Disclosure
Jade Peak writes about places, experiences, and the people behind them, so hotels, operators, and companies come up often. We have no financial relationship with any entity named in this article. If that ever changes, we'll say so plainly, right here at the top.
If you’re the type of traveler who detests a crowd, then sea kayaking along Norway's coast might be the trip for you. You’ll ride at the waterline, close enough to impressive waterfalls and you might just slip past a sea eagle or marine mammals with no engine to scare them off. For this experience, the multi-day trip splits into two options:
The deep green fjords of the west.
The raw Arctic north, well above the Polar Circle in Lofoten and Svalbard.
We'd been looking at companies that run these trips, and one in the west caught our eye: The Kayak Trip. It's an eight-day week of paddling and hiking on the Nærøyfjord, a UNESCO-listed arm of the Sognefjord, a narrow and dramatic fjord.
A standard day might start with paddling a stretch of green water between cliffs, then pulling ashore for lunch on a beach. In the afternoon you can swap the kayak for climbing boots and trek to a viewpoint high above the fjord you just crossed by boat. Nights are spent camping by the water.
It is important to point out that we saw the hikes are optional, so you decide each day how hard to push. We wouldn’t be surprised if many of our even experienced hikers struggled on a journey like this given the length. However, you have guides and a routing app, so both first-timers and seasoned paddlers should feel comfortable.
The key is to come with energy and fuel for this experience.
More on the two routes:
The standard Nærøyroute is more or less 65 km starting in Fresvik and going across the Sognefjord into the Nærøyfjord. Then you get to the furthest point, Undredal, and loop back to the start. We recommend this route if you are a first-time paddler or just really want to see the fjords.
The extended Aurlandsroute is more or less 100 km. You also start in Fresvik, then you go through the Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, Aurlandsvangen, reaching the furthest point in Flåm. Longer and more demanding, for anyone who wants to push themselves and would like even more of a taste of Norway.
This one goes straight onto the Jade Peak bucket list. A week where the kayak is arm day and the hikes are leg day.
Originally published at jadepeak.com.
