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900 Years on Foot
A Bergen walking tour is the best way to understand the city before heading out into the fjords. In two hours a local guide leads a small group from the Hanseatic wharf of Bryggen to the Fish Market and up into the quiet wooden lanes of the old town, telling the stories of the merchants, fires and fishermen that turned Bergen into Norway's gateway to the sea.
Check Current PriceStep into the narrow wooden passages of the UNESCO-listed Hanseatic wharf, the symbol of Bergen.
See the harbour market where Bergen has traded fish for centuries, and hear how cod built the city's wealth.
Wander cobbled alleys lined with white wooden houses, far from the crowds of the waterfront.
The highest-rated Bergen walking tour, with nearly 2,400 reviews. Meet your guide in the city centre and explore Bergen's past and present: the Hanseatic merchants of Bryggen, the great fires that reshaped the town, the fishermen of the harbour and the modern city that grew around them. A relaxed pace, plenty of time for questions and insider tips for the rest of your stay.
Book This TourFounded around 1070, Bergen was Norway's largest city and royal capital for much of the Middle Ages. From the 14th century the German merchants of the Hanseatic League ran their trading post at Bryggen, exchanging grain for dried cod from northern Norway, and the long wooden warehouses they built still line the harbour today. Fires swept through the tightly packed town again and again, which is why Bergen's old quarters are a patchwork of rebuilt wooden houses, narrow firebreak alleys and stone cellars. Bryggen was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. A Bergen walking tour connects all these layers in two hours — and gives the perfect background before a fjord tour from the same harbour the merchants once used.
Practical answers before you book a walking tour in Bergen.
The Bergen Past & Present walking tour lasts about 2 hours and covers the city centre on foot at a relaxed pace, with stops for stories and photos.
The route includes the UNESCO-listed Hanseatic wharf of Bryggen with its narrow wooden passages, the Fish Market and harbour, and the cobbled lanes and white wooden houses of the old town.
Yes. Bergen is one of the rainiest cities in Europe and tours run in all weather. Bring a waterproof jacket and comfortable shoes, as some streets are steep and cobbled.
Yes. The 2-hour walking tour pairs well with the 3.5-hour Mostraumen fjord cruise, which also starts in the city centre. Full-day fjord tours are best booked for a separate day.
It is a small-group tour, so the guide can answer questions and everyone can hear the stories easily, even in the narrow alleys of Bryggen.
Travellers share their impressions of the Bergen walking tour.
Kate T.
We did this on our first morning and it changed how we saw the city for the rest of the trip. Bryggen makes so much more sense once you know its story.
Jonas P.
Our guide took us into lanes we would never have found alone. Small group, lots of laughs and great restaurant tips.
Yuki C.
Two hours in light rain and nobody minded. The stories about the Hanseatic merchants and the great fires were fascinating.