I see so many posts about all the amazing and incredible places and attractions in Norway, but let’s flip the question for a bit.

So, what’s your [biggest tourist trap in Norway](https://thenorwayguide.com/tourist-traps-in-norway/)? Which place did you regret going to? And what places or attractions did you find to be overhyped? Any anticlimatic hikes?

I’m not trying to be negative towards Norway in any way, I just want to see what everyone else believed was overrated and not worth the time or money.

41 comments

  2. I am not an expert. As a rule of tumb, anything extremely popular in Instagram is a hype. Especially those posted by “influencers”. This does not have the meaning the place is not beautiful or is a tourist trap. It just means it will be crowded like Disneyland.

    For example, Preikestolen in Lysefjord is a hype (but beautiful), Kjerag is not. In fact, any other area in Lysefjord (eg Flørli) is amazing but without mass tourists.

  3. I was a tourist before I moved over and none of the places I’ve been to as a tourist, or a resident has left me disappointed or I regretted going to 🤷‍♀️

  6. I think a lot of the spectacular nature is not something tourists should plan to explore. When Norwegians say something is a day trip they mean DAY like 7-10 hours of hiking. Unless you are a very experienced hiker, just don’t.

    I hate being awoken at 2 in the morning because some idiot in trainers got himself lost in the mountains.

  8. I never really regretted to do anything in Norway, when it comes to tourist attraction in Oslo and Bergen. But you have to keep in mind that Norway is a small country by its population number and that a lot of museums and other historical sites are going to be smaller than what you might expect. Also everything is more expensive. Finally, I would say that any restaurant in very touristy place (Bryggen in Bergen, Karl Johan in Oslo), is most likely overpriced concerning food quality

  10. The fjord cruise through Nærøyfjord was a bit disappointing to be honest. We had already been in Norway for around 4 days, so the views on the boat were just about the same as everywhere else

  11. Geiranger 😬
    Well, with some kind of truth. It’s a beautiful place, with spectacular nature. But during the tourist season; So. Many. People. So. Many. Cars. So. Many tourist buses. Everywhere! It’s a hassle.

    The best times to visit Geiranger is (in my opinion) at the start or the end of the tourist season.

  14. The 3 viking swords in stavanger. biggest anti-climax I’ve had while in norway.

    I also agree with another comment, which is geiranger. Yes a beautiful fjord but there isn’t anything else. I’d rather recommend the sognefjord which is almost as nice but has alot more to offer

  17. Nordkapp and especially Nordkapphallen where you pay 30 euro just to go to restaurant or gift shop 😂 they calling themselves most northernmost point of europe even tho they are on island and it is not even the northernmost point of Magerøya. Sometimes there are even 4 cruise ships at the same time 😂 so sad

  18. The majority of Oslo I’m just joking. Biggest tourist traps, I think I literally depends on which/county/state you’re in.

    Is the new fish market in Bergen is definitely a tourist trap the old one was so much more fun prettier and more nostalgic. And as a native I’m probably going to get shit for this but Trolltongue If you ask me is overrated it’s an incredibly long hike to Dan stand in a long line and then you get a view that’s pretty for 5 to 10 minutes and then you walk back. It’s a total of an eight hour walk back-and-forth

  19. I dont get why people go to Flåm. Its a fjord, but by the time you get there you have probably driven through several equally good looking fjords. The train ride isnt that special, and a lot of it is in tunnels so no view. Its an itty bitty place with only tourists, better to go somewhere more genuine IMO.

  21. I would personally say north cape. It is just a big parking lot from wich you can look at the sea. Pretty underwealming. I would suggest going to the northernmost point of Europe instead. It is a 2 hour hike to there but there you have a nice view onto north cape, what is actually more impressive that standing on there.

  22. Not to say it’s a tourist trap, but Lofotan wouldn’t be my first choice (yeah I corrected that) if I am in the region. I would go to senja instead. In my opinion more impressive islands, less tourists and way cheaper camp sites. The only downside is that you have almost no restaurants or touristy activities like a boat trip. But to all people just wanting to go on hikes and stay at nice camp sites then Senja is the place to go

  24. Holmenkollen. Why do tourist even go there? It is a f*cking ski jump. If you go for the view just stay on the subway a couple of more stops and go to Frognerseteren.

  26. I nominate “The Viking Planet” located behind the town-hall in Oslo.

    It’s supposed to be a VR-enabled modern impression of what life might have been like in the viking-age, but in reality they have very little of substance to offer, and the VR-experience is extremely underwhelming for anyone who’s played a modern 3D computer-game.

    Most Norwegians, even ones living in Oslo, have never visited or even heard of it, but it seems to pull in a lot of clueless tourists.

    https://www.thevikingplanet.com/

  27. FLÅM
    Jesus christ people if you have money to go to Norway please go somewhere else. Been here for last 4 months and what we call this place is “norwegian disneyland”- insanely overpriced touristic trap. It is pretty but it’s really not worth it.

