Bergen · Month comparison

November vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs November at #12. Hardangerfjord blossom and Bergen International Festival's 14-day classical-and-arts programme through late May.

Bergen November — dark wet Bryggen at dusk with warehouse windows lit

November

#12 of 12 months

Worth considering

Darkest, wettest month — Bergen at its most stereotyped — but Christmas market construction begins in the final week.

  • ↑Cheapest pre-Christmas hotel rates of the year
  • ↑Pepperkakebyen (gingerbread city) opens at the end of November
Bergen May — children in bunad parading on 17 May with Norwegian flags

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Hardangerfjord blossom and Bergen International Festival's 14-day classical-and-arts programme through late May.

  • ↑Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen) — 14 days late May, classical, opera, jazz
  • ↑Hardangerfjord cherry and apple blossom peak — among Europe's best
FactorNovemberMay
Weather score
3
8
Value score
7
5
Crowd score
9
5
Events score
4
9
Atmosphere
7
9
Avg high temp7°C14°C
Monthly rain215mm90mm
Daily sunshine1hrs7hrs

November trade-offs

  • ↓Sunshine 1 hour/day; sunset 16:00
  • ↓Heaviest sustained rain of the year — 215mm with 22+ wet days

May trade-offs

  • ↓Sognefjord cruise booking accelerates — June already filling
  • ↓Cold snaps possible — Hardangerfjord ferries can run in 5°C drizzle
See all 12 months for Bergen →November in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Bergen. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →