Trondheim is one of Norway’s largest and most historic cities, having previously been the capital of Norway. Many consider it to be the IT capital of Norway, housing many different tech companies, Norway’s best tech university, and an overall younger population.
Many tourists have Trondheim as their point of entry when arriving in Norway, giving them a much shorter distance to get to cities like Tromsø or places like Lofoten compared to if they arrive in Oslo. But what’s the situation like if you’re visiting Trondheim and want to see one of Norway’s amazing fjords?
There is a fjord inside Trondheim city called the Trondheim fjord, but this is nothing like the scenic west coast fjords. The closest scenic fjord to Trondheim is Romsdalsfjorden 4 hours away, and Geirangerfjorden roughly 6 hours away by car or bus.
It’s technically correct to call the ocean in Trondheim a fjord, but it’s nowhere what people imagine when they think of the Norwegian fjords. There are actually lots and lots of these unscenic fjords in all of Norway, while the scenic fjords you see in photos of Norway are mostly located on the western part of Norway.
So if you’re not satisfied with the Trondheim fjord, your best options are to rent a car or get on a bus and head south to the Romsdals fjord or the Geiranger fjord. It’s a bit of a long drive, but we’ve got the travels plans covered below!
It’s possible to get from Trondheim to one of these scenic fjords as a day trip, but only if you are up for a very long drive! If you’re able to, I would generally advise you to consider spending the night at a small bed and breakfast or hotel in the fjord region to fully appreciate the region before returning to Trondheim the next day.
Anyway, let’s take a closer look at how you can get to the scenic fjords from Trondheim!
Get to Romsdalsfjorden from Trondheim
The Romsdal fjord is best seen from the town Åndalsnes, which is roughly 4 hours away from Trondheim if you got a car to take you there. Åndalsnes is a beautiful little fjord town, and it’s definitely worth a visit.
There are other locations to see Romsdalsfjorden, but Åndalsnes is a good option due to the fact that it’s the closest to Trondheim, as well as being very scenic in itself. An added bonus is that it’s very easily reachable by public transportation.
One of the cool things about Åndalsnes is that it has the The Romsdals Gondola, a gondola lift that takes you to the top of the nearby mountain Nesaksla. If you’ve seen Succession, then you might remember this gondola and the mountain.
There are few views as amazing at the view from the top of Nesaksla, and it’s truly a breathtaking experience! The gondola completes the otherwise multiple hour hike in just a few minutes, making life truly comfortable for your. You get the beauty of a fjord mountain summit without the hassle of the ascent.
How to get to Romsdalsfjorden
Romsdalsfjorden is very easy to get to if you aim at Åndalsnes, and you can get there by both buses, trains and by driving a car.
Get to Romsdalsfjorden by car: It’s very easy to drive to Romsdalsfjorden from Trondheim. Just drive south on E6 for about 2 hour and 45 minutes until you get to Dombås. Now change over to E136 (the signs will be saying towards Molde), and follow that road for about an hour and 30 minutes until you are in Åndalsnes.
Get to Romsdalsfjorden by train: You can get to Åndalsnes quite easily by train. Just drive the train south from Trondheim towards Dombås. Depart at Dombås, then change to the R65 train towards Åndalsnes. The entire trip takes between 4 and 5 hours, depending on how long you need to wait in Dombås. Train tickets can be booked from vy.no.
You can just order a train ticket the entire way from Trondheim to Åndalsnes, and the ticket will tell you where to make the switch at Dombås. You as a passenger does not need to type in Dombås when ordering the tickets.
Get to Geirangerfjorden from Trondheim to see the fjord
The Geiranger fjord is arguably the most spectacular fjord in all of the Norway, so the additional two hour drive from Romsdalsfjorden might be well worth it. Geirangerfjorden is iconic in itself, and has even made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List!
It’s honestly a little bit of a hassle to get to Geirangerfjorden from Trondheim, but it’s your best option if you want to see the iconic Norwegian fjords. There are many small towns and villages where you can see the fjord, but the ones closest to Trondheim are Valldal.
Valldal is a great starting point, but I would actually advise you to drive durther south towards towns such as Gairanger if you have the chance. The downside to this is that getting to Geiranger from Trondheim is impossible as a day trip, seeing as you’re in for a 5 hour and 30 minute drive each way.
That said, Geiranger is a great place to stop by if you’re a tourist. It truly gives you a great opportunity to explore the heart of the fjord region, and I strongly urge you to spend a day or two there.
Some tourists feel like Geiranger has a bit of “Disneyland feel” to it due to the fact that it’s often filled to the brim with tourists, and very few locals. But despite this, the view and feel of the fjord is just breathtaking.
How to get to the Geiranger fjord from Trondheim
By car: Follow the directions to Åndalsnes as above, then follow Rv63 for about one hour until you are in Valldal. If you want to go further to Geiranger, drive Fv63 for about 2 hours. You need to cross the fjord in a ferry during this stretch, so it make take a little longer if you’re unlucky with the timing of the ferry departures.
By public transportation: This is actually a bit of a hassle. There are local buses going between Åndalsnes and Geiranger, but these take between 3 and 6 hours! So it’s possible, but not really convenient at all. And it’s definitely not possible if you want to do it as a day trip, seeing as you’re going to be in for long waits between the different buses.