What to do in Alesund?

Our ship is docked in Alesurd from 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM. There are two ship excursions that I am interested in. Does anyone have any opinions on either of these options?

(1) Hjorundfjord & Alesund: Jewels in the Crown

Hjorundfjord enjoys the reputation of being among Norway's finest sounds. A cruise on this gorgeous fjord will be a highlight of your vacation—at 20 miles long and 1,450 feet deep, it’s an impressive sight. The scenery here is nothing short of breathtaking, and the deep emerald of the forest lining the shore contrasts sharply with the inky blue of the water. Hjorundfjord also boasts a splendid crown of mountains—some as high as 6,000 feet. The boat will drop you at the pier in Solavågen, and from there you’ll continue by motor coach to the city of Ålesund, stopping at the Hessa and Aksla viewpoints to photograph the city from two different angles. Continue your drive along the Borgundfjord, past modern suburbs and the old trading center of Borgund. Watch for the Sunnmøre Open-Air Museum as you head back to the ship.

(2) Romsdal & the Troll Path

Take a short sightseeing tour of Ålesund city, passing the town of Spjelkavik en route to Sjøholt village. From Sjoholt, you’ll follow the shoreline of Storfjord, enjoying beautiful scenes from the road. You are now in an area known for both salmon fishing and furniture making! The furniture is exported all over the world. Stop for photos at the old, octagonal Stordal Church (1789). Continue to Liabygd and Valldal, known for growing strawberries. From here, you will follow the valley towards Trollstigen (the Troll’s Path), passing the impressive Gudbrandsjuvet Gorge. On top of the mountain you can still see signs of the old road built in 1028 by Viking King Olav. In the center of the Trolltindene mountain range you will stop for a typical Norwegian buffet lunch of hot and cold dishes, desserts and coffee will be served. One bottle of mineral water or light beer is included per person. From the highest point of the road (2,800 feet above sea level) you will drive the famous Troll Path with its 11 exciting hairpin bends down to Isterdalen Valley. You stop to visit the Troll Wall—well known to mountaineers all over the world. The wall has the highest overhang in Europe and is visited by world-famous climbers every summer. Pass Romsdalsfjord and the picturesque villages of Innfjorden, Mandalen, Vagstrand and Vikebukt before crossing Orskog Mountain to join the main road back to Alesund.

Our ship is docked in Alesurd from 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM. There are two ship excursions that I am interested in. Does anyone have any opinions on either of these options?

(1) Hjorundfjord & Alesund: Jewels in the Crown

Hjorundfjord enjoys the reputation of being among Norway's finest sounds. A cruise on this gorgeous fjord will be a highlight of your vacation—at 20 miles long and 1,450 feet deep, it’s an impressive sight.

(2) Romsdal & the Troll Path

Take a short sightseeing tour of Ålesund city, passing the town of Spjelkavik en route to Sjøholt village. From Sjoholt, you’ll follow the shoreline of Storfjord, enjoying beautiful scenes from the road.

We enjoyed Alesund very much. What works as your best choice on these two options is going to depend on how much you are doing on your overall cruise schedule for seeing what other fjord areas, how far up in you will go, etc.

On our cruise, we went up in two different fjord areas in addition to this visit to Alesund. One day was for the Sognerfjord that is rated as the best in all of Norway for these views. This included Flam and riding that unique railroad there. On a later day, we did a totally different fjord, seeing Hellesylt to Geiranger on a "Roof of Norway" bus tour. How many different places and where will you visit on your cruise?

Weather is the big, other variable. Hard to pick and know for sure, until maybe a few days ahead. Hopefully, you will have a chance to see and do the Aksla vantage point. See the visuals below.

From Alesund, we had a rental car and went to the Rund Island, famed for its birds and scenic views. This was a scenic drive, involved a car ferry ride, etc. Lots of great options from this charming port city.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 30,600 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

This is the dramatic overview of Alesund from the Aksla vantage point along the western coast of Norway. This spot allows a nearly 360-degree view of this setting for this island city and the surrounding mountains and islands. It is at a 597’ height overlooking the five islands making up the scenic town.:

From Aksla, here is some of the charming architecture in Alesund. This includes a canal or waterway. :

At a lower, street-level part of Alesund, here are some of the buildings along the central waterway, plus a nice statue.:

Here was a couple of Norway ladies in their special native costumes that were very unique and interesting.

From the Aksla viewpoint in Alesund, here is another angle with the spectacular view that shows distance islands, landscapes and mountains.:

Thanks for the reply Terry! Alesund will be the farthest north we get to go on this trip. We're also stopping in Bergen, Kristiansand, and Oslo but as I said none of those are as far north as Alesund.

