Norway’s Carnival: Fastelavn
If you’re traveling to Norway during February you might be surprised to find out that the country has its very own version of a carnival. The festival is called Fastelavn and it is meant to celebrate the promise of Spring’s return. It is celebrated in most Scandinavian countries and similar traditions occur in countries like Brazil and Portugal.
2 min readUpdated: Feb 27, 2026By: The Fjord Tours team
Traditionally, the festival was centered around a big feast to allow for a little indulgence before the beginning of Lent when many fast for 40 days. Today, the festival has less of a religious connotation for Norwegians but the celebrations live on.
If you’re going to be in Norway at the end of February for Fastelavn, consider yourself lucky! This festival contains many unique foods and entertaining activities.
The best part of Fastelavn? Well, this is up for debate, but Fastelavnboller would definitely be a contender. These sweet buns are typically covered in icing sugar and filled with a sweet custard. Needless to say, they are delicious. If you’re lucky enough to be in Norway for Fastelavn don’t forget to grab these sweets fresh from a bakery in the morning.
If you love watching little ones in their costumes on Halloween you’ll definitely love being in Norway for Fastelavn. Part of the festival traditions for children involves dress-up. Young Norwegians dress in costumes and celebrate Fastelavn in kinder garden and school.
If you’re traveling in Norway at the end of February and want to incorporate some Fastelavn celebrations into your plans, join us for a Norwegian food tours experience!
Norwegian food tours
Many of the food experiences below can be added to longer journeys through Norway.
Fjord cruise and dinner at Cornelius
Bergen • 5 hr
From 1695NOK
Available all year
Hidden Gem in Flåm
Local food tasting in Flåm
Flåm • 1 hr
From 750NOK
1 May - 1 October
Oslofjord Sunset Cruise with shrimp buffet
Oslo • 3 hr
From 802NOK
1 May - 4 October
Local Food & Concert in Flåm
Flåm • 2 hr 30 min
From 990NOK
15 May - 14 September
Bestseller
Dinner cruise on the Oslofjord
Oslo • 2 hr 30 min
From 1490NOK
Available all year
Ulriken Gondola & lunch with a view over Bergen
Bergen • 2 hr 30 min
From 1081NOK
Available all year
Geirangerfjord winter cruise
Ålesund • 9 hr
From 2933NOK
1 November - 31 March
Cider & lunch in Balestrand
Balestrand • 2 hr
From 860NOK
4 May - 30 September
RIB boat tour with cheese tasting from Flåm
Flåm • 3 hr
From 1395NOK
1 May - 20 September
RIB boat winter tour in Flåm
Flåm • 2 hr 30 min
From 1220NOK
1 November - 31 March
Oslo street food tour
Oslo • 2 hr 30 min
From 1590NOK
Available all year
Sea kayaking day tour in Gudvangen
Gudvangen • 7 hr 30 min
From 1396NOK
6 April - 30 September
Cider tasting & lunch in Ulvik
Ulvik • 1 hr
From 795NOK
13 April - 14 October
Northern Lights cuisine cruise in Tromsø
Tromsø • 3 hr 30 min
From 1890NOK
Available all year
Winter fjord safari and viking dinner in Flåm
Flåm • 2 hr 45 min
From 1650NOK
1 November - 31 March
Fjord cruise and shellfish tower at seafood restaurant
Bergen • 5 hr
From 2295NOK
1 March - 19 December
Cider tasting in Balestrand
Balestrand • 1 hr 30 min
From 700NOK
1 June - 28 August
Viking dinner and beer experience in Flåm
Flåm • 1 hr
From 775NOK
1 October - 31 March
Oslo food & beer tour
Oslo • 3 hr
From 1990NOK
Available all year
Glamping at Trolltunga
Multiple locations • 1 day 4 hr
From 4400NOK
1 May - 1 December
Fjord cruise and dinner at Cornelius
Bergen • 5 hr
From 1695NOK
Available all year
Hidden Gem in Flåm
Local food tasting in Flåm
Flåm • 1 hr
From 750NOK
1 May - 1 October
Oslofjord Sunset Cruise with shrimp buffet
Oslo • 3 hr
From 802NOK
1 May - 4 October
Local Food & Concert in Flåm
Flåm • 2 hr 30 min
From 990NOK
15 May - 14 September
Bestseller
Dinner cruise on the Oslofjord
Oslo • 2 hr 30 min
From 1490NOK
Available all year
Ulriken Gondola & lunch with a view over Bergen
Bergen • 2 hr 30 min
From 1081NOK
Available all year
Geirangerfjord winter cruise
Ålesund • 9 hr
From 2933NOK
1 November - 31 March
Cider & lunch in Balestrand
Balestrand • 2 hr
From 860NOK
4 May - 30 September
RIB boat tour with cheese tasting from Flåm
Flåm • 3 hr
From 1395NOK
1 May - 20 September
RIB boat winter tour in Flåm
Flåm • 2 hr 30 min
From 1220NOK
1 November - 31 March
Oslo street food tour
Oslo • 2 hr 30 min
From 1590NOK
Available all year
Sea kayaking day tour in Gudvangen
Gudvangen • 7 hr 30 min
From 1396NOK
6 April - 30 September
Cider tasting & lunch in Ulvik
Ulvik • 1 hr
From 795NOK
13 April - 14 October
Northern Lights cuisine cruise in Tromsø
Tromsø • 3 hr 30 min
From 1890NOK
Available all year
Winter fjord safari and viking dinner in Flåm
Flåm • 2 hr 45 min
From 1650NOK
1 November - 31 March
Fjord cruise and shellfish tower at seafood restaurant
Bergen • 5 hr
From 2295NOK
1 March - 19 December
Cider tasting in Balestrand
Balestrand • 1 hr 30 min
From 700NOK
1 June - 28 August
Viking dinner and beer experience in Flåm
Flåm • 1 hr
From 775NOK
1 October - 31 March
Oslo food & beer tour
Oslo • 3 hr
From 1990NOK
Available all year
Glamping at Trolltunga
Multiple locations • 1 day 4 hr
From 4400NOK
1 May - 1 December
Articles about Norwegian food and cuisine
Traditional Norwegian food
Norway has a lot of interesting traditional food, and any travelers visiting Norway would do well to sample some of the local cuisines. Culinary traditions in Norway have been dominated by meat, fish, and seafood that could be hunted or caught. These days the Norwegian food space represents an interesting mix of old and new due to culinary influences from all over the world.
