Fancy going somewhere different for Christmas? Bergen should definitely be on your list!
We spent Christmas 2023 in Bergen. It was magical! We spent Christmas Eve visiting the World’s Largest Gingerbread Town and the famous 3-story Christmas shop. On Christmas Day, we spent it chilling along the Norwegian Fjords. On Boxing Day, we headed up the funicular and went for a little walk in a true winter wonderland.
However, planning Christmas in the city wasn’t easy! We spent a lot of hours researching what eating places would be open during the Christmas holidays, contacting various people, and researching opening times for different things to do within the city. We also realised after booking our flights, that we were arriving a day too late for their Christmas Markets.
To make it easier for you, I’ve put a full guide together to help you plan your trip to Bergen at Christmas. Everything you need to know will be all on here! This hopefully will save you hours of your time trying to find out opening times, where you eat, etc, on your trip.
Where To Stay
We stayed in the Scandic Ornen, a mid-range budget hotel. The Scandic Ornen is in a great location, and offers a great buffet breakfast every morning! We had a lovely view from our hotel room window of one of the seven peaks surrounding Bergen, and on floor 11, there is a balcony terrace, which provides more great views of the city!
When looking for somewhere to stay at Christmas, I recommend booking a hotel that has a restaurant or that does room service for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. During the Christmas holidays, we found most restaurants closed in the city, making it difficult to find places to eat!
On our visit, the restaurant inside our hotel, Scandic Ornen’s was closed. However, the bar was selling food. The menu was only basic, but it was perfect for our evening meal on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!
Here is a direct link to the Scandic Ornen, the hotel we stayed in: https://www.scandichotels.com/hotels/norway/bergen/scandic-ornen
How To Get From The Airport
Getting to and from the airport in Bergen is easy and cheap! There is a City Light Rail (Bybanen) which goes directly from the airport to the city centre of Bergen, in just 45 minutes. It’s line 1 you need to take, and at the time we visited in 2023, it cost just £3 each.
Where To Eat During The Christmas Holidays
Finding places to eat during the Christmas holidays can be hard! There are places open, but not many. We found nearly all eating places closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Odd ones would open on Boxing Day, and some stay closed until the new year!
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we noticed the convenience stores 7/11 and Narvesen were open. They both sold sandwiches and snacks. If you fancy a bit of fast food, McDonald’s looked open, but not sure what their opening times were. We also noticed the chain coffee shop, Espresso was open. They sell a selection of sandwiches and cakes, along with a warm cup of coffee.
On Boxing Day, we noticed our favourite burger place was back open, Hekkan Burger. Honestly, if you are in Bergen, and you love a good burger, this place is a must! The burgers are so good!
Here’s a link to their website: https://hekkanburger.no/
What To Do
Despite a fair bit being shut over the Christmas Holidays, there is still a lot to see and do in the city!
Here are my top things to do, when visiting Bergen at Christmas:
Visit The World’s Largest Gingerbread Town
Visiting the World’s Largest Gingerbread City (Pepperkakebyen) is a must! Schools, kindergartens, and the community all come together every year and contribute to create Bergen out of Gingerbread. It was brilliant! Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it!
To visit, there is a small fee to pay. At the time we visited, it cost NOK 150 (£11.40) per adult. The money from the ticket sales goes to the charity, ‘Causes for Children’.
For updates on prices and opening times, please check out the City of Bergen website: https://en.visitbergen.com/whats-on/gingerbread-town-pepperkakebyen-p895763
Location: Kode Permanenten (West Norway Museum of Decorative Art)
Visit The Three-Story Christmas Shop
Open all year, a visit to Julehuset is a must! It’s a 3-story Christmas shop, full of beautiful Norwegian Christmas decorations. Located in the heart of Bryggen (the historical harbour district), in one of the famous Holmedalsgården, wooden houses.
Opening times: Monday – Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays 11 am to 5 pm.
Wonder The Streets Of Bergen
Bergen is a beautiful city! A city full of colourful houses, narrow streets, and so much character. One good thing about visiting over the Christmas Holidays, you can enjoy the streets all to yourself!
Here are some of my favourite areas to visit:
- Bryggen, the Historical Harbour District. One of North Europe’s oldest port cities on the west of Norway.