  28. For unknowning tourists I think Taxis could be a contender. They’re not malicious, but it’s expensive.

  29. I was at my Hytta close to Gol and heard about this Viking Hiking Trail that had been there since like 800 bc or something, expecting to see bunch of viking shit like statues, displayed poems, maybe even swords or axes in a display case, maybe just a museum. Then about 40 minutes in I realized, this is all it is… Just a hiking trail, that had been standing there for a bunch of years

  31. Maybe not technically a tourist trap, because it’s free, but don’t plan a whole trip around visiting the 3 Swords (“Sverd i Fjell”) in Stavanger. They’re smaller than you’d expect, and they actually look out over a parking lot with an ice cream booth. Yes, they are next to Hafrsfjord, but any photos you see of them are quite deceiving. Cool to stop there for some photos, but only if you can be there when crowds of other tourists aren’t around.

  32. If you want to feel norway, fuck those guides.. just find a place on google maps you wanna see and go there, bring alot of firewood and worm clothes so you dont need a rescue.

    Guided tours i would think (never done them myself) is prob giving you some sassy norwegian look with Voss water and stuff like that, but thats not what Norway has to offer, its so much more if you just go deep enough.

    Just rent a car, find the most offroad road your car can handle and follow it, when you reach a farm in the end, ask the farmer if he allows ppl in tents, if not, ask him if you can pay to fish on his land and spend the night and you will be on your way the next morning, to your suprise the farmer will be alot more willingly during the evening hours, so he might come for a visit to your tent just to check if you have enough booze to surive the night.

  33. I was only in Bergen and it was obvious the funicular up to Mt. Floyen and the fish market were clearly the biggest tourist traps. I wasn’t there before the cruise ships ramped up in the summer, though.

  34. Going to the top of the ski jump in Holmenkollen. What a fucking joke. I think it’s like 160 NOK to take an elevator packed with people to the top. The view is ok, but you can pretty much get the same view if you take T-banen up to Frognerseteren.
    I had some fun there once though. When they were constructing it, me and my friends jumped the fence and ran up the in-run to the top. Met some nice polish construction people up there, hung out there for a bit and then they let us take the elevator down.

    Edit: construction people? Construction workers, my bad.

  35. Northcape was such a waste wenn I went there last year. Way too many people, no good places for a tent. I would rather stay around the lofoten or other fjordes for 2-3 days more

  38. I was just in Norway from 09/08 to 09/18

    Honestly, this was one of the best times to go in terms of tourists. Yes it is colder and cloudy at times but the sites are not TEAMING with people.

    Lofoten was stunning. the peaks were cloudy at times but in general one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in my life. What I would say is do not worry about the hotel you stay in…I paid a good amount of money staying in some fancy places but it didn’t really matter as I spent most of the time hiking.

    Reinebringen hike was great but honestly far from the best one that I took. It was all stairs from bottom to top which takes away from the allure. The view is great but I hear there are way better ones such as hiking veinestinden.

    ​

    Bergen – don’t know much. Stayed there for a night. Saw the fish market when it was closed.

    ​

    Flam – Wasn’t too packed when I went. Train ride was overrated by the bike ride down from myrrdal was super fun. There was an area about 20 minutes down that was absolutely stunning. Felt like I was in a fairy tale.

    Pulpit rock hike. The best view I had seen in Norway. Worth it 100% and not too many people when I hiked. I’m sure I would have been annoyed in summer. Getting caught behind 2 chatting people during the hike is the worst.

    kjeragbolten – TOURIST trap. Honestly the hike was boring and annoying. You are walking on a massive rock the entire time and the way down is annoyingly slippery. Not much trees or greenery. The view is worse than pulpit rock and I feel as though the only reason people go there is to take that dumb picture on the rock.

    ​

    Tips – stay at Airbnb’s in small towns rather than hotels.

    Get waterproof legit hiking boots.

  39. Tourist Trap (TT), what is it anyway? I live in Norway for may years now and originally from Miami, Florida. In Miami we loved the “Tourist Traps” because they were the most popular places to meet people, South Beach! How do you think I ended up in Norway 🙂 I live in Arendal where there are many cruise ships coming throughout the summer and I do not see any TT. No shops even selling any types of souvenir’s either. I wish Norway had more TT but overall there are not many other then what you see in the adverts. Norway is a very good and safe country to visit there are no Traps other then the beautiful women. Guess I got trapped 🙂

  40. Resident of Berge here. Remember most things are close early and on sundays
    I’m originally from Canada. I’m use to things open late even 24hrs. And shopping on Sundays.

Leave a Reply