What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Bergen, Norway.
Photo: Aqwis / Wikimedia Commons
Bergen is a coastal city in Norway with 291,189 people. It mixes city sightseeing with mountain walks. Many of the main sights are close together in Sentrum, including Bryggen, the Fish Market, Bergenhus Fortress and the KODE Art Museums. The Fløibanen Funicular takes you up Mount Fløyen for views, and Mount Ulriken makes a longer outing. Quieter areas like Nordnes and Sandviken suit walkers and families. July and August are the best months to visit.
Plan your time around the sights. Most central sights take 1–2 or 2–3 hours each. Mount Ulriken and Troldhaugen – Edvard Grieg Museum each need half a day, so allow extra time if you want to see both.
Sentrum
Bryggen is the row of old wooden merchant houses along the harbour, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the narrow passages between the buildings to see small shops, workshops and the timber construction up close.
Sentrum
The Fløibanen funicular runs from the city centre up Mount Fløyen, one of the mountains around Bergen. At the top you get a wide view over the city, the harbour and the fjords, plus forest trails and a lake for easy walks.
Landås
Ulriken is the highest of the mountains around Bergen, reached by cable car. It has open views over the city, the coast and the islands, and hiking trails lead across the high ground towards Fløyen for fit walkers.
Sentrum
The Fish Market sits at the inner end of the harbour, close to Bryggen. Stalls and an indoor hall sell seafood, and many visitors stop here for a seafood meal.
Sentrum
Bergenhus is one of Norway's oldest and best-preserved fortresses, at the harbour entrance. Its main buildings are Haakon's Hall, a medieval royal hall, and the Rosenkrantz Tower, and the grounds are open for walking.
Sentrum
KODE is a group of art museums in buildings around the Lille Lungegårdsvann lake in the city centre. The collections include Norwegian and international art and design, with a large collection of works by Edvard Munch.
Fana
Troldhaugen was the home of the composer Edvard Grieg, on a lake south of the city centre. You can see his villa, his composer's hut and his grave, and concerts are held in the concert hall on the site.
Sandviken
The Old Bergen Museum is an open-air museum of wooden houses moved here from central Bergen. Streets, shops and homes show how people in the town lived in earlier centuries.
Nordnes
The aquarium is at the tip of the Nordnes peninsula and shows sea life from Norwegian waters and beyond. Seals, penguins and feeding sessions make it a popular stop for families, especially on rainy days.
Nordnes
Nordnes Park covers the end of the Nordnes peninsula next to the aquarium. Paths run along the shoreline with views across the fjord, and the walk from the centre passes through old streets of wooden houses.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C / -2°C | 21 days (264 mm) | 2.1 h/day | 6°C | 0.5/10 |
| February | 4°C / -1°C | 19 days (233 mm) | 3.7 h/day | 6°C | 0.9/10 |
| March | 6°C / 0°C | 18 days (182 mm) | 5.7 h/day | 6°C | 1.4/10 |
| April | 9°C / 1°C | 15 days (108 mm) | 9.7 h/day | 7°C | 2.7/10 |
| May | 14°C / 6°C | 15 days (116 mm) | 10.6 h/day | 11°C | 4.8/10 |
| June | 17°C / 9°C | 16 days (133 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 13°C | 6.3/10 |
| Best month: July | 17°C / 11°C | 19 days (193 mm) | 10.3 h/day | 17°C | 6.6/10 |
| Best month: August | 17°C / 11°C | 21 days (257 mm) | 8.6 h/day | 16°C | 6.6/10 |
| September | 15°C / 9°C | 17 days (265 mm) | 6.9 h/day | 15°C | 5.2/10 |
| October | 10°C / 5°C | 21 days (295 mm) | 4.8 h/day | 13°C | 2.4/10 |
| November | 6°C / 2°C | 18 days (244 mm) | 2.8 h/day | 10°C | 0.7/10 |
| December | 4°C / 0°C | 22 days (291 mm) | 1.4 h/day | 8°C | 0.4/10 |
High 2.8°C, low -1.5°C, and rain on 20.9 days for 264 mm in total. Only 2.1 sun hours. Score 0.5: a cold, wet and dark month.
High 3.6°C, with 19.1 rain days bringing 233 mm. Sun rises to 3.7 hours. Score 0.9: still cold and wet, with little sun.
High 5.8°C, lows near -0.3°C, 18.2 rain days and 182 mm. Score 1.4: a bit brighter with 5.7 sun hours, but still chilly and wet.
Rain drops to 14.5 days and 108 mm, the lowest total of the year. High 9.2°C, 9.7 sun hours. Score 2.7: cool, with fewer wet days.
High 13.5°C, 14.9 rain days and 10.6 sun hours. Score 4.8, rated ok: a mild month with one of the lowest counts of wet days.
High 16.6°C and 11.1 sun hours, the sunniest month. Rain falls on 15.7 days. Score 6.3, rated good.
The warmest month, with a 17.2°C high and the sea at 16.8°C. Rain on 18.9 days, 193 mm. Score 6.6, rated good, tied top with August.
