Olden cruise port

Walk off the ship to a glacier you can touch and a cable car to 3,300 feet

Olden is a 500 person village at the inner end of the Nordfjord, 60 miles from the open sea, with a cruise quay in the middle of it that takes the biggest ships in the fleet. The day is about two things: the Briksdal glacier, a blue tongue of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap 15 miles up the valley that you reach by shuttle bus and a 45 minute walk or an open Troll Car, and the Loen Skylift, the cable car in the next village that climbs 3,300 ft to Mount Hoven in 5 minutes. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Olden 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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Dockedwalk-off quay in the village, small ships tender at Loen
Krone (NOK)cards everywhere, the village is 2 min from the gangway
Jun to Augwarmest and driest, glacier road and skylift in full swing
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Olden

Walk up to the glacier, ride the skylift, or stroll the village and the lake; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

The glacier

Briksdalsbreen

  • Shuttle bus from the pier up the Oldedalen valley past two lakes to the Briksdal lodge, 40 minutes each way, about 575 NOK
  • Then a 1.5 mile walk with 650 ft of climb past the Kleivafossen waterfall to the glacier lake, or a Troll Car for about 300 NOK extra each way
  • Ship tours of 4 to 5 hours run about $130 to $225; the whole thing takes 3.5 to 4 hours on your own

Best for: first-timers, hikers, families with kids over 6

Up high

Loen Skylift

  • One of the steepest cable cars in the world, 5 minutes from the fjord to Mount Hoven at 3,300 ft
  • Restaurant, marked walks and the via ferrata at the top; the view runs down the Nordfjord to Olden and over to the glaciers
  • About 530 to 600 NOK round trip, or about 900 NOK with the shuttle from Olden, 20 minutes each way; some ships tender right to the skylift at Loen

Best for: photographers, mobility-limited travelers, short calls

On foot

The village and the lake

  • The red 1934 church and the white 1759 Old Church 10 minutes up the river from the pier
  • A 40 minute walk down the valley to the Laukifossen waterfall and the head of Floen lake
  • Innvik wool mill, kayaks on the glassy inner fjord, and the smallest beach in Norway beside the gangway

Best for: budget days, second visits, anyone who wants to be back early

Live from the cruise lines

Olden cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Olden 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

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Every cruise that calls at Olden

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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.

In port

Things to do in Olden

Pick the glacier or the skylift before you land; both leave from the pier, and a 9 hour call is the minimum for doing both.

Briksdal glacierA 15 mile shuttle up the Oldedalen valley past Floen and Oldevatnet lakes to the Briksdal mountain lodge, then a 1.5 mile trail with 650 ft of climb past the Kleivafossen waterfall to the milky green lake under the ice. Shuttle about 575 NOK round trip with departures timed to the ships, Troll Car about 300 NOK extra each way, ship tours about $130 to $225; 3.5 to 4 hours door to door.
Loen SkyliftThe 2017 cable car from the fjord at Loen to Mount Hoven at 3,300 ft in 5 minutes, with the Hoven restaurant, marked summit walks and a view down the Nordfjord to your ship. About 530 to 600 NOK round trip for adults (about 270 NOK children), shuttle from Olden 20 minutes each way or about 900 NOK as a package; allow 3 hours.
Troll Car to the glacierThe open-sided electric carts that replaced the horse-drawn carriages on the Briksdal road, running from the lodge to a stop 10 to 15 minutes’ walk below the glacier lake. Book ahead in summer, about 300 NOK each way on top of the shuttle; the right choice for knees and grandparents.
Loen via ferrataGuided climbs on fixed cables and ladders up the face of Mount Hoven, including the Gjolmunne suspension bridge 2,500 ft up and a 45 degree rope ladder; 4 to 6 hours, equipment provided, with the skylift down. For the fit and fearless.
Lovatnet and KjenndalThe turquoise lake behind Loen with the Kjenndal glacier at its head, reached by road or by a boat up the lake; memorials along the shore to the 1905 and 1936 rockslides that sent tidal waves through the villages. About 4 hours as a ship tour.
The village churches and LaukifossenThe deep red 1934 Olden Church and the white 1759 Old Church are 10 minutes up the river road from the quay; keep walking 30 minutes to the Laukifossen waterfall and the head of Floen lake. Free and flat.
Kayak on the inner NordfjordGuided 2 and 3 hour paddles with Loen Active on the glassy water between Olden and Loen, mirrored peaks all around; beginners welcome on the 2 hour trip, from about 700 NOK.
Innvik wool millAn 1890 timber factory 15 minutes along the fjord that spun Norwegian wool until 1972, now a museum with the machinery running and a film; an easy 2 hour tour with Olden Adventure or a taxi.
Timing