In Bergen we intend to take the funicular and explore the town itself, because we are not there long enough to go to Flam. In Kristiansand, I'm hoping to get to the Dyreparken (a zoo and amusement park).

With the long time in Alesund and with it being the farthest north we get.... I really want to see and do the very best choices. Any further advice you can give me is very appreciated! :)

Thanks for the reply Terry! Alesund will be the farthest north we get to go on this trip. We're also stopping in Bergen, Kristiansand, and Oslo but as I said none of those are as far north as Alesund. In Bergen we intend to take the funicular and explore the town itself, because we are not there long enough to go to Flam. In Kristiansand, I'm hoping to get to the Dyreparken (a zoo and amusement park). With the long time in Alesund and with it being the farthest north we get.... I really want to see and do the very best choices. Any further advice you can give me is very appreciated! :)

THANKS for the added info! Since it does not seem that your stops will get you . . . into the fjords, then your first option of Hjorundfjord might be best. I have not been there, but as I checked some pictures and other details, it seems to be a very, very spectacular area. Your other tour option seems fine, but it does not appear to offer the "drama" that you need to see and do for this part of Norway. Part of your overall plan is probably to do a "GOOD MIX" for the different highlights in Norway. Does this help a little? Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 30,600 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Thanks again Terry! You have definitely helped me, and more than just "a little"! :cool:

I've found this website of tours. Has anyone booked tours through them?

http://www.visitalesund-geiranger.com/en/WHAT-TO-DO/Sightseeings-and-day-cruises/

We did a similar tour of Valldal and the Troll Path. We stopped for a morning snack of strawberry shortcake in Valldal and henceforth all strawberry shortcake will be compared to this unforgettable hunk of cake!

The scenery was outstanding along the way, and the Trollstigen is a memorable ride and view from the top. Cows and sheep graze along this amazing road. The traditional Norwegian lunch buffet was excellent and the salmon was the freshest we've ever tasted. The Troll Wall was great too.

From the description, I think you would really enjoy the stops along the way. We did not get to stop and see the Stordal church, but we did pass a few along the way. At a rest stop, another bus driver stood on a table with a bugle and proceeded to play the national anthems of Norway, USA and other countries...an unexpected moment as we looked at spectacular views of the fjiord.

The fascinating thing of the Norwegian roads is that they are only 1 1/2 lanes wide. The bus drivers are skilled, patient and while I did have a few close my eyes moments, I would take this tour again (just for the shortcake:D).

We enjoyed this tour better than the all day Hellysylt/Geiranger, which was disappointing in the morning and worthwhile in the afternoon.

Whatever you choose, western Norway is spectacular.

Thank you as19111, now I have one vote for each! :eek::)

Hopefully I'll get some more responses to help me decide.

We plan on climbing the 412 steps to Aksla (see Terry's pictures ;)), go ing to the Alesund and Fisheries Museums, taking the public bus to Sunnmore and it time permits, taking the harbor tour aboard the Keiser Wilhelm. This is one of our low key stops.

Kirk

We plan on climbing the 412 steps to Aksla (see Terry's pictures ;)), go ing to the Alesund and Fisheries Museums, taking the public bus to Sunnmore and it time permits, taking the harbor tour aboard the Keiser Wilhelm. This is one of our low key stops.

 

Kirk

Because it is our farthest north port and we are docked for so long, I really want to see as much as possible. So for us, this will probably be a "high key" day! ;)

Because it is our farthest north port and we are docked for so long, I really want to see as much as possible. So for us, this will probably be a "high key" day! ;)

I think you have the right idea. There is so much beauty in this area, take in as much as you can.

We plan on climbing the 412 steps to Aksla (see Terry's pictures ;)), go ing to the Alesund and Fisheries Museums, taking the public bus to Sunnmore and it time permits, taking the harbor tour aboard the Keiser Wilhelm. This is one of our low key stops. Kirk

Good luck on climbing the 412 steps. As my picture showed, there was a decent number doing that little hike down or up. It didn't seem too bad for them, especially with the variety of views you could enjoy as you go up and down. We drove up, but at each different level, you saw a nice variety of different angles and vistas.

That bring up that magic question of "THE WEATHER??!!". We had great and wonderful sunny weather in early July 2010. No everyone will always be that lucky. I would strongly suggest having both a "Plan A" and "Plan B". If the weather is marginal or crappy, you are ready and better able to adjust. Second, the weather might start out bad as happened with us the one morning with some rain in Geiranger on a "Roof of Norway" bus tour to Hellesylt. But, then things cleared up, the rain stopped. It didn't get bright and sunny, but it was decent. Be flexible in that planning and prep given the changing nature of weather in Norway.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 31,000 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Yea we are walking on the tread mill to get in shape. We learned several years ago that cruising can be a lot of work :D.

