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Experience the rich history and varied landscapes of the Norwegian coastline on an eight-day multisport sailing tour. Fuel up on delicious food and local wine in your cozy sailboat before conquering the fjords of coastal Norway on exciting hiking, kayaking, e-biking, and diving adventures. Your seasoned guides will adapt the activities to your fitness level while making sure you see the best that the Land of the Midnight Sun has to offer.
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Outdoor adventuring makes us fall in love with our planet, which is why we should be more aware of our impact on nature. Reducing our individual carbon footprints when traveling seems difficult, but luckily, there are many ways to make your trips more sustainable and eco-friendly.
Jolly Good Times Sailing is a highly sustainable guiding company. As you travel the calm waters of Norway, your boat will be powered by the wind most of the time, reducing the emission of carbon dioxide. You’ll fish and catch your own food from the sea and use locally sourced ingredients for cooking, making your adventure a bit greener!
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Meet your guides in Ålesund city harbor, unpack, and settle in your cabin. After lunch, go over the trip’s itinerary and set sail. The tour’s first leg is Scandinavia’s biggest bird mountain, Runde. On your way there, you will pass a large seal colony located on a tiny island group, and you might even see some orcas. Joined by an ornithologist, you’ll visit and learn about hundreds of different bird species, such as eagles and puffins, right in their natural habitat.
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After an early breakfast, head out for some scenic kayaking. Paddle between tiny islets in the astonishing archipelago and meet up at Herøy Gård, an old trade station with a history stretching more than a thousand years back in time, and tons of scallops you could dive for and pick for dinner. Spend the night in a beautiful and sheltered anchorage there.
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Another early start. Set our course to Trandal and towards the fjords, but not before stopping at Brandal, where you’ll explore a super cool nautical museum about Norway’s history of arctic expeditions and hunters. Cap the day off by visiting a local restaurant at a remote, roadless fjord farm.
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Day 4 is marked by a mountain hike with panoramic views of the Alps. There are several peaks to choose from, and your guide will adapt the route to the crew’s skill level. The hike will take give-or-take 4 hours. Afterward, rest your muscles in a floating sauna and indulge in some local delicacies in a nearby restaurant.
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Day 5 is the longest and most adventurous day of the tour. Start off by E-biking through Norway’s narrowest valley, before taking a road and ferry into Geirangerfjord. After an RIB drops you off at the trailhead, enjoy a short uphill hike, and eat a picnic lunch at a historic mountain farm. Take in the soaring views before following one of Norway’s coolest trails back to downtown Geiranger. Return to your boat for dinner and a much-needed shower.
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Wake up in the deep end of the fjord surrounded by thousand-meter mountains in a place where time has stood still for decades—it’s an indescribable sight. Head out for a short exploratory tour of Bjørke before heading to Norway’s one and only wine farm a little further out the fjord. After some aperitives and wine tasting, set course to Sæbø, a small, cozy town with welcoming locals and a thriving wild salmon population.
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This is the final full day of the tour—make the most of it. Enjoy an uphill hike to an impressive overlook. Eat your packed lunch there before returning to the sailboat and enjoying a long voyage out the fjord and back to Ålesund. Here, you can choose to end the adventure and head home or spend another night on the boat— whatever is more convenient for you.
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If you chose to stay an extra night, have a final breakfast and hug it out with the crew to mark the end of the tour. Spend the rest of your last day here on your own, exploring the many historic and cultural landmarks of Ålesund before heading home at your leisure.
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57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Norway, please refer to Norway’s official COVID-19 advice for international travel.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
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What you get on this adventure:
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- Experienced, local guides and sailing crew with extensive knowledge of the area
- Eight days of sailing and multisport adventures
- Sailboat transportation and accommodations for the duration of the tour
- A bird watching tour with an expert ornithologist
- Sailing suits and all kayaking, e-biking, and free diving equipment
- Museum and sauna visits
- Use of dinghy, fishing lines, net, and hammock
- All meals, both on the boat and in restaurants, for the duration of the tour
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to and from the harbor in Ålesund
- Accommodations before and after the tour
- Personal hiking gear
- Alcoholic beverages
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The best thing about this tour is that it’s flexible, meaning every activity can be adapted for both beginners and more experienced adventurers alike.
When it comes to the hikes, if you’re at least decently fit, you should be good to go. Every location will have several different trail options, ranging from very easy to difficult, and your guides will adapt the route to the crew’s skill and fitness level. If you’re worried about your fitness levels, we recommend doing a moderate amount of light cardio in preparation for the tour.
The kayaking, e-biking, and freediving sections will be adapted for beginners, and you’ll be accompanied by experienced guides who will teach you all the necessary techniques while keeping you safe on your adventures.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
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- Backpack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 50-55L bag)
- Hiking poles — optional
- Water bottle and thermos
- A beanie and extra caps
- A buff or neck gaiter
- Sunglasses
- Warm gloves
- Hiking shoes
- Soft indoor shoes for the boat and huts
- Three pairs of wool socks
- Two to three sets of long underwear
- Two wool sweaters
- Plenty of spare, dry clothes for layering
- An insulating layer (wool sweater, fleece or thin down jacket)
- Waterproof rain jacket and pants
- Hiking pants
- Toiletries (hand sanitizer, mosquito repellent, toilet paper, etc.)
- Basic first aid kit and personal medications
- Sunscreen for your lips and face (SPF 50)
- Your favorite snacks
- An underlay to sit on during the hikes
- Hiking towel
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Power bank
- Camera — optional (but recommended)
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
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Group sizes and prices:
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- For this adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 7:1.
- The sailboat used for this tour has a maximum capacity of 7 guests. In the event of a larger group, another vessel needs to be booked. In that case, a minimum of 10 participants will be required for the tour to run, with a max of 14 participants.
- The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
Sailing and exploring Norway can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors between 14 and 18 may be permitted to join the tour on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
- Minors younger than 14 aren’t permitted to join this tour.
If your group has adventurers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To get to the city harbor in Ålesund, the starting point of this tour, most people fly into Ålesund International Airport. From there, you can take a taxi, town car, or bus to the harbor, where you’ll be meeting your guide.
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