Magical and Delicious: 24 Hours in Bergen, Norway

Despite the confusion of the sign, Bergen is in fact a terrific city! 😉 Photo by: Evan Berman

The first stop on my trip to Norway was Bergen. Bergen is located on the west coast of Norway and is well known for both its proximity to fjords and for Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage area in the historic market area of Bergen.

Intro

Flight: Delta Comfort+, CHS-JFK

JFK Lounges

Flight: Norse Airways Economy, JFK-OSL

Flight: Norwegian Economy, OSL-BGO

The Magic of Bergen, Norway (This Article)

Christmas Markets

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret, Bergen, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, BGO-SVG

Flight: SAS Economy, SVG-OSL

2 Days in Oslo, Norway

Oslo Restaurants

Hotel: Comfort Karl Johan, Oslo, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, OSL-TOS

Terrific Tromsø, Norway

A Whale of a Meal, Tromsø, Norway Restaurants

Seeing the Northern Lights

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora, Tromsø, Norway

Hotel: Clarion Collection Hotel With, Tromsø, Norway

Flight: SAS Economy, TOS-OSL

Flight: Norse Atlantic Airways Economy: OSL-JFK

December in New York

Lounges at LGA

Flight: Delta Economy, LGA-CHS

Conclusion

Trip Summary:

The main square of Bergen, lit up at night. Photo by: Evan Berman

Bergen, Norway is a city that is well known for its beauty. I opted to fly to Bergen and stayed for one night before heading back to Oslo. During my time here, I did the following:

  • Stayed in and visited beautiful Bryggen, the UNESCO area in Bergen
  • Had drinks at a terrific bar with incredible atmosphere
  • Experienced the magic of a Christmas Market
The beautiful streets of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway. Photo by: Evan Berman

Flight Info:

I flew Norwegian Airlines from Oslo to Bergen on flight DY 620. This short flight was uneventful and we touched down after just 40 minutes in the air.

Read more details about the flight here.

Price: The roundtrip flight from Oslo to Bergen cost $112.20.

Points Earned: N/A (I earned Norwegian miles but rarely fly this airline, so they are not worth much).

Lodging Info:

The outside of the beautiful Hotel Havnekontoret. Photo by: Evan Berman

I stayed 1 night in Bergen in Hotel Havnekontoret, a Clarion Collection Hotel. This hotel was an exceptional and luxurious experience and offered all meals included in the room price.

Price: 16,000 Choice Points per night. I purchased 44,200 points for $350.20. In essence, this cost $126.77.

Points Earned: N/A. I earned $17.51 (5%) cash back on the points purchase but nothing for the stay.

Airport Details:

As mentioned above, I flew into BGO, the airport serving Bergen. This international airport has 14 gates.

I will review BGO in a separate article. Per Flight Connections, the main airlines that fly there are regional carriers Widerøe and Norwegian. Star Alliance Member SAS has a large presence and Wizz Air, Logan Air, Lufthansa, Flyr, and Edelweiss Air all fly from BGO as well. In total there are flights to 43 international destinations and 16 domestic destinations.

The Bergen Lounge by the international gates is the only lounge in this airport and can be accessed by any premium cabin passenger or having an AmEx Platinum card. I did not visit this lounge as I was flying domestic.

Transportation Details:

Airport:

The Tesla that my Uber driver drove leaving the airport after dropping me off. Photo by: Evan Berman

Both Uber and Lyft operate in Norway. I only took one rideshare, which was to the airport. The ride from the airport to my hotel was with a bus from the airport. It cost 200 NOK, or $20.59.

On the way back from the city to the airport, I took an Uber which cost 510.97 NOK and a 50 NOK tip (560.97 NOK in total), or $52.68. I purchased each of these with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, earning 3x on the purchases.

Price: 760.97 NOK ($73.27)

Points: 219 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (3x Points on Travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card)

Food & Drink:

I ate dinner and breakfast at the hotel as it was included with my rate. This is a common occurrence in Scandinavian hotels, particularly in Clarion Collection and Radisson Hotels.

