One of my main goals for this trip to Norway was to do as many hikes as possible. And while doing my research I found a ton of articles but they all pretty much mentioned the same hiking trails over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good classic but I also wanted to discover some hidden gems.
And that’s exactly what we did! We completed some of the most famous hikes in Southern Norway but also discovered some lesser known hiking trails that will completely blow your mind!
Within this guide you’ll find all of the information you’ll need for planning out every single hike. And I’ve also ranked them according to their duration. This way it’s a lot easier for you to add them to your own itinerary and to know which hikes you would love to do the most.
I find it extremely important to only share about places and activities that I’ve personally done. There are enough list posts and combined articles out there already. With this article you get my personal experience and my own photos from the best hikes in Norway.
Some of these hikes also have a more detailed guide on this blog. Simply click on the link below their explanation and it will redirect you to that specific hike.
- Norway Hiking Guide – Best One Day Hikes In Western Norway
- Planning your trip to Norway
- 🗓 When is the best time to go hiking in Norway
- 🧳 Norway Hiking Packing List – Be prepared to tackle the best hikes in Norway
- Essential Tips for hiking in Norway
- 💸Norway Travel Insurance
- 🥾 Best Hiking Trails in Norway – Discover the best places to hike in Norway
- Best Hikes in Norway under 3 hours
- 1. Månafossen Hiking Trail – An adventurous short hiking trail in Norway
- 2. Bondhusvatnet Lake Hiking Trail – the Instagram lake of Norway
- 3. Vøringfossen Hike
- 4. Musk Ox Hiking Trail in Dovrefjell National Park
- 5. Innerdalen – Hike to Norway's most beautiful valley
- 6. Litlefjellet Hiking Trail – a short but beautiful hike in Norway
- 7. Gunnar Råsa Hiking Trail – Swing above the Norwegian fjords
- Best Hikes in Norway under 6 hours
- 8. Preikestolen Hiking Trail – The most famous hike in Norway
- 9. Knutshøe Hiking Trail
- 10. Besseggen Ridge Hike – One of the best hikes in Norway
- 11. Troll Wall Hike – One of the most exciting hikes in Norway
- 12. Mount Saksa Hike – A magical place to go hiking in Norway
- Best Hikes in Norway under 9 hours
- My Norway Camera Gear
- 🇳🇴 Other Norway Articles that might interest you
- Photo Editing
Norway Hiking Guide – Best One Day Hikes In Western Norway
This Norway hiking guide will take you along a wide variety of hiking trails. From hiking through the most beautiful valley in Norway to standing on an exposed ridge line. These hikes offer something for everyone. Wether you want to take it slow or make it a super adventurous trip. Either way, you’ll be good to go and I can guarantee that you’ll want to travel back to Norway in a heartbeat!
Before we start our list of best hikes in Norway we also need to cover some basics such as when is the best time for hiking in Norway and which items will you need to stay safe on the hiking trails!
Planning your trip to Norway
🏨 Find the best accommodations on Booking.com
💰 Get reliable travel insurance from World Nomads
🎒 Pack a power bank, hiking shoes and trekking poles.
📚 Read Nordic Tales, Lonely Planet’s Norway and Nordic Islands by Stefan Forster
🚐 Book your camper with WeCamp
🚘 Rent a car to travel around Norway with SunnyCars.com
🗓 When is the best time to go hiking in Norway
The official hiking season usually starts halfway through June and lasts until halfway October. But of course this greatly depends on the weather conditions. Some years it can already start snowing in September and then some hikes on this list can become quite tricky.
The two most popular months to go hiking in Norway are July and August. The weather is good, the days are long and you can pretty much hike in nothing more than a t-shirt and shorts. But since these are the two most popular hiking months in Norway it also means that hiking trails can get very crowded. And to be honest, I am not the biggest fan of big crowds.
If you want the best of both worlds, nice weather and less crowds, then September is the best month to visit Norway for hiking. And on the plus side, autumn arrives a little earlier in Norway. During our road trip through Norway we were greeted by the most stunning fall colors.
