On a snow-laden deck in Flåm we waddled in our thick protective safety gear and goggles onto the fjord safari rib guided by the lovely Gustav who would be our host and rib operator for the Fjord Tours winter fjord safari.
After some safety information and a quick check that we were comfortable, we started our journey out of a very picturesque Flåm marina.
In all, the tour would be for around 2.5 hours, cruising along the UNESCO listed Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjorden, stopping at points of interest, turning around at Styvi before our main stop for a warm up and refreshments at Undredal.
We would be passing by Aurland, the other main village/municipality on the south side of the Sognefjorden and home to around 950 people (and of course the famous Stegastein viewpoint). Gustav explained that Aurland used to inhabit several self-sufficient farmers, but sadly the impact of the second world war meant that most became bankrupt in the forties and fifties. Modern Aurland is now made up of mostly living quarters and small shops- though some goat and cow dairy farms are active today, along with some apple and pear orchards which go towards creating some tasty local ciders!
Apparently, the total population of Aurland and Flåm combined is around 1600, but in a normal year without the impact of Covid tourism brings in around 1-1.5 million visitors to the region, largely via rail or cruise ships. We agreed that we felt really lucky to have arrived in such a quiet time to enjoy the area- all to ourselves at times!
As we started our journey away from the Christmas card scene Flåm and further out into the fjord beyond, we were exposed to the elements and visibility was poor, so the snow-capped land we could see seemed ever distant. The fjord waters below were an inky blue with white snow and hails hammering down. A world away from the bright blue, inviting summer fjord waters Norway also boasts. It felt surreal. I imagined how the early people must have felt crossing these waters in winter weather, without the modern protective clothing, without the safety of the rib and it’s technology and without real scientific knowledge we have today. A chilling thought…and something that helped me push through the lowest temperatures. I was grateful for the warmth of Gustav’s smile and his next cheerful anecdote to keep spirits up. We would be stopping around every ten minutes to check out a point of interest and as a check-in.
At one point Gustav slowed the rib to show us one of the many incredible waterfalls along these fjords. It was mostly frozen over, but still totally spectacular, with clear water running down over the icicles.
We also stopped to see and hear about other important features of the fjords and the communities within this beautiful…currently monochrome world.
We slowed to see what remained of an attempt to build a road from Flåm to Undredal during the second world war. Apparently this failed attempt lead to the government writing the project off for safety reasons after too much dynamite lead to a collapse of rocks onto people and was understandably branded a real danger. What remained to see was rubble, but he explained that at just 200 metres long this was considered the most expensive piece of road in Norway “going from nowhere to nowhere” costing around five million NOK, a huge amount in the 1940’s!
We also pulled by the boatshed to one of Norway’s most sought after BnB’s. Accommodating up to 16 people, the unique BnB is only accessible via a steep hiking trail which takes around an hour and a half to reach on foot, Understandably it is only open in the summer months and is apparently booked up three years in advance!… which is honestly about how long I reckon it would have taken me to reach the top in my frozen state at the time!
❄️No ‘dramatic cold’ filter applied here, it really was very dramatic and very cold! Beards and moustaches were freezing, the cold wind, hails and snow blew across any uncovered parts of your face in what might have qualified as high-end dermabrasion. Adrenalin ran high. Wind chill factor was in the minus teens and fingers and toes throbbed despite the double layers of gloves. It was the coldest I have officially been, but it was incredible!❄️
If ever there was a time in life when I could accurately say I was frozen😉 it was that day, so when the guide asked if we were feeling warm I thought he must have been having Olaf😉, but I was willing to Let it go 😜and enjoy our onward journey to Undredal…genuine inspiration for Disney’s Frozen and it’s kingdom of Arundel.
Gustav explained that in 2009 Disney travelled far and wide across the world to find the best fjord village to base their Frozen kingdom of Arundel on. Turning down options in Chile, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Greenland, Disney opted for this tiny village with little more than 70 inhabitants for Elsa’s animated kingdom.
At this point, my tingling toes and finger tips would have welcomed entry to even the most villainous Disney character’s lair (if inside!) and so was glad to hear we would be making our full break.
Of course Undredal (or Wonder Valley in English), is well known for more than just it’s movie fame. It’s actually famous for it’s goat cheese production, which is something we would be exploring more from the comforts of the restaurant and shop inside.
