At a glance
- The sightseeing boat from Geiranger comes in a 75-minute version for the main waterfalls and a two-hour version that runs the whole 16 km fjord.[7]
- Bought from the operator, the 75-minute cruise costs from NOK 610 and the two-hour silent cruise from NOK 660, with children at half the adult fare.[5][6]
- Listed boat trips start from US$68 for the sightseeing cruise, from US$80 with a live guide and from US$84 with a stop in Hellesylt.[1][2][3]
- The boats pass the Seven Sisters, the Suitor and the Bridal Veil, with the abandoned fjord farms of Skageflå and Knivsflå on the cliffs above.[5]
- From June to August the last 75-minute sailing leaves at 17:30, and the Dalsnibba coach tour booked from this site takes 3.5 hours.[4][6]
- Sightseeing cruise from US$68 Duration75 minutes or 2 hoursGood to knowSeven Sisters, Friaren, BringefossenDeparts fromGeirangerRating4.33 from 1,405 reviews See this tour
- Guided boat tour from US$80 Duration75 minutesGood to knowLive guide in English[2]Departs fromGeirangerRating4.68 from 810 reviews See this tour
- Cruise via Hellesylt from US$84 Duration2.5 hoursGood to knowWheelchair accessibleDeparts fromGeiranger, stop in HellesyltRating4.48 from 411 reviews See this tour
If you are looking for a roundtrip we recommend the Fjordsightseeing since it is less time consuming, takes you closer to the waterfalls, has a more extensive audio guide and costs less.
The falls are naturally more visible during the major snow melting period in May-July and can be best observed by taking a boat trip on Geirangerfjord.
Which boat to book on the Geirangerfjord
Before you sail
Which boats sail from Geiranger village
Several sightseeing boats sail from Geiranger itself. Geiranger Fjordservice runs a 75-minute cruise on MS Geirangerfjord, which carries 165 passengers, and a two-hour silent cruise on MS Geirangerfjord III, a hybrid-electric catamaran for 280. Both leave from behind the tourist information building, 20 metres from the cruise ship quay.[5]
Cruise Service sails a different set of trips: a one-hour round trip from Geiranger, and a 2.5-hour round trip that includes a one-hour sightseeing stop in Hellesylt at the far end of the fjord. Both of those round trips include a stop at the Suitor waterfall, known locally as Friaren, where passengers taste its water.[5][8]
Another option is the guided boat tour, sold at 75 minutes with a live guide who speaks English, from US$80 and rated 4.68 from 810 reviews.[2] One boat that no longer runs this year is the Fjord1 car ferry to Hellesylt: Fjord1 has cancelled the route for the rest of the 2026 season and says it will give more information about 2027.[12]
How long each Geirangerfjord sightseeing cruise takes
How long is the Geirangerfjord cruise you are looking at? Anything from one hour to a full day. The classic sightseeing boat takes 75 minutes and is designed around the main sights and waterfalls, such as the Seven Sisters, which leaves more of the day for the village or the mountains. The two-hour version covers the whole 16 km fjord, all the way out to the inlet.[7]
The longer Cruise Service trips add time ashore rather than time afloat. The 2.5-hour round trip from Geiranger includes an hour in Hellesylt, and the four-hour trip that starts in Hellesylt includes 2.5 hours in Geiranger.[8] A listing with the same shape, the fjord tour from Geiranger with a stop in Hellesylt, runs 2.5 hours and is rated 4.48 from 411 reviews.[3]
At the far end of the scale is the round trip from Ålesund on a hybrid-electric boat, sold at 8.5 to 9.5 hours. It sails Storfjorden and Sunnylvsfjorden before entering the Geirangerfjord, passes the Seven Sisters and Friaren, calls at Geiranger and returns the same way. It starts from US$202 and is rated 4.75 from 758 reviews.[9]
The Geirangerfjord, where the sightseeing boats pass the Seven Sisters
What a cruise costs, in kroner and in dollars
Bought from the operator, the 75-minute sightseeing cruise costs from NOK 610 for an adult and the two-hour silent cruise from NOK 660, and children pay half the adult fare.[5][6] Geirangerfjord cruise tickets for those boats are sold online and at the ticket counter inside the tourist information office in Geiranger.[5]
Booked in US dollars, the Geirangerfjord cruise price starts from US$68 for the sightseeing cruise, from US$80 for the boat with a live guide and from US$84 for the 2.5-hour trip with the stop in Hellesylt.[1][2][3] Each of those three listings offers free cancellation and lets you reserve now and pay later.[1][2][3]
Book summer sailings early. The operator recommends pre-booking in the high season from June to August, because some departures sell out, and its website shows seat availability.[7] Seats themselves cannot be reserved: you choose where to sit once you are on board.[7]
The Seven Sisters, the Suitor and the Bridal Veil from the deck
A Seven Sisters waterfall cruise is not a separate product: every Geiranger Fjordservice sightseeing tour takes in the famous waterfalls. The 75-minute cruise passes the Seven Sisters, the Suitor, Bringefossen and the Bridal Veil, as well as the abandoned fjord farms of Skageflå and Knivsflå. The highest of the Seven Sisters has a free fall of 250 metres, and the cruise passes very close to the Suitor.[5]
The legend behind the names is short. The Seven Sisters were all unmarried, and the waterfall on the other side of the fjord was called the Suitor after several unsuccessful attempts to court them.[11] Skageflå, the best known of the farms, is where King Harald and Queen Sonja celebrated their silver wedding in 1993.[5]
When you sail matters too. The water level depends on snow thaw and rain, which decides whether all seven falls show equally clearly, and the falls are most visible in the main snowmelt from May to July. Fjord Norway names a boat trip on Geirangerfjord as the best way to see them.[11]
250 m
The highest of the Seven Sisters has a free fall of 250 metres, and the sightseeing boats sail past close enough to feel its spray.[5]
Audio guide or live guide on a Geirangerfjord boat tour
The Geiranger Fjordservice cruises use a locally made audio guide in twelve languages, played from the free GuideToGo app on your own phone. You can download it and preview the tour before you leave home, and it starts automatically once you are in Geiranger. The audio guide is included in the ticket.[5][7]
If you would rather listen to a person, the guided boat tour is listed with a live guide who speaks English, over 75 minutes.[2] The Ålesund round trip uses an audio guide instead, in nine languages including English, German, Spanish, Japanese and Korean, and it is listed as wheelchair accessible.[9]
The Fjordservice boats have a toilet, an indoor area with large panorama windows and an outside viewing deck, and light refreshments can be bought on board. Dogs travel free but stay on the outside deck, on a leash or in a cage.[5]
Cruise, RIB or kayak: which suits whom
The best Geirangerfjord cruise depends on who is aboard. The sightseeing boat is the seated, sheltered choice, with a toilet and indoor seats behind panorama windows, at the lowest price of the boats here.[1][5] Wheelchair users should book the two-hour silent cruise, the only Fjordservice cruise with wheelchair access, and even then the frequent change between high and low tide in Geiranger can make boarding difficult.[5]
A RIB safari is the fast, open alternative. The RIB from Geiranger runs one hour, starts from US$95 and is rated 4.81 from 1,203 reviews, and its operator describes it as the boat tour in Geiranger that takes you closest to the Seven Sisters and the Suitor.[7][10]
Kayaking is the third way onto the water. Geiranger Fjordservice runs guided kayak tours for beginners and for more experienced paddlers, including a tour named after the Seven Sisters, lasting 2.5 to 4 hours, and rents single and double kayaks from its kayak centre, which opens from June to September.[7]
Fitting a cruise around the Dalsnibba coach tour
The tour this site books is a 3.5-hour coach trip to Flydalsjuvet, Dalsnibba, Djupvatnet and Eagle Bend, with an English-speaking guide, from US$116 and rated 4.61 from 2,636 reviews.[4] Its Eagle Bend stop looks out over the fjord from the highest of the Eagle Road's eleven hairpin bends, while a cruise sees the fjord from the water.[5]
Between 1 June and 31 August the 75-minute cruise leaves Geiranger at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 16:00 and 17:30, and the two-hour silent cruise at 12:30. In September the 17:30 sailing drops out, and from 1 to 24 October there are three sailings, at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00.[6] If your coach tour is finished by early afternoon, the 16:00 and 17:30 summer sailings are still ahead of you.
Both halves of that day are flexible. The coach tour cancels free up to 24 hours ahead,[4] and for cruise ship passengers the cruise operator will change the date or departure time if the ship arrives late or leaves early, provided you contact it beforehand and there is space on another sailing.[7]
How long each option takes
Durations from each operator and listing; the trip via Hellesylt includes a stop there.[2][3][4][5]
Price a day on and above the fjord
Every figure is a "from" price for one adult and not a quote. Child prices may differ, so check the listing for your own party before you book.
When the Geiranger boats sail
Planning a fjord cruise
Pick a length
75 minutes covers the main waterfalls, two hours runs the whole fjord, and 2.5 hours adds an hour in Hellesylt.[7][8]
Choose your commentary
The Fjordservice boats use a 12-language audio app; the guided boat tour has a live guide in English.[2][5]
Book a summer sailing early
Some June to August departures sell out, so reserve ahead rather than on the day.[7]
Load the audio guide at home
Download the free GuideToGo app and preview the tour before you travel.[5]
Add the view from above
Pair the cruise with the 3.5-hour Dalsnibba coach tour to Flydalsjuvet, Djupvatnet and Eagle Bend.[4]
See the same fjord from above on the Dalsnibba coach tour
from US$117Reserve now & pay later
