At a glance
- Both RIB safaris are sold as one hour, and the Geiranger boats run at speeds of more than 20 knots.[1][2][5][7]
- This site books the RIB Hellesylt: Fjordsafari Geirangerfjord, from US$104.[2] Against that, the sightseeing cruise starts from US$68 and the RIB from Geiranger from US$95.[1][3]
- One RIB safari leaves from Geiranger Brygge and the other from Hellesylt Camping, and both pass the Seven Sisters and the Bridal Veil waterfalls.[5][6]
- On both RIBs you wear a suit over your normal clothes with a life jacket, and the Hellesylt operator adds goggles.[5][6]
- Both RIB safaris accept children from age three, and children must be accompanied by an adult on either boat.[5][6]
- RIB from Geiranger from US$95 Duration1 hourDeparts fromGeiranger BryggeBoatOpen RIB, up to 12Rating4.81 from 1,203 reviews See this tour
- RIB from Hellesylt from US$104 Duration1 hourDeparts fromHellesylt CampingBoatOpen RIBRating4.94 from 238 reviews See this tour
- Sightseeing cruise from US$68 Duration75 min to 2 hoursDeparts fromGeirangerBoatSightseeing boatRating4.33 from 1,405 reviews See this tour
The two fjords, among the world's longest and deepest, are considered as archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere.
A safe and comfortable open RIB (rigid inflatable boat) is the most exciting way to experience the Geirangerfjord.
RIB safari or the sightseeing cruise
What's provided
- A life jacket and flotation suit
- An open RIB seating up to twelve
- An English-speaking driver-guide
- Goggles on the Hellesylt boat
Sort out yourself
- Sunglasses and a windproof jacket
- Arrival fifteen minutes before departure
- Caution if pregnant or with back problems
- Tickets bought in advance, as many Hellesylt tours are fully booked
What a RIB safari on the Geirangerfjord involves
RIB stands for rigid inflatable boat, and the boats used for these safaris are open RIBs. Two RIB safaris run on this stretch of the Geirangerfjord, one leaving from Geiranger Brygge in Geiranger village and the other from Hellesylt Camping in Hellesylt, and the Geiranger boats take up to twelve people each.[5][6][7]
A RIB crossing on the Geirangerfjord passes the Seven Sisters, the Suitor and the Bridal Veil waterfalls, Devil's Canyon, and the abandoned fjord farms at Blomberg, Knivsflå and Skageflå. Both safaris are listed with a live guide who speaks English, and the guiding comes from the drivers themselves.[1][2][5][6]
Every RIB boat safari on the Geirangerfjord starts with the kit: at Geiranger you pull a weatherproof suit on over your normal clothes and wear a life jacket, and at Hellesylt a life jacket, a flotation suit and goggles are included. The boat is open, so what you are booking is fast, short and exposed to the weather.[5][6]
Speed and time on the water
The Geiranger operator lists its RIBs at speeds of more than 20 knots, and the driver stops a couple of times along the way for photographs and commentary. The Geiranger safari is sold as one hour, of which about 45 to 50 minutes are spent on the boat; the Hellesylt safari is described as 60 minutes on the fjord.[5][6][7]
The time you actually need is a little longer than the booking. Both operators ask passengers to be at the meeting point 15 minutes before departure, so plan on roughly an hour and a quarter from arrival to stepping back ashore.[5][6]
For comparison, the sightseeing cruise from Geiranger is sold in two lengths, 75 minutes and two hours, and the Dalsnibba coach tour takes 3.5 hours on the road above the fjord.[3][4] The RIB Hellesylt: Fjordsafari Geirangerfjord, which this site books, takes 1 hour.[2] A RIB is the shortest of the three ways to spend time here.
Open RIB safaris leave from both Geiranger and Hellesylt on the Geirangerfjord
What a RIB tour costs, set against the alternatives
The RIB from Geiranger starts from US$95, and the RIB Hellesylt: Fjordsafari Geirangerfjord, the tour the booking widget on this site sells, starts from US$104 for a one-hour booking.[1][2] The sightseeing cruise from Geiranger starts from US$68, and the Dalsnibba coach tour starts from US$116 for 3.5 hours.[3][4]
Measured by the hour, the RIB is the most expensive of the four and the coach tour the cheapest, because the coach tour runs three and a half times as long, and its from price sits only a little above the Geiranger RIB's. Measured by what you get, they are different products: one is an hour of speed at water level, the other a guided drive to Flydalsjuvet, Dalsnibba, Djupvatnet and Eagle Bend.[1][4]
All four listings offer free cancellation and let you reserve now and pay later, which helps when a booking depends on the weather. Children may pay a different price from adults, so check the fare for your own party at checkout before comparing totals.[1][2][3][4]
Geiranger or Hellesylt: picking your departure town
Both towns sit on the same fjord, about 65 minutes apart on the Fjord1 car ferry, which sails the route from April to October. A passenger catamaran also links them in about an hour, from US$42 one way.[9][12] Either RIB safari is a reasonable choice from either base; the practical question is simply where you already are.