When to go

Olden is an inner-fjord village, warmer and calmer than the coast but wet in any month; June to August give the mildest days and the busiest quay, and the Briksdal road and the skylift run from spring to fall.

April to Mayhighs 50 to 60F, snow on the peaks, the waterfalls at peak melt, the glacier trail opening in late April and the first ships of the year
June to Julyhighs 62 to 68F with 75F afternoons in the valley, 20 hour daylight and two ships in on the busiest days; book the shuttle or the skylift ahead
Augusthighs 60 to 66F, the most settled weather of the season, warm lake water at Oldevatnet and a little less pressure on the Troll Cars
September to Octoberhighs 45 to 58F, gold on the birch slopes, fewer ships, rain more often and the glacier road closing by mid October
November to Marchhighs 30 to 40F, snow in the valley, the skylift open on winter hours and only the occasional British ship calling for the northern lights
Good to know

Olden questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Olden and how far is it to the village?

At the Olden cruise quay in the middle of the village, which is built for the largest ships in the fleet: the shops, cafe, tourist office and the shuttle-bus stop are 2 minutes from the gangway. There is one berth, so when two ships are scheduled the larger one gets the quay and the other anchors and tenders, either to the Olden Cruise Park jetty by the village or to the tender quay at Loen beside the skylift, 5 miles along the fjord; about 20 smaller calls a year use Loen. Check the daily program the night before. Everything in the village is on foot; Briksdal and the skylift are by shuttle, coach or taxi.

Can I do Briksdal and the Loen Skylift on my own?

Yes, and most independent cruisers do one of them. Olden Adventure runs the Briksdal shuttle from the pier (about 575 NOK round trip, departures around 9:30, 11 and 1 on ship days, 3.5 hours all in) and a Loen Skylift shuttle (about 900 NOK with the ticket); both can be pre-booked online, and the Troll Car should be. The public bus is one or two a day and cannot be reserved, so it is not a plan. Doing both needs a call of 9 hours or more and some luck with the queues; on a 7 or 8 hour call, choose.

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 for the shuttle, the skylift and the waffle hut. Everyone speaks English. Olden is on Central European Time, 6 hours ahead of US Eastern, and US plans with European roaming work in the village and at the skylift and fade in the Briksdal valley.

Is Olden safe?

Yes. Norway is at the State Department’s lowest advisory level and Olden is a village. The cautions are the trail and the weather: the Briksdal path is steep and wet with spray from the waterfall, the glacier itself is roped off and should stay that way, and the top of the skylift can be 15 degrees colder and windier than the pier. Sturdy shoes and a rain layer, and watch the shuttle times.

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

Briksdal on a first call, and the honest answer is that the pier shuttle does it for less than the ship’s tour, with the same bus, the same Troll Cars and departures timed to the ship; book through the ship if your call is under 7 hours, if you want a guide, or if you simply want the line responsible for getting you back. The skylift is the better choice in rain or low cloud over the glacier, and the one to book through the ship if your sailing tenders at Loen, since the tender lands beside it.

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 biometric entry and exit system is being phased in from 2026, so allow a few extra minutes at your first European 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 an Olden cruise specialist

We know which sailings dock at the village quay, which tender at Loen under the skylift and how long a call you need for the glacier and the cable car, so call us to check availability and book the fjord sailing that fits. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560