Can you do this cruise port on your own?
Olden
DIY Score
Doable with planning
One sight is the easy default; pair both only on a long call.
Tender or Docked?
Usually docked at the deep-water pier, a 15-min walk from the village. A second ship in port may tender at the pontoons instead.
How to Get Into Town
Olden village is a 15-min walk; the sights need a shuttle. Loen Skylift is ~920 NOK with transfer; Briksdal by Troll Car ~1,050 NOK.
Main Attractions
Briksdal Glacier and the Loen Skylift are the two headline options. Both need a shuttle from the pier; one fits a standard call, both on a longer one.
How Much Time You Need
Allow 3-4 hours for either the Skylift or Briksdal. A longer call can fit both.
Keep in Mind
The marquee sights need the shuttle and firm return timing. Note the last useful bus back before you set off.
Safety & Comfort
Extremely safe; terrain and weather are the only concerns. Crime is essentially nil.
Tips from Cruisers
"We did the Loen Skylift, about 960 kroner each with the shuttle, buses every fifteen minutes right from the pier. Ten minute ride,…" — by Linda M.
We did the Loen Skylift, about 960 kroner each with the shuttle, buses every fifteen minutes right from the pier. Ten minute ride, then the cable car straight up. The view from the top over the fjord was ridiculous. Back aboard with loads of time, and hardly any walking, which suited us.
honestly just walked into olden village and along the fjord. tiny place, old wooden church, mountains reflected in the water. didnt pay for a single thing and it was one of my calmest mornings of the trip.
We tried to squeeze both the glacier and the skylift on a shortish call and it was a scramble. Briksdal alone with the drive and the uphill walk ate most of the morning, so we nearly missed the Skylift shuttle. Doable if your call is long, but don't cut it fine like we did.
Chose the Skylift precisely because Briksdal has that long uphill walk and my hip wouldn't manage it. The cable car is step-free right to the top and there's a warm restaurant with the view. Perfect for us. The glacier is for the young legs.
Briksdal is the one if you can walk it. Troll car takes you most of the way then it's about 15 or 20 minutes up to the glacier lake. The ice has pulled back a lot so you view it across the water, but the valley with the waterfalls getting there is stunning. Just watch your shuttle time back.