A cruise day in Olden
Olden is a compact fjord village where nearly every cruise passenger faces the same decision: Briksdal Glacier or the Loen Skylift. The cruise quay is roughly a kilometre from the village; ships that tender land either in Olden or at Loen. Both big attractions are a shuttle away in opposite directions — pick one and do it well.
The short answer
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. Doing both is sometimes possible: allow the Briksdal trip’s full length, then add the Skylift, transfers, queues and your return buffer. 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. Tenders do not always land in Olden: Nordfjord Havn lists a tender location at Olden Cruise Park and a tender quay at the Loen Skylift, used by smaller ships that anchor off Loen. Your ship’s daily programme says where you land.
Briksdal is the bigger commitment: a 4-hour guided excursion, or 3.5 hours on Olden Adventure’s shuttle, up the Oldedalen valley, then a walk of about 3 km or the open Troll Car to its Kleivane stop, about 500 m on foot from the glacier lake. 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: Briksdal. Olden Adventure’s 3.5-hour trip needs at least 4¾ hours from arrival to all-aboard once you allow 30 minutes to get off the ship and a 45-minute return buffer; 6 hours leaves slack. Olden is the closest port to it. Compare Briksdal from every port that sells it. 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.
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 allow 30 minutes to get off the ship and hold back a 45-minute safety buffer — then show only what fits with real margin.
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.
Drag the handles · snaps to 15 minutes
Time ashore starts 30 min after scheduled arrival, an allowance for getting off the ship. Boat trips with fixed sailings use a 60-min buffer and bus or coach trips 90 min, as the guides advise; where an operator says to arrive well ahead, I allow 15 min.
The same tool, with a port selector, lives on the Port-Day Clock page.
Not sure when to sail? See the best time of year for a fjords cruise.
Wondering whether your phone will work between ports? See mobile data and eSIMs on a Norway cruise.
Prefer Viator? Compare Olden tours on Viator
Guides for this port
What to read before you choose in Olden
Book ahead
Tours you can book in Olden
Getting around from the quay
Ships dock at Olden’s cruise quay, or tender to Olden or to Loen.
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 cruise quay. Nordfjord Havn lists two tender locations: Olden Cruise Park in Olden, and a tender quay at the Loen Skylift, where smaller ships anchor in the fjord off Loen. When two ships call the same day — common in summer — one docks and the other tenders. Your ship’s daily programme says where you land; the walking and shuttle times on this page start from Olden. If you are tendering, add that time to everything and get off early.
Olden cruise quay or Olden tender landing
Start here if you land in Olden
Olden village & lakeside path
15–20 min walk or short shuttle
Loen Skylift base (Loen village)
10 min by shuttle from Olden; the Loen tender quay is at the Skylift
Briksdal Glacier trailhead
40–45 min by coach from Olden, up Oldedalen
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.
| Hours ashore | Village & dock activities | Loen Skylift | Briksdal Glacier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 hours (or tender) | Ideal: stay close | Queue-dependent | Only from 4¾ hours, no slack |
| 5–6 hours | Comfortable | Good fit | Fits, little slack |
| 6–7 hours | Easy | Comfortable | Good fit |
| 7+ hours | Easy | Comfortable | Comfortable |
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.
Olden has one deep-water pier. When two ships share the day, one docks and the other tenders. Tenders land either in Olden or at the Loen Skylift tender quay. Confirm with your ship before arriving. If you are tendering, the first tender ashore and the last tender back are your real time constraints.
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.
Mobile signal is reasonable in the village but weaker up the Oldedalen valley. Download maps, tickets and timetables before you go ashore.
Public toilets at the pier and in the village. Nothing along the Briksdal trail beyond the trailhead facilities.
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.
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. Tenders land either in Olden or at the Loen Skylift tender quay; your ship’s daily programme says which.
Briksdal Glacier or Loen Skylift — which should I choose?
Usually pick one. Doing both is sometimes possible: allow the Briksdal trip’s full length, then add the Skylift, transfers, queues and your return buffer. The Skylift is quicker (2–3 hours, no walking, a summit view) and better for short calls or limited mobility; Briksdal is the bigger trip (3.5 hours on Olden Adventure’s shuttle, 4 on the guided hiking excursion, a valley and a glacier) and needs at least 4¾ hours from arrival to all-aboard; 6 leaves slack.
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 walk of about 3 km or the Troll Car to its Kleivane stop, about 500 m on foot from the glacier lake (Oldedalen Skyss). Book at the quay through Olden Adventure, or as your line’s excursion. If you book the troll car yourself, Oldedalen Skyss makes advance booking mandatory in May and from 20 September.
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).
- Sources Kystverket / Kystdatahuset (passenger-visits) · Nordfjord Havn (nordfjordhavn.no; cruise quay and tender locations read 15 Oct 2026) · Olden Adventure / Olden Cruise (oldencruise.com) · Briksdal / Oldedalen Skyss (briksdal.com — Troll Car) · Loen Skylift (loenskylift.no) · Visit Norway