Olden is a compact fjord village where nearly every cruise passenger faces the same decision: Briksdal Glacier or the Loen Skylift. Ships dock alongside, roughly a kilometre from the village. Both big attractions are a shuttle away in opposite directions — pick one and do it well.
Olden is a tiny village at the head of the Nordfjord, and a cruise day here comes down to one choice: Briksdal Glacier or the Loen Skylift. You can’t sensibly do both — you’d spend the day on shuttles. Ships dock at the pier, about a 15-minute flat walk or short shuttle from the village; when a second ship is in (common in summer), one docks and one tenders, so check your line’s schedule before you plan.
Briksdal is the bigger commitment: roughly a 4-hour round trip up the Oldedalen valley with a guided hike (about 3 km to the face) or the open Troll Car to within 700 m of the glacier. Loen Skylift is quicker: a 10-minute shuttle to the village of Loen, then one of the world’s steepest cable cars to a 1,011-metre summit, and back inside 2–3 hours. Short call or limited mobility: Skylift. Want the glacier and have 7+ hours: Briksdal. Two ships in port means long midday queues at both — go early and book the shuttle that manages your return. Olden welcomed about 295,911 cruise passenger-visits in 2025 (Kystdatahuset), making it one of Norway’s busiest small-fjord calls. The Nordfjord Havn arrivals list shows every registered ship for the season.
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If this were my port day
If this were my Olden day
I would pick one big plan and commit. The glacier and the Skylift are each worth the trip on their own; trying to rush both is a recipe for seeing neither properly, and the midday queue at either can be long when two ships share the day.
Short call or limited mobility: the Loen Skylift. Step off the cable car into a view over the whole Nordfjord, no walking required.
Long call and want the glacier: Briksdal, first shuttle out, follow the group, and don’t linger at the face on the return.
Weather closed in: neither big attraction rewards cloud. Take a Nordfjord RIB safari from the dock, or just walk the lakeside path.
The Port-Day Clock
Start with the clock, then choose the sight.
Set your ship's scheduled arrival and all-aboard time. I hold back a 45-minute safety buffer — then show only what fits with real margin.
—Your time ashore
Arrive—
All aboard—
Drag the two handles to match your ship's arrival and all-aboard times. As you drag, your time ashore updates — and the cards below show what fits.
45min
Drag the handles · snaps to 15 minutes
Browse by what you can actually do
Every Olden option, rated for time margin first.
Filter by how you want to spend the day. As you drag the clock above, these re-sort — fjord cruises first, hikes last.
Most of these are GetYourGuide tours, free to cancel up to 24 hours before, so you can book now and still adjust if your ship's schedule shifts.
Guided coach-and-hike from the Olden pier up the Oldedalen valley to Briksdal Glacier: about 40 minutes each way by coach, then a guided 3 km walk to the glacier face, or the open Troll Car to within 700 m. The biggest half-day plan from Olden, and the most rewarding on a clear day.
My caution: Not worth it in poor visibility or heavy rain. Skip on calls under 7 hours — you need the time for a comfortable round trip and a return-to-ship buffer.
Time needed 4 hoursDepartures Daily · May–SepBest weather Clear
Fast, open RIB run onto the Nordfjord straight from the dock: big mountain scenery and cold spray. The quickest way to feel the scale of the place on a short call.
My caution: Fully open to wind and spray — dress for it, even in summer.
Time needed 1 hourDepartures Daily · cruise seasonBest weather Clear
Guided electric-bike ride through the farmland, river valleys and quiet roads around Olden. The electric assist handles the climbing, so the pace stays comfortable.
Time needed 2 hoursDepartures Daily · May–SepBest weather Any
Self-guided ATV rental for the back roads around Olden, priced per two people. Flexible duration from an hour to most of the day — the clock sorts at 2 hours but take as long as the port day allows.
Time needed 1–8 hoursDepartures Daily · cruise seasonBest weather Any
Ships dock at Olden Quay; one sometimes tenders when a second ship is in.
Ships moor at Olden Quay at the head of the Nordfjord, roughly 1 km from the village — a flat 15–20 minute walk along the fjord, or a short shuttle. There is no big terminal building: a small cafe and bar, souvenir shops, and the Olden Adventure ticket office (shuttles, glacier, Skylift) are right by the pier. Olden has one deep-water pier and two tender pontoons, so when two ships call the same day — common in summer — one docks and the other tenders. If you are tendering, add that time to everything and get off early.
