Ultimate Bergen Cruise Port Guide: Epic Things to Do in 2 Days

Bergen is a major starting and ending point for Norway cruises, and we've done both. We ended one cruise here and started another, with two nights and about two and a half days in between. This is everything we did, how to fit it into a short stay, and what to know before you sail.

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Where the Bergen Cruise Port Is in Relation to the City

Bergen sits on Norway's west coast, and the cruise port is right in the city. The whole city is built around its harbor, so ships dock by Old Town instead of at some distant industrial terminal. You won't see oil tankers or cargo ships here; the port is mostly cruise ships, ferries, and day trippers, all set against mountains that wrap around the harbor.

Viking Ocean ships dock at the terminal closest to the Bergenhus Fortress, a 13th-century medieval fortress that looks a bit like a castle. That puts you nearly right in Old Town. It's about a 10-minute walk to the main attractions and about 15 minutes to Bryggen, the historic wharf. No cruise shuttles go into town, and you don't need one.

Not every ship docks in the same spot. Havila Pollux, where we ended our Havila Voyages cruise, docked farther from the Old Town harbor. It was still in the city and in a great location in the city center, but it was a longer walk to get to the fish market and Bryggen. We walked from our Havila ship over to our Airbnb behind the Bryggen with our luggage. It took about 30 strenuous minutes, with some uphill stretches and cobblestones, but we couldn't resist enjoying the gorgeous weather. It was a rare sunshine-filled, blue-sky day in Bergen.

Check which terminal your ship uses, and budget extra time if you're moving bags.

If you want to hear us talk through it, we covered both cruises in our Viking episode and our Havila Voyages episode.

Top Things to Do in Bergen in 2 Days

Here's what we did and what we'd recommend if you have a couple of days in the cruise port:

If you only have time for two things, make them Mount Fløyen and Bryggen. Do those and you can say you've been to Bergen.

Walk the Historic Bryggen Wharf

Bryggen is arguably Bergen's top attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's the old Hanseatic wharf, a picture-perfect waterfront row of warehouses in a marigold mustard yellow and a rich rusty red. The bottom floors held goods brought in from the harbor, like fish traded by the German merchants, and the top floors were where merchant families lived.

Today the buildings are shops and offices, and the city does a great job of preserving and restoring them; we even saw scaffolding on one with an explanation of the work.

The best part is walking the narrow alleyways between the tall buildings and seeing the old staircases. It's flat and paved along the harbor, so it's an easy walk, and cafes line the waterfront if you want a bite to eat or a coffee.

The biggest obstacle is the weather. Bergen is famously rainy, so be prepared to walk in the rain. And if it doesn't rain during your visit, consider yourself lucky!

Take a Guided Tour at the Hanseatic Museum

A guided tour through the Hanseatic Museum was a great way to understand why the Bryggen exists. Even though I had been to Bergen before, I had never done a guided Bryggen tour, which opened my eyes to learning so much.

The museum is being redone, so when we visited, we saw a smaller version, plus access to areas you can only see with a ticket, including a meeting room of the Hanseatic Guild and the space where the merchants ate and prepared meals.

Tickets include guided tours. When we went, there were three English tours per day, and tours are also offered in German and Norwegian. Check the website before you go to confirm tour times. The museum is generally open daily except for major holidays.

Spend Time at the Troll Museum

You can't go to Norway and not look for a troll. The Troll Museum is a themed experience that's surprisingly balanced for adults and kids. We read about the different types of trolls, the folklore, and what trolls mean to the Norwegian people, and we collected small round stickers of each troll along the way; it was a fun scavenger hunt for all ages.

We also learned that the troll figurines with wild hair you see in souvenir shops all over Norway came from artists carving what they thought trolls looked like. The museum has beautiful examples of those carved wooden statuettes, and it puts those cheesy but fun souvenirs into context.

The museum is very close to the Bryggen, almost behind it, which also makes it a good rainy-day option. Tickets were about $30 for adults and $18 for children when we went (converted from Norwegian kroner), and it's open daily, but check online for hours.

Ride the Fløibanen Funicular and Hike Mount Fløyen

This was our favorite thing we did in Bergen. The funicular leaves from right downtown, and the ride to the top takes six minutes. The moment you step outside at the top, the whole harbor opens up beneath you, including the waterway your ship traveled in from the ocean. There's a glass railing, big steps you can sit on to take in the view, and a larger-than-life troll sculpture, about eight feet tall, for photos.

Round trip costs about $40 USD, so it isn't free, but it runs constantly and holds a lot of people; we waited just five to eight minutes for the next one. You can hike up instead, but it takes significantly longer than coming down. If you're short on time or have mobility issues, the funicular is the way to go. Buy tickets online ahead of time and scan the QR code at the gates. The line at the ticket machines was long, and we walked right past it.

Give yourself time to hike once you're up there. The trails start about a minute from the top station, and you're in nature almost immediately; even the moss was beautiful. The paths are wide and gravel, not paved, and not difficult. We left about an hour and a half, and we'd say plan for two hours if you love hiking. It's hard to get lost, but we did take a trail we thought might lead to a lake and eventually turned around. Buy Fløibanen tickets

Have Dinner at the Top of Mount Fløyen

Pair the hike with dinner at the restaurant at the top, and plan it around sunset. Look up what time sunset is on the day you're going, and book your dinner reservation about an hour before then.