🧳 Norway Hiking Packing List – Be prepared to tackle the best hikes in Norway
Hiking shoes – You will definitely need a pair of these. Even that some attractions are located right next to a parking lot you’ll pretty much always have to hike over a rocky terrain. I love my Meindl Mountain Trail Boots for longer hikes and my Danner Mountain Light Boots for daily wear and shorter distances.
Trekking poles – These will especially come in handy cause a lot of the hikes in these guide can be rather strenuous on the joints. I used the Leki Adventure Light trekking poles for all of my hikes in Norway!
Back Pack – You’ll want to bring a back pack with you to carry your camera, some snacks and your refillable water bottle. I love the Kanken No. 2 back pack from Fjallraven and pretty much take it with me everywhere I go.
Refillable Water Bottle – The water in Norway is some of the freshet in the entire world so there’s no need at all to buy plastic bottles. Simply find the nearest stream to fill up your bottle and you’re good to go.
Another option is to use a back pack which has a water reservoir built inside of it. For instance this 3L Hydration Bladder is leak proof and can be stored inside a back pack.
Trail Leggings – I love hiking in leggings and have lately been loving the Abisko Trail Tights from Fjallraven.
Fast Drying Shirt – When hiking you tend to sweat, especially when climbing a mountain. One of the best things to wear is a shirt that quickly dries so you don’t get cold high up the mountain.
Insulating Jacket – Depending on the temperature you’ll either want a thicker or lighter jacket. If it’s pretty cold outside I always go for my Fjallraven Vidda Jacket. Otherwise I go for their High Coast Light Jacket which is super light weight.
Woolen cap – The perfect accessory to protect your ears from the cold and to cover your hair after a few days without a shower.
Protein Bars – Make sure you have a couple of these stowed a way in your back pack to boost up your energy level during the hike.
Sunscreen – Make sure to re apply to your face regularly cause pretty much all of the hikes that we did in Norway were exposed most of the time. I love this one by Neutrogena which feels like a face mist but also provides SPF 50 protection!
Merino Wool Socks – My go to brand has always been Falke and I love how fast they drive after a long day of hiking. Plus since they’re made of merino wool they don’t smell and can be worn for a couple of days.
🧳 MAKE SURE TO GO OVER MY COMPLETE CAMPER PACKING LIST WHEN YOU START PLANNING YOUR TRIP!
Essential Tips for hiking in Norway
- Wear sturdy hiking shoes, preferably mountain trail shoes. A lot of the trails can be rocky and uneven and you don’t want to loose your balance. For longer hikes I always wear my Meindl Borneo Lady Boots and for shorter ones I switch to the Danner Mountain Light.
- Pack for 4 seasons: even in the Summer months it can be very cold if you start hiking in the early morning. Make sure you’re wearing layers so you can easily take something off or put on an extra layer if you’re taking a break.
- Make sure to arrive early at the most popular hiking trails to ensure you have the best experience.
- Bring a small first aid kit with you. You can always hurt yourself during a hike and it’s important that you’re able to disinfect wounds as fast as possible.
- Almost all of the hiking trails are well marked but make sure to plan your route on maps.me as well!
💸Norway Travel Insurance
I highly recommend you to get a travel insurance before your trip cause the risks are never worth the costs. You can always get injured during a hiking trip and yes, you can already manage a lot if you have a first aid kit on you. But it can always be worse an
I personally love World Nomads, their prices are affordable, their coverage is great, and they also offer 24/7 on-call customer service!
🥾 Best Hiking Trails in Norway – Discover the best places to hike in Norway
Best Hikes in Norway under 3 hours
These hiking trails in Norway are short but sweet! They’re the perfect option if you’re traveling with smaller kids or if you’re not the biggest fan of hiking. So if you’re looking for an easy hike in Norway you can take your pick below!
1. Månafossen Hiking Trail – An adventurous short hiking trail in Norway
Månafossen is one of the most impressive waterfalls in Southern Norway and with its 90 meters in free fall the tallest waterfall in the county of Rogaland.