Norwegian cider’s rise in popularity
Cider brewing is a Norwegian custom that dates all the way back to the 13th century. However, once the Vinmonopolet or the Wine Monopoly came into effect, the practice largely died down. Despite this, Norwegians continued to brew cider in their homes and cellars. And now the drink is experiencing a surge in popularity yet again. If you’re a cider lover planning a visit to Norway, here’s everything you need to know!
Top 3 Norwegian recipes to try
If you are a foodie or even just a lover of barbecue, then you will definitely want to make sure that you take a trip to Norway to experience the incredible local cuisine in places like Bergen and Røros. To give you a small taste of the kind of culinary experience you will get in Norway, here are three top Norwegian recipes that you can easily make at home.
Sustainable eating trends
Norway is already publicly recognized by almost every foodie as being home to some of the tastiest cuisine options in the world, with some truly exquisite national recipes like lutefisk and pinnekjøtt originating in Nordic countries. But what you may not know is that Norway is also a leader in bio-farming and sustainable food production.
Here's what you'll experience at this record-setting underwater restaurant
There are a lot of fantastic things to experience on land in Norway, but there is a new exciting activity that takes you under the water. At the southern tip of Norway in Lindesnes, you can find the world's largest underwater restaurant.
What did the average viking eat?
When your every-day activities include pillaging villages and exploring the impressive fjords in Norway, you are going to need a lot of energy to sustain yourself. This means eating some pretty astonishing meals in order to maintain proper health with such an active lifestyle.
What do you eat with Brunost?
Every culture will have its own set of unique food items that either impress or disgust visitors when they try it upon visiting. Norway is no different and offers an assortment of delicious Norwegian food that is unlike anything that can be found anywhere else in the world. Some of the more common examples include lutefisk and pinnekjøtt.
What is lefse?
Whether you’re planning to visit Norway or are just interested in Norwegian culture and tradition, you’ll want to find out more about lefse. Lefse has a long-standing history as a traditional food in Norway, and it remains about as popular today as it was a hundred years ago. Let’s take a closer look at what this tasty, simple food is all about!
Traditional Norwegian food
Norway has a lot of interesting traditional food, and any travelers visiting Norway would do well to sample some of the local cuisines. Culinary traditions in Norway have been dominated by meat, fish, and seafood that could be hunted or caught. These days the Norwegian food space represents an interesting mix of old and new due to culinary influences from all over the world.
Norwegian cider’s rise in popularity
Cider brewing is a Norwegian custom that dates all the way back to the 13th century. However, once the Vinmonopolet or the Wine Monopoly came into effect, the practice largely died down. Despite this, Norwegians continued to brew cider in their homes and cellars. And now the drink is experiencing a surge in popularity yet again. If you’re a cider lover planning a visit to Norway, here’s everything you need to know!
Top 3 Norwegian recipes to try
If you are a foodie or even just a lover of barbecue, then you will definitely want to make sure that you take a trip to Norway to experience the incredible local cuisine in places like Bergen and Røros. To give you a small taste of the kind of culinary experience you will get in Norway, here are three top Norwegian recipes that you can easily make at home.
Sustainable eating trends
Norway is already publicly recognized by almost every foodie as being home to some of the tastiest cuisine options in the world, with some truly exquisite national recipes like lutefisk and pinnekjøtt originating in Nordic countries. But what you may not know is that Norway is also a leader in bio-farming and sustainable food production.
Here's what you'll experience at this record-setting underwater restaurant
There are a lot of fantastic things to experience on land in Norway, but there is a new exciting activity that takes you under the water. At the southern tip of Norway in Lindesnes, you can find the world's largest underwater restaurant.
What did the average viking eat?
When your every-day activities include pillaging villages and exploring the impressive fjords in Norway, you are going to need a lot of energy to sustain yourself. This means eating some pretty astonishing meals in order to maintain proper health with such an active lifestyle.
What do you eat with Brunost?
Every culture will have its own set of unique food items that either impress or disgust visitors when they try it upon visiting. Norway is no different and offers an assortment of delicious Norwegian food that is unlike anything that can be found anywhere else in the world. Some of the more common examples include lutefisk and pinnekjøtt.
What is lefse?
Whether you’re planning to visit Norway or are just interested in Norwegian culture and tradition, you’ll want to find out more about lefse. Lefse has a long-standing history as a traditional food in Norway, and it remains about as popular today as it was a hundred years ago. Let’s take a closer look at what this tasty, simple food is all about!