Kirk

Yea we are walking on the tread mill to get in shape. We learned several years ago that cruising can be a lot of work :D.

Kirk

Wise planning and prep by Kirk!!! PLUS, the more you walk and get active on the ship, then you can eat more on the ship. Love the desserts. Here's an example from our July cruise along the Norway coast. Went with those featuring fruit to be health focused, right?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 31,300 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Here is just one sampling of the three different tables with various dessert treats. This one picture is worth about one thousand fork-fulls. We have been told these delights are all low-cal, right?:

Our ship is docked in Alesurd from 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM. There are two ship excursions that I am interested in. Does anyone have any opinions on either of these options?

 

(1) Hjorundfjord & Alesund: Jewels in the Crown

 

Hjorundfjord enjoys the reputation of being among Norway's finest sounds. A cruise on this gorgeous fjord will be a highlight of your vacation—at 20 miles long and 1,450 feet deep, it’s an impressive sight. The scenery here is nothing short of breathtaking, and the deep emerald of the forest lining the shore contrasts sharply with the inky blue of the water. Hjorundfjord also boasts a splendid crown of mountains—some as high as 6,000 feet. The boat will drop you at the pier in Solavågen, and from there you’ll continue by motor coach to the city of Ålesund, stopping at the Hessa and Aksla viewpoints to photograph the city from two different angles. Continue your drive along the Borgundfjord, past modern suburbs and the old trading center of Borgund. Watch for the Sunnmøre Open-Air Museum as you head back to the ship.

 

(2) Romsdal & the Troll Path

 

Take a short sightseeing tour of Ålesund city, passing the town of Spjelkavik en route to Sjøholt village. From Sjoholt, you’ll follow the shoreline of Storfjord, enjoying beautiful scenes from the road. You are now in an area known for both salmon fishing and furniture making! The furniture is exported all over the world. Stop for photos at the old, octagonal Stordal Church (1789). Continue to Liabygd and Valldal, known for growing strawberries. From here, you will follow the valley towards Trollstigen (the Troll’s Path), passing the impressive Gudbrandsjuvet Gorge. On top of the mountain you can still see signs of the old road built in 1028 by Viking King Olav. In the center of the Trolltindene mountain range you will stop for a typical Norwegian buffet lunch of hot and cold dishes, desserts and coffee will be served. One bottle of mineral water or light beer is included per person. From the highest point of the road (2,800 feet above sea level) you will drive the famous Troll Path with its 11 exciting hairpin bends down to Isterdalen Valley. You stop to visit the Troll Wall—well known to mountaineers all over the world. The wall has the highest overhang in Europe and is visited by world-famous climbers every summer. Pass Romsdalsfjord and the picturesque villages of Innfjorden, Mandalen, Vagstrand and Vikebukt before crossing Orskog Mountain to join the main road back to Alesund.

Hi, I live in Ålesund so I think I can give you some advice.

Since your ship doent stop in any of the fjords I would do a private tour to Geiranger and the Geiranger fjord.

You have 13 hours in port so you can arrange a wonderful day ashore.

My itin. would be:

A drive around Ålesund with a stop at the view point, Fjellstua (This will take less then 30 minutes)

Do the aprox 1 hour drive to Sykkylven and Hellesylt.

Take the ferrry from Hellesylt into the majestic Geiranger Fjord. (1.5 hours)

Do Geiranger and if time allows Mount Dalsnibba. (stay 2-3 hours in Geiranger)

Do the Troll path to Åndalsnes and the scenic drive back to Ålesund.

You may omit the Troll path and drive from Geiranger along the Storfjord back to Ålesund (this will allow for more time in Ålesund and Geiranger)

If you got some questions pls do ask:)

Thank you lmyren for posting!! I am seriously looking at this tour:

http://www.62.no/sightseeing-tours/fjord-experience/1058/0/

Could you please tell me if this is a good plan???? thank you so much!

Thank you lmyren for posting!! I am seriously looking at this tour:

 

http://www.62.no/sightseeing-tours/fjord-experience/1058/0/

 

Could you please tell me if this is a good plan???? thank you so much!

This is a very good tour - it will take you to the most beautiful parts of the area.

Its a tight schedule with not much room for delays but 62Nord is a very professional company so you are in very good hands.

