In autumn the days become shorter, the air is fresher, the food is richer, and the colors are more dazzling.
Is October an ideal time to enjoy Norway’s colorful fall scenery?
Is October an ideal time to enjoy Norway’s colorful fall scenery?
I’ve spent 1 week traveling along the West Coast and Fjords at the end of October, and I’m going to tell you the pros and cons of traveling there in this period of the year.
A land with impressive fjords
Norway is a magnificent land with impressive fjords, and its coastline blends with the sea like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. Perhaps the best way to see all this beauty is to drive your car or your camper van.
Bergen and the weather in Norway
I arrived at Bergen airport, the gateway to the West Coast and the fjords’ area.
Bergen is famous for its pier, the “Bergen Bryggen”, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, I was unlucky and on the Sunday of my arrival the weather was not at all mild. Rain and wind did not allow me to take advantage of that afternoon that I had reserved for visiting the city.
October rolls around with crisp, cool air, and shorter daylight hours.
In the West Coast and fjords area, it often rains! And this is a fact, perhaps, here, it rains more than in any other part of Norway.
This is because of the mountains that hold back the rain that pours into this abundant and frequent area. During my stay in Norway, it rained every day!
Fortunately, there was no lack of sun that, with ray of lights, illuminated the splendid nature, set the plants on fire with red, yellow and orange colors.
Well, you need to be ready to face both the colorful autumn and the cold winter, from the sun to the snow, on the same day.
Crowds and Driving
Travelers looking for good deals and fewer crowds should consider October: this is likely the quietest and cheapest month to visit Norway.
Driving in Norway is simple. The roads are usually one lane and the speed limit is 80 km / h. In fact, driving faster wouldn’t be very easy anyway because the roads wind in twists and turn up and down across mountains and fjords. The landscape, which at times resembles Scotland and at times Iceland, makes the journey from one point to another very pleasant. In October, you often travel long stretches of road without crossing anyone for kilometers. Even in the most famous areas or viewpoints you are always alone.
What to Do
It’s always very difficult to answer such a question, because each of us has his own particular needs when traveling. In general, October is a month when the days are still not too cold, where it’s still possible to go hiking (even if some routes are already closed), where you can still enjoy the beautiful landscape in the coastal area.
From Bergen to the Atlantic Ocean Road
My itinerary, which started from Bergen, included several stops heading north, crossing the Sognefjord, the Geirangerfjord and covering the entire length of the Nordfjord, to get to the splendid Atlantic Ocean Road, the famous road set of the James Bond movie ” No time to die “. I suggest you to spend your night in one of the several cabins you can find fully immersed into the nature. I chose the Jolstraholmen and its “river suite” and the Juvet Landscape Hotel where I spent 2 nights each. These places are perfect for exploring the surrounding and the quality of your stay is unbelievable.
Cabin porn
Think of finding yourself in first row in the warmth of your cabin admiring the landscape in front of you from an immense glass: alone or with the person you love, when slowly the light of the day gives way to the colors of the evening and then to the glow of the moon and the stars in the night. And when you go to sleep it will be the background of the water of the stream a few meters from you to induce sleep, gently.
There you are able to reach waterfalls (don’t miss Huldefossen!), and other natural landscapes like the Gaularfjellet point of view. For those willing to leave tried and tested tourist routes, Gaularfjellet is one of Norway’s most kept secrets. The road winds through Gaular up to Utsikten for incredible panoramic views of the entire area.
The Geiranger Fjord
Between Jolstraholmen Camping and Juvet Landscape Hotel I suggest you go hiking in the Geirangerfjord area and maybe to spend your night in one of the cottages or hotels of that area. There is a nice small village you can reach by rib boat or by hiking: Skagefla and Homlongsetra. It depends if you travel in the first part of October when the rib boat services are still available or in the second part, as I did, when it’s difficult to reach the beginning of the hike with the boat and you should hike all the way from Geiranger. The hike is easy/moderate and will take approximately 1 hour and a half to 2 hours to reach the highest viewpoint of Hamlongsetra (7 km out and back) from where in 30 minutes more you can go down to Skagefla. So you should plan about 5-6 hours to hike all the way from Geiranger and 8-9 kilometers with 600 meters of gain. You will be rewarded with outstanding views of the fjord and of the “Seven sisters waterfalls”.
Refviksanden
The day after visiting the magnificent Geirangerfjord I headed east towards the coast and the white beach of Refviksanden. Thanks to the sun that appeared just at that moment, on the beach, the water of the sea was turquoise, but to fully enjoy the fantastic landscape the best way is to hike a trail that climbs steeply up the mountain for about 30 minutes and admire the beach from there. Unfortunately, that trail does not have a name, but you can easily find it on the right by driving along the Kvalheimsvegen just near the first rest area on the left. The advice is, obviously, to go up for the sunset.
Is October an ideal time to enjoy Norway’s fjords AND WEST COAST AREA?
Yes, I think October is an ideal time of year to enjoy Norway’s colorful fall scenery in peace and quiet, as travelers are few and far between. Life is less expensive because October is considered low season, is simple to find accommodations, you can enjoy the autumn landscapes as well winter ones. Temperatures are still good and the overall moody even if, at times a bit melancholy, it represents well the majesty and drama of the landscape.
Luca Oliveri 
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