In March 2020, we had fabulous plans for visiting Norway. We were due to visit Oslo and travel the Norway in a Nutshell route to Bergen before travelling up to Tromsø and the North. Our friends were flying out two days ahead of us to meet us in Oslo and they made it, for twelve hours before the country started locking down (ahead of the UK) so within twenty four hours of their flight out they were home, and luckily in hindsight we didn’t go to Norway at all. Or, anywhere for that matter for months.
Fast forward to August 2023 and we decided to do the Norway in a Nutshell leg of the trip, but in summer. We had a few days booked off and with much of Europe experiencing extreme heat, Scandinavia seemed like a good idea and other than being expensive it was the best idea as we loved our time in the country. I have many happy memories from Norway growing up as it was one of my parents favourite countries to travel in so I was very excited to return as an adult.
From the nature of the Norway in a Nutshell tour, this is very much a highlights tour of travelling between Oslo and Bergen and works well as a tried and tested route between the cities. I have added our five days of eats and travel, but this isn’t an in depth guide of all options available gluten free across Norway but instead shows how you can easily travel this route. We did it over a five day trip but would actually have preferred six or seven days – giving us an extra day in Oslo that we really would have liked and possibly an overnight stop in Flåm or somewhere along the route.
We actually ended up travelling from Bergen to Norway as the international flight times worked better for us this way round. I had good experiences at both Radisson Blu and Clarion hotels for gluten free breakfast options whilst in Norway.
Bergen
Where to stay
We flew to Bergen Wednesday night after work from London Heathrow. Due to the time of the flight we decided to stay at Bergen airport on arrival. The Clarion was walkable from the arrivals terminal so it was really convenient and it cost us £182 for bed and breakfast in a double room.
They had gluten free options, with a gluten free toaster (but no gluten free bread out that morning!) separate butter, and some vegan milk and yoghurts. I ended up having a breakfast of gluten free cornflakes, a yogurt and some crackers with smoked salmon. I also took the opportunity to try brown cheese without paying for it out and about. It was almost like cheesy caramac and I don’t think I’d order it again! You can also stay at The Clarion hotel in Bergen.
We stayed at the Radisson Blu in Bergen on Thursday night after a day in the city, but didn’t pay for bed and breakfast due to getting an early train Friday morning to do Norway in a Nutshell. It was really central and convenient and cost £183 a night.
Where to Eat
We ate here due to its Norwegian menu and convenient location. They also had gluten free options marked on the menu. However, my first choice meal wasn’t available so instead I ordered mussels and fries but it did take quite a few attempts to try and establish that the fries were definitely cooked in a dedicated fryer. We also somehow despite ordering, what we thought was two equivalent portions of mussels and fries managed to order two completely different size meals, as one came as a standard order and one came as the large order with a huge pot of mussels and we never determined how!
I have since read that they are accredited by the Norwegian Coeliac Association, which surprises me. Whilst I did eat here I didn’t think there were that many options and I struggled to get clear answers on cross contact. However, I don’t know if they were accredited at the time of the visit or maybe the staff just struggled with my accent as they could speak English.
Poca Madre – 100% Gluten Free – this looks to have permanently closed
We ate dinner at the 100% gluten free Mexican restaurant Poca Madre and it was fantastic. Pricy, but fabulous. There was a great menu of small plates, tacos, Salads, mains, sharing plates and sides. It was a must visit when in Bergen for us and actually reasonably priced if we had stuck to tacos. Our bill got expensive with the addition of margaritas, desserts, and coffees.
Amigos Bar and Restaurant – 100% Gluten Free
Whilst Poca Madre seems to have closed, Amigos Bar and Restaurant looks to have opened instead in Bergen as a 100% gluten free Mexican restaurant with other allergens also noted on the menu. I have no idea if they are linked in any way so have left my review up of Poca Madre just in case.
Fisketorget – Fish Market
We had a stroll through the fish market, but didn’t eat from here. There were allergen guides up at stalls that we saw though and looked to be some amazing gravalex options in particular.
Sightseeing
We got lucky and had the best sunny day in Bergen and spent the day around the historic Bryggen Wharf as a result. Bergen is such a beautiful city, but we felt the one day here was enough. However, a second day to get out on a boat trip, especially if you aren’t going on to do the Norway in a Nutshell route or visiting other fjords would be better.
Bryggen Wharf
Sadly quiet a few of the buildings were covered when we were there but the historic wharf that is UNESCO world heritage site is a must visit in Bergen.
Bergen’s Fløibanen Funicular is another must visit in the city. We were going to go up early in the day, but I’d read it was better to go up later after all the cruise ships had departed and after day in Bergen around the Wharf we ended up having dinner first and going up in time for the sun setting. It was beautiful, but still busy.
