Bergen to Alesund: Ferry, Bus, Flight or Drive

• Top choice RIB Hjørundfjord safari from US$157 Duration105 minutes^[2]Rating4.88 from 150 reviews^[2]GuideLive tour guide in English^[2]RouteStops in the Hjørundfjorden^[2]CancellationFree cancellation 24 hours ahead^[2] Check availability
• Trollstigen tour from US$190 Duration6 hours^[4]Rating4.48 from 740 reviews^[4]GuideLive tour guide in English^[4]RouteTrollstigen, village and fjord sceneryCancellationFree cancellation 24 hours ahead^[4] See this tour
• Fjord round trip from US$115 Duration5 hours^[5]Rating4.22 from 60 reviews^[5]GuideLive tour guide in English^[5]RouteHjørundfjorden > Øye > Alesund^[5]CancellationFree cancellation 24 hours ahead^[5] See this tour

How to get to Alesund from Bergen

Bergen and Alesund share the same long stretch of coast, but the journey between them is a real trip rather than a quick hop. The published travel times for the route cover three modes: plane, car and bus. By plane the trip takes 45 minutes, by car about 7 hours and 30 minutes, and by bus about 9 hours and 30 minutes.^[1] Which one suits you is less about speed than about how much of the coast you want to see on the way. Flying gets you there in time for lunch and a walk along the harbour front. Driving turns the day itself into the sightseeing. The bus covers the same ground while you sit back and watch the ferries come and go from the window.

Whichever you choose, plan the last stretch as carefully as the first. Alesund's centre sits on a cluster of islands, and road traffic arrives through tunnels or over the bridges that link them. If you fly in, the ride into town is short: a private one-way transfer between Alesund Airport and the city is listed from US$134 and takes 30 minutes.^[6] Weather on this coast can slow road, boat and air traffic alike, so allow some slack on travel days. Keep a light rain jacket in your day bag rather than in the suitcase you have already checked in, and you will be comfortable whatever the sky does.

Flying from Bergen to Alesund

In the air the trip between the two cities takes 45 minutes.^[1] That is barely enough time for the cabin crew to reach your row with the trolley, and it makes a long day trip genuinely possible: a morning flight north, a full afternoon in Alesund, and an evening flight back if you simply want to see the town for yourself. The approach runs along a coast of islands and open water, so if the cloud lifts you get a preview of the landscape from above, with the fjord country opening up to the south and east of the town.

Both ends are easy airports to use, and the transfer into Alesund is short: a private one-way transfer between the airport and the city is listed from US$134 and takes 30 minutes.^[6] With luggage, a booked car is a calm start to a short break. If you are travelling light, look at the airport bus or the taxi rank outside arrivals. Before you commit to an early flight home, check the return leg too, because morning departures are the ones that fill up first in summer.

Spray flying as the RIB turns beneath the fjord walls

Driving north from Bergen to Alesund

By car the trip takes about 7 hours and 30 minutes.^[1] That figure is the driving alone. The route north crosses fjords and sounds, and several crossings are on ferries that run to their own timetables, so a wait at the quay can add time. It makes sense to break the drive and stay a night somewhere along the way, treating the road as part of the holiday rather than a way of getting there. The reward is the freedom to stop whenever the light is good or the view demands it.

Once you are based in Alesund, the car earns its keep. The centre is compact enough to walk, but the wider district is where driving pays off, and the run to Geiranger is a classic: the distance from Alesund to Geiranger is 67 miles (108 km).^[7] Fill the tank before you leave town, check the ferry timetables for the fjord crossings, and remember that speed limits are low and the scenery is the whole point. Tunnels, narrow shoulders and long descents all ask for a calm right foot.

The bus and the ferry question

The bus takes about 9 hours and 30 minutes.^[1] It is the slow option, and also the one where you can read, doze or simply stare out of the window while someone else deals with the tunnels and the queue for the ferry. Long-distance coaches on this coast are comfortable, with reclining seats and luggage space underneath, but the journey is a full day, so treat it like one: book a seat, bring snacks and water, and keep a power bank handy for the last hour.

