Geiranger Cruise Port

Geiranger, Norway

If you have sailed to the Norwegian fjords, have watched travel programmes about the region or have done any research into a cruise there, the chances are that you will have seen the small village of Geiranger.

The port sits at the head of the Geirangerfjorden, which itself is a branch of the Storfjorden and the hours you spend sailing along those sets you up for the entry into the village itself.

In a narrow section of the fjord, you are greeted by two large waterfalls, one at either side of the ship, with one known as the Seven Sisters waterfall and one The Suiter.

After that, you take an almost 90 degrees turn into an amphitheatre made up of mountains and waterfalls, with the village of Geiranger itself sitting at the foot of those hills and at the end of the fjord.

That makes for one of the most beautiful cruise ports in the world and one that is hugely popular for cruisers and cruise lines.

Cruises To Geiranger

Our Visit

This guide is based on our own experience of visiting the port in June 2029, when we called in Geiranger onboard the Norwegian Spirit cruise ship on an itinerary taking in the Norwegian Fjords and the Norwegian Arctic.

I had injured myself just before setting sail and would be on crutches for the entire journey but thankfully, our stop in Geiranger came late on in the holiday.

With it been one of the ports we were most looking forward to visiting, I was glad to be able to go off and explore but the hilly nature of village makes it difficult for those with mobility issues.

We would walk up the main road to the upper part of the village where there is a café and tourist information office that offers some interesting seats with incredible views over the village and the fjord.

The reason for walking up there is the chance to see the beautiful Storfossen fall which has a walkway running along side it which includes some viewing areas that go over the different pools for great views of the numerous drops.

That walks take you back down to the fjord side where there is a small supermarket offering some local products and a nice walk back round the tourist centre of the village next to your ship.

Geiranger Cruise Guide

In this guide we take you through all that you need to know about visiting the port of a cruise holiday including where you dock, what there is to do in the village and where you can visit on an excursion.

If you have already booked a cruise holiday that calls into the port, this guide should help you to make the most of your time onshore, whilst if you are still at the research stage of your next getaway, this guide should help you decide if a visit to Geiranger is right for you or not.

Type of Cruises Available

There are a couple of main options when it comes to visiting the port of Geiranger on a cruise holiday including round trips from Northern European cruise ports such as Southampton, Rotterdam and Oslo.

The second option is to take a repositioning cruise that goes up the Norwegian coast and continues to Reykjavik in Iceland. Those itineraries usually also start in a port such as Southampton, Oslo or Rotterdam.

Geiranger Cruise Port Location

The cruise port is located in the centre of town and within easy walking distance of all of the attractions of Geiranger although it can only handle one ship at a time so many will have to drop anchor in the fjord and tender into town.

No matter where you dock, you have some of the best views of any cruise port in the world whilst onboard your ship and great views of your ship wherever you on shore in the village.

Geiranger Cruise Facilities

The port offers only limited facilities but with it been a port of call only and one where you dock in the centre of the port, you really don’t need any facilities.

One interesting aspect of the port is that even if you dock in the closest spot to the village, you are still in the fjord and not up against a cruise pier.

The port uses an innovative floating walkway can comes from the shore to meet your ship that is known as a Seawalk.

This floating walkway allows 1000’s of passengers an hour to walk the 236 metres from the ship to the shore and it is wide enough for mobility scooters and wheelchairs.

Geiranger Attractions

Despite been a small village, Geiranger offers a few attractions for cruisers to enjoy but for us, it is the location of the port that is the main attraction for visiting as it is simply so stunning beautiful.

If you are anything like us, you will constantly find yourself stopping as you walk around the port to take in the views, grab a picture and look at something new that you have found in the mountains surrounding you.

By just walking around town, you can have a great day onshore with one of the highlights been the chance to walk alongside the Storeseterfossen waterfall that has a walkway alongside it to make it easy for all to explore the numerous falls and pools.

At the top of the waterfall is the Norsk Fjordcentre a museum, tourist information office and café with incredible views of the waterfall, fjord and village.

Above that is the Fossevandring waterfall that can be explore on a hike up the hills behind the village.

There is a beautiful and historic church in the town that has an incredible location overlooking the village and offers a great photo opportunity as it is a great example of Scandinavian wooden church.

Near to the Seawalk is a group of traditional turf topped huts that offer a selection of locally produced gifts, food and drink and are well worth walking through to see what is on offer.

Geiranger Shorex

On the outskirts of town is the Gieranger Skywalk, known locally as the Dalsnibba, which offers an incredible mountain top view of the fjord, the village and of the mountains that surround your ship.

Although you sail past the Seven Sisters and The Suiter waterfalls on your entry and departure from the port, there is a chance to get up close to them on a small boat tour of the fjord that also gives you commentary about the region.

To get in and out of the village, locals and tourists alike need to take some steep mountain roads with one of the most famous been the Eagle Road.

It features several switchbacks that take you up the mountains and offers incredible views from coach tours that take you up there.

Another option for the more adventurous is to take a minibus to the top and then cycle back down the road and back to the village.

For an easy way to see all that is on offer in the village and to head out into the hills that surround it is to take the Hop On Hop Off bus that can be booked once in port or via many cruise lines to use onboard credit.

For a tougher adventure, there are plenty of hiking trials surrounding the village with many lines offering the chance to head out on guide hikes or why not head out onto the fjord on a kayak tour?

Best Time To Visit Geiranger

The main cruising season is a relatively short one in Geiranger with ship only really visiting during May to September, although some may call in there in late April or early October.

If you visit early in the season, there is a better chance of seeing snow on the mountain tops around the village and as you sail down the fjord not Geiranger.

With most of your time spent outside whilst there, we would recommend visiting in either July or August for the best chance of dry weather and blue skies to make your pictures that much better.

Transport

For the majority of those who visit, there is no need to use transport as everything is within walking distance in Geiranger itself.

It is hilly and can be a challenge for those with mobility issue, so if you cannot or do not want to walk around town, a trip on the Hop Off Hop On bus is the best option.

Geiranger Cruises From UK

If you want to visit the Geiranger cruise port directly from the UK, the great news is that not only can you do just that, but the UK has one of the widest range of itineraries heading there.

Geiranger Cruises From Southampton

Whilst it is possible to visit Geiranger from a number of different ports around the UK, the widest range of itineraries, ships and lines are offered out of the countries leading cruise port of Southampton.