Create amazing summer memories with the whole family

A bucket-list experience for all the family

The Åkrafjord's steep mountains and deep valleys offer amazing opportunities for families looking for a shared bucket-list experience. Via Ferrata Ingadalen is a family-friendly route that’s suitable for children aged six and upwards. The route is traversed with a local guide and promises challenges to master along the way that you’ll love sharing with friends and family. You can stay overnight at Åkrafjorden Nature B&B or the Mikrohyttene cabins, both of which are very family-friendly.

Adventures big and small

What’s a summer holiday without a visit to a fairytale world or an island adventure?

A stroll through a fairytale forest is fun for the little ones and nostalgic for adults. On the way, you’ll encounter beloved fairytale characters, as well as goblins and trolls. Why not take food to barbecue and enjoy lunch or dinner among the historical characters? You can find fairytale forests in Årdal and Sauda.

From one adventure to another – why not treat yourself and your family to a visit to the island community of Røvær this summer? The boat trip from the centre of Haugesund can be quite an experience in itself, not to mention setting foot on the island and soaking up the atmosphere and tranquillity.

Røvær actually has its very own taxis, but not the kind you might expect! Røvær's taxis are actually colourful wheelbarrows that can be borrowed to transport fishing equipment, swimming gear and food to barbecue while you explore the island. Røvær abounds with small places to sunbathe and swim, as well as areas that are perfect for catching crabs. It’s well worth visiting Røvær Aquaculture Centre to discover more about Norway as a seafood nation, and staying overnight at the island's only hotel, Røvær Kulturhotell. Despite its small size, the island offers experiences that are guaranteed to make it into the family photo album! Who could forget catching their first crab on the seashore?

Fancy some more sea-life experiences? Visit the Salmon studio in Suldal and see both salmon and trout at close range.

Historical fun for children, parents and grandparents alike!

Ryfylke and Haugesund are full of experiences for anyone wanting to take their family to places that combine play and learning.

On a guided tour of the old zinc mines in Allmannajuvet gorge, you can put on a headlamp and explore the old mines and learn more about their history, which dates back to the early 1800s. There is also a café at the mines, the perfect place to share your experiences from the mines with your family, while enjoying some freshly bakedtreats. Was it how you imagined it would be? What was it like visiting a mine that’s been there since the 1800s? You’re guaranteed some interesting discussions and amusing responses.

Holidays are all about exploring and discovering – which is exactly what the Vikings did! You can learn more about the Viking Age and what everyday life was like for the Vikings at the Nordvegen History Centre and the Viking Farm at Avaldsnes. You can make it even more exciting by taking the whole family on a Viking treasure hunt. Avaldsnes is perfect to combine with a visit to the more modern and digital museum The Viking Planet in Haugesund town centre.

It’s also worth visiting Dokken – the herring museum in Haugesund, which is open during the school holidays (mid-June to mid-August). The open-air museum tells the town's history. You can also visit an old shop where you can experience what it was like to buy groceries before the invention of automatic tills. You may also like to borrow a free rowing boat at Dokken and row to the nearby island of Vibrandsøy, where you can visit the day trip cabin and explore the island.

Pleasant water temperature all year round

It's too hot, it's too cold, it's… maybe a good idea to visit a water park, where the temperature is perfect all year round! They have everything you need for a fun family day out, with water slides, diving platforms and pools for children and adults. Suldal Bad, Sauda Badeanlegg and Tysværtunet Badeanlegg are all family-friendly swimming facilities. Perhaps this might be the year that your children learn to swim?

Farm holidays – where comfort and charm go hand in hand

Spend some quality time with your family in beautiful surroundings at the farms Gøysa Gard at Forsand and Fossane Gard in Hjelmeland. Both farms are beautifully situated, offer comfort and bags of charm, and are a great place to unwind and enjoy some quality time together.

The hosts at Fossane Gard,Janneke and Martijn, will be happy to take you on a guided tour of the power plant or introduce you to the sheep on the farm. Both farms offer the perfect base from which to explore the spectacular Ryfylke countryside. Don't be afraid to ask your hosts about activities and places to visit in the area – they're always happy to share their knowledge and local secrets.

Mini golf – the ultimate family activity for summer

Spice up your family holiday with a competition to find out once and for all who is the best golfer in the family. Just south of Haugesund is Torvastad, home to what must be Norway's – possibly Europe's – finest and mostexciting mini-golf course: Minigolfen Family Park! The whole family can play rounds on various courses with themes such as the park, the farm, the mine, the barn, the Viking kingdom and the pirate island. Want to do even more mini-golf on your holiday? Then check out the mini-golf course by the Andedammen duck pond in Sauda.

Dazzling taste experiences

Holidays are a time to indulge and you’ll find no shortage of dazzling taste experiences. Visit Jåblom Bakst Cupcakehuset, situated in what may be Haugesund's most colourful building, and treat yourself to one (or more!) delicious cupcakes. On the same street, just a few doors away, is the ‘doughnut heaven’ Lutchfood. They not only serve doughnuts of every imaginable flavour, but also refreshing summer drinks, ice cream and other baked goods. Both establishments are also extremely Instagram friendly, which may help tempt your teenagers to join you!