Hardangerfjord!! Anyone help!

[June Bug]

Princess is offering an excursion called: Hardangerfjord - The Queen of Fjords.

I have called Princess to get more info. and unfortunately, they only have limited info and told me to get more from the ship itself! I need to make an informed decision now so that I can reserve today!!

 

here is what the website says:

 

Hardangerfjord - The Queen Of Fjords

Hardangerfjord is without doubt one of the favorites among the many Norwegian fjords; framed by mountains reflected in the clear water, and famous for its many orchards.

WHAT YOU VISIT

Voss - The charming village of Voss is situated on the Bergen railway. Take some free time to browse for a souvenir of this resort, popular in both summer and winter.

 

LUNCH

While in Voss, choose your lunch from a traditional Norwegian buffet served with coffee or tea, and your choice of either a beer or soft drink.

 

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

Steinsdalsfossen - Stop at this cascading waterfall, and take a path leading clear behind the falls.

 

Oeystese Viewpoint - On a clear day, catch views of the mighty Folgefonna glacier on the southern side of the fjord.

 

Skjervet - Admire the waterfall as it cascades down the cliffside.

 

WHAT YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY

Leaving Bergen, pass the fortress of Bergenhus, King Haakons Hall, Rosenkrantz Tower, the picturesque, wooden buildings from the Hanseatic period, and the fish market, before travelling through Bergen's gardened suburbs, in the direction of Soerfjorden. Follow the shoreline looking across to Osteroey Island, and head up the hill to Gullbotn - one of the many ski resorts. Descend to the Samnangerfjord, before climbing up to the mountain plateau of Kvamskogen, and then down into the Steinsdalen valley through Tokagjelet Gorge. Travel through the village of Norheimsund, before continuing along the shores of the fjord to the neighbouring village of Oeystese in the next bay. Continue along the fjord, passing through charming villages and fruit orchards, before heading inland taking in views of Granvin Lake. The return trip back to Bergen travels past the shore of Vangs Lake, the Vosso River, and through numerous tunnels to Dale, a small community surrounded by mountains, and known for its hydroelectric powerstation.

 

 

 

SPECIAL NOTES

This tour is only available on the Golden Princess' voyages 5524 and 5527

 

PS...I am on tour 5524...

 

SO my questions are:

 

What does anyone who knows think of this excursion...

1. It shows an activity level of substantial...but it isn't hiking...mainly walking and stairs....will my daughter with asthma have a rough time of this? she does ok with lots of walking, stairs, just unsure about the mountain altitude combination combined!

2. How high in the mountians are we?

3. This tour shows nothing about transportation...I'm assuming bus?

 

Is this worth 129.00 per person?

 

I appreciate any help you can give and realize someone may not get back to me in time...so I may just reserve it and cancel later if we decide against it!

Thanks a million!

June

[dbh62ark]

I'm a little confused because we cruised Hardangerfjord, so we saw that area at sea.

 

I don't know if this helps any, but if this is a full-day excursion that would take all or most of your time in Bergen, I would advise my friends/family against it because we loved the Bergen port so much. However, it sounds like a nice tour, so you probably can't go wrong either way. If it is a full-day tour, the $129 cost is in line with other all-day European shore excursions.

 

Hope you have a great trip,

Donna

[June Bug]

Maybe you can answer this...the reason I am asking for something other than Bergen is, that we arrive there on a Sunday. According to most shops time schedules (and I emailed the tourism office and received the same reply) almost everything is closed on Sunday with the exception of a couple of "touristy" stores that should be open (quoted from the tourism email)...so my question is, if the shops are closed on Sunday, what else is there to do in Bergen that wouldn't require a planned excursion (and one of my daughters refused to ride in the funnicular). I guess I was thinking that if 2500 people were getting of a ship in a town's port...that it would be the benefit of most stores staying open...but the tourism ofc. noted otherwise :(

Thanks a lot!

June

[dbh62ark]

Well, hmmmm. I'm assuming that by the "touristy" stores, the tourism office means that the stores in the Bryggen area will be open, and we did not shop in any other areas. The shopping in Norway is not that great unless you are shopping for souvenirs and mementos of your trip, and if you are going into Bergen, you're probably going to other ports in Norway. We did enjoy the funicular and did the Frommers walking tour. The streets in the Bergen area are very charming, so it's nice to just walk around. There is a Hanseatic Museum that is small and would probably be of interest to your daughter. The aquarium would be fun. Since the scenery is so nice in Bergen and it is such a wonderful place to visit, I think it's a nice place to visit, but everyone likes different things, so the tour may be more appealing to you in your situation.

 

Here are some photos of Bergen that will give you an idea of the scenery, and some of these were taken from the top of the mountain with the funicular. You can see that the Bryggen area is really unique.

 

http://www.fjordtravel.no/picturegallery/bergen.html

http://community.webshots.com/album/16084606YcKDXKrTqL

 

Is your daughter scared of heights? Maybe I can help assure her about the funicular. It's not a cable car that is suspended in the air and sways and blows in the wind. It's a car that you ride up a track on the side of the mountain. There are some nice trails to walk at the top of the funicular for incredible views. There is a photo of the funicular in the first link noted above.

 

Since the scenery is so nice in Bergen and it is such a wonderful place to visit, I think it's a nice place to visit, but everyone likes different things, so the tour may be more appealing to you in your situation. I see your dilemma, and you all might be happier with the ship's tour. If the tour won't take up all your time in Bergen, maybe you can do that and still have time to walk around Bergen.

 

I hope you have a great time,

Donna

[dbh62ark]

Check this out for a list of some other attractions in Bergen. :)

 

http://frommers.com/destinations/bergen/3082_indattr.html