This is a great hike if you’re feeling a little adventurous but you don’t want to do a lot of hiking! The trail starts at Eikeskog where you start by climbing up a stone stairway. After that the climb becomes very steep but for most parts there are chains so you can pull yourself up.
I know, this sounds crazy!!! But trust me, it’s actually very easy to reach the main viewpoint at the top!
Distance – 1km (0.6 miles)
Elevation – 200m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 1 hour
Level – Easy
Parking Lot – Eigeskogfossen. There’s a parking fee of 20 NOK that you have to pay in cash.
When to visit – During high season this is one of the most popular hiking trails in the area. But in September we only saw a handful of other people on the trail.
Season – March to November
💡 TIP – This is a good hike to do on the same day as the Preikestolen hike which is only 1,5 hour driving away.
2. Bondhusvatnet Lake Hiking Trail – the Instagram lake of Norway
On a clear day Bondhusvatnet lake is one of the most beautiful places in Western Norway. Unfortunately we weren’t very lucky during our visit. It had been raining the entire day and where normally the background would consist of beautiful mountains we could only see a thick curtain of clouds hanging low.
The hike itself is very easy and on a gravel road which is even stroller friendly. I can tell you, you don’t come across a lot of those in Norway!
Distance – 4.7km (2.9 miles)
Elevation – 184m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 2 hours
Level – Easy
Parking Lot – Bondhusdalen Parkering. There’s a parking fee of 100 NOK.
When to visit –Bondhusvatnet lake is also called the Instagram lake of Norway due to how photogenic it is. On a sunny day the water is turquoise and bright and beautifully reflects the mountains behind it. During high season this is a highly trafficked trail. It’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset.
Season – March to November
3. Vøringfossen Hike
The Vøringfossen hiking trail is more like a tourist attraction but it still involves some hiking over steep bridges so I’ve included it in this list anyway!
There’s probably a hundred waterfalls in Norway but not many of them are as spectacular as Vøringfossen. To be fair when you start following the hiking trail you immediately end up next a cascade waterfall. I already though it looked very impressive but I also wanted to walk over the steel bridge that connected both sides of the gorge.
We kept on following the trail and at the end we were greeted by a spectacular view over the Vøringfossen waterfall and gorge!
Distance – 1km (0.6 miles)
Elevation – 150 meter
Route Type – Out & back
Duration : 1,5 hour
Level – Easy
Parking lot – Vøringsfossen – Nedre
When to visit – If you’re visiting during high season make sure to either arrive early or late in the day to avoid the big tourist groups.
Season – March to November
💡 TIP – You. can also hike to the bottom of theVøringfossen waterfall.
4. Musk Ox Hiking Trail in Dovrefjell National Park
One of the absolute highlights from our recent trip to Norway was seeing a musk ox with our very own eyes at Dovrefjell National Park!
Dovrefjell National Park is the only place in Norway, and one of few places in the world, where you can experience the majestic musk ox. The musk ox is a truly historic mammal and is one of the oldest mammals to walk our planet. Dating back to about 187,000 to 129,000 years ago, muskoxen are known as the shaggy survivors of the Ice Age.
Distance – You can choose circular trips of varying lengths, from 4.5 to 15 kilometers.
Elevation – 150m
Route Type – Loop
Duration – 2 to 3 hours
Level – Easy
Parking Lot – Kongsvoll
When to visit – When it comes to spotting wildlife your chances are usually the highest in the early morning or around dawn.
Season – Year round
💡 TIP – To photograph a musk ox you will need a proper zoom lens:
5. Innerdalen – Hike to Norway’s most beautiful valley
You can bet that if VisitNorway calls this place the most beautiful valley in Norway that I’ll definitely want to see it! And while I don’t have enough expertise on valleys in Norway to back up their claim it sure is worth the short but steep hike.