I would tell them when booking that you are on a cruise ship and need to be back in Ålesund no later than 8pm - just in case!

The price for this tour is not bad either.

Do you know if you will be traveling with a group in this tour with a guide or are you alone???

I would go for this tour :) you will have a fantastic day.

Glad you are getting good feed-back on your options in and around Alesund. If you do that fjord tour, here are some addition visuals samples for what you can see and enjoy. Plus, in Alesund.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 32,100 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

After being tendered from Geiranger, we sailed out and passed by these two super famous waterfalls. On the left is the “Seven Sisters”. And, directly opposite in this narrow fjord, this single waterfall is called several names, including “The Suitor”. Then there are individual pictures of these two famous waterfalls.:

These Norway Coast cruises offer spectacular fjords and other interesting sights. You will see mountains, farms, green fields, churches, etc. along these beautiful internal coastlines of the fjords.

In Alesund, this is one of the statutes, this one of the fish lady, with harbor buildings in the background.:

This is a very good tour - it will take you to the most beautiful parts of the area.

Its a tight schedule with not much room for delays but 62Nord is a very professional company so you are in very good hands.

I would tell them when booking that you are on a cruise ship and need to be back in Ålesund no later than 8pm - just in case!

The price for this tour is not bad either.

Do you know if you will be traveling with a group in this tour with a guide or are you alone???

 

I would go for this tour :) you will have a fantastic day.

I've contacted 62Nord and they have assured me we will get back in plenty of time (obviously they can't guarantee due to unforeseen problems that could arise). What concerns them more is us getting to where we begin the tour in time, due to possible ship delays in docking, disembarking passengers, etc.

I am impressed by the company's honesty and attitude, but I'm still uncertain. :o

canadarocks,

would 62nord do a private tour along the lines first suggested by lmyren? That is, drive to Hellesyt, ferry to Geiranger and drive you back from Geiranger? You would miss the first Hurtigruten ferry ride, but this would buy you a lot of time.

I've contacted 62Nord and they have assured me we will get back in plenty of time (obviously they can't guarantee due to unforeseen problems that could arise). What concerns them more is us getting to where we begin the tour in time, due to possible ship delays in docking, disembarking passengers, etc.

 

I am impressed by the company's honesty and attitude, but I'm still uncertain. :o

I think you have no reason to worry about the ship getting into port on time.

No huge chance of rough stormy seas to delay you during the summer...The only issue might be if the ship has some kind of engine problem BUT couldnt that happen anywhere and how often does that really happen??!! not often.

mazarul are right, you should maybe request a private tour..

Lars

I think you have no reason to worry about the ship getting into port on time.

No huge chance of rough stormy seas to delay you during the summer...The only issue might be if the ship has some kind of engine problem BUT couldnt that happen anywhere and how often does that really happen??!! not often.

 

mazarul are right, you should maybe request a private tour..

 

Lars

Would a company like 62Nord do a private tour like you suggested?

A drive around Ålesund with a stop at the view point, Fjellstua (This will take less then 30 minutes)

Do the aprox 1 hour drive to Sykkylven and Hellesylt.

Take the ferrry from Hellesylt into the majestic Geiranger Fjord. (1.5 hours)

Do Geiranger and if time allows Mount Dalsnibba. (stay 2-3 hours in Geiranger)

Do the Troll path to Åndalsnes and the scenic drive back to Ålesund.

Or can you suggest someone who would?

Would a company like 62Nord do a private tour like you suggested?

 

A drive around Ålesund with a stop at the view point, Fjellstua (This will take less then 30 minutes)

Do the aprox 1 hour drive to Sykkylven and Hellesylt.

Take the ferrry from Hellesylt into the majestic Geiranger Fjord. (1.5 hours)

Do Geiranger and if time allows Mount Dalsnibba. (stay 2-3 hours in Geiranger)

Do the Troll path to Åndalsnes and the scenic drive back to Ålesund.

 

Or can you suggest someone who would?

I did send 62 Nord a request for private tour.

You might want to try this company:

http://www.alesund-taxi.no/en/Sightseeing.aspx

so far this is all I found but I will keep on searching:)

I've sent 62 Nord an email as well asking about a possible private tour. I'll let you know what they say. :)

I've sent 62 Nord an email as well asking about a possible private tour. I'll let you know what they say. :)

I also sent an email to 62Nord - I got a reply back saying to try the tourist office.

I am sorry to say that I have not had the time to contact them as I am really busy this week with finishing one job and starting another big job aaand prepairng to go on vacation to Cuba on Friday.

I will see what I am able to do tomorrow:)