We had a lovely day strolling around Bergen and just taking in a sunny day. However, there are plenty of museums for those that wish to visit them or for those not as lucky as us with the weather as sunny days in Bergen I don’t believe are that common.
Norway in a Nutshell, in a day
This is a specific route travelled by train and boat that takes you through the fjords as you travel between Oslo and Bergen. You can purchase tickets for everything as one package online, but as the ‘tour’ is made up of public transport it is cheaper to purchase tickets for each segment online yourself, but we used the tours timings as a guide. There are two trains that you can take to connect to the bus and ferry on time to complete this route in a day from Bergen. We opted for the earlier one as it gave us more time in Voss to sort out a bus ticket and put us to the front of the queue to ensure there were no issues getting on and making the ferry. I have noted our timings and costs as a guideline, but these were for our trip in August 2023 so have likely changed since.
Transport 1: Bergen – Voss by train 08:14 – 09:20
(359 NOK pp, about £25pp).
This train ticket was booked on the Vygruppen website that we had previously used for train travel through Sweden. As we saved money by booking the tickets ourselves, we upgraded a couple of our options on the route. We booked the Vy plus seats for this leg for the morning as this included tea and coffee and more comfortable seats. The tea and coffee were awful so I don’t recommend you upgrade for this reason! The views were beautiful though on this stretch of the journey.
Transport 2: Voss – Gudvangen by bus
(61 NOK pp, about £4.40)
On arrival into Voss we took a bus to Gudvangen for the ferry. This bus was the only part of the trip that wasn’t prebooked as it was a local bus and it wasn’t that clear how to purchase the tickets. There was a tourist information on arrival into Voss who wouldn’t let us purchase tickets with them and told us to download skyss app to book the tickets, which we managed to do but it wasn’t that clear so I’m glad we had a bit of time to sort it out. We ended up with tickets that covered zones E to J, but I still have no idea if that is correct but Voss shows as being in Zone E. I believe the app accepts Visa and Mastercard for payment.
Once the next train arrived into Voss there were suddenly a lot of people all queuing for buses and it really started to feel like you were in the tourist trail! The bus, ferry, and scenic train were really busy so be prepared for that. Splitting the journey over two days and taking some of the boat and train times that don’t fall into the day itinerary may help this if you have two days to do the journey.
The bus stopped on route at this scenic spot as well for some photos and it was beautiful!
Transport 3: Gudvangen – Flåm (Fjord cruise Næróyfjord) 12:00 – 14:00
(585 NOK pp, about £42).
On arrival into Gundvangen everyone headed from the bus to the boat for the fjord Cruise and it was extremely busy and it felt a bit like a queue for a ride at Disneyland. However, once on the boat it didn’t feel too bad as everyone spread out and we had some amazing views of the fjords. This fjord cruise segment of the journey was booked through Norway’s Best.
Flåm
We had a couple of hours in Flåm before the next train, where we visited the local shop (that also stocked some gluten free essentials). We bought some drinks and the others also bought some reasonably priced cans of beer for Norway to have with our packed lunch/picnic by the river before it was time for the scenic train from Flåm.
Transport 4: Historic train from Flåm 16:00 – Myrdal 16:55
You need to book tickets from Flåm to Oslo, but it’s broken down into two trains with a change at Myrdal station. Flåm to Myrdal is on the old historic Flåmsbana railway and this section of the journey doesn’t give you a seat reservation. When you board the train try and be near a window that opens!
There is also a stop by a waterfall where everyone gets off the train to take some photos and a closer look. I would advise getting off last to give yourself time to take a photo from the train, as this overview is the best of the photos we took.
Transport 5: Myrdal 17:49 – Oslo Station by train 22:27
On this part of the journey we upgraded to a private compartment for the four of us (can have up to six people). This really helped give us some space and privacy on the long train journey at the end of our day for eating dinner, playing some card games and generally having more space to stretch out. The views were beautiful but the end of the journey did feel long after the full day on the move!
This journey is a lot to complete in one day and I didn’t want to rely on gluten free options along public transport. Therefore we took some rice pots with us to make eating dinner easy on the train, as well as a lot cheaper. We were charged for one cup of tea on the train to be able to get enough hot water for four pots and four sachets of hot chocolate.
From Flåm to Oslo, getting the historic train and the compartment cost 4379 NOK in total for four people (about £316 so 1094.75 NOK pp/ about £80 pp). This was also booked through Vy.
This meant we paid about £147 pp overall for the travel between Bergen and Oslo as a group of four, but it could be done a bit cheaper with standard train seats.
