Stryn, Best Things To Do (Epic Trip Guide)

Stryn is popular among cruise tourists and it is at the end of the Nordfjord (Innvik Fjord). It is the iconic place to take memorable photos. We liked the area a lot and would be very happy to come back in the future. We hope that this article will inspire you to visit as well.
Aerial view over Stryn center in Norway. A river flows into the fjord surrounded by mountains.

Stryn, Best Things To Do (Epic Trip Guide)

Stryn is popular among cruise tourists and it is at the end of the Nordfjord (Innvik Fjord). It is the iconic place to take memorable photos. We liked the area a lot and would be very happy to come back in the future. We hope that this article will inspire you to visit as well.

Things To Do In (Around) Stryn

Besides Geiranger and Flåm, Stryn is probably one of the most iconic places to experience Norwegian fjords. There are so many mesmerizing places to visit in its proximity, and we would like to share that with you.

1 – Stryn

If you want to ski or snowboard even during the summer months, Stryn Summer Ski is the first choice. Although, the resort is 45 km (28 mi) east of the Stryn center and 45 minutes drive.

In the Stryn center (street Tonningsgata) are the most restaurants. Styn has many grocery shops (REMA 1000, Kiwi, Extra, Bunnpris, Europris, etc.) for resupply.

2 – Briksdal Glacier (Briksdalsbreen)

Briksdal Glacier (Briksdalsbreen) is a picturesque place with many natural treasures offered, from the surrounding mountains, wild rivers, and powerful waterfalls to the main prize, the glacier, that mirrors the emerald lake.

Briksdal Glacier between mountains and lake

3 – Oldevatnet Lake

On the way to Briksdal Glacier, we passed by this lake. It is impossible not to notice the lake. Oldevatnet Lake is emerald green, and it is just marvelous. Green grass, blue sky, and white clouds with surrounding mountains are just the perfect addition to this stunning landscape.

Oldevatnet Lake

4 – Floen Lake

Another landscape photo-looking lake, but it is smaller than Olddevatnet. Again, if you drive to the glacier you cannot miss it.

5 – Loen River & Lake (Loenelva & Loenvatnet)

Loen River and Lake are on the way to our next landscape suggestion Breng – Wooden Farm Houses (Breng Seter). Both are in the Loan Valley.

Boats on the Loen lake

6 – Breng – Wooden Farm Houses (Breng Seter)

The design of Breng wooden farmhouses (Breng Seter) is similar to the wooden houses that we saw next to the Nystølvatnet Lake.
Breng is very popular for photographers, as a bathing place nearby for tourists that like to tent in nature.

Breng seter wooden farm houses near Loen lake

7 – Raksætra – Summer Pasture Farm

A mind-blowing view from Raksætra is worth the effort of hiking this summer pasture farm. We have seen it. It is your turn now.

View from Raksaetra farm hous of the Nordfjord, Loen, and Oldevatnet

8 – Oppheimssætra – Summer Pasture Farm

Oppheimssætra is close to Raksætra and further up for another 20 minutes walk.

Raksaetra farm houses

9 – Loen Skylift (Cable Car)

The fastest way to get a mind-blowing view of the Innvik fjord, Olden, and Loen Valley is to take the cable car. However, not the cheapest.

At the same time can be an alternative to hiking Raksætra & Oppheimssætra.

Photo from Loen Skylift shows the magnificent view from the top in its glory.

On the left-hand side, we can see Loen Lake, its valley, the river, and the place itself. The most dominant is Innvik Fjord, part of the much bigger Nordfjord. The valley in the middle of the photo is Olden Valley where Oldevatnet Lake, Floen Lake, and Briksdal Glacier are.

View from Loen Skylift of the fjord rivers lakes and valleys

10 – Innvik

Innvik is a small village just half an hour’s drive from Stryn, and some 34 km (21,1 miles) separates the two. It is an accommodation alternative to the more busy Stryn.

We stayed in Innvik Fjordhotell. It was a perfect spot on the fjord shore. We recommend it as a budget option compared with higher prices in Stryn and Loen.

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Innvik hotel on the fjord shore

11 – Hjelle

A charming village on the shores of Oppstrynsvatnet Lake is another opportunity for memorable landscape photos. It is convenient to stop by, especially if you drive further to Geiranger or Oslo via Otta.

Hjelle village and hotel near lake from drone perspective

12 – Old Stryn Road (Gamle Strynfjellsvegen)

Old Stryn Road (Gamle Strynfjellsvegen) is part of the road engineering history through this rough terrain over the mountains. Now is predominantly a tourist attraction.

