Self-Guided Audio Tour, 45 Min

A self-guided audio walk through Bergen, downloaded to your phone and walked at whatever pace suits. Running between 45 minutes and an hour and a quarter, it covers the wharf, the old town lanes and the harbour, from $7.99 per person. Rated 4.7 across 25 reviews. Good for a first evening in the city, or when fixed tour times do not fit.

Overview

A phone app, a pair of headphones and a starting statue: that is the whole setup for this self-guided audio walk through central Bergen. VoiceMap Audio Tours supplies the narration in English, and the route links well known landmarks with less obvious pieces of public art, from the steel sculpture of King Olav Kyrre at Strømgaten to the Ludvig Holberg Statue in Vågsallmenningen square.

The walk is built around Bergen's statues and squares. Along the way you pass the Kode Art Museums, Festplassen, the Musikkpaviljongen bandstand, and sculptures of Christian Michelsen, Edvard Grieg, Ole Bull and Henrik Ibsen, plus the National Stage theatre and the Gestapo Museum site. The audio covers history, culture and architecture at each point, and because it runs offline you can start, pause or restart whenever it suits, with the map tracking your position.

The listing puts the duration between 45 minutes and 1 hour 15 minutes, and how long it takes in practice depends on how often you stop. It suits independent travellers who prefer their own pace to a fixed group departure, and reviewers described the app as user friendly and easy to follow. Note that you are not taken inside any attraction; the museums and sites are passed on the outside, and entry would be paid separately.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Start at King Olav KyrreThe tour begins at the steel sculpture of King Olav Kyrre at Strømgaten 6. Install the app and enter the code from your confirmation ticket before arrival.
2. Kode Art Museums and FestplassenYou pass the Kode Art Museums and Festplassen square. These are pass-by stops with no entry included.
3. Christian Michelsen and MusikkpaviljongenThe route continues past the Christian Michelsen statue and the Musikkpaviljongen bandstand.
4. Music and literature statuesNext come the statues of Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull, plus the Henrik Ibsen statue, all passed on foot with commentary.
5. The National StageThe walk passes the National Stage, with stories in the audio along the way.
6. GestapomuseetThe Gestapo Museum is another pass-by stop. Entering it would be a separate visit at your own cost.
7. Finish at Ludvig Holberg StatueThe tour ends in Vågsallmenningen square, in front of the Ludvig Holberg Statue at Vågsallmenningen 4.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will make the difference between a smooth walk and a frustrating one.

• Bring your own phone. A smartphone and headphones are not included, so both must be your own. The app works on Android and iOS, and you install it before you set off using the code on your confirmation ticket.
• Works offline. Audio, maps and geodata are all available offline, so patchy mobile signal in the city centre need not interrupt the walk. Download the tour before you start and it runs without a data connection.
• Set your own pace. You can start, pause and restart whenever you like, and the listing says the tour runs around the clock. One reviewer named going at their own pace as a strength of the format.
• No museum entries. The attractions on the route are seen from the outside only. If you want to enter the museums or other sites mentioned, the listing states you pay for that independently.
• Finding the statues. Reviewers said following the map to the statues was straightforward. One noted a single statue they could not find, which they believed was being renovated at the time.
• No food included. Food and drink are not included, and neither is transport. Budget for both separately if you plan a longer day around the walk.

Common issues. The listing states the tour is not wheelchair accessible, which matters if anyone in your party has limited mobility. It is entirely self-guided, so there is no live guide to answer questions or help if something goes wrong, though reviewers found the app easy to use. One reviewer reported missing a single statue, which they thought was under renovation. The tour is private in the sense that only your group participates, but that simply reflects the app format rather than a personal guide.

Common Questions