Oslo
Where to stay
In Oslo we decided to stay at The Clarion for two nights as for the same price as the Radisson Blu it included breakfast, at £368 for the two nights over the weekend.
The hotel breakfast had an allergen corner with gluten free bread, cereal, cakes, crackers and vegan options. However, it was really busy and as it was on the same counter as normal food people were picking up some of the brownies and weren’t taking much care over cross contact.
I ended up with a really nice freshly cooked omelette with salmon, and a gluten free muffin.
Where to Eat
Baker Hansen is a chain that stocks gluten free pastries. They bake them off site, and then keep them in a separate area of the bakery and they have their own tongs and bags to take away. Honestly, gluten free items from a normal bakery I don’t often consider as safe and the whole set up makes me extremely nervous but I had one of the pastries here since they aren’t made at the bakery.
It was a custard topped cinnamon whirl, and I was so happy to be able to order this in Norway although it was a bit dense especially compared to the incredible cinnamon whirl that I ordered at H.U.G in Copenhagen the week before.
Arepa Norge – 100% Gluten Free – Closed
We ventured to the food hall, Mathallen Oslo where we ate gluten free Colombian food that was delicious! You could get arepas, which can be found more easily now gluten free as well as the rarer gluten free find of empanadas so this is what we ordered with my friend having the vegetarian empanadas. We also ordered a side of yuca fries that were huge, and so good.
However, looking on Instagram Arepa Norge appear to have closed in May 2024. The options at places like Mathallen often change regularly and the restaurants are listed on their website but this is sad news for dedicated options in the city.
Arepas Angelita – 100% Gluten Free – Closed
Sadly, Arepas Angelita also look to have permanently closed.
Raw restaurants aren’t generally my first choice option for eating out but they do have some amazing raw treat options advertised as gluten free and vegan but be wary of their 100% gluten free status and check all ingredients as I’ve also seen it suggested online that they use Oatly which isn’t gluten free in Europe.
Glutenfrihaset – 100% Gluten Free
Glutenfrihaset appears to be a dedicated gluten free bakery, that I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to visit that sounds like it’s worth the effort visiting! I would definitely have gone here on a longer stay in Oslo.
I had this place saved for gluten free waffles, and I had also seen many people order this with a brown cheese topping! However, despite having a separate waffle iron some of the reviews on Find Me Gluten Free questions their care over cross contact (eg using the same knife to cut the gluteney and gluten free waffles without washing it) so I chose to not visit as I was on a short trip with friends and didn’t want to go out of my way to somewhere I may not be able to eat at. Creperi de Mari gets better reviews for a sweet treat like this but again they seemed to use the same griddle for all pancakes so I personally avoided them.
Jaipur Indisk Restaurant
Everyone fancied a curry for the night we were in Oslo, which took us to Jaipur who could cater for me when I spoke to them. Indian restaurants can be a great back up plan if you’re ever struggling to eat, opting for naturally gluten free curries. I have learned to avoid tikka dishes though where the meats sometimes get put in the tandoor oven with the bread so I feel safer not having this as some places will tell you it’s gluten free and it’s made me wary trusting this dish! I also avoided the gluten free naan and stuck with a curry and rice as the lowest risk of cross contact as I wasn’t 100% confident in their processes for it but I have since read that they are accredited by the Coeliac Association in Norway so perhaps I didn’t need to be quite so cautious!
Sightseeing
Oslo Harbour
The Royal Palace
No one was very sure about the idea of the floating sauna where you could also swim in the harbour but we booked it anyway! We were regretting the decision heading there in miserable weather. However, it turned out to be an amazing activity even in the rain, and one of the most memorable things that we’ve ever done on a city break. Jumping into Oslo harbour after the sauna even in the rain is a must!
The sauna states it’s for up to ten people, but we were happy with the size for the four of us so we were quite glad of the private booking that we had selected. We booked the Langkaia option overlooking the Harbour for two hours. You are asked to bring swimwear, water/drinks and they recommend two towels so you have one to sit on as well as for drying off.
Where to eat in Bergen or Oslo – Chains in Norway
I had McDonalds on my list for an emergency. For many it will be a must visit for nostalgia sake. It is listed on the Norwegian Coeliac Associations website as being accredited but this isn’t clear from the McDonalds website.
However, having personally worked quite a lot in Europe this year and only being in a short trip so I didn’t feel the need to go there when there were other options as I’d had a few Big Mac’s recently!
Since returning from my trip, and posting about McDonalds and Max Burgers in Denmark I have learnt that Burger King in Denmark and Norway seem to also have gluten free burgers. Do check for their cross contact measures in the branch that you visit though.
