Bergen's Soul: Historic City Walk & Timeless Tales
Join authorised, local guides for an authentic, small-group experience around Bergen - both the city and off-the-beaten path. The first half of our tour focuses on Bergen's history. We wander the fortress complex, covering Bergen’s medieval history and short period as Norway's capital. After this crash course in Norwegian history, we make our way to Bryggen, Bergen’s UNESCO Site. Here, you learn about 1,000 years of trade history and the reason for Bergen’s founding and growth. The second half of our tour is about life in Bergen. We leave the ‘touristy’ part behind and wander into the neighbourhood surrounding Bryggen. As you explore Bergen’s best kept secret, you’ll learn about everyday life. The tour ends by passing by our top picks for restaurants. We consider this a moderate walk with stairs. The walk is approximately 3km (2 miles). Once you book, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all the details — including where to meet, what to wear, and our contact info.
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
5 stars
Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Lisa_C, 10/18/2025 6:40:05 AM
Jeff is a phenomenal guide! He arrived on time. He is extremely engaging & welcomes questions. His wealth of historical, cultural & current knowledge is extensive. He provides context and weaves memorable stories. The sites provide rich context & at the end he recommended great places to sample local food & treats! We highly recommend the experience!
annasN3632DP, 10/17/2025 4:21:10 AM
Jeff was an excellent guide and we learned a lot about Norwegian history in general and how it has shaped Bergen. He gave us great recommendations and we followed them all. No better way to get your bearings in a new town and learn a little about the place you’ve decided to visit.
Nancy_P, 10/16/2025 3:45:10 AM
Fun and intersting walking tour with educated guide. Saw the major sights of old Bergen and learned interesting facts in local history and lore
Paul G, 10/15/2025 3:15:44 PM
Serena was our guide and she did a really good job within the scheduled time. History, explanations about buildings, good stories and fun details are part of this trip. Learned quite a bit more about Bergen which was the main goal!
MonicaJ274, 10/15/2025 2:42:49 PM
Jeff was the perfect guide - informative, calm, entertaining and he gave us a great overview of Bergen as well as giving us suggestions for how to spend our time in Bergen after the tour.
Jim K, 10/15/2025 2:13:13 PM
Jeff was a wonderful tour guide: he took us to many wonderful sights in Bergen, he explained a lot about the history of the sights, and he also explained how various sights were important in modern times as well. He gave us recommendations on where to eat snd what to see, on our own. He obviously was very experienced and he also made sure that everyone heard what he was saying. Definitely do the tour if you can:)
Paule_P, 10/13/2025 11:56:02 AM
I was the only client and Neil my guide was amazingly knowledgeable and gave great tips on local attractions and restaurants/bars on top of the historical information.
Thomas_L, 10/12/2025 12:14:45 PM
Tour guide is very knowledgeable; didn't just phone it in. Good paced tour. Set up was perfect. Totally worth it.
Jeff_J, 10/12/2025 11:09:32 AM
Anais did a great job, even went a little longer to get it all in. Would highly recommend, gave us lots of ideas to explore
Ying_N, 10/11/2025 6:24:23 AM
Wr had Jeff as our guide. He is knowledgeable, kind, polite, helpful. Speaks excellent English! He explained the history clearly including local interesting anecdotes. He gave us advise to local foods and restaurants, exactly what we needed.
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Departure point
Please meet us at the address Bradbenken 1, a brick office building next to the entrance to the fortress. We stand on the side of the building facing the harbour. Your guide will be holding a sign with the tour name on it. The guide will be standing there 10 minutes before the tour starts.Return details
Join authorised, local guides for an authentic, small-group experience around Bergen - both the city and off-the-beaten path. The first half of our tour focuses on Bergen's history. We wander the fortress complex, covering Bergen’s medieval history and short period as Norway's capital. After this crash course in Norwegian history, we make our way to Bryggen, Bergen’s UNESCO Site. Here, you learn about 1,000 years of trade history and the reason for Bergen’s founding and growth. The second half of our tour is about life in Bergen. We leave the ‘touristy’ part behind and wander into the neighbourhood surrounding Bryggen. As you explore Bergen’s best kept secret, you’ll learn about everyday life. The tour ends by passing by our top picks for restaurants. We consider this a moderate walk with stairs. The walk is approximately 3km (2 miles). Once you book, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all the details — including where to meet, what to wear, and our contact info.Redemption
Thanks for your booking! Please read this information carefully. MEETING POINT: The tour begins at Bradbenken 1. You must be there at least 10 minutes before the tour start time. We are not obligated to contact you if you are late; it is your responsibility to tell us. If you are late, wait at the meeting point and contact us. We cancel all bookings more than 20 minutes late. The tour ends at the fish market/tourist office. WALKING GRADE: This walk is moderate, and you will be walking on cobblestone. There are 2-3 flights of stairs (up-hill) on this tour. We walk approx. 3km (2 miles) in 2 hours. CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS: Some cruise ships dock in the city centre (5-10 mins from our meeting point), while others dock out of the city centre (20-25 mins from our meeting point). We have a cruise port map on our FAQ page as well as up-to-date information on where all the cruise ships are docking. Please check here: http://ilovebergen.net/faq CANCELLATIONS & REFUND POLICY We do not cancel the tour due to rain. You can cancel and be fully refunded up to 24 hours before the tour starts. If you wish to cancel within 24 hours of the tour taking place, you will not be refunded. This is Viator's policy so we can't make exceptions (we get penalised if we cancel those tours). If you wish to move tours, we are unable to do that within 24 hours of the tour taking place. If you do want to move within 24 hours, we'll charge a 50% rebooking fee. CONTACT US: We are open 9am – 6pm every day and can be contacted via WhatsApp (+47 940 54 465) and email (bookings@thehiddennorth.com). Please only call us in an emergency (we are often out on a tour and can’t pick up the phone).24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund