Things to do in Bergen with kids: where to stay and how to wrap it into a broader Norway itinerary

Last updated: May 2026.

Bergen with kids is easier than you’d expect. We took R on his very first overseas trip at four months old, and this compact Norwegian city turned out to be one of the most manageable, enjoyable family destinations we’ve visited – compact enough to cover on foot, short enough to fly, and surprisingly good at not making you feel like you’re just surviving the holiday.

We chose Bergen partly because of a friend’s wedding, but also because a direct 2.5-hour flight from Gatwick felt achievable with a baby in tow. Below is everything we learned — what to do in Bergen with kids, where to stay, what it actually costs, and how it fits into a wider Norway trip.

👉 Don’t have time to read the whole article? Find top-rated Bergen accommodation.

Bergen with kids: things to do, where to stay and what to expect

🎯 Perfect for: First international trips with babies, families who love nature and culture, not a budget holiday destination
⏰ Duration: 3-4 days ideal for families with young children
✈️ Flight: Direct from London Gatwick (2.5 hours)
🌡️ Best time: May-September for warmest weather and longest days

⚠️ Pack blackout blinds – Summer sun sets well after 10pm!

Family highlights:

• Fløyen Funicular – pram-friendly mountain railway with panoramic views
• Bergen Aquarium – rainy day activity with sensory experiences
• Bryggen UNESCO site – colourful historic waterfront
• Fish Market – fresh seafood and local atmosphere

👇 Read on for detailed itinerary, accommodation tips, and real parent experiences.

Why we chose Bergen for our first baby-friendly overseas adventure

The trip was sparked by a friend’s wedding, and at just 4 and a half months old, baby R came along and got his first passport stamp. Truthfully, I wasn’t overly excited at first, as we’d once spent a freezing, expensive December weekend in Oslo and so Norway wasn’t top of my holiday destination list. But I was wrong, and Bergen quickly won me over.

Firstly, the fjord-lined coastline gives the whole city a real sense of calm. You can see water from just about everywhere, which is really quite stunning. Then the Norwegian way of life – green spaces, the value of wellbeing, and a strong sustainability ethos – is really evident, even on a short visit, and it felt like we were experiencing a whole culture as well as stunning scenery. And frankly it is compact, clean, and generally very baby-friendly.

Best time to visit Bergen with kids

• Late Spring/early Summer (when we went) is a good time to visit, with temperates of 12-18°C and long daylight hours. While layers are necessary, nature is blooming at this time of year.
• Summer is peak tourist season, and still relatively cool at 15-22°C, but prices are higher (and it’s not a cheap city) so you’ll need to weigh up what matters most. We already struggled with the late sunset and early sunrise in May so the summer’s midnight sun could be challenging for their body clocks – although rather magical.
• September is supposed to be lovely with the autumn colours, and less extreme daylight hours. Be prepared for unpredictable weather but typically a crisp 10-16°C.
• Bergen’s winter is usually cold and wet, with short days from a light perspective. While I love a cozy Christmas market, be prepared for challenging and cold weather – I went to Oslo in December and it was FREEZING, and the cost of food and drink was hard to stomach when you needed frequent pit stops!

Flying to Bergen with kids

We took the only direct flight from London to Bergen on Norwegian Airlines. While we considered flying from Heathrow via Oslo (we live much closer to LHR), in the end we opted for a Premier Inn overnight stay at Gatwick and a direct early flight. It was 100% the right call.

Airport tip: We used our stroller and car seat combo all the way to the gate. We recently bought the Ergobaby Metro+ Deluxe, which is technically cabin-approved, but Norwegian’s sizing limits were a bit smaller, so we gate-checked it. I popped R into the Ergobaby Omni360 carrier post-flight while Jack handled the car seat. It was a smooth experience overall and R was perfectly happy. We booked a separate seat for R (and his car seat) on the plane itself and will continue doing so for all our short-haul flights this year. We’ll explain why in an upcoming blog!

Getting from the airport to city centre

We struggled to find a reasonably priced taxi on arrival, with Uber and the taxi rank costing quite a bit more than Google had suggested, but on the return leg we booked through Bergen Taxi 07000 and paid a more reasonable fare. If you’re travelling with a baby and luggage, I’d recommend booking a cab in advance for at least one leg of the journey.

So, we took the light rail from the airport into town, which was super affordable (49NOK, about £3.60 per person with the current exchange rate), but… not exactly easy with a pram, suitcases, rucksacks and a travel cot in tow as we walked from the centre to our Airbnb. It was doable and a great way to save money, but something we were only keen to do one way.

Where to stay in Bergen: Ladegårdsgaten

We stayed in Ladegårdsgaten, a leafy residential area with some hills and plenty of cute cobbled streets. While it wasn’t the easiest on our travel pram, the area felt peaceful, safe, and a taste of the ‘real’ Bergen. Several supermarkets were within walking distance (handy for formula, croissants for breakfast, etc.), and it was blissfully quiet – perfect for nap times. It’s also a short (but in places steep) walk down to the main harbour area.

☀️ Note for spring/summer travel: the light is magical – think post-10pm sunsets and 4am sunrises – but not ideal for a sleeping baby. Bring blackout blinds or ask your accommodation in advance if they provide them.

Here’s the link to our Airbnb which was at the more affordable end of what’s available and suited us perfectly. But there’s plenty of lovely hotels in Bergen too.

Things to do in Bergen with kids

Bergen is compact enough to cover most of the main sights on foot, which makes it unusually manageable with a pram. We didn’t attempt a full-day fjord cruise (too much sitting still for R at four months), but we packed in a lot across four days. Here’s what our itinerary looked like:

Day 1 – Bryggen & Fish Market

• Arrival and check-in
• Stroll through Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage harbour district with colourful wooden buildings
• Early dinner at the Bergen Fish Market
• Sunset walk along the waterfront with R snoozing in the pram

Day 2 – Floyen Funicular

• Ride the Floibanen funicular up Mount Fløyen (pram-friendly) to the top
• Lunch with panoramic views (the ginger beer was great) and a walk to a nearby lake before a steep but gorgeous walk (also pram-friendly) down to the bottom
• Playtime back at the Airbnb – important to weave into any agenda whether you’re travelling with a baby or older kids
• Dinner at Amigos – casual, family friendly and pram-accessible with delicious Mexican food

Day 3 – Comedy Walking Tour

• Did a ‘free’ comedy walking tour (pay what you feel it’s worth). It’s a great way to see the city, understand Norway’s unique culture, and have some laughs along the way! Highly recommend a carrier over a pram for this one and you can leave early if you need to 
• Grab a reindeer hot dog from the famous Trekroneren, recommended to have with lingonberry sauce and crispy onions

Day 4 – rainy day options

• Visited the Bergen Aquarium – lots of sensory fun for R with a decent underwater tunnel
• Took turns swimming in the heated pool at Nordnes Sjøbad (at 29 degrees it was a tad too cold for R). While one of us swam, the other strolled the nearby parkland while R napped but there was an outdoor covered sitting area by the pool too had the weather been better

If we were baby-free we’d probably have done a fjord cruise and taken the cable car up Mount Ulriken too, but we didn’t feel we massively missed out on either having done a similar tour in Oslo and lucked out with great views up Fløyen.

Bergen with kids: packing tips and what we’d do differently

There’s honestly not much we’d do differently, but one big takeaway: bring a stick-on blackout blind. Our Airbnb had flimsy blinds that let in loads of light around the edges, which is not ideal when the sun rises at 4am and you’re trying to keep a baby asleep!

This trip also reinforced a few baby travel essentials we’ll now never leave without:

• Our Rockit portable rocker for the pram (total game-changer during restaurant naps)
• A brand new toy for the plane. We went with Freddie the Firefly, a high chair toy that R loved
• Our Ergobaby carrier, which made getting around much easier on cobbled streets and tours

Planning a Norway family trip with Bergen as your base

Bergen is rarely a standalone destination — most families use it as part of a wider Norway itinerary, and it works brilliantly as a starting point or centrepiece. Our first-hand experience covers Bergen itself, but here’s how most families with young children structure a trip and where Bergen fits in.

Bergen only (3–4 days)

If you’re travelling with a baby or toddler and want to keep things manageable, Bergen alone is genuinely enough. It’s compact, walkable, and has plenty to fill four days without feeling rushed. This is exactly what we did on R’s first trip, and we didn’t feel short-changed.

Bergen + Oslo (5–7 days)

The classic Norway combination. Fly into Oslo, spend 2–3 days there (the Viking Ship Museum and Vigeland sculpture park are both pram-friendly), then take the Bergen Railway — one of Europe’s most scenic train journeys and a practical way to travel between the two cities. The journey takes around 7 hours, so worth factoring in nap logistics with a baby.

Bergen + the fjords (5–7 days)

Bergen sits right on the edge of Norway’s fjord country, making it the natural gateway for fjord day trips. The most popular family option is the Norway in a Nutshell route — a combination of train, boat and bus taking in Flåm and Gudvangen. The Flåm Railway section is spectacular and very child-friendly. With a baby, a shorter fjord boat trip directly from Bergen (2–3 hours) is a more realistic option than a full-day excursion.

Bergen + Oslo + fjords (8–10 days)

For families with more time, combining all three gives a proper taste of Norway. A common route is Oslo → Flåm by train → fjord cruise → Bergen, finishing with a flight home from Bergen airport. Check current transport options on Vy (Norwegian rail) and Fjord Tours before booking.

Bergen with kids: frequently asked questions

Our score – visiting Bergen with kids

We rate destinations using our four-part scorecard (read more about it here), with ratings out of 5 stars:

1. ✈️ Getting there – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Limited direct flights from London
• Affordable public transport, but not ideal with baby gear

2. 👶🏼 Pramability – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Some struggles with hills and cobbles
• Wide pavements and accessible activities balance it out

3. 🍷 Adult fun factor – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Plenty to do, great food options, and lots we could still enjoy with a baby
• Missed out on some attractions like the fjords, but more out of choice

4. 💰 Cost – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Slightly pricier than London in places, but cheaper than Oslo
• Plenty to do for free or low cost
• Walkable city = minimal transit costs

Now for the all important question – is Bergen actually worth the visit with a baby? In our opinion, you can absolutely travel to Bergen with kids and have as good a time as if you were going adults only! I would say 4 days is enough to see the sights as it’s a relatively compact city, and the trip surprised us in the best way. It felt relatively relaxing and far more welcoming to families than we expected. We didn’t feel like we were missing out on much with a four-month-old strapped to us, which was a huge relief as first-time parents.

We hope this guide is helpful if you’re planning a first trip abroad with a little one, or travelling to Bergen with kids. Got a question? Planning something similar? We’d love to hear from you in the comments or over on Instagram @littlebritsabroad.

At a similar age we took R on trips to Devon, Norfolk, and Mallorca — plus read all the detail on why we always book our baby an individual flight seat (and why it’s worth every penny).

Until next time,
Allie, Jack & R x

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