Flam Cruise Holidays

Flam, Norway

Hello and welcome to our guide of the Norwegian cruise port of Flam in the idyllic Norwegian Fjords.

The village of Flam, also sometimes written as Flaam or by its Norwegian spelling of Flåm, and pronounced as Flum in Norwegian, is a small village, at the end of the Aurlandsfjorden which is itself a branch of the giant Sognefjorden.

It is one of the most popular destinations in Norway for cruise ships, thanks in part to the iconic Flam Railway that departs from right next to the cruise dock and heads up into the mountains surrounding the valley.

In this guide we will break down how you can visit the port, why you should visit Flam, what awaits you when you get there and all other aspects of visiting the cruise port of Flam on a cruise holiday and is based on our own experience of visiting there.

Cruises To Flam

Our Visit

We visited Flam in the summer of 2019, when on the way back towards Southampton after visiting the Norwegian Arctic to take in the Midnight Sun and Summer Solstice.

In what was a trip of incredible port after incredible port, Flam didn’t let us down as not only do you have hours of sailing down the incredible Sognefjord, but you also dock at an idyllic port location, at the end of a fjord and surrounded by mountains.

Best of all, you are just a short stroll from all the villages attractions including the Flamsbana Train, a railway museum, some local shops but in all honesty, it is simply the natural beauty of the town that grabs your attention.

We were lucky enough to take a ride on the train, although we booked it through the cruise line and were quickly regretting that decision as we paid far over the regular price, were rammed into carriages whilst those who had paid much less directly were spread out across their carriages.

That was one of the most poorly organised excursions we have ever had to endure but even that could take away from Flam, which is easily one of our favourite cruise ports of call.

Flam Cruise Guide

Our guide to the cruise port of Flam in Norway is based not only on our research into the destination but also on our own personal experience of visiting the port on a cruise holiday.

Type of Cruises Available

When it comes to visiting the village of Flam from the United Kingdom, there are plenty of options available to those who want to cruise there.

No Fly cruises are available from several cruise ports, with Southampton leading the way as it so often does, whilst you can also enjoy a Fly cruise where you can start your adventure from ports including Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Reykjavik.

Each of those European ports also make for great cruise and stay options and each offer round trip itineraries, as does Southampton.

If you want to spend more time cruising the region, there are several repositioning cruises available, with one of the most popular routes been between Southampton and Reykjavik.

Flam Cruise Port Location

The port is located right at the heart of the village at the end of the Aurlandsfjorden in the Norwegian Fjords.

To enter the branch down to the port, you first have to sail along the Sognefjorden which is the longest fjord in Norway and goes by the nickname of the ‘King of the Fjords’.

Flam Cruise Facilities

The cruise port itself is only basic as it is only open for ships calling in there and offers no turnaround facilities, but it is a modern dock that makes it easy to enter and exit your ship and simply wonder into the village.

It is only capable of hosting 1 ship at a time, so if you are on the second ship to arrive on a busy day, you will need to anchor in the fjord and tender to shore.

Flam Attractions

For a small village, there is plenty on offer in Flam but the highlight of any visit there is a ride on the Flam Railway which is a 12 mile long railway that links to the Bergen line and runs through the Flamsdalen valley.

That allows riders to take in some incredible scenery including mountains, waterfalls, a river and you also go through around 20 tunnels and over a bridge.

At the village’s station, there is a small museum with some historic engines and carriages and lots of information about how the line came into being and how it was built.

There is a beautiful wooden church in the village that is a perfect example of what you would expect from a Norwegian church.

There are several boat rides that can be taken from right next to where you dock, including onboard a modern electric boat that makes for a great trip where you can really take in the peace and quiet of the fjords.

The more adventurous can go on a kayak experience on the fjord or go on a Segway tour of the village but for us, the best thing to do in the village is to simply wonder off your ship, walk around the village and just enjoy been in such as special place.

There is a small commercial centre that offers some tourist gift shops, a bar and a bakery.

Flam Shorex

A ride on the railway is offered as a shore excursion but we would strongly recommend booking it yourself as it can be easily done online, and you will then not only save money, but you will likely have a much more relaxed and enjoyable journey.

Another popular excursion is a coach ride to the beautiful village of Voss that is surrounded by snow capped mountains and really takes back in time.

Another historic village that cruisers can visit is Laerdal famed for its multi-coloured houses and fairytale church.

If you just cannot get enough of the incredible views from your ship, you can get a higher up view of the fjord and valley from the Stegastein viewpoint, which needs a coach or taxi ride to get to.

Best Time To Visit Flam

Although it is almost possible to visit the village all year around nowadays, larger ships don’t tend to start arriving there until the end of March or in April.

The cruise season then continues through to October, but the main season is May to September.

Transport

Unless you have booked an excursion to head out of the village or if you are going on the Flamsbana Railway, there is no need to use transport in Flam as it is easy to walk around the village and take in everything on offer.

Flam Cruises From UK

If you want to visit Flam from the United Kingdom, the great news is that not only is it possible but there are plenty of options to do just that.

Most cruise ships based out of Southampton will offer at least 1 itinerary with a stop in Flam whilst you can also visit the village from smaller ports such as Tilbury, Newcastle, Dundee and Dover.

Flam Cruises From Southampton

As mentioned, whilst it is possible to visit the port from several UK cruise ports, the best option is to start in Southampton as it not only offers the biggest range of itineraries, but also the widest choice of cruise ships.