Fiskeriet Bergen:

This delicious fish soup absolutely hit the spot. While a bit expensive, the quality was excellent. Photo by: Evan Berman

Fiskeriet is a restaurant in Bergen. One of the locations is in the airport and while I waited for my flight, I decided to have a nice meal for lunch. The soup was hot and clearly made to order, not reheated. The fish tasted fresh and in all, this was one of the better meals I’ve had at the airport. I opted for the large serving and while it was pricey, the quality and size was worth paying for.

Price: 279 NOK ($28.71)

Points Earned: 114 AmEx Membership Rewards Points (4x on Dining using the AmEx Gold Card)

Hotel Havnekontoret:

Dinner at Hotel Havnekontoret was delicious! Photo by: Evan Berman

Both dinner and breakfast were served as buffets. For dinner, I had breaded fish fillets, fries, garlic green beans, salad, chickpeas, bread, and a rice pilaf. All of this was delicious and I was happy to have it included in the cost of my room!

No Stress:

The Chili Martini is a great option if you like spice! Photo by: Evan Berman

I grabbed drinks at No Stress, a highly regarded bar in town. Suffice it to say, both the drinks and atmosphere were excellent! I ordered the Chili Martini, a spicy raspberry cocktail seen above and greatly enjoyed the spice and sweetness which paired well.

After the first drink, I asked the friendly bartender which drink she recommended and she suggested the Bramble, a blackberry bramble seen below. She offered to make me another drink if I did not like it, but I loved it! The service was terrific and all bartenders made the clientele feel like friends, warmly welcomed. Additionally, the bouncer at the door was friendly and happy to welcome me to the city and bar. When I left, he wished me well and a quick return.

The blackberry bramble was stellar as well! Photo by: Evan Berman

The bar was relatively dark but there was definitely an intimate atmosphere. Most people seemed to know each other and were celebrating the start of the weekend.

Good drinks, nice atmosphere, and great service? Now that’s a bar I can recommend wholeheartedly!

Price: 303 NOK ($31.19)

Points Earned: 90 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (3x on Dining with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, AmEx was not accepted here)

Activities:

Bryggen:

Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene:

The dining room of a typical Hanseatic house. The colors are striking and representative of other Bryggen buildings. Photo by: Evan Berman

Bryggen is not only known for being a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city of Bergen, and specifically Bryggen, was a market from the middle ages until a few hundred years ago. The Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene talks about this history and highlights what life was like, as well as the various furnishings and buildings of that area.

This museum is fascinating– the buildings have furnishings and decorations that are a mix of authentic and replicated items, giving visitors a sense of what life was like back in this time.

Price: 135.45 NOK ($13.96)

Points Earned: 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (1x on everything with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card)

Bergen Christmas Market:

The entrance to Bergen Julemarked. This is a wonderful experience! Photo by: Evan Berman

Check out the full recap of the Bergen Christmas Market. In short, this was a terrific experience and one that I recommend should you visit Bergen in December.

Bergenhus Festningsmuseum:

A representation of the struggle for freedom in the museum. Photo by: Evan Berman

One of the history museums in Bergen is known as Bergenhus Festningsmuseum. This museum tells the story of Bergen’s involvement in World Qar II. Bergen was the home base for the resistance against the Nazis, which the Norwegians are justifiably proud of. While I only stayed for 10 minutes, it’s worth a quick visit.

Price: Free entry.

Photo of the Trip:

I saw these friends twice during my time in Bergen. Photo by: Evan Berman

Those are some giant dogs!

Total:

Price:

Food and Drink: 582 NOK ($59.90)

Transportation: 760.97 NOK ($73.27)

Flights: $112.20 for the roundtrip flight to Bergen from Oslo.

Hotel: 16,000 Choice Points. I purchased 44,200 points for $350.20. In essence, this stay cost $126.77.

Activities: 135.45 NOK ($13.96)

Total Price: 31,400 Argentine Pesos and $448.49 ($558.67)

Points Earned:

Food and Drink: 90 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points and 114 AmEx Membership Rewards Points

Transportation: 219 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Flights: N/A, I earned Norwegian points which are nearly worthless unless flying in Scandinavia on the low-cost carrier.

Hotel: $6.34 cashback

Activities: 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Total Points: 114 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 323 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, $6.34 in cashback

Goodbye for now, Bergen. Next up: a review of the Christmas Markets in both Bergen and Oslo!