Norwegian Fjords Cruise - Stavanger, Geiranger, Alesund, Kristiansand - day tours for multi generational fam

[chandon]

I would love any recommendations on tours that are at most a moderate level of activity to accommodate my 79 year old parents, tween children and my husband and myself. We would be interested in highly recommended tour guides as well. Much thanks!

[Traveling Library]

All of this is pre-pandemic information:

In Stavanger you can take a boat ride to the Lysefjord-Pulpit Rock Cruise. We booked it directly with Norled. Stavanger has a nice dock area where you can walk to see the pretty white houses (one is open as a house museum) and the church (organist was practicing when we visited).

Alesund has a tourist train (not a real train it runs on the road not tracks) that takes you all around the city to a wonderful overlook. Also city has lots of Art Nouveau buildings. We picked up a walking map but we also very much enjoyed visiting the former Swan Pharmacy which is now a museum.

Geiranger has a "hop-on-hop-off" bus. You buy tickets at the tourist info booth at the dock. The bus takes you up one mountain to an overlook, you get back on, bus takes you back through town and up to another overlook. On the way back to town ask to get off at the Fjord Center and walk back to town (all downhill).  You can visit the Fjord Center and a lovely church.  They have a really cool folding pier. If you are over looking the port when you come down the fjord you may see it unfold (like a folding ruler) so the ship can dock.

Enjoy!

[Ine]

In Stavanger you can take the hopon off bus which covers a nice part of the city. https://www.viator.com/tours/Stavanger/City-Sightseeing-Stavanger-Hop-On-Hop-Off-Tour/d4361-2916P120

Apart from that ""train"" in Alesund there also is a hopon off bus, which offers a longer tour. https://city-sightseeing.com/en/66/alesund

In Geiranger we did this 3 hours tour by minibus which covers 3 excellent viewpoints. Since it is by minibus best is to book ahead. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/panorama-exclusive-bus-geiranger/205516/

[PurpleTraveller]

On our June 2019 Norwegian cruise we went to Stavanger. We did a great cruise to Lysefjord and Pulpit Rock with Rodne. They had a booth on the dock very close to our ship which made it very easy to buy tickets and hop on their cruise boat. In 2019 the tickets were NOK550 for an adult. Highly recommend the cruise and we still had time after the cruise to wander around Stavanger which is a pretty town, particularly the Gamle Stavanger area. 

 

In Geiranger we did the Panorama Exclusive Bus tour in a 16 seat mini bus. This was our favourite tour of the entire cruise. We went to three viewpoints including Mt Dalsnibba where the views were spectacular. In 2019 the tickets were NOK495. You need to book the Panorama Exclusive Bus tour in advance as it books out very quickly but they also have tours in full size buses. Again highly recommend. 

(geirangerfjord.no/panorama-exclusive-bus)

 

In Alesund we walked around by ourselves and up to Mt Aksla so can not help with a tour. 

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise! 

 

This is the view from Mt Dalsnibba at Geiranger. 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by PurpleTraveller

[Turtles06]

On 6/16/2021 at 8:25 PM, Traveling Library said:

Alesund has a tourist train (not a real train it runs on the road not tracks) that takes you all around the city to a wonderful overlook.

 

For the OP's benefit, here's a photo of the "City Train," which as you said is not a real train, it's a vehicle that runs on the road.  Great fun even for adults:

 

 

Besides a drive around the city, the City Train takes you up to the top of Mount Aksla, with its fabulous views:

 

 

We found Alesund to be a lovely little town, very DIY-able.  After our tour on the City Train, we walked around and had the best fish and chips we've ever eaten anywhere.

 

(photos by turtles06)

[chandon]

Thank you all. This was very helpful!