The Geiranger RIB leaves from Geiranger Brygge at Maråkvegen 35, and passengers meet 15 minutes before departure. The RIB Hellesylt Fjordsafari starts at Hellesylt Camping, a 50 metre walk from the cruise-ship gate, which suits anyone arriving into Hellesylt by cruise ship.[5][6]
On ratings the two are close. The Geiranger RIB scores 4.81 from 1,203 reviews, and the Hellesylt RIB 4.94 from 238 reviews. The Geiranger boat has far more reviews behind its score; the Hellesylt boat has the higher score from a smaller sample.[1][2]
20
The Geiranger RIB safari runs at speeds of more than 20 knots, with up to 12 people on each open boat.[5][7]
RIB safaris with children, and who should skip them
Both operators set a minimum age of three and require children to be accompanied by an adult; at Hellesylt that applies to children aged 14 or younger. The age floor is the same at both departure points, so the minimum age does not change with the town you leave from.[5][6][7]
The Geiranger operator warns pregnant women and people with back, neck or pelvis injuries about the risks of a boat running at more than 20 knots. The Hellesylt operator does not recommend its RIB for pregnant travellers, for people with back problems or for wheelchair users.[5][6]
For a family with a child aged three or over, a RIB is a one-hour booking that is easy to fit into the day. For a family with a child under three, a RIB is not an option at either departure point, and the sightseeing cruise or the Dalsnibba coach tour is the alternative to look at.[3][4][5][6]
RIB or the sightseeing cruise: which one to book
Pick the RIB if the reason you came is to be out on the water beside the waterfalls, and you are happy to wear a suit for an hour. It is the more expensive boat, it is short, and it is open to whatever the weather is doing that day.[1][5]
Pick the sightseeing cruise if price, comfort or the ages of your group matter more. It starts from US$68, it is offered in a 75-minute and a two-hour version, and its route passes the Seven Sisters, Friaren and Bringefossen, rated 4.33 from 1,405 reviews.[3]
Neither boat replaces the view from above. The RIB Hellesylt: Fjordsafari Geirangerfjord, which this site books, takes one hour.[2] The Geirangerfjord is part of the West Norwegian Fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage site inscribed in 2005.[8]
Dressing for an open boat, and getting there by bus
The suit and life jacket are handed out before you board, so wear your normal clothes underneath. The Geiranger operator asks passengers to dress according to the weather and to bring sunglasses and a windproof jacket. The Geiranger RIB season runs from 19 March to 16 November.[5][6][7]
Travellers based further out can still reach a RIB safari without a car. A coach from Olden runs to Hellesylt and back with a RIB safari included, from US$157 for four hours and rated 4.75 from 35 reviews. A similar trip from Nordfjordeid starts from US$167 for four hours and is rated 4.86 from 13 reviews.[10][11]
Both bus combinations are listed with an English-speaking live guide and free cancellation. They turn a one-hour boat ride into a four-hour outing, so they fit a day with nothing else planned better than a short stop in the area.[10][11]
What it costs to get on the fjord
Starting prices taken from each tour's own GetYourGuide listing; every figure is a from price, not a quote.[1][2][3][4]
Price a Geirangerfjord day on the water
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.
Before you book a RIB safari
Booking a RIB safari
Pick your side of the fjord
Start in Geiranger or Hellesylt, or cross by ferry or catamaran, then book the RIB leaving from wherever you already are.[9][12]
Weigh speed against comfort
An open RIB runs an hour past the waterfalls; the sightseeing cruise runs longer and costs less.[1][3]
Check who is coming
Both operators set a minimum age of three and warn pregnant travellers and anyone with back problems about the RIB.[5][6]
Arrive early and dressed for spray
Be at the meeting point fifteen minutes ahead; the suit and life jacket go on over your own clothes.[5][6]
Add a bus if you are further out
Travellers based in Olden or Nordfjordeid can book a coach that ends in a RIB safari on the Geirangerfjord.[10][11]
Book the RIB Hellesylt: Fjordsafari Geirangerfjord
from US$104
