and the museums
- Kitchen and separate bedrooms
- No parking charges, because no car is needed
Fitting a family in
Two-bedroom apartments sleeping four to five are common around the harbour and in the streets behind it.
Watch out. The east side of Vågen is the city's bar strip and is loud at weekends — ask which way the bedrooms face. Cruise-ship days crowd the old town and the quay.
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Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through one, the price is the same for you and we may earn a commission. How this works.
Top family attractions in Norway
What each one costs, how long it takes, which ages it suits and whether you need to book ahead.
NatureBook aheadFlåm Railway
Bergen & the Fjords
One of the steepest standard-gauge railways in the world, descending 865 m in 20 km past waterfalls and mountain farms, with a photo stop en route.
- Ages
- 2–17
- Time
- 2h
- Adult, from
- €55
Good to know. Summer departures sell out. Sit on the left going down for the best views.
WaterBook aheadNærøyfjord cruise
Bergen & the Fjords
A ferry through the narrowest arm of the Sognefjord, UNESCO-listed, between cliffs that rise over a kilometre from the water.
- Ages
- 2–17
- Time
- 2h 30m
- Adult, from
- €50
Good to know. Open decks are cold and windy even in July. A warm layer for each child is needed.
AdventureBook aheadHusky sledding
Tromsø
Half-day trips to husky camps outside Tromsø, with sled rides, kennel visits and a meal in a lavvu tent. Thermal suits are provided.
- Ages
- 4–17
- Time
- 5h
- Adult, from
- €150
Good to know. Children usually ride as passengers rather than driving. Age minimums for self-driving are typically around sixteen.
NatureBook aheadNorthern lights chase
Tromsø
Minibus tours that travel inland or along the coast to find clear sky, typically running from early evening until after midnight.
- Ages
- 6–17
- Time
- 6h
- Adult, from
- €130
Good to know. Late finishes and long cold waits. One tour is usually enough with younger children.
MuseumFram Museum
Oslo
The polar ship Fram, the wooden vessel that carried Nansen and Amundsen, preserved whole inside a purpose-built hall on the Bygdøy peninsula, with visitors free to climb aboard and move through the decks.
- Ages
- 4–16
- Time
- 2h
- Adult, from
- €14
Good to know. Below deck the ship has steep, narrow ladders and low doorways, so it is a carry or a wait with toddlers, and a pushchair has to stay at the entrance. The Kon-Tiki museum is next door if a second stop is wanted.
WaterOslofjord island ferries
Oslo
Public boats from the City Hall pier to the inner-fjord islands — Hovedøya, Lindøya, Gressholmen and Langøyene — with swimming rocks, ruins, walking paths and beaches, all reached on an ordinary city transport ticket.
- Ages
- 0–16
- Time
- 4h
- Adult, from
- €4
Good to know. Most of the islands have no shop, so food and water go with you. Fjord water stays cold well into July, and boats run on a reduced winter pattern.
MuseumLofotr Viking Museum, Borg
Lofoten
A full-size reconstruction of the largest Viking-age longhouse ever excavated, built on the site of the find, with a smithy, craft demonstrations, costumed staff and a replica ship that visitors can row.
- Ages
- 4–16
- Time
- 3h
- Adult, from
- €22
Good to know. Much of the site is outdoors on an exposed hilltop and the walk down to the boathouse is over open grass, so wind and rain make a real difference. The rowing and craft sessions run seasonally rather than all year.
NatureHaukland & Uttakleiv beaches
Lofoten
Two white-sand bays on the west coast of Vestvågøya, ten minutes apart by road and linked by a marked coastal path over the headland between them.
- Ages
- 0–17
- Time
- 3h
- Adult, from
- Free
Good to know. The water sits at roughly ten to twelve degrees even in August — paddling, not swimming — and there are no lifeguards. Both car parks are small, charge a fee and fill by late morning in summer; the path between the beaches climbs and is exposed to the wind.
