Norway (Bergen & Fjords)

Norway holds the top spot for year-over-year booking growth on this list — up 131%, fractionally ahead of Iceland. The Norwegian fjords represent one of the world's most concentrated corridors of natural grandeur, compressing glacially carved walls, hanging waterfalls, and steel-blue inlets into a geography that rewards every mode of exploration from ferry to kayak to mountain boot. Bergen, the historic Hanseatic port city wedged between seven mountains, serves as the western gateway. The UNESCO-listed Bryggen wharf and the Floyen funicular give immediate visual access to the city's geography, but Bergen's real value is as a launchpad. The Sognefjord — Norway's longest at 204 kilometres and deepest at over 1,300 metres — lies within a two-hour bus ride. Naerofjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, narrows to just 250 metres at its tightest point, with walls rising nearly vertically from the water. Average temperatures in Bergen and the fjord region sit around 15°C in July, with the midnight sun providing 19 to 20 hours of usable daylight at the northern end of the fjord system. The hiking network is exceptional: Trolltunga, a rock shelf suspended 700 metres above Lake Ringedalsvatnet, has become an internationally recognised icon but requires a full day and proper footwear. Preikestolen, the Pulpit Rock, offers a slightly shorter approach with similarly vertiginous views. More serious mountaineers target Romsdalseggen Ridge or the via ferrata routes above Aurland. Norway consistently ranks among the world's most sustainably managed tourism destinations, with fjord cruise operators transitioning to electric and hydrogen vessels. According to visitnorway.com, the fjord network is crisscrossed with more than 20,000 kilometres of marked hiking trails, serviced by a network of staffed DNT huts that make multi-day wilderness traverses accessible to intermediate-level hikers. Daily budgets in Norway are elevated — expect to pay £110 to £160 — but the quality and scale of the outdoor experience justifies the investment.