Norway Cruise Excursions: Kayaking, RIB Safaris & Glacier Walks

Kayaking, RIB safaris and glacier walks are the three most hands-on excursions on a Norway fjord cruise, and they are three different kinds of day. Kayaking is quiet and close: you paddle at water level under the cliffs, with no engine and no crowd. A RIB safari is fast and close: an open high-speed boat that gets nearer to the waterfalls than any big boat can. A glacier walk is the most serious of the three: crampons on blue ice, a rope, a guide, and a landscape that is changing every year. All three are bookable as shore excursions or direct with local operators, and all three need more planning than a sightseeing boat.

This guide covers how each one works, how long it takes, what it costs where the price is verified, and who it suits. Prices are 2026 fares, checked against the operators’ own pages where possible, and they change with the season, so check the booking page for your date.

The three excursions at a glance

Excursion	Where	Time needed	Season	Who it suits
Guided kayak tour	Geirangerfjord, from Homlong	2.5 or 4 hours	Apr–Aug	Reasonably fit, age 10 and over
RIB fjord safari	Geirangerfjord, from Geiranger or Hellesylt	1 hour	May–Sep	Almost everyone, age 3 and over
RIB safari	Mostraumen, from Bergen	2.5 hours	Year-round	Speed lovers, warm clothes needed
Glacier walk on the ice	Nigardsbreen, from Jostedal	2.5 hours on the ice, 5.5 hours total	Jun–Sep	Fit walkers, age 12 and over
Glacier viewpoint walk	Briksdal, from Olden	About 3 hours, 4-hour excursion	Jun–Sep	Most walkers, no ice walking

Kayaking: the fjord at water level

Kayaking is the quietest way to meet a fjord. You sit at water level, the cliffs rise on both sides, and the only sound is the paddle. It is also the most physical of the three excursions here.

The best kayak tour in the fjords is the guided tour on the Geirangerfjord, from the kayak centre at Homlong, about 2 km from Geiranger village. The centre is on the sheltered, sunny side of the harbour, which is the shortest paddling distance to the Seven Sisters waterfall. There are two tours: two and a half hours, from age 10, and four hours, from age 13, which goes as far as the Seven Sisters and the Suitor. Both are guided, with a maximum of eight paddlers per guide, and the guide covers paddle technique and a safety briefing before anyone touches the water. Drysuits, life jackets, paddles and spray skirts are provided. Rental kayaks are also available on site from age 8, from late May to late September.

The four-hour tour is the better one if you have the time and the fitness, because the two-and-a-half-hour tour does not reach the Seven Sisters. The water is cold, 8 to 14 degrees from May to August, and the operator enforces a maximum weight of 100 kg per paddler.

You can book the Geirangerfjord Guided Kayaking Tour on Viator.

Kayaking also works on the Nærøyfjord, from Flåm or Gudvangen, where the fjord is about 18 km long and just 250 metres wide at its narrowest. Book a guided tour rather than renting on your own: the fjord boats are large, the water is cold, and a guide knows where the boat traffic runs.

Kayaking suits travellers who are reasonably fit, comfortable on the water, and happy to get wet. It does not suit travellers with back or shoulder problems, anyone who cannot swim, or small children. It is also the excursion most likely to be cancelled by weather: in strong wind or heavy rain, the operator cancels or shortens the tour.

Our Geirangerfjord guide covers the fjord and the village, and our Nærøyfjord guide covers the narrow fjord.

RIB safaris: fast, close and wet

A RIB is a rigid inflatable boat: fast, open, low in the water, and built to get close to things a big boat cannot reach. A RIB safari is the fastest way to see a fjord, and the wettest. The operator provides a survival suit and a life jacket.

The best RIB safari in the fjords is the one-hour tour on the Geirangerfjord, from Geiranger village or from Hellesylt. It visits the Seven Sisters, the Suitor and the Bridal Veil, and it gets closer to the waterfalls and the rock walls than the sightseeing boats can, because it is small and fast. The tour takes a maximum of 12 guests and departs about ten minutes past every hour. It is the best RIB safari for cruise passengers, because it is one hour: it fits any port day.

You can book the Geirangerfjord and Waterfalls, Small-Group RIB Safari on Viator.

The Mostraumen RIB is the longer version: two and a half hours from Bergen, out through the Osterfjord to the strait at Mostraumen, at speed. It runs all year, which makes it the best fjord RIB in winter, when the Geirangerfjord tours are out of season.

The Svolvær eagle RIB is the wildlife version: one and a half to two and a half hours from Svolvær in Lofoten, out through the Raftsundet strait to the Trollfjord, looking for white-tailed sea eagles. It runs all year, and it is the best RIB safari for wildlife, because the eagles are there in every season.

RIB safaris suit almost everyone: the minimum age on the Geirangerfjord tour is 3, and the boats are stable. They do not suit travellers with back problems, pregnant travellers, or anyone who cannot hold on in a fast boat. They are also the excursion most likely to leave you cold: the wind at speed is much colder than the air temperature, so wear warm layers under the suit, even in summer.

Our best shore excursions guide compares the RIB with the sightseeing boats, and our Norway fjords wildlife guide covers the eagle safari in detail.

Glacier walks: walking on the ice

A glacier walk is the only excursion here that takes you onto the ice itself, and it is the only one that needs a guide: walking on a glacier without a guide, crampons and a rope is dangerous, because crevasses hide under the snow and ice conditions change. Every glacier walk in Norway is guided, and the guide provides the equipment.