We stepped off the rib and onto land, everything a little wobbly still. Not feeling particularly princess-y in my double hats and covered in snow I was in total awe of the place. Undredal has such a peaceful, otherworldly feel to it. Of course, the lashings of fresh snow exaggerated this, but it was obviously a special place nonetheless. It felt reminiscent of parts of North America, a little Quebec-ian maybe. Small, but not gimmicky like it could have become. It seems to have retained it’s charm perfectly.
Perhaps a little because we spent too much time making snow angels and acting like children with snowballs, and a lot to do with visibility, we didn’t really get to appreciate the buildings of Undredal. However, in the middle of the village (Elsa’s coronation church) actually sits- the the smallest church in the whole of Norway and one of only 28 remaining Norwegian stave churches. On a clear day, it would be well worth having a proper look at-beautiful and historical.
Our time on Undredal was short and sweet. We gathered inside to taste some cheese and warm up with a warm fruit drink.
Gustav kindly passed us each a small platter with four slices of cheese to taste alongside a salami-type goat sausage meat and Western Norway’s famous brown cheese, or Brunost. All of the cheeses were unpasteurised and all slightly different in taste. The brown cheese is a very sweet flavoured cheese, commonly served at breakfast and made from a whey by-product of cheese-making. Apparently this was discovered accidentally really, but over the years has become really popular across Norway and beyond, with exports to South Korea. You’ll find it served as a snack with jam and waffles across Norway, even on the rail cafes.
After feeling warm and refreshed we all headed back out to deck, dusted the (now very thick) snow off of the seats and got back into position to leave magical Undredal and return to Flåm. As we slowly zipped away, it hit me that actually it was a very ‘Disney’ experience. Somehow, without the colourful signage, the characters, the music, it really had all the magic and otherworldly-ness of a Disney ride. I’d lost all sense of time. For a functional, though small, village, it felt as though we were the first people to have set foot onto this snow-covered, empty toy town and now we would slowly ride away through the largely empty and silent fjords. I’m sure it’s very different in summer and when busier, but it really did feel dream-like.
On the return leg of the journey we made less stops and covered more distance at a time. It really allowed you to get a sense of the true quiet and peace of the vast fjord environment. A few sea birds hovered over occasionally, but nothing else broke our peace.
By the time we reached Flåm and we disembarked, we were all ready to feel the warmth of the dressing area and peel off our fluorescent protective layers-but we all agreed the trip was unforgettable. I never thought I’d be so glad to be wearing gloves-on gloves-on mittens this holiday, but the trip was nothing short of epic! Big smiles wrapped around red cheeks and cool breaths. I was glad to reach our marina apartment and get cosy again, but I can honestly say that was the trip of a lifetime!
When I return to Flåm it is likely to be in summer next time and I will be definitely taking one of the summer safaris as well. At the right time and with good visibility and a bit of good luck there is chance to see wildlife, including orcas, and I’d like to see the waterfalls in full flow and some of the points of interest in better weather. But I would absolutely encourage anyone visiting Flåm to take a winter fjord safari!
We booked in right at the end of the winter season, as the trips run from the beginning of November to the end of March and always run between 11:45-14:15 (though arrive at 11.15 to suit up). They also run an extended version, shorter taster version and combination bookings which include the safari plus tasting plate and beer tasters in connection with the local brewery.
Children under six are not recommended for the winter safaris and if it’s a particularly cold day I’d say under 12’s really. The adult safari is priced at 890 NOK and Child safari 680 NOK.
The summer trips run from April to October and are similarly priced . They also open waterfall visits and hike trips as an extension to the rib trip.
You can find out more and book all trips at fjordsfari.com
Things to remember
- Book your trip well ahead if you can, they will get sold out very quickly and the ribs only accommodate 12 people so spaces are limited
- Arrive early as instructed on your ticket. You need all the time to get into the layered protective wear and not have to rush in doing so
- Accept all the protective gear offered to you. Your guide will check what you are already wearing and advise based on that. They know best and if they say take the extra layer, take it. You will be glad of it later on!
- Go to the toilet before leaving. The stop off is an opportunity to use the restroom but it is not easy to undress all the layers to do so!
- If you’re weighing up whether it’s affordable I would say to make a saving on something else if you can. One of our group nearly didn’t go for this reason, but if you can make a saving on something else, like cooking at home rather than eating a meal out it will be worth it! In my opinion it was worth every penny. Honestly, for such a one-off experience I’d say it’s totally a-fjordable! 😜👌