Honestly I wasn’t expecting this hike to be so steep since a lot of websites literally called it a stroll in the park. But the first half of the trail is a very very steep. Maybe it was because I had done so much hiking the past days but my calves were definitely burning up.
Distance – 7km (4.3 miles)
Elevation – 350m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 2,5 hours
Level – Moderate
Parking Lot – Nerdal
When to visit – While its nickname may suspect otherwise this is more of a hidden gem in Norway.
Season – You can visit Renndølsetra in Innerdalen the entire year.
6. Litlefjellet Hiking Trail – a short but beautiful hike in Norway
Litlefjellet is one of those places in Norway that seems to keep on flying under the radar. But doesn’t this sound perfect? A short (but steep) hike up followed by one of the most stunning views in the entire area of Romsdal.
From Litlefjellet you’ll have a direct view over the impressive Trollveggen mountain range and if you’re up for it this is one of the most beautiful places in Norway to go wild camping!
The hike up to Litlefjellet starts at Vengedalen and to reach it you’ll have to drive up a toll road which costs 100NOK. There isn’t a lot of parking space available but all. ofthem are for free. We drove up with our WeCamp camper van and while the road gets pretty narrow sometimes we managed to drive up and down the mountain without a hitch.
Distance – 0.6km (0.37 miles)
Elevation – 140m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 1 hour
Level – Moderate
Parking Lot – Litlefjellet
When to visit – Litlefjellet is the perfect place to watch the sunset over Romsadalen valley.
Season – April to October
📖 MAKE SURE TO READ MY FULL GUIDE ON THE TOP THINGS TO DO IN ROMSDAL
7. Gunnar Råsa Hiking Trail – Swing above the Norwegian fjords
If you’ve followed any of my previous travels you know I am a sucker for a good swing. Especially if it has a view like the one below!
You can find this swing tucked away in the Sunnmøre Alps in Western Norway and to get there you have to start hiking from Sæbø. Depending from where you’re coming you’ll either drive here or you’ll take the ferry from Urke toSæbø. The hiking trail starts at the waterfront and there’s a small parking place in front of it.
Distance – 3.5km (2.2 miles)
Elevation – 410 meter
Route Type – Out & Back
Duration – 2 hours
Level – Moderate
Parking Lot – Gunnar Råsa
When to visit – This isn’t a highly trafficked trail so don’t worry about bumping into to many people.
Season – March to October
💡 TIP – This trail is part of the longer Dalegubben trail. This one was super high on my list but while we were hiking up the weather really started to change for the worse and it ended up being the only hike in Norway where we didn’t reach the top.
Best Hikes in Norway under 6 hours
8. Preikestolen Hiking Trail – The most famous hike in Norway
Preikestolen is one of the most popular hikes in entire Norway and honestly rightfully so. The hike itself goes up through a forest and over boulders but the views that you get in return are out of this world.
Distance – 7.8km
Elevation – 573m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 4 hours
Level – Moderate
Parking Lot – Preikestolen Parking lot. There’s a parking fee of 250 NOK.
When to go – The best time to go is in the evening. At this time you won’t find many people still starting the hike and you’ll see a lot of people coming back down. This means you’ll have the pulpit rock almost all to yourself.
Season – July to September
💡 TIP – As you can see we didn’t have the best weather conditions at Pulpit Rock. But even if it rains it’s still worth it to go and have a look cause the clouds tend to roll in and out pretty fast. At times we couldn’t see a thing but other times we had a beautiful view over the Lysefjord.
9. Knutshøe Hiking Trail
The Knutshøe Hiking Trail is also located in Jotunheimen National Park but is often overshadowed by the immensely popular Besseggen Ridge Hike. But if you have more than one day at the Jotunheimen National Park you should definitely hike this beautiful trail!
I consider the Knutshøe Hiking Trail as one of the most beautiful hikes in Norway and to top it of it’s also a fun and rather adventurous one!
Distance – 13.2km (8.2 miles)
Elevation – 754m
Route Type – Circular Loop
Duration – 5 hours
Level – Moderate to hard. There are two short parts where you have to climb up an exposed ridge. This is the most difficult part of the hike but if you take it slow it’s all good.
