Bergen cruise port

Bryggen and Mount Floyen, both a 10 minute walk from the gangway

Bergen is the gateway to the fjords and the easiest port in Norway to do on your own: ships tie up at Skolten or Bontelabo at the mouth of the old harbour, and the UNESCO wooden wharf of Bryggen, the fish market and the Floibanen funicular are all a flat 10 to 15 minute walk away. Ride up Mount Floyen for the view, eat shrimp at the market, and if your call is long enough take a boat into the Osterfjord. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Bergen from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedSkolten or Bontelabo, 10 min walk to Bryggen

Krone (NOK)tap to pay for everything, English everywhere

Jun to Augmildest months, bring a rain shell

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do Bergen

Walk the old town, ride up the mountains, or take a boat into the fjords; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

On foot

Bryggen and the fish market

The leaning wooden Hanseatic wharf, free to wander, with the Hanseatic Museum and Schotstuene inside
Fisketorget for king crab, smoked salmon and a shrimp sandwich at a harbour table
Ride the Floibanen (about 200 NOK return) from the station behind the market, 6 minutes to the top

Best for: first-timers, walkers, anyone with a short call

Up high

Floyen and Ulriken

Mount Floyen for the classic city-and-fjord view, trails, goats and a cafe at the top
Ulriken643 cable car (about 435 NOK return) to Bergen’s highest peak, bus or taxi to the base
Hike the 4 hour ridge walk between the two if the weather and your call time allow

Best for: hikers, photographers, families

On the water

Into the fjords

3 hour Mostraumen fjord cruise from the fish market (about 890 NOK) past waterfalls to the narrows
Ship tours to the Hardangerfjord or a Norway in a Nutshell slice by train and boat
Grieg’s home at Troldhaugen with a lunchtime recital on the way back

Best for: couples, music lovers, calls of 9 hours or more

Live from the cruise lines

Bergen cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Bergen from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

Sorted by what you save, biggest first

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Every cruise that calls at Bergen

Stack any filters, then pick a sort

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to Bergen

Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there; Southampton and the German and Dutch ports send the most fjord ships, and Bergen itself is where the Norwegian coastal voyages begin.

Southampton7 night Norwegian Fjords loops from Royal Caribbean, Princess, P&O and Cunard, Bergen on day 2 or 3 Amsterdam7 to 10 night fjord sailings from Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian HamburgMSC and Costa 7 night Norway loops, Bergen is often the first fjord call KielMSC and TUI Norway sailings in summer, two days at sea each way CopenhagenNorway and North Cape voyages that call at Bergen on the way north or south BergenHurtigruten and Havila coastal voyages to Kirkenes start here, as do some Viking sailings ReykjavikIceland to Norway one-way voyages that end or call at Bergen

In port

Things to do in Bergen

Bergen is compact and wet, so do the view early while the clouds are up and keep the museums for the afternoon.

Floibanen funicularSix minutes from the station behind the fish market to the top of Mount Floyen, about 200 NOK return (less in winter, half price with the Bergen Card). Go first thing; the ship-day queue builds by 10 a.m. Walk down in 45 minutes if your knees agree.

BryggenThe UNESCO row of leaning wooden merchant houses from the Hanseatic League, 10 minutes from Skolten. Wander the alleys for free; the Hanseatic Museum and Schotstuene tell the cod-trade story for about 200 NOK.

Fisketorget fish marketOpen-air stalls and the indoor Mathallen on the harbour: king crab legs, fish soup, smoked whale and a shrimp sandwich for about 150 to 250 NOK. Pricey but it is lunch with a view and 5 minutes from Bryggen.

Mostraumen fjord cruiseA 3 to 3.5 hour boat from the fish market pier up the Osterfjord to the Mostraumen narrows and a waterfall you can almost touch, about 840 to 890 NOK. Only on calls of 7 hours plus; the ship version costs about $120 to $150.

Ulriken643 cable carBergen’s highest of the seven mountains at 643 m, about 435 NOK return plus a bus or taxi to the base (about 15 minutes). Clearer, higher and quieter than Floyen; open until 11 p.m. in summer.

Troldhaugen, Edvard Grieg’s homeThe composer’s lakeside villa and museum 20 minutes south, about 200 NOK, with 30 minute lunchtime piano recitals in summer; the villa itself is closed for renovation until 2027 but the museum, hut and grave are open. A ship tour or taxi is easiest.