I didn’t eat Max Burgers in Norway but I have eaten their gluten free burgers in both Sweden and Denmark. It provides some casual fast food in an expensive country. Most of the branches that I have visited only have gluten free burgers as the fries aren’t cooked in a dedicated fryer so do check that at every branch especially as they operate a Franchise program. I would probably have eaten here if I hadn’t of just eaten it in Denmark, or if Jaipur hadn’t been able to cater for me it meant there was an easy back up plan nearby.
I didn’t eat here, but it does get recommended frequently as it is accredited by the Norwegian Coeliac Association so I had it on my list in case I needed an easy option for pizza.
I also had Olivia’s on my list thanks to the guides to Oslo and Bergen that Laura, My Gluten Free Guide had in her website – linked below. I took a photo of their menu when I passed one of their restaurants in case we decided to go back to eat!
Restaurants Recommended by the Norwegian Coeliac society
www.ncf.no – open using Chrome for translations and there is a map of recommended places such as Spaghetteria and Funky Fresh Foods (vegan) in Oslo, as well as chains such as McDonalds, Olivia’s and Peppe’s Pizza. One I would definitely have gone to if I had known about it from the list of chains is La Baguette as that sounds like an awesome option to have gluten free.
Oslo Airport
I found wrapped toasties and muffins at Oslo airport which is always a pleasant surprise – particularly having a choice of two toasties as a savoury option. They came prepared in the packaging to avoid cross contamination so look out for the D&Co items whilst out and about in Norway!
Tips for Norway
- Brown cheese is a Norwegian must try, but I can’t say I was a fan
- A reminder that Norway is expensive, and whilst it shouldn’t put you off travelling this beautiful country I found that taking some gluten free supplies that I knew I would use useful to keep costs down
- Alcohol is extra pricy, so head to the duty free at the airport if you’re likely to drink whilst in the country, it’s much cheaper
- If you can travel with hand luggage only doing this route it does make the journey easier, but there are luggage racks on the ferry if needed. When I was researching it wasn’t clear that they had this space ( they did on my boat at least!)
- I used my Chillys water bottle for hot drinks, even in the summer and whilst we had some lovely weather it was cold and wet at times travelling the Norway in a Nutshell route. Taking some tea, hot chocolate sachets (and biscuits) I always find a winner in Nordic countries, as well as a rain jacket and rain cover for my back pack!
- I find August an amazing month to travel across the Nordic countries with far more favourable weather when most of Europe is too hot for me. It also means plenty of daylight for sightseeing!
- For a sweet treat, Dime bars were my go to from most small convenience stores! Magnums which have some gluten free options were also often available including the vegan one
- Don’t forget to use Chrome for Norwegian websites if you’re struggling to translate the site, Chrome has far better translation tools than other web browsers
Further Resources
My Top 30 Itineraries in Norway from 2 days to 2 weeks – I heart My Backpack
Gluten Free Guide to Oslo – My Gluten Free Guide
Gluten Free Guide to Bergen – My Gluten Free Guide
Gluten Free Guide to Norway – Endless Distances
Gluten Free Guide to Copenhagen
Gluten Free Guide to Stockholm – coming soon
Gluten Free Iceland – Driving the Ring Road
We had a really lovely short break in Norway travelling the Norway in a Nutshell route and would recommend it, especially in August whilst much of Europe is far too hot! We had some great weather ( for Norway!) during these few days away and I didn’t struggle to eat gluten free with some advance research. This isn’t a budget trip though, even with some cheap flights, hand luggage only, and some hacks like bringing some food from home for the day travelling the Norway in Nutshell it still adds up quickly. We did all these things to help the cost but also did the things we wanted whilst we were there so we estimate that we spent about £1000 pp including nice hotels, travel tickets, the floating sauna split between four and eating out whilst in the cities. This could be reduced by budget accommodation, not eating out so much in the cities and standard train tickets. The floating sauna is really worth the splurge in our opinion.
I can’t wait to return to Norway, I just have to decide whether that’s to explore the north of the country by car in the summer, take a Hurtigurten cruise along the coast or to visit Tromso and beyond for the Northern lights and winter. The I heart my backpack blog listed in my resources links is an amazing resource for planning trips and giving inspiration on where to visit in Norway – I just wish there were direct flights to Ålesund!
Happy Gluten Free Travels!
Note: Writing a gluten free travel blog is a passion project of mine but the website has an annual subscription cost so it actually costs me money to run. If you find my guides helpful please consider buying me a virtual coffee through my kofi link to help me run this free resource for gluten free travel. This post also contains affiliate links for places that I genuinely went to at no cost to you, to help me be able to run this website for free. Thank you!
The Sightseeing Coeliac 