Sandefjord

Sandefjord is a small town in Vestfold in Norway. It has a notable history.

Understand

The whalers' monument

Sandefjord is a historical town which has become a modern town of culture with a dynamic business life, and a popular holiday destination with Norwegians. The history of Sandefjord has been formed by the Viking Age, the shipping industry and whaling in Arctic and Antarctic areas.

The Vikings had their first settlements in Vestfold, and the Gokstad Viking ship dating from the year 900 was discovered in Sandefjord. Today one can find a replica of this ship (the "Gaia“) at the harbour. Like the Vikings, the urge to go abroad and explore foreign parts of the world led the first whalers to the Antarctic Ocean. The history of the whalers can be explored at the Whaling Museum and at the Museum's Wharf with a visit aboard the whale-catcher "Southern Actor.“

Tourist information

• 1 Tourist Office (Turistkontor), Kurbadet, Thor Dahlsgate 7, ☏ +47 33 46 05 90, info@visitsandefjord.com. The tourist office is near the Color Line terminal. Next to it there's a café and a big parking lot. 

Get in

By plane

• 1 Sandefjord Airport, Torp (TRF  ^IATA) (located 10 km from Sandefjord. There is an hourly train from Torp station to Sandefjord, with a free shuttle bus connecting Torp airport to Torp station.). has flights to some major and minor cities around Norway and Europe, including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, London, Milan, Gothenburg, Marseille, Pisa, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Nice, Alicante, Malaga, Milano, Prague and Stockholm.  

By train

The VY, former Norwegian State Railway serves Sandefjord on the Oslo-Skien line (Vestfoldbanen).

There are self-service luggage lockers at the 2 train station. 40NOK per day.

By bus

Nor-Way Busexpress' line 182 goes through Sandefjord.

By boat

The Color Line vehicle ferry connects Sandefjord to Strömstad (Sweden) five times a day.

Get around

Vestfold kollektivtrafikk operates a good bus service within Sandefjord and throughout Vestfold. The central bus station is just south of the train station on Møllersgate. Buy tickets on the bus, or buy a travel card at the Narvesen shop at the train station. You can get either a periodekort (period travel card) (unlimited travel in two weeks or a month) or a verdikort (stored-value card) (you must put at least 100kr on to start with, and can then add as much or as little as you like, in the shop or on the bus). The card costs 50kr.

There is a taxi stand at the train station.

See

Excavation documentation in Gokstad

• 1 The whaling monument (Hvalfangstmonumentet). Sandefjord's most famous attraction. It's a sculpture from 1960 showing whalers in action. (updated Dec 2020)

• 2 The Whaling Museum (Hvalfangstmuseet), Museumsgata. Gives a very in detail history about whaling in Norway and around the world. It is very in depth, and goes in to great detail about how the whales are hunted and killed so it's not for the easily upset! Also has a collection of mounted Norwegian animals, including a large whale and (downstairs) several whale skeletons. 

• 3 The Southern Actor (Hvalbåten Southern Actor). weekend afternoons from late June to August. A former whaling ship. Also outside the short opening times, it's worth taking walk to Brygga to have a look at the ship from the outside. (updated Dec 2020)

• 4 Gaia. A functional replica of the Viking ship found in Gokstad, occasionally taking passengers on sailings. Gaia is often away on events, but Sandefjord is its home port and when it's there, it's anchored at Brygga near the Southern Anchor. 

• 5 Gokstad. The place where the Gokstad Viking ship was found. The remains of the ship is at the Viking ship museum in Oslo, and the Viking chief grave mound it was excavated from has been restored. Next to it there are information plaques where you can learn about the ship and its extraction from the mound. 

Do

Go for a walk on the Vesterøya peninsula North Sea Trail. Take the 168 bus to the end of the route (Tveitan) and follow the blue tracks (marked Kyststien) around the point. The tourist information centre has maps. Careful, there are only a few buses per day.

Buy

Sandefjord has a charming city centre, consisting of a mixture of old and modern buildings and a wide selection of shopping possibilities.

Eat

Sandefjord has a good selection of restaurants and cafés. What is possibly one of Norway’s best gourmet restaurant outside Oslo, Solvold, is located here in a modern building near the harbour. Also located at the harbour is the fishmonger well known for the excellent quality of its goods and delicacies.

• 1 Peppes Pizza, Thor Dahls gate 1 (At the port, to the east of the Color Line terminal). Good national chain. Kids play area. 
• 2 La Baguette, Torget 7 (Upstairs at Hvaltorvet shopping centre, Jernbanealleen). Excellent sandwiches. Also have icecream. 60kr for a sandwich. 

For self-catering:

• 3 ICA, Basement of Hvaltorvet shopping centre (On the Torget (main square) near the corner of Jernbanealleen and Hjertnespromenaden). Supermarket. 
• 4 Statoil, Dronningens gate 40 (north end). A garage with grocery store. Open even over Easter when other shops are closed. 

Drink

• 1 Vinmonopolet, Jernbanealleen 13. 

Sleep

• 1 Torp Hotel (formerly Sandefjord Motor Hotel), Fokserødveien 21, ☏ +47 33 48 90 60. 3km from Torp airport (TRF) (135kr by taxi), and well-connected by bus 01 to Sandefjord. 
• 2 Apartment Hotel Sandefjord, Bjerggata 57, ☏ +47 46415175. Modern apartment hotel in the middle of the old town in the centre of Sandefjord. 
• 3 Vøra Camping og badeplass, Vesterøyveien 401, ☏ +47 33 47 37 70, +47 90 84 45 84, fax: +47 33 47 60 93. Some 9 km south from downtown. 

• 4 Asnes Camping og badestrand, Asnesveien 51, ☏ +47 90 84 45 84, fax: +47 33 47 60 93. Some 5 km south from downtown. 
• 5 Scandic Park Hotel Sandefjord (former Rica Park Hotel Sandefjord), Strandpromenaden 9, ☏ +47 33 44 74 00, fax: +47 33 44 75 00, parksandefjord@scandichotels.com. A major hotel with good views of the fjord. 

Go next

Routes through Sandefjord

Kristiansand ← Larvik ←

W  E

→ Stokke → Oslo