Parking Lot – Vargebakken Parking
When to go – This isn’t a highly trafficked trail so you’ll have an amazing experience no matter what!
Season – June until October
10. Besseggen Ridge Hike – One of the best hikes in Norway
The Besseggen Ridge Hiking Trail is located in the Jotunheimen National Park and only 3 hours driving from Oslo. During this hike you’ll walk along the Besseggen ridge line, all while being surrounded by the most amazing views.
The Besseggen Hike is considered one of the must-complete hikes by Norwegians and it is said that once you conquer this ridge you can call yourself a ‘serious hiker’. An estimated 60.000 people walk the Besseggen ridge every year.
The Besseggen Hiking Trail is a point to point hike which starts in Memurubu and ends in Gjendesheim. But to get to Memurubu you’ll first need to take a ferry from Gjendesheim.
Distance – 14.5km (9 miles)
Elevation – 1073m
Route Type – Point to point hike
Duration – 6 hours
Level – Moderate to hard. At one point the ridge is exposed on both sides and you’ll have to climb up over rocks using both your hands and feet.
Parking Lot – Boat terminal in Gjendesheim. The parking fee for a car is 150 NOK.
When to go – During high season you want to be on the first ferry out and there will be a lot of other people on the trail as well.
Season – June until October
11. Troll Wall Hike – One of the most exciting hikes in Norway
If there’s one hike in Norway that’s completely underrated then it’s the Trollveggen Hiking Trail up to the Stabbeskaret viewpoint! It’s one of the most beautiful and impressive hiking trails near Åndalsnes.
You’ll hike through a spectacular landscape where you can start at one of the most impressive trailheads I have ever seen. It’s not everyday that you can start a hike by looking down on one of the craziest roads in entire Norway! The Trollstigen road is world famous due to the fact that it creeps up the mountain in incredible loops and to top it off there’s a giant waterfall at each side.
Distance – 10.2km (6.3 miles)
Elevation – 754m
Route Type – Out & Back
Duration – 6 hours
Level – Moderate
Parking Lot – Trollstigen Visitor Center. Parking here is free.
When to go – I would advise you to start hiking in the morning, that way you’ll avoid running into too many other people.
Season – July until October
💡 TIP – If you start hiking in the morning you’ll also have time to hike the Litlefjellet trail in the early evening!
📖 MAKES SURE TO READ MY FULL GUIDE ON THE TROLL WALL HIKE INCLUDING A LOT MORE DETAILS AND PHOTOS!
12. Mount Saksa Hike – A magical place to go hiking in Norway
If there’s one place that you can’t miss if you absolutely love hiking it’s theSunmøre Alps in Western Norway. And you want to know the best part? This area in Norway is still relatively unknown!
Most people all flock to the nearby Geiranger fjord. And trust me, I’ve seen both places and theSunmøre Alps are a lot more worth your time! They’re a lot less touristic and I could have easily spend 5 days here if the weather would have allowed it!
I think if I had to choose my favorite place in Norway out of all of the ones I’ve seen on this road trip it would be this one!
Mount Saks is one of the most popular hikes in theSunmøre Alps and after a very hard and tiring climb you’ll be rewarded by 360° views over the fjords.
Distance – 6km (3.7 miles)
Elevation – 931m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 4 hours
Level – Moderate to hard
Parking lot – Saksa parking lot. There’s no parking fee.
When to go – I advise you to leave early in the morning. It’s one of the busiest trails in theSunmøre Alps and you really want to enjoy the view on the top alone, at least for a little while.
Season – June until October
📖 MAKE SURE TO READ MY COMPLETE GUIDE ON HIKING MOUNT SAKSA FOR MORE DETAILS!
Best Hikes in Norway under 9 hours
13. Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike – The most adventurous hike in Norway
The Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike in Åndalsnes is one of the most impressive hiking trails in entire Norway! But out of all of the hikes that I did in Norway it was also the most difficult one. There’s a steep ascend over boulders, an exposed part where you have to hold onto chains to cross over and one of the hardest descends.
