Geiranger - no excursion?

[katie64]

Hi- I have discounted a boat trip for the above as we will sail in and out and other posts seem to suggest boat trips repeat much of this scenery. However, not sure what else to do as worried ( we go next week) the skywalk will be cloudy and not worth paying for a bus trip to this. Is there enough in town to occupy us? Any advice welcome ( we are two fit 40 somethings!)

 

thanks

[LHT28]

you could walk up to the top of the waterfall or bike up

wander the town

there used to be an ice cream & chocolate shop there YUM

other small shops

 

there is shopping by the Big Troll

not a whole lot there but depends on what interests you

if not cloudy (things can change) rent a twizy & drive up to the lookout

https://www.geirangerfjord.no/electric-car-tours-5

[katie64]

you got me at ice cream as i love it- thank you ! ;);)

[LHT28]

you got me at ice cream as i love it- thank you ! ;);)

I am hoping it is still there :D

 

we are back in July

 

 

https://www.geirangerfjord.no/town-maps

[wheezedr]

Really the trip to one or more of the viewpoints is the main activity here. Like you I have weather concerns but have booked a bus trip anyway. Part of the fun is supposed to be the ride itself up and down the switchbacks. Maybe that would be better in fog or clouds as you won’t worry where you are going . LOL

[kitkat343]

The Skywalk wasn't open because we sailed in late May, and the big annual avalanche was late last year. Honestly, driving around the rest of Geiranger was absolutely gorgeous and we had a wonderful time. I'd either book a tour bus that goes to a lot of different pretty vantage points, or rent a taxi or if you're a really good driver you can rent one of those electric cars - just make sure you can back up on a tiny, narrow road (the larger cars have the right of way, and little ones need to back up).

 

We were a little scared to stop at Braserie Posten for lunch, since it is in a tourist trap location right near the cruise ship terminal, but the yelp reviews were positive and the food was excellent. There is seating with a beautiful view of the harbor in the back of the restaurant. We went through two bowls of fish soup, since the kids were so happy eating all of it. It is a very short walk from this restaurant to the dock, so this is a nice way to conclude your day in Geiranger.

[kaisatsu]

It’s well worth getting a view of the fjord from above. I find that the scenery is dramatically different looking down vs looking up from the ship. Even if it’s cloudy, the lower viewpoints still give a very different perspective. If you’re up for the uphill walk, you can take the trail up to Vesterås Farm (starting behind the Hotel Union) and then continue on to the Vesteråsfjellet overlook (an easy walk from the farm) or the Løsta viewpoint (a bit challenging).

[doglover3]

It’s well worth getting a view of the fjord from above. I find that the scenery is dramatically different looking down vs looking up from the ship. Even if it’s cloudy, the lower viewpoints still give a very different perspective. If you’re up for the uphill walk, you can take the trail up to Vesterås Farm (starting behind the Hotel Union) and then continue on to the Vesteråsfjellet overlook (an easy walk from the farm) or the Løsta viewpoint (a bit challenging).

Any estimate on how long it takes to walk to the Vesteråsfjellet overlook? Wouldn't want to miss the boat because we didn't make it back in time! Also, if we've already been to Eagle's Bend Overlook, is it even worth the time? Thanks for any input.

[kaisatsu]

Any estimate on how long it takes to walk to the Vesteråsfjellet overlook? Wouldn't want to miss the boat because we didn't make it back in time! Also, if we've already been to Eagle's Bend Overlook, is it even worth the time? Thanks for any input.

It’s a 10-15 minute walk up to the trail head, and the hike to the farm takes around 45 minutes for an averagely fit hiker, depending on your speed. It’s a steady uphill climb, and there are some rough rocky patches, so it can take an hour for slower hikers. From the farm, it’s an easy 10-20 minute walk down a farm road to the overlook. So roundtrip, I’d say 2-3 hours for the hiking, plus whatever time you spend at the top. Maybe 10-15 minutes at the overlook, but there is also a small cafe at the farm.

 

If you’ve been to Eagle’s Bend, it’s probably not a must-see. Here is an image of the overlook itself: https://goo.gl/images/BNZNxa The draw in that case would be the farm and the hike itself.

 

An alternative if you’re interested in hiking but not after the fjord views is to continue up to the Storseter waterfall. It’s a more strenuous hike (some rocks and muddy patches early in the season) but it gives some nice views up into the mountain passes, and you can walk behind the small waterfall at the end (a bit underwhelming, so don’t set your expectations too high).

 

The hiking map for the Geiranger area is available online: https://www.geirangerfjord.no/hiking-map and paper copies are usually available for purchase at the tourist info in town.

[doglover3]

It’s a 10-15 minute walk up to the trail head, and the hike to the farm takes around 45 minutes for an averagely fit hiker, depending on your speed. It’s a steady uphill climb, and there are some rough rocky patches, so it can take an hour for slower hikers. From the farm, it’s an easy 10-20 minute walk down a farm road to the overlook. So roundtrip, I’d say 2-3 hours for the hiking, plus whatever time you spend at the top. Maybe 10-15 minutes at the overlook, but there is also a small cafe at the farm.

 

If you’ve been to Eagle’s Bend, it’s probably not a must-see. Here is an image of the overlook itself: https://goo.gl/images/BNZNxa The draw in that case would be the farm and the hike itself.

 

An alternative if you’re interested in hiking but not after the fjord views is to continue up to the Storseter waterfall. It’s a more strenuous hike (some rocks and muddy patches early in the season) but it gives some nice views up into the mountain passes, and you can walk behind the small waterfall at the end (a bit underwhelming, so don’t set your expectations too high).

 

The hiking map for the Geiranger area is available online: https://www.geirangerfjord.no/hiking-map and paper copies are usually available for purchase at the tourist info in town.

Kaisatsu,

Thank you for your detailed reply. I will copy it to our itinerary for our day in Geiranger. The photo from the overlook was beautiful, but I think we'll have to see how the day is going. We plan to walk up the falls to the Fjord Center and from there we can decide which way to go. We may only get part way on either hike, but I appreciate knowing about the alternative up to Storseter.

[katie64]

Thanks all - the twizzy's are fully booked for the day we are in port so will be walking to work off some of the cruise food!