A ferry from Bergen to Alesund is the part of the question that published travel times do not answer, because they cover plane, car and bus only.^[1] If you would rather travel by water, look up the coastal express boats that work the Norwegian coast between the big cities, and plan that leg separately. They keep their own schedules and their own booking rules, and they are a different kind of journey altogether, with nights on board and calls at small ports along the way.

What you find when you arrive in Alesund

Alesund is spread across seven large islands: Hessa, Aspøya, Nørvøya, Oksenøya, Ellingsøya, Humla and Tørla.^[8] The centre is walkable and the water is never far from view. The town was founded in 1838^[9] and later rebuilt in Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, the architectural style of the time.^[10] That rebuilding gave the centre its towers, turrets and pastel facades, and the streets are best explored slowly and on foot, with a coffee stop whenever the weather offers one.

It is also a busy cruise port. In 2024 Alesund had 656,678 day cruise passengers, the highest number among Norwegian ports.^[11] On a summer day with ships alongside, the harbour front and the main street fill quickly, so plan your own sightseeing for the early morning or the late afternoon if you like a bit of room. The town's working life carries on underneath all of it: fishing boats, bakeries, ferries and small craft moving in and out of the channels between the islands.

Two stops are worth building a half day around. The Aksla viewpoint is reached by a stone staircase of 418 steps.^[12] Atlanterhavsparken, known in English as the Atlantic Sea Park, is considered one of Northern Europe's largest and most unique saltwater aquariums.^[13] Both are best enjoyed unhurried, and both are outdoors or partly outdoors, so take a jacket even if the sky looks kind when you set off.

Fjord tours and boat trips from Alesund

The deep water is the reason most people come. The Storfjord is one of Norway's ten longest fjords, stretching 110 kilometers out to the Sulafjord and reaching a depth of 672 meters at its deepest.^[14] From Alesund you can be out among the islands and heading for the mouth of the Hjørundfjord within minutes of leaving the quay. A RIB puts you low on the water, close to the rock walls, with the wind and the spray part of the ride rather than something to hide from.

The RIB Ålesund - Fjordsafari Hjørundfjord runs for 105 minutes and is listed from US$157, with a live tour guide in English and stops in the Hjørundfjorden.^[2] It is rated 4.88 from 150 reviews, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and reserve now, pay later available.^[2] Slower alternatives include a fjord tour with lunch on MS Bruvik, which runs 7 hours and is listed from US$156^[15], and a fjord round trip from Alesund that takes 5 hours and is listed from US$115.^[5]

For mountain roads and a very different view of the fjord country, the Trollstigen sightseeing tour takes 6 hours and is listed from US$190.^[4] On a RIB, dress for cold and wet rather than for a stroll: RIB-Lofoten, a Norwegian operator, says everyone on its tours is obliged to wear a warm flotation suit, which the operator supplies^[16], and that tells you what an open boat ride is like. Book ahead for the peak summer weeks, and leave the afternoon free afterwards for a warm drink and a slow walk.

When to go and what to book

This coast is wet and mild rather than cold and dry. Alesund receives 1730 millimeters of precipitation per year, ranging from 85 millimeters in May to 210 millimeters in December.^[3] The range is wide enough to matter when you choose your dates. Summer brings long light evenings that make a late boat trip worthwhile; spring and autumn bring quieter streets and easier tables in restaurants; winter brings dramatic weather, low light and the chance of snow on the peaks.

Whatever the season, the practical advice is the same: layer up, carry a waterproof outer layer, and treat the forecast as a hint rather than a promise. Book the things you care about in advance, especially boat trips and tours with fixed departures. The RIB safari is listed from US$157 for 105 minutes on the water^[2], with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance and the option to reserve now and pay later^[2]. If your dates are still moving, that lets you hold a place without paying straight away.

Plan the trip step by step

1. Choose your mode

   Plane, car or bus: decide by how much time you have and how much of the coast you want to see.

2. Book the long leg

   Lock in flights or coach seats early for summer dates, when this route is at its busiest.

3. Sort the last stretch

   Airport transfer, city bus or hire car: decide how you reach the centre before you land.

4. Add a fjord trip

   RIB safari or a slower cruise: reserve it before you arrive in the peak weeks.

5. Pack for wet weather

   Waterproof jacket, warm mid layer and shoes that survive a wet pavement.

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