- Knosesmauet, is a beautiful neighbourhood. Full of colourful houses, and narrow streets.
- Skostredet, the shoemaker street. A street full of trendy bars, restaurants, and live music.
Head Out On The Fjords
If you want to do something truly magical on Christmas Day, get yourself booked on a boat trip along the Norwegian Fjords! I promise you, you will not regret it!
We booked the Mostraumen Fjord Cruise through Expedia, and it was absolutely fantastic! The scenery was breathtaking! The whole trip lasted 4 hours, taking you through two different Fjords, through ice, and up to a frozen waterfall. It was ever so magical!
Just one tip, remember to wrap up warm! It can get very bitter out on the Fjords, especially with the Artic wind. As much as it’s nice to sit inside the heated cabin on the boat, you will want to be out on the deck taking in all the breathtaking views.
Here’s the trip we booked: https://www.expedia.co.uk/things-to-do/a.a2705929.activity-details?&rid=6154374&location=Osteroy%2C+Vestland%2C+Norway&startDate=2024-01-11&endDate=2024-01-25&swp=offhttps://www.expedia.co.uk/things-to-do/a.a2705929.activity-details?&rid=6154374&location=Osteroy%2C+Vestland%2C+Norway&startDate=2024-01-11&endDate=2024-01-25&swp=off
Head Up Bergen’s Highest Peak
If you’ve got some clear skies, get yourself you Mount Ulriken! The views at the summit over Bergen are absolutely breathtaking!
Mount Ulriken is the highest of the seven peaks surrounding the City of Bergen. There are two ways to reach the summit. The easy option, head up via the Ulriken Cable Car (Ulriken643). The adventurous option, walk the 1,333 Oppstemten Stairs, the Sherpa Stairs to heaven.
If you are planning on walking up the Oppstemten Stairs, you are likely to need crampons or micro-spikes on the boots. During the winter months, the path can get very icy and slippery. As you head higher towards the summit, the steps are likely to be covered in snow.
If you plan on heading up via the cable car as we did, no crampons or micro-spikes will be needed. Just warm clothing to keep you toasty at the summit! If you are a sunset lover, try and get yourself up to the summit to watch the sun go down. It is beautiful!
The Ulriken Cable Car runs daily throughout December, except for the holidays. On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day it will be shut.
At the time we visited, an adult return ticket cost NOK 395.00 (£30) each.
The easiest way to get to the cable car station, take the Bergen Light Rail, Line 2 from Kaigaten to Haukeland. From there, there is a small walk, uphill to the cable car station.
For more information about the cable car, please visit their website: https://ulriken643.no/en
Take A Ride Up Mount Floyen
The Mount Floyen Funicular (Fløibanen funicular) is another great way to get views above the city! The good thing about the funicular, it’s open every day, including the Christmas Holidays!
At the time we visited, an adult return ticket cost just NOK 130 (£9.72 each).
For more information about tickets and opening times, please check out their website: https://www.floyen.no/
Every Sunday in Advent, there is a Christmas carols and lighting of Advent candles, held at 1.15 pm.
If that isn’t your thing, or you plan to go up Mount Floyen on another day, there are many walks you can do. We did a lovely short 1-mile walk to a beautiful frozen lake, Lake Skomakerdiket. It’s a lovely walk to do. However, in the winter, expect the paths to be covered in snow, so a good set of footwear is essential.
Here is the route for Lake Skomakerdiket:
Follow this map, as you walk the route, and you shouldn’t get lost! Make sure your location is turned on and you should be able to see exactly where you are, on this map. Or if you prefer, download the GPX file and use it on your choice of route tracker.
Visit the Christmas Markets
Every year, Bergen has some wonderful Christmas Markets, located at Festplassen. They often run from the beginning of December to the 22nd of December. Unfortunately, we arrived a day too late to visit them!
For up-to-date information, please check out the City of Bergen’s website: https://en.visitbergen.com/whats-on/bergen-christmas-market-p3708833
Want more Christmas Market inspiration? Check out some of my other blogs:
A Guide to Vilnius Christmas Markets
A Guide To Warsaw’s Christmas Markets
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