The best glacier walk in the fjords is the blue ice hike on the Nigardsbreen, an arm of the Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on mainland Europe at 487 square kilometres. The tour starts with a short boat trip across the glacier lake, then a walk to the ice, then about two and a half hours on the glacier itself, five and a half hours in total. It runs daily from 1 June to 15 September, and it is not suitable for children under 12. Shorter glacier walks of one and a half to three hours are also available, with a minimum age of 6.

The Nigardsbreen is reached from Jostedal, in the valley behind the Sognefjord, about three hours by car from Sogndal. It is not a port excursion: the nearest cruise port is Skjolden, about one hour and 15 minutes by road, and the shore excursion from Skjolden runs four to six hours from May to October. If your ship does not call at Skjolden, the Nigardsbreen is a land trip, not a cruise excursion.

The Briksdal Glacier is the other glacier in the fjords, and it is a different kind of trip: a walk to the glacier, not on it. The trail from the mountain lodge is 3 km, about one hour each way, with about 200 metres of climbing, and it ends at the glacier lake viewpoint. The glacier has retreated significantly in recent years. A Troll Car, a small open vehicle, can take you most of the way if walking is difficult. The Briksdal shore excursion from Olden is four hours, and it is the best glacier excursion for cruise passengers, because it starts at the cruise terminal.

The difference matters: Nigardsbreen is a glacier walk, on the ice, with crampons and a guide. Briksdal is a glacier viewpoint walk, to the lake, on a prepared trail. Do not book Briksdal expecting to walk on the ice, and do not walk onto any glacier without a guide.

How to choose

Start with your time. One hour means the Geirangerfjord RIB. Two and a half to four hours means the kayak tour or the Mostraumen RIB. A full day means the Nigardsbreen blue ice hike or the Briksdal excursion from Olden.

Then ask what you want. The quietest fjord experience means the kayak. The fastest means the RIB. The most serious means the glacier walk. The best photographs mean the kayak or the RIB, because you are at water level and close to the walls; the glacier walk is the best for blue ice and crevasses.

Then ask about fitness. The kayak needs arms and shoulders for two and a half to four hours. The glacier walk needs legs for five and a half hours. The RIB needs only the ability to hold on. If in doubt, take the RIB: it is the easiest of the three and the shortest.

Then ask about the season. Kayaking on the Geirangerfjord runs April to August. The Geirangerfjord RIB runs May to September. The glacier walks run June to September. The Mostraumen RIB and the Svolvær eagle RIB run all year. In winter, the RIB is the only one of the three that works.

Practical tips

Book the kayak and the glacier walk in advance: both have small groups, and they sell out in July and August. The RIB can usually be booked on the day, because the boats run every hour.

Wear warm layers under the suit, whatever the season. The kayak drysuit keeps you dry, not warm. The RIB suit keeps the spray off, not the wind. The glacier is cold even in July, and the wind on the ice is colder than the valley.

Bring a waterproof bag for your phone and camera. The kayak and the RIB both involve spray, and the glacier walk involves snow and meltwater. A phone in a pocket is a phone that gets wet.

Check the weather the morning of the trip. The kayak is the first to cancel in wind, the glacier walk is the first to cancel in fog or heavy rain, and the RIB is the most likely to run. If your excursion is cancelled, the operator will offer another date or a refund.

What to skip

Skip walking on a glacier without a guide: crevasses hide under the snow, and the risk is real. Skip the kayak if you cannot swim or if you have a bad back. Skip the Briksdal Glacier expecting to walk on the ice: it is a viewpoint walk, and the ice walk is at Nigardsbreen. And skip the four-hour kayak tour if you have never paddled before and your port day is short.

Finding your way around

Key map links for the excursion departures:

• Geiranger Kayak Centre, Homlong, the kayak tours on the Geirangerfjord
• Geiranger Brygge, Geiranger, the RIB safari departure
• Hellesylt Camping, Hellesylt, the RIB safari departure at the other end of the fjord
• Zachariasbryggen, Bergen, the Mostraumen RIB departure
• Briksdalsbre Mountain Lodge, Olden, the start of the Briksdal Glacier walk
• Nigardsbreen car park, Jostedal, the start of the Nigardsbreen glacier walks
• Svolvær harbour, the eagle RIB safari departure

The excursions, compared

Excursion	Duration	Group size	Minimum age	Season	Cost
Geirangerfjord kayak, short	2.5 hours	Max 8	10	Apr–Aug	Check the operator
Geirangerfjord kayak, long	4 hours	Max 8	13	Apr–Aug	Check the operator
Geirangerfjord RIB safari	1 hour	Max 12	3	May–Sep	Check the operator
Mostraumen RIB	2.5 hours	Check the operator	Check the operator	Year-round	Check the operator
Svolvær eagle RIB	1.5–2.5 hours	10–24	6–8	Year-round	From NOK 1,095
Nigardsbreen blue ice hike	2.5 hours on the ice, 5.5 hours total	Small group	12	1 Jun–15 Sep	Check the operator
Nigardsbreen short glacier walk	1.5–3 hours	Small group	6	Jun–Sep	Check the operator
Briksdal Glacier viewpoint walk	About 3 hours, 4-hour excursion	Guided group	None stated	Jun–Sep	Check the operator

Frequently asked questions