Top 10 Fabulous Hikes and Peaks in Norway

Norway is a country that is famed in Europe for its awesome nature, beautiful fjords, and imposing mountains. In this list of the top 10 fabulous hikes and peaks in Norway, we will uncover the treks you should definitely add to your bucket list – some of them (such as Preikestolen) are quite popular, while the others are what one would call “off-the-beaten-path.” Are you ready for a new Norwegian adventure?

 

Trolltunga

Distance: 22 km (round trip)

Time: from 10 to 12 hours

Difficulty: strenuous.

The nearest town: Odda.

Trolltunga, which in translation means “the troll’s tongue”, is a rock formation that is located around 1,100 meters above sea level. Even though this is, perhaps, one of the most popular hiking destinations in Norway, its popularity has shot up only recently. Actually, the place became a tourist hotspot after one hiker’s photo went viral on social media.

So, Trolltunga is situated in the municipality of Odda, a small yet beautiful town in Hordaland county. And while the reward of a hike tends to be awesome, you should be fit well enough to reach Trolltunga. As you may well see, the hike’s difficulty is strenuous and it takes 10 to 12 hours to complete it. Yes, some sportsmen make a round-trip in 5 hours and less, but the average figures stick around the 10-to-12-hours figures. You can use the following link in order to find out how to prepare for Trolltunga.

How to get there. If you are willing to hike Trolltunga, the easiest way to reach it is to take a bus from Oslo or Bergen to Odda. Then, you can either start your way from this town (but it will make your journey even longer) or take a shuttle bus to Skjeggedal – that’s the place where the trek actually begins.

Extra tips. There are a few tips we would like to give you. First of all, we recommend you to start your hike in the very early morning (like 5:00 A.M. or 6:00 A.M.), as it will help you to avoid large queues and get better sunlight for your photos. If you enjoy camping, you may take a tent with a sleeping bag and stay overnight right next to Trolltunga – there are myriads of campers in the summer. You won’t be alone for sure.

 

Pulpit Rock

Distance: 8 km (round trip)

Time: from 3 to 5 hours

Difficulty: easy.

The nearest town: Tau.

Preikestolen (Prekestolen), which is also known as the Pulpit Rock, is a steep cliff overlooking Lysefjord in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Undoubtedly, this is also a major tourist attraction – the stream of tourists doesn’t seem to fade off even at night in the summer period. After Mission Impossible 6 with Tom Cruise had traveled to this site, the cliff’s popularity grew only stronger.

If you are worried about being fit enough for this hike, you can relax. The hike is extremely easy and even old people usually complete it without problems. There are steps throughout the way, so you can expect the hike to be well comfortable. The distance is short and the time you will spend hiking Pulpit Rock may be much shorter than the time we specified above.

How to get there. So, Stavanger is the nearest large city to Pulpit Rock. In order to reach Preikestolen from Stavanger, you should take a ferry to Tau and, from there, take a bus to Pulpit Rock. Then, that bus will take you right to the beginning of the trek. Keep in mind that the bus operates in both directions and every half an hour or so.

Tips. If you would like to stay overnight near Preikestolen, there is a lounge at the beginning of the trek. However, keep in mind that there is basically no place for pitching tents – the terrain in this area is pretty rugged.

 

Kjeragbolten

Distance: 12 km

Time: from 6 to 9 hours

Difficulty: strenuous.

The nearest town: Lysebotn.

Kjeragbolten, together with Trolltunga and Preikestolen, tend to be the most famous hiking destinations in Norway. Having said that, it is even more convenient that Kjeragbolten is located not that far from Stavanger – just like Pulpit Rock. This huge boulder stuck between the two cliffs and almost 1,000 meters over Lysefjord attracts thousands of visitors every year.

If you are going to hike Kjeragbolten, you should heed the trek’s difficulty and be in a fit enough form. Simply put, the hike’s difficulty can easily be compared to the one of Trolltunga. Hiking Kjeragbolten is recommended only during the summer season.