Motor home on the Stryn old road

13 – Stryn Panoramic Road (Panoramavegen)

Stryn Panoramic Road is a 44-minute drive from Lote and Nordfjordeid to Stryn. The road provides, at some points, a nice view of the south side of the Innvik Fjord.

Epic Norway 3-week road trip. Bergen, Oldevatnet lake, Geiranger fjord, and Trollstigen mountain road in the photo.

Stryn – Future Visits Wish List

We want to come back and visit the Stryn area. So we continue to explore and find interesting places in the region for our future visits.

Sagastad

Sagastad is the Viking Center in western Norway, in Nordfjordeid, to be more precise. It is a Wikipedia for the Viking age in this region. However, the main reason to visit this center would be the Myklebust ship. This ship is the largest Viking ship found in Norway. It is 30 m (100 ft) long and 6 m (20 ft) wide.

Myklebust ship in Sagastad Viking Center at Nordfjordeid, West Norway.

Sagastad is a 40-minute drive and 47 km (29 mi) west of Stryn.

Sagastad Viking Center building in Nordfjordeid, West Norway.

Places Nearby Stryn

There are many places worth visiting in the circle of 130 km (80 mi).

Geiranger & Geiranger Fjord

Geiranger is another iconic place where someone wants to experience fjords. It is difficult to say which is more iconic between Stryn, Flåm, and Geiranger.

There are so many fantastic places to visit around Geiranger. It is a short 75 km (46,6 miles) and one hour and twenty minutes drive from Stryn.

Geiranger was our next destination on our 3-Week Norway Epic Road Trip.

View over Geiranger fjord, cruise ships, and Seven Sisters waterfalls from Skageflå mountain farm in Norway.

Dalsnibba Viewpoint (Geiranger Skywalk)

Definitely, worth visiting and another breathtaking sight on the way to Geiranger.

Have you ever wanted to be a bird and have a bird-eye view of some landscapes?

Dalsnibba provides a magnificent view over Geiranger, Geiranger Fjord, surrounding mountains, and the valley below from 1 500 meters (4 920 ft.) above sea level.

View over Geiranger and fjord from Dalsnibba viewpoint

Flydalsjuvet

Flydalsjuvet is probably one of the best locations to take photos of the fjords. It is just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Geiringer.

A boy and a woman on the photo with Geiranger in the background.

Trollstigen – The Mountain Road To Geiranger

Trollstigen is one of the best winding roads in Europe. The view from the plateau of the road, mountains, and valley below is breathtaking. The drive of this eleven-sharp turns road is no less thrilling than viewing it from the top.

It is just 132 km (82 miles) from Stryn, but it takes two and a half hours to arrive including the ferry cross. It is a fantastic option for a short road trip from Stryn via Geiranger to Trollstigen.

Trollstigen mountain road (serpentine) in Norway

Gudbrandsjuvet – Gudbrans Ravine

Look how the peaceful mountain river Valldøla suddenly becomes wild and carves its course through this ravine. It is on the road to Trollstigen and just 20 km (12,4 miles) before it from Geiragner’s direction.

A metal rusty cage around the pathway for safety at Gudbrans ravine in Norway near Trollstigen mountain road.

Ålesund

Ålesund has one of the most beautiful city panoramas in Norway. The city’s architecture will not be unnoticeable to your eyes due to the Art Nouveau architectural-style buildings.

It is a 130 km (80 miles) and two-and-half hours drive (including ferry crossing) from Stryn.

View over Ålesund from Aksla hill.

Getting Around in Stryn

By foot: Stryn is small, so most restaurants or shops are reachable by foot.

By car: However, to visit sights around Stryn, some vehicle is a must. Although buses can be an option, they have their limitations in availability.

Here are a few distance, time, and roads practical info:

  • Oslo: 472 km (293 miles), 5 hours 40 minutes drive, Roads (E6 and 15)
  • Bergen: 290 km (180 miles), 5 hours drive, Road (E39 and includes a ferry crossing)
  • Ålesund: 130 km (80 miles), 2 hours 30 minutes drive, Road (E39 and includes a ferry crossing)
  • Trollstigen 132 km (82 miles), 2 hours 30 minutes drive, Roads (15, 63, and includes a ferry crossing)
  • Geiranger: 75 km (46 miles), 1 hour 30 minutes drive, Roads (15 and 63)

By bus: Vy Bus operates intercity buses in Stryn, and you can check current fares information here.

It takes around 8 hours by bus from Oslo to Stryn.

By railway: Stryn is not on the national railway network, unfortunately.