Reservations are recommended but not required. We went in August, when the sun set around 9:30 pm, and eating while the golden light came through the clouds over the city is one of our greatest memories of our entire trip. Afterward, we lingered for the view as it switched to night and the lights sparkled below.

Nothing in Norway is inexpensive compared to prices in America, but compared to other restaurants in town, it was a great value for the experience, and it's perfect for a special occasion, a birthday, or a “just because” dinner between cruises.

The menu changes four times a year with the seasons, and the ingredients come from local farmers and producers. Halibut and Nordic yellowtail kingfish are always on the menu, though the preparation changes. We shared fried mushrooms, beef tartare, a burger (at least 50 percent Wagyu), and the halibut, plus a pistachio dessert. The halibut portion was so big we couldn't finish it. They have a menu written in English for tourists and accept credit cards.

If you'd rather not have a full meal, turn right when you walk in, and you'll find a cozy lounge and bar with beer and drinks. Alternatively, you can grab a drink at one of the outdoor bars.

After dinner, the ride back down on the funicular will likely have no line, as we experienced. It takes just six minutes to reach the bottom.

Stroll Old Town and Decide About the Fish Market

Right next to Bryggen, perpendicular to it, is the historic fish market. On my first time in Norway in winter 2014, the market still felt like a place Norwegians bought fish, even if it was turning a bit more touristy in some ways; now, it's more a full-blown tourist attraction than a market of yesteryear. We found it crowded and overpriced, so we skipped it.

There's a famous sausage stand in Old Town center, though, and we tried a reindeer sausage with lingonberry sauce for about $10. Again, it wasn't as good as it was years ago (there were a lot of fat pieces in the reindeer sausage the last time we went in 2026, which was true of Dan's order and mine — two for two on the fatty sausage!), but it's a fun, affordable snack and they have a lot of sausage options, not just reindeer.

You won't have trouble finding food in central Bergen. Old Town has plenty of options, including Asian, Mexican, and tapas, and there are grocery stores nearby. We cooked some of our meals at our Airbnb after a cruise's worth of restaurant dining, which was a nice reset.

Shop for Knitting Supplies, Antiques, and Provisions

We checked out several antique stores and some modern clothing and department stores. One of my favorite stops was at a knitting supplies store called Strikkelykke. We stopped at three, actually, but this was my favorite in Bergen of the ones we visited.

If you're a crafter, don't miss it; the staff was helpful, and they had the cutest silicone needle stoppers. It's right next to the wine and liquor store, so you can do both in one trip.

Suggested 2-Day Bergen Itinerary

We balanced activities with free time, and we'd suggest you do the same. We kept our schedule open with just a few anchoring activities.

Day 1: Old Town and indoor activities

Day 2: Mount Fløyen and sunset dinner

If you only have a day and a half: Do Bryggen and one museum on the first day, then save Fløyen and the sunset dinner for the next afternoon as your big finish.

If you have three days: Spread out the museums, add more hiking on Fløyen, and leave room to wander. The more we walked, the more Bergen unfolded, and there's more on all sides of the harbor.

Tips for Your Bergen Cruise Port Stop

Stock Up Before You Sail

If you need provisions before your cruise, you'll find wine stores, grocery stores, and shops with things like jackets on both sides of the Old Town harbor. From the terminal by the fortress, it takes a solid 25 to 30 minutes to walk around the harbor to the wine store; it's easy, but it takes a little while. In Norway, alcohol is government-controlled, so those stores keep set hours and are closed on Sundays. We took a bottle of wine and some gin onto our cruise and had no problem going through security, but check your cruise line's policy before you buy.

Get Your Tax Refund

Bring your passport when you shop, and ask about the tax refund at the register before you pay. For example, we bought pants at Jack & Jones and asked right then. Depending on what you spend, the refund can cover a drink on the ship or be significant on a big purchase.

Global Blue handles the refunds. There's no desk or kiosk in the city of Bergen, but Viking arranges for someone to process refunds on the ship, in the two hours or so before all-aboard time, so ask guest services when. Other cruise lines may not offer this; Havila did not. If you're flying out, do it at the airport before you leave Norway.

Pack Comfortable, Waterproof Shoes

You'll do a lot of walking in Bergen, plus hiking, and the rain is frequent. Comfortable shoes are a must anywhere in Europe, and waterproof ones are a bonus.

Skip the Cash

Everyone takes credit cards in Norway. We never saw a physical kroner. Visa works everywhere, and some places take American Express but not all.

Leave Time to Explore on Foot

Bergen is bigger than the historic center, and the walk is half the fun. If you can, leave time to wander, peek into shops, and get a little lost.

Where to Stay in Bergen

If you're sailing with Viking, a Thon hotel is very close to the Bergen terminal where Viking ships dock, which makes it a convenient pick before or after your cruise. You're a short walk from the ship and the sights in Old Town.

We opted to stay in a neighborhood Airbnb right behind the Bryggen because it meant we could shop for groceries (one of my favorite things to do, especially in another country) and cook a few meals between cruises.