How to get there. You can get to the Kjerag parking lot from Stavanger either by car or by bus.

Tips. You need to have the proper hiking gear for this hike: hiking shoes and raincoats are a must. Check the weather in advance to make sure it doesn’t turn nasty on your way back – it may be quite problematic to descend.

 

Galdhøppigen

Distance: 15 km

Time: from 6 to 8 hours from Juvasshytta

Difficulty: strenuous.

The nearest town: Lom.

Galdhøppigen hovers above Norway with its height of 2,469 meters and this makes it the tallest mountain not only in Norway, but in the entire Scandinavia. Located in the Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark, this mountain obviously has different hiking routes with varying degrees of difficulty. If you would like to climb it on your own and avoid dealing with the glacier, you may hike from Spiterstulen (which is, however, not the most popular route).

Most hikers tend to start the climb from Juvasshytta, a mountain tourist station with accommodation. However, climbing the mountain from this site means the necessity of passing the glacier – you need a qualified instructor and safety gear in order to pass it. Even though the glacier might seem completely harmless, huge crevasses are hidden below its thin snow layer of it.

How to get there. There are several bus companies that provide connections with this national park to different parts of Norway. Valdresekspressen has around 6 daily departures from Oslo and several daily departures from Gardermoen, the main airport of Oslo. Øst-VestXpressen allows you to reach Galdhøppigen from Bergen or Lillehammer, while Fjordekspressen (Nor-Way) makes it possible to reach this area from Trondheim or Bergen.

 

Gaustatoppen

Distance: 9 km (round trip)

Time: from 3 to 4 hours

Difficulty: easy.

The nearest town: Rjukan.

Gaustatoppen, which is located just some 180 kilometers away from Oslo, with a height of 1,883 meters is the highest mountain in Telemark. This imposing, magnificent mountain cannot be unnoticed in the small town of Rjukan in Telemark. But the reason why so many tourists tend to head to this mountain is pretty simple: you can see 1/6 of the entire country territory on a sunny day.

What makes this destination even more popular is the relative easiness of hiking this mountain – the round trip usually takes no more than 4 hours. On the top of the mountain, there is a small café where you can enjoy a coffee while enjoying the stunning views of Norwegian nature. If you don’t want to hike but simply wish to get to the top, there is the Gaustabanen service available to everyone – this cable car will get you to the top and bring you back within half an hour.

How to get there. As you can read above, Gaustatoppen is located in proximity to the Norwegian capital. Usually, the trek starts from the town of Rjukan. There are daily bus departures from Oslo, Skien, and Porsgrunn to Rjukan.

 

Segla

Distance: 5 km

Time: from 3 to 4 hours

Difficulty: strenuous.

The nearest town: Fjordgård.

Segla appears to be a fantastic cliff, located on the island of Senja, right between the Lofoten Islands and Tromsø, the “northern capital” of Norway. The mount itself looks gorgeous, but the views from the top of it are simply stunning and breathtaking. Right from the top, you can enjoy the scenery of the entire Senja island – the view is truly stunning on a sunny day.

Even though the hike is pretty fast and the majority of trekkers complete it in 4 hours, hiking this mountain is rather a tough choice. The climb itself is quite steep, and you should be fit well enough to hike Segla. But as soon as you reach the top, you will find the views to be extremely rewarding.

How to get there. The closest large city to Segla is Tromsø. From Tromsø, you should take a ferry to Lysne’s kai and, then, either drive to the parking lot near Senja Montessoriskole on your own or take the public transport (bus No. 370 from Lysne’s kai to Fjordgård).

 

Romsdalseggen Ridge

Distance: 11 km

Time: from 8 to 9 hours

Difficulty: strenuous.

The nearest town: Åndalsnes.

Rated as the world’s most scenic hike by Lonely Planet, a travel book publisher, in 2011, Romsdalseggen Ridge still tends to be an off-the-beaten-path hike. Currently, the more famous Trolltunga or Kjeragbolten attract thousand times tourists more than this spectacular ridge.