Olden Quay (pier or tender pontoon)
You are here
Olden village & lakeside path
15–20 min walk or short shuttle
Loen Skylift base (Loen village)
10 min by shuttle
Briksdal Glacier trailhead
40–45 min by coach up Oldedalen
i
The queue risk on a two-ship day
When two ships share the day — common in summer — both Briksdal and the Skylift can see 1–2 hour midday queues. Take the early shuttle and follow the Olden Adventure last-return timing: it is timed before all-aboard, but it leaves when it leaves. If you are tendering, the first tender ashore is the one to catch.
Match the plan to your call length
What fits, by hours alongside.
Conservative guidance assuming a 45-minute return-to-ship buffer from the pier. Add tender time if you are not docking alongside. On a two-ship day, build extra margin for queues at both Skylift and Briksdal. When in doubt, choose the calmer plan.
Hours ashore
Village & dock activities
Loen Skylift
Briksdal Glacier
Under 5 hours (or tender)
Ideal: stay close
Queue-dependent
Too little time
5–6 hours
Comfortable
Good fit
Not enough time
7–8 hours
Easy
Comfortable
Tight: early start
9+ hours
Easy
Comfortable
Good fit, early start
If the weather turns
Cloud sits low here often, and both big attractions are about the view.
If the weather closes in, or you’d rather take it easy: walk the 15 minutes into Olden village (two old churches, a supermarket, cafes), follow the flat path along Oldevatnet (Olden Lake) south of the village, or take a fast RIB onto the Nordfjord from the dock. The Skylift’s Hoven Restaurant is still worth visiting in cloud if you want warmth and the odd clearing; Briksdal is far less rewarding without visibility.
Both big attractions — the glacier and the mountain summit — reward clear skies. If the forecast is poor, treat it as a village-and-lakeside day and do not chase the shuttle queue for a view that may not be there.
Practical essentials
The small things that smooth the day.
Docking vs tendering
Olden has one deep-water pier. When two ships share the day, one docks and the other tenders. Confirm with your ship before arriving. If you are tendering, the first tender ashore and the last tender back are your real time constraints.
Money
Card and contactless accepted everywhere, including Olden Adventure shuttles and the Skylift. No cash needed, but the village shop and cafes near the pier are the limit of what you will find.
Wi-Fi
Mobile signal is reasonable in the village but weaker up the Oldedalen valley. Download maps, tickets and timetables before you go ashore.
Toilets
Public toilets at the pier and in the village. Nothing along the Briksdal trail beyond the trailhead facilities.
Accessibility
The village walk and lakeside path are flat and pushchair-friendly. The Loen Skylift is the easiest high-reward option for limited mobility: step into the cable car, no walking required. Briksdal cuts the walking right down with the on-site Troll Car, though there is still a short uphill stretch of a few hundred metres to the glacier viewpoint, and the coach ride is 40–45 minutes each way. Ask Olden Adventure about accessibility when booking.
Weather
A waterproof layer is worth packing even on a clear morning. The Oldedalen valley can be wet when the fjord is dry, and the Briksdal trail is slippery in rain. Check the webcam at the Skylift and at Briksdal before committing to either.
Cruise-passenger FAQ
Quick answers before you book.
Do cruise ships dock or tender at Olden?
Usually dock at the pier, about 1 km from the village. When a second ship is in — common in summer — one docks and one tenders, so check your line’s schedule and allow extra time if you are tendering.
Briksdal Glacier or Loen Skylift — which should I choose?
Pick one; you can’t sensibly do both. The Skylift is quicker (2–3 hours, no walking, a summit view) and better for short calls or limited mobility; Briksdal is the bigger half-day (about 4 hours, a valley and a glacier) and wants 7+ hours ashore.
How do I get to Briksdal Glacier from the port?
A guided coach up the Oldedalen valley (about 40–45 minutes each way), then a 3 km walk or the Troll Car to within 700 m of the glacier. Book at the quay through Olden Adventure, or as your line’s excursion.
Is the Loen Skylift worth it if it’s cloudy?
The view is the whole point, so a clear day is far better — but the Hoven Restaurant at the top is a comfortable place to wait out passing cloud, and the skies here change fast. Briksdal is the one to skip in poor visibility.
Can I just stay in Olden village?
Yes — it is one of the easier fjord ports to enjoy on foot. The village is a flat 15-minute walk from the pier, and the path along Olden Lake is one of the quieter, prettier short walks at any Norwegian port.
How I plan this guide
I've walked these routes myself and base my timings on operator schedules and official sources, re-checked every season. I'm independent — not a cruise line, port authority, or tour operator. Booking links may be affiliate links; they never change which option I recommend or the order I rank them in. Return-to-ship safety always comes first.
Reviewed 16 Jun 2026 · next review before the 2027 season
Passenger visits About 295,911 cruise passenger-visits in 2025 (Kystdatahuset / Kystverket).