High 17.2°C, but rain on 20.5 days adds up to 257 mm. Sun drops to 8.6 hours. Score 6.6, rated good: warm, but pack a rain jacket.
High 15°C and the sea still at 15.3°C. Rain on 17.1 days, but 265 mm falls. Score 5.2, rated ok: mild, but getting wetter.
The wettest month, with 295 mm over 20.5 days. High 10.4°C and 4.8 sun hours. Score 2.4: heavy rain and less sun make this a tough month.
High 6.1°C, 17.5 rain days and 244 mm. Only 2.8 sun hours. Score 0.7: cold, grey and wet, with very little sun.
The most rain days of the year at 21.6, with 291 mm. High 4°C and just 1.4 sun hours. Score 0.4, the lowest: dark and very wet.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Norway →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, sightseeing
The old Hanseatic wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its wooden buildings sits a short walk from the Fish Market and the Fløibanen funicular. Staying here puts most of Bergen's best-known sights on your doorstep. The drawback is crowds, especially on days when cruise ships are in port.
Good for first-timers, nightlife, shopping
The flat city centre around Torgallmenningen and Festplassen has most of the shops, restaurants and bars, and the light rail from the airport stops here. It is the easiest base if you arrive without a car and want everything within walking distance. Bars and late-night foot traffic can make it noisy on weekend nights.
Good for couples, quiet, walkers
This peninsula west of the centre has narrow lanes of white wooden houses, the Bergen Aquarium and a seaside park at its tip. It feels residential and calm, yet the harbour is only a short walk away. The streets are steep and cobbled in places, and there are few shops or restaurants.
Good for culture lovers, budget travellers, cafés
The university district on the hill south-west of the centre has student cafés, the university museums and green spaces, and the KODE art museums are close by. It has a relaxed, local feel and is still walkable to the harbour. Expect hills, and some noise from student nightlife during term.
Good for families, quiet, repeat visitors
North of Bryggen along the fjord, Sandviken is a mostly residential area of old wooden houses and converted waterfront warehouses. It is quieter than the centre and gives you a sense of everyday Bergen life. You will need a longer walk or a bus ride to reach the main sights and restaurants.
Good for hikers, views, couples
The mountainside above the centre, around Skansen and Stølen, is a maze of steep lanes and small wooden houses with wide views over the city and harbour. Trails up Mount Fløyen start close by, so it suits people who want to hike. The slopes are very steep, which makes arriving with heavy luggage hard work.
Bergensk fiskesuppe is a creamy soup of white fish, root vegetables and sometimes fish balls, with a sweet and sour taste. Many restaurants around the harbour serve it, especially on cold, wet days.
These are large cinnamon buns, rolled and baked until sticky. They are Bergen's best-known bakery item. Locals buy them at bakeries and cafés for breakfast or with afternoon coffee.
Raspeballer are dense dumplings made from grated raw potato. They are a western Norway classic, often served with salted meat, sausage and mashed swede. Many local families traditionally eat them on Thursdays.
Plukkfisk is a simple home-style dish of flaked salted or dried fish in a white sauce with potatoes. It is a traditional Bergen dish and is often topped with crispy bacon.
Pinnekjøtt is salted and dried lamb ribs, steamed over birch sticks until tender. It is the main Christmas dinner in much of western Norway, served with mashed swede and potatoes.
Fisketorget, the fish market by the harbour, sells shrimp, crab, salmon and other local seafood. You can buy it fresh or eat it prepared at stalls and small restaurants there.
Yes, August is one of Bergen's 2 best months, with a score of 6.6 out of 10. Days reach about 17.2°C, nights stay near 10.8°C, and you get around 8.6 sun hours a day. Pack a rain jacket, though. August has about 20.5 rain days and 257 mm of rain, much wetter than June.
July and August are the best months, both scoring 6.6. Highs reach 17.2°C and the sea warms to 16.8°C in July. June scores almost as well, at 6.3. It is slightly cooler, with highs of 16.6°C, but it is drier: about 15.7 rain days and 133 mm, compared with 18.9 days and 193 mm in July. June also has the most sun, at 11.1 hours.
Yes, rain is common all year. Even the driest month, April, has about 14.5 rain days and 108 mm of rain. The wettest months come in autumn and winter. October brings about 295 mm and December 291 mm, while December has the most rain days, around 21.6. These figures are averages for 2015–2024. Plan indoor options such as the KODE Art Museums or Bergen Aquarium.
Winter in Bergen is dark, wet and cool, but rarely very cold. In December, highs are about 4°C and lows about -0.2°C. There are around 21.6 rain days and only 1.4 sun hours a day. January is similar, with highs of 2.8°C, lows of -1.5°C and 2.1 sun hours. These are the lowest-scoring months, at 0.4 and 0.5. Short, grey days define the season.
Allow at least 2 full days. In Sentrum, Bryggen takes 1–2 hours, the Fish Market takes 1 hour, and Mount Fløyen with the Fløibanen Funicular takes 2–3 hours. Together these fill most of a day. Mount Ulriken and Troldhaugen – Edvard Grieg Museum each take half a day, which adds another full day. Add more time for the KODE Art Museums or the Old Bergen Museum, which take 2–3 hours each.
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