But don’t let this scare you off! I have a pretty good condition but due to my short legs it’s not always easy for me on these hiking trails but I managed to complete it! And the views! The views over the Romsdalseggen valley with the Rauma river winding its way through the lush landscape out to the fjord and Åndalsnes totally make up for it!
Romsdalseggen ridge is one of the world’s most scenic hikes (Lonely Planet 2011). You’ll hike through a wonderful and dramatic landscape and from the ridge you can see the majestic Trollveggen cliff.
The Romsdalseggen Ridge Hiking Trail is a point to point hike, just like that other wonderful hike in Norway the Besseggen Ridge Trail. But in contrary to that one there’s only one way to complete this hike and that’s from Venjesdalsetra, a car park in Vengedalen, to Åndalsnes.
There’s a dedicated Romsdalseggen bus that will take you to the car park in Vengedalen. This bus leaves from the bus station in Åndalsnes and will drop you off at Venjesdalsetra. It costs 200NOK per person and you can park your car or camper van at the long term parking lot in Åndalsnes.
Distance – 10.3km (6.4 miles)
Elevation – 970m
Route Type – Point to point hike
Duration – 6 to 8 hours
Level – Moderate to hard
Parking lot –Åndalsnes long term parking. There’s no parking fee.
When to go – Try to get on the earliest bus cause this is a very busy hiking trail.
Season – June until September
14. Trolltunga Hike in Norway – The most Instagrammable hike in Norway
I don’t think there’s any spot in Norway that’s more iconic than the Trolltunga! But it’s also one of the most photographed places in the country. And because of that you can expect an actual waiting line here to take this special photograph.
During high season waiting times can become as long as 2 hours. Fortunately there are also a couple of ways to avoid the big crowds and still have an amazing time on this trail.
A couple of tips for avoiding the big crowds:
- Hike during off season: September is the way to go!
- Start your hike before sunrise from P3 at Mågelitopp. This will take out the most strenuous part of the hike and is only accessible through a toll road. There are 30 parking spots available so make sure. tobook your spot from before.
- Stay overnight, there’s a ton of places where you can go wild camping near Trolltunga
Distance – 20.2km (12.5 miles) if you start from P3. Otherwise the total hiking distance is 28km.
Elevation – 400m
Route Type – Out & back
Duration – 8 to 11 hours (depending on where you start the hike)
Level – Moderate to hard, depending on where you start the hike
Parking lot – P3 Mågelitopp
When to go – The earlier you start this hike the better!
Season – June 1 to September 30 (without a guide). At all other times of the year you must hike with a guide.
My Norway Camera Gear
- Canon EOS 6D Mark II – My go to camera body for the past 3 years
- Main Lens – Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II
- Zoom Lens – Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6
- Wide Angle Lens – Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L III
- Tripod – Manfrotto Tripod
- Drone – DJI Mavic Mini 2 Fly More Combo
🇳🇴 Other Norway Articles that might interest you
- Norway – The 20 Most Beautiful Places in Norway for the Outdoor Lover
- Romsdalseggen – Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike – The Most Spectacular Hiking Trail In Åndalsnes
- Hiking – Norway Hiking Guide – 14 Best Day Hikes In Norway
- Wildlife – Where To See The Musk Ox In Dovrefjell National Park In Norway
- Trollveggen – The Ultimate Trollveggen Hiking Trail – Hiking Stabbeskaret On The Troll Wall In Norway
- Jotunheimen National Park – Besseggen Ridge Hike Guide – The Best Hiking Trail In Jotunheimen National Park
- Trolltunga – Trolltunga Hike – Everything You Need To Know About Hiking Norway’s Most Famous Trail
- Norway Road Trip – The Ultimate 2 Week Norway Road Trip Itinerary Perfect For The Outdoor Lover
Photo Editing
Every photo in this article was edited with the help of my Minimal Preset Collection
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