Before our cruise in August 2022, Iona would dock at Geiranger – a famous port which is one of the highlights of the cruise.
However, I believe that because Iona is right at the upper limit of size of ship the Geiranger port can accommodate, this port of call had to be switched for nearby Hellesylt, which is easier to get to and with less risk of the port being missed completely.
Hellesylt is still a beautiful port, but perhaps not quite as picturesque as Geiranger, which is just around the corner – but out of sight unless you take an excursion there.
P&O had told us they’d swapped Geiranger for Hellesylt before we travelled and – having heard how popular Gerainger is, we decided to book an excursion that would take us there.
This was the only official P&O excursion we booked – the others we organised ourselves independently, but as getting to Gerainger from Hellesylt is a bit more complicated, we decided not to risk finding our own way, and booked up a combined boat trip to Gerainger with a coach trip to the top of Mount Dalsnibba – the highest point in the region.
There had been some doubt as to whether we’d even make it into Hellesylt – the captain announcing the evening before that bad weather may prevent us entering the fjord, and that we should be prepared to wake up in an alternative port entirely.
So we were pleased to open our balcony curtains that morning to see the stunning sight of the roaring waterfall that’s the centrepiece of the port at Hellesylt.
Disembarking just after breakfast, it was easy to find the boat that would provide the first part of our journey through the fjord to Gerainger, and we spent time up on the deck taking more photos of the incredible surroundings.
The boat trip from Hellesylt to Geiranger took about 45 minutes and passed through some of the most stunning scenery we’ve ever seen.
The highlight is the ‘Seven Sisters’ waterfall, on the approach to Geiranger – seven waterfalls side-by-side, cascading down from above us into the fjord.
Just the boat trip itself would’ve been worth the money for this excursion but, once we’d docked in Geiranger, we had a coach trip to the very top of the highest mountain in the region.
The coach was waiting for us as soon as we got off the boat.
Some of the P&O passengers were doing other Geiranger excursions just around the small town, but those who were headed up the mountain boarded the coach, to be welcomed by a very friendly tour guide named Karl.
The coach worked its way up a very narrow, winding road up and away from Geiranger port, taking in some amazing views of the fjord as it did so.
The whole way, the guide Karl gave a commentary, with little stories about the local sights, which was entertaining and amusing the whole way.
If you suffer travel sickness, be prepared – especially if you’re near the back of the coach, that this journey is likely to trigger that off – as it’s such a windy road with so many hairpin bends.
I’d taken some travel sickness pills as a preventative measure and was glad I did. A little girl on the coach wasn’t so fortunate!
There’s a stopping point half way up the mountain with beautiful views back down to Geiranger below and the fjord beyond – but, on this occasion, the driver decided we’d skip that and head straight for the summit of Mount Dalsnibba, because it was clear of cloud at the time, which is a rare occurrence.
After about 45-minutes on the coach, we arrived at the very top of Dalsnibba, where there’s car park, a cafe / gift-shop and various viewing platforms to enjoy some of the best views the Norwegian Fjords have to offer.
However, as has apparently happened on almost every single other excursion here for the last few months, by the time we arrived, cloud had moved in and completely shrouded the mountain top, giving us a view of little more than a load of grey fog.
And along with the cloud, some absolutely lashing rain and howling winds which made staying outside at the viewpoint virtually impossible.
This is the only downside of a cruise and excursions here in Norway – that the weather can play such a prominent part in whether you get to see or do what you originally planned.
That said though, we didn’t feel it ruined this excursion at all.
It would’ve been great to see the full view of Geiranger and the fjord, but actually the views on the way up there were still well worth making the trip for.
We sheltered in the shop for a while before running back to the coach, which took us back down – stopping at the viewpoint that we skipped on the way up.
When we eventually arrived back at Geiranger, there was a bit of time left to look around the port and its shops before the boat arrived to take us back to Iona.
The rain cleared by this time and the boat trip back was equally as enjoyable as the ride there.
Like I said before, just the boat ride through this amazing fjord would be worth the money on its own.
If you’re docking at Hellesylt on Iona, it is really very well worth making an excursion around to Geiranger.
Hellesylt is beautiful but Geiranger and the fjord surrounding it is even better.
What’s more, it turns out these towns only have a limited amount of time left in existence before a gigantic tsunami inevitably destroys them completely (Google the Geiranger ‘wave’ and the film the depicts what will be this region’s inevitable demise!)
We were back on board Iona in time for lunch and an enjoyable afternoon of more relaxation on the ship, before a surprise treat – particularly for those who hadn’t been fortunate enough to get to Geiranger and see the surroundings and the Seven Sisters waterfalls.
When we departed, Iona sailed up the fjord towards the Seven Sisters, performing a 360-degree turn in the middle of the fjord so everyone on the ship got an incredible panoramic view of the Seven Sisters and the approach to Geiranger.
We happened to be at the Crows Nest bar at this point, which is the bar on the ship with the best all-round panoramic view right at the top and front of Iona.
It was almost a surreal experience seeing this scenery unfolding in front of us through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the Crows Nest bar, enjoying the view from the comfort of a big arm chair with a cocktail and a pianist playing live in the background.
This day, and the whole place – Hellesylt, Geiranger and the route up to Mount Dalsnibba – were all an unforgettable experience.