KODE art museumsFour museums on the lake 10 minutes from the market with Munch, Astrup and the Rasmus Meyer collection, one ticket covers all. The dry-weather backup plan.

Fantoft stave churchA rebuilt 12th century dragon-roofed stave church in the woods 15 minutes south by light rail (Bybanen to Fantoft, about 45 NOK), a short walk up the hill; about 90 minutes round trip.

Pick your style

Which lines call at Bergen?

Two dozen lines and more than 60 ships call between April and October; these are the ones Americans sail most.

      Royal Caribbean7 night Norwegian Fjords from Southampton and Amsterdam in summerSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Princess Cruises7 night fjords and 14 night North Cape sailings from SouthamptonSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      MSC CruisesNorway loops from Hamburg, Kiel and Copenhagen, May to SeptemberSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Norwegian Cruise LineNorway and Iceland itineraries from Southampton, Copenhagen and ReykjavikSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Holland America Line7 to 14 night fjord and midnight sun voyages from Amsterdam and CopenhagenSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Celebrity CruisesNorwegian Fjords and Arctic Circle sailings from Southampton and AmsterdamSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      CunardQueen Anne and Queen Victoria fjord voyages from SouthamptonSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      VikingViking Homelands and Into the Midnight Sun, with Bergen as a start, end or overnight portLive prices
      Hurtigrutenthe classic coastal voyage to Kirkenes departs Bergen most evenings year roundSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
    

Timing

When to go

Bergen is Europe’s rainiest city, with showers on more than 200 days a year; June to August are the mildest and busiest months, and May is often the driest.

Mayhighs 55 to 60F, the driest month of the season, rhododendrons out, fewer ships; the best odds of a clear Floyen view

June to Augusthighs 60 to 68F, 18 hour days and the midnight sun up north, showers on half the days, the busiest months in port; book Floibanen tickets online

September to Octoberhighs 50 to 58F, the wettest stretch at 8 to 10 inches a month, fall color on the mountains and the season winding down by mid October

November to Aprilhighs 38 to 48F, dark and wet with snow on the peaks; only the coastal voyages and a few northern lights sailings call

Good to know

Bergen questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Bergen and how far is it to town?

Almost every ship docks at Skolten or the adjoining Bontelabo quay at the mouth of the old harbour, a flat 10 to 15 minute walk (about 900 m) past Bryggen to the fish market; no tendering. On the busiest days a third or fourth ship goes to the Jekteviken or Dokken cargo piers on the far side of the peninsula, where the port runs a free shuttle to Nostet, 10 minutes from the main square.

How do I get around Bergen?

Walk. The center is small and flat, and Floibanen, Bryggen and the market are all within 15 minutes of the ship. For Ulriken, Troldhaugen or Fantoft use the Bybanen light rail (about 45 NOK, tap a card), a city bus, or a taxi (Bergen taxis are expensive, about 200 NOK for a short hop). The hop-on hop-off bus stops at the pier and loops to Ulriken’s base.

What currency and language, and will my phone work?

Norway uses the krone (about 10 to 11 NOK to the dollar) and is nearly cashless; tap a card or phone everywhere, including the market stalls. Everyone speaks English. Bergen is on Central European Time, 6 hours ahead of US Eastern, and US phone plans with European roaming work normally.

Is Bergen safe?

Yes. Norway is at the State Department’s lowest advisory level and Bergen is as safe as any city you will visit. The practical risks are wet cobblestones and slippery trails, so wear shoes with grip, and remember that the mountains are cooler and windier than the harbour.

What is the best excursion, and should I book through the ship?

On a first call, ride Floibanen early and walk Bryggen and the market on your own; it needs no tour. Book through the ship for the fjord boat trips and the Hardanger or Norway in a Nutshell day if your call is under 9 hours, because the line guarantees your return. The Mostraumen boat from the market is a good independent option on long calls.

Do I need a passport?

Yes. Every Norway cruise requires a valid passport, and we recommend six months of validity beyond your return date. Norway is in the Schengen zone, where the EU’s new biometric entry and exit system is being phased in from 2026, so allow a few extra minutes at your first arrival.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Bergen cruise specialist

We know which ships get Skolten and how long a call you need for the fjord boat, so call us to check availability and book the Norway sailing that fits. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560