AdventurePreikestolen (Pulpit Rock)
Stavanger
A flat cliff platform standing 604 m above the Lysefjord, reached on a marked and heavily used path from a car park about forty minutes' drive from Stavanger.
- Ages
- 10–17
- Time
- 5h
- Adult, from
- Free
Good to know. Around 8 km there and back, roughly four hours at a family pace, with about 350 m of ascent over uneven rock, boulder steps and boardwalk. The plateau at the top has no fence, railing or barrier of any kind. It is not suitable for young children, and carrying a tired child back down is where families come unstuck. Parking is charged and the car park fills early in summer.
WaterBook aheadLysefjord cruise
Stavanger
A sightseeing boat from Stavanger harbour into the Lysefjord, passing waterfalls and sailing directly beneath the Preikestolen cliff before turning back.
- Ages
- 2–17
- Time
- 3h
- Adult, from
- €55
Good to know. The open deck where the views are is cold and windy even in July, and the water can be choppy where the fjord meets the open sea. This is the way to see Preikestolen with children too young for the hike.
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Getting around Norway
The classic fjord route combines trains, buses and ferries and needs no car at all — the Bergen Railway and the Flåm Line are attractions in their own right. A car gives more freedom along the fjords and in Lofoten, where public transport is thin. Ferries are frequent, take cars, and are part of the road network rather than an excursion.
Do you need a rental car?
Moderate driving. The headline fjord route works entirely on trains, buses and ferries. Beyond it — the smaller fjord arms, the Atlantic Road, Lofoten — a car is what makes the trip possible.
What Norway costs with a family
Typical daily spend for a family of four, excluding flights. Accommodation, food, local transport and one paid activity a day.
€
€180
Budget · per day, family of four
€€
€300
Mid-range · per day, family of four
€€€
€520
Higher-end · per day, family of four
Planning estimates based on published prices at the time of writing, in shoulder season. Peak months, school holidays and city-centre accommodation all push the figure higher.
Food in Norway
Straightforward but expensive. Eating out for a family adds up very quickly, so most visitors self-cater at least partly; supermarkets are good and cabins almost always have kitchens. Hotel breakfast buffets are generous and often the best value meal of the day.
Practical tips for Norway
The things that are easy to get wrong and expensive to fix once you have arrived.
Money & costs
Self-cater at least one meal a day
Restaurant prices are the single biggest cost shock. Cabins and apartments with kitchens are widely available and are how most families make Norway affordable.
When to go
Book scenic trains early
The Bergen Railway and the Flåm Line sell discounted advance fares that disappear as departures fill. Same-day tickets cost several times as much.
Packing
Pack for four seasons in one day
Fjord weather changes quickly even in July. Waterproofs and layers for every child are not optional, and a warm layer is needed on open ferry decks.
With kids
Cabins beat hotels for families
Norwegian cabins and campsite huts sleep four to six with a kitchen, cost far less than two hotel rooms, and are usually in better locations.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through one, the price is the same for you and we may earn a commission. How this works.
Norway with kids: common questions
Is Norway suitable for young children?
Yes, particularly because the scenery does not require hiking — ferries, trains and viewpoints do most of the work. Distances between stops can be long, so plan fewer moves than the map suggests.
How expensive is Norway for a family?
It is among the most expensive countries in Europe, with restaurant meals the sharpest cost. Families that self-cater partly, stay in cabins and book transport in advance bring it much closer to alpine Europe.
Can you see the northern lights with kids?
From late September to March, in the north around Tromsø and Lofoten. It means cold, dark days and proper winter clothing, and sightings are never guaranteed — but husky camps and sledding fill the daytime regardless.
Do you need a car in Norway?
Not for the classic Bergen–Flåm fjord route, which runs on trains, buses and ferries. For Lofoten, the smaller fjords or the Atlantic Road, a car is effectively required.
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