At 7 am the ship anchored in Hellesylt for shore excursion guests to disembark. About 8 am, the Prinsendam continued to sail into the spectacular narrow and winding Geirangerfjord. (Those who we talked to on these excursions thoroughly enjoyed them.) Around 10 am, we arrived at Geiranger, the village at the head of the fjord, and anchored with a short tender ride to the shore.
At the pier, our first stop was the tourist office. This town only has 150 permanent residents but is well-developed for summer tourists. We considered various hikes and the Sky to Fjord Downhill Bike Tour (25 euros ), but settled on a local bus from Geiranger to Mt. Dalsnibba. The bus departed at 12:15 pm, giving us time to walk to the Norwegian Fjord Center and step inside the scenic Geiranger church.
The bus trip cost 160 NOK and departing close to the pier, across the street from the large troll. Our bus slowly drove up the winding road, from sea level to Mt. Dalsnibba, 5000 feet above sea level and the highest point in the region. We found the scenic ride breathtaking (the road is narrow and it appears there is no way for the bus to make the turns while staying on the road). At the top, the driver stops for 15 to 20 minutes for everyone to take photos. From the outlook, Geiranger and the fjord look tiny.
Back onboard, we were treated to one more trip sailing through the Geirangerfjord, passing the Seven Sisters and various other scenic waterfalls and a few remaining step farms.