By airplane: The nearest airport is Sandane Airport, a little bit over one hour drive by car from Stryn via ferry Lote and Anda. Widerøe operates several daily flights to both Oslo and Sogndal.

Wideroe airplane at Norwegian airport

Where to stay in Stryn?

Several accommodation options are available to make your stay in Stryn pleasant. Some offers are hotels, hostels, camping grounds, AirBnB apartments & holiday cottages.

Innvik Fjordhotel

We stayed in Innvik Fjordhotel in Innvik. We have been satisfied with the accommodation and recommend it.

Innvik is some 34 km (21.1 mi.) from Stryn, and it is a budget option compared with Stryn and Loen, at least in our opinion.

If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Innvik hotel on the fjord shore

Stryn Restaurants and Cafes you have to see!

Most of the restaurants and cafes in Stryn are on the main street (Tonningsgata). Unfortunately, we have not consumed any of them and cannot personally recommend any. However, we saw many guests sitting in the restaurants while we were walking by.

When we finished with Briksdal Glacier hiking, we had dinner at Mountain Lodge Restaurant. We had tasty hamburgers, and the place got our recommendation.

Our best tips for having budget meals in Norway would be to buy salat bar food and fried or grilled food in groceries such as Bunnpris, Kiwi, Rema, Extra, or Spar.

Briksdal mountain lodge restaurant and bus parking space aerial view in Norway.

Best time to visit Stryn

Norway is a country with unpredictable weather and especially in the mountains. The best chance of having sunny weather is during the summer.

Summer is the most popular period to visit Stryn. In our opinion, the best period is between May and September.

Take into account that most Norwegians take a summer vacation in July. So expect July to be high of the season and overcrowded.

As always don’t forget the Norwegian saying “There is no such a thing as bad weather only bad clothing.”

There are several events interesting for visiting Stryn or Norway in general.

17th of May – Constitution Day (Syttende Mai)

The 17th of May is a national holiday in Norway (Constitution Day). It is a day when Norwegians celebrate in national garments and wave the Norwegian flags.

The celebration is popular among children who march in bands. The music orchestras play the music in the parade. Marching children and/or music orchestra represents a school or local community.

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Kids marching band in red uniforms on Constitution Day 17th of May celebration at Oslo in Norway.

Costs of traveling in Stryn

We have set a budget estimate that might be helpful while planning your own trip to Stryn. In addition, we have a few tips for you that might save your wallet or cards from going in the red.

USD ($) – Budget

Budget
  • Hotel: $50 - $90 per night
  • Hostel: $24 - $44 per night
  • Price per meal: $9.6-$25
  • Dish: (Pizza) $15
  • Activities: $15 - $56 per day
  • Gas: $2 per litre
  • Coffee: $3.6 cup
  • Wine: $7.5 per glass
  • Beer: $9 0.5L

EUR (€) – Budget

Budget
  • Hotel: € 48 - € 86 per night
  • Hostel: € 22 - € 42 per night
  • Price per meal: € 9 - € 23.7
  • Dish: (Pizza) € 14
  • Activities: € 14-5 - € 54 per day
  • Gas: € 1.94 per litre
  • Coffee: € 3.4 cup
  • Wine: € 7.3 per glass
  • Beer: € 8.75 0.5L

GBP (£) – Budget

Budget
  • Hotel: £41 - £73 per night
  • Hostel: £18 - £35 per night
  • Price per meal: £7.7-£20
  • Dish: (Pizza) £12
  • Activities: £12.3 - £46 per day
  • Gas: £1.64 per litre
  • Coffee: £2.8 cup
  • Wine: £6.15 per glass
  • Beer: £7.4 0.5L

Tips: How To Lower Travel Costs In Norway

Here are some helpful tips for you:

Accommodation: Consider looking for accommodation outside of Stryn and in its proximity like we booked the accommodation in Innvik.

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Meals: Grocery shops (Joker, Bunnpris, Meny, Spar) have salad bars, barbeque, and hot food sections which are a lot cheaper meal options compared with restaurants.

Drinks: Tap water in Norway is drinkable, of excellent quality, and free compared with highly-priced soft drinks, beer, or wine. You can bring a bottle, refill it whenever you can, and save lots of money for other activities.

Snacks: We always have small packages of raisins that are very cheap. They are a good choice for quick energy boosts as needed.

Epic Norway 3-week road trip. Bergen, Oldevatnet lake, Geiranger fjord, and Trollstigen mountain road in the photo.

We wish you an epic trip!

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Aerial view over Stryn center in Norway. A river flows into the fjord surrounded by mountains.

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