Despite its relatively short distance (twice as short as the distance of the Trolltunga hike), the hike is extremely strenuous and you can expect your knees to ache the next day. The time you will spend on this trek is around the time you would spend hiking Trolltunga, which is caused by the extreme uphill route.

If you would like to experience an awesome hike with the least number of tourists in Norway, this is the place to go. Multiple clothing layers, good trekking shoes, and raincoats are a must – the weather may turn nasty pretty quickly in this region.

How to get there. The nearest large city to Romsdalseggen Ridge is Alesund. You can take a bus from Alesund to Åndalsnes. Then, there is a daily bus (leaves at 9:30 A.M.) that operates between 30 June and 30 September and takes hikers from the Åndalsnes bus station to the start of the hike. The schedule of the bus may change, depending on the weather.

 

Ryten

Distance: 9 km (round trip)

Time: 3 to 4 hours

Difficulty: easy.

The nearest town: Fredvang.

Ryten is an awesome easy hike on the island of Moskenesøya, which is a part of Lofoten Island. This is another “less popular” hike among the ones mentioned in this article. Most hikers tend to reach the top within 3 or 4 hours, and they get to observe the sweeping vistas of Kvalvika Beach as a reward. There is also the “mini Trolltunga” cliff, which makes it a perfect spot for Instagrammers.

Currently, there are two routes to Ryten, which is located near the town of Fredvang. The first is the direct route from the parking lot, which is considered to be the easier option. But you can also hike Ryten via Kvalvika Beach – expect the hike to become steep and rocky closer to the summit.

How to get there. The easiest way is to reach the parking lot or Kvalvika Beach by car. In terms of public transport, there is only one daily bus from Fredvang to Kvalvika Beach – be prepared to stay camping overnight.

Tips. Around the mount top, there is some flat area where hikers may pitch several tents – a great option if you can’t make it down on time.

 

Reinebringen

Distance: 3 km

Time: from 2 to 3 hours

Difficulty: challenging.

The nearest town: Reine.

The Reinebringen hike is another popular trek on the island of Moskenesøya, the Lofoten Islands. This hike offers stunning vistas over the fishing villages of Hamnøy, Sakrisøy, and Reine. Yet, you should keep in mind that this is currently the most popular trek on Lofoten Island – if you would like to hike without many tourists around you, that’s not the place to go.

Despite Reinebringen’s popularity and short hiking distance, there are a few snags. Firstly, the hike is really tough, the climb is rocky and may even be extremely slippery when it’s raining. Secondly, the growing popularity of this hike causes all sorts of accidents – stones and rocks are not solid enough here, which sometimes causes them to fall and injure trekkers.

How to get there. The easiest way to reach Reinebringen would, indeed, be to drive your car to the parking lot near the starting point of the trek. You can also take a bus from the town of Leknes to Reinevågen: the trip takes slightly more than an hour and costs from 95 to 120 NOK. Currently, there are 4 daily departures from Leknes.

Tips. There are several worthy places to pitch a tent along the ridge, but you may find all of them occupied during the summer season. Keep in mind that there are no water sources closer to the top – make sure to bring enough drinking water.

 

Måtind

Distance: 8 km

Time: from 3 to 4 hours

Difficulty: moderate

The nearest town: Stave and Bleik.

This relatively easy hike to Måtind concludes our list of the top 10 fabulous hikes and peaks in Norway. Situated on the Vesteralen islands of northern Norway, this awesome trek provides you with fantastic vistas of the coastline on a sunny day. Moreover, it takes just some 3 to 4 hours to complete this hike.

Some adventurers opt for the Stave – Bleik Coastal Trail, which starts in the town of Stave and leads along the coastline to the town of Bleik while offering awesome views of the Norwegian Sea. There are very few trekkers who dare to reach these places, and nature is pretty awesome around here. You can even expect to observe the whales in the sea.

How to get there. You should take a ferry from the Lofoten Islands or Tromsø to Andenes. Then, drive around 17 km from Andenes to the parking lot near Måtinden, which is also the start of the hike.

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