The best of Norway

Your adventure begins in Hirtshals, at the northern tip of Denmark. In the evening you drive onto the night ferry to Stavanger. You sleep in your own cabin and wake up on the Norwegian coast.

From the harbour it’s less than an hour’s drive to the Lysefjord. On the way you head into the Ryfylke Tunnel, the longest and deepest undersea road tunnel in the world. Then one of Norway’s best-known hikes awaits: the trek to Preikestolen, the rock plateau that towers 600 metres straight above the Lysefjord. Allow about two hours there and two hours back.

• Night ferry from Hirtshals to Stavanger, with your own cabin
• Through the Ryfylke Tunnel, 292 metres below sea level
• Hike to Preikestolen

Preikestolen BaseCamp lies right at the start of the hiking trail, on Lake Revsvatnet. After your hike you can recover in one of the floating saunas here, or hire a canoe and head out onto the lake. From the restaurant you look straight out over the water.

Today you follow the National Tourist Route Ryfylke, past fjords, waterfalls and bare mountainsides. Stop at Svandalsfossen, where you climb stairs alongside the falling water, and at Allmannajuvet, an old zinc mine with buildings by architect Peter Zumthor. Just before Odda, the twin waterfall Låtefossen thunders down right next to the road.

The next day you have plenty of time for the area around Odda. For the really tough, there’s Trolltunga: a hike of 10 to 12 hours, but then you’re standing at one of the best-known spots in Norway. Want to take it easier? Then walk to the Buarbreen glacier tongue, an arm of the Folgefonna glacier.

• National Tourist Route Ryfylke
• The Svandalsfossen and Låtefossen waterfalls
• Trolltunga or the Buarbreen glacier

You stay two nights at Kinsarvik Camping, right on the Hardangerfjord. From most of the cabins you look straight out over the water.

From Kinsarvik it’s only an hour’s drive to Voss, so you have plenty of time for a detour. For example, first drive via Eidfjord into Måbødalen, to Vøringsfossen. This waterfall plunges 182 metres down.

Voss is the place for adventurers, but it’s also a wonderful place to unwind. Take the gondola up Hanguren for a sweeping view over the lake and the mountains, or go for a walk in the countryside around the village. And don’t miss Tvindefossen: here the water tumbles down in tiers, so close that you can feel the spray on your face.

• Detour to Vøringsfossen
• By gondola up Hanguren
• Tvindefossen

Fleischer’s Hotel is a historic Swiss-style hotel from 1889, with wooden turrets, on Lake Vangsvatnet. Kaiser Wilhelm II and Edvard Grieg stayed here. After a day of counting waterfalls, you can relax in the swimming pool, the hot tub or the sauna.

In just over an hour you drive to Aurland, on the Aurlandsfjord, a narrow arm of the Sognefjord. From the village, take the mountain road up to Stegastein: a viewing platform that juts out 30 metres over the edge, 650 metres above the fjord. Still have time to spare? Then follow the road further over Aurlandsfjellet, the ‘Snow Road’ that is only open in summer and takes you past lakes and snowfields.

• Stegastein viewpoint
• The Snow Road over Aurlandsfjellet (open roughly from June to mid-October)

You spend a night at Fjord Resort, in the heart of Aurland, overlooking the fjord.

Today you drive north, towards the Nordfjord. A long drive, but what a drive: through the Lærdal Tunnel, at almost 25 kilometres the longest road tunnel in the world, and along the Sognefjord.

Loen lies at the end of the Nordfjord, surrounded by steep mountains and glaciers. And you can see that in the water. Lake Lovatnet has a colour you can hardly believe: a milky turquoise, fed by meltwater from the glacier. In photos it looks edited; in real life it’s even more beautiful.

Drive along the lake to Kjenndalsbreen, a glacier tongue you can admire up close. Prefer to head up high? The Loen Skylift takes you to more than 1,000 metres in just a few minutes, with the fjord at your feet. At the top you can go hiking, or simply enjoy the view with a cup of coffee.

• The turquoise Lake Lovatnet and the Kjenndalsbreen glacier
• Loen Skylift to the top of Hoven
• The Briksdalsbreen glacier in neighbouring Oldedalen

You stay two nights in an apartment at Lodgen Stryn, in the centre of Stryn, about ten minutes from Loen. You’re free to use the sauna and the hot tub, and in the evening you can cook outdoors or sit by the fire.

From Stryn you drive almost two hours to the coast, to the fishing town of Måløy. Here Norway becomes rougher and wilder. About ten kilometres from the town stands Kannesteinen, a rock the sea has carved into the shape of a wave. And from Vestkapp, almost 500 metres above the sea, you look out over the North Sea as far as the eye can see.

• The wave-shaped rock Kannesteinen
• The view from Vestkapp

You stay two nights at Thon Hotel Måløy, right in the centre of the town.

Runde is home to around 150 people and about 100,000 birds. The island is one of the best places in Norway to see puffins, and yes, they’re even funnier in real life than in photos. Bridges and tunnels take you straight onto the island, so there’s no need to take a boat.

Runde is small, but you won’t be bored for a moment. Hike to the bird cliffs, look out for seals and sea eagles, or get into a kayak. Fancy a bit of adventure? Then try coasteering: climbing, scrambling and jumping along the rocky coast. And did you know that a Dutch gold treasure was once found here? In the museum on the island you’ll hear the whole story, with a bowl of fresh fish soup to go with it.

• Puffin spotting (from April to late July)
• Hiking to the bird cliffs

On Runde you spend two nights in a cottage from Opplev Runde, close to the harbour and with a sea view. Bed linen and final cleaning are included.

Åndalsnes isn’t called the mountain sports capital of Norway for nothing. The village lies deep in Romsdalen, surrounded by peaks that almost make you crick your neck. How many summits can you count?

You don’t have to be a mountaineer to enjoy the heights here. The gondola takes you above the fjord in a few minutes, and via the stone steps of Romsdalstrappa you walk to the Rampestreken viewpoint in about an hour and a half. If you’re a keen hiker, Romsdalseggen awaits: one of the most beautiful mountain hikes in the country. And if you dare, drive up the hairpin bends of Trollstigen, one of Norway’s most famous roads.

• Rampestreken viewpoint and the Romsdalen Gondola
• Hike along Romsdalseggen
• Trollstigen

You stay three nights at Trollveggen Camping, about ten kilometres from Åndalsnes, at the foot of Trollveggen: at around 1,000 metres, the highest vertical rock face in Europe. From the campsite you can walk along the river Rauma to the Eiafossen waterfall.

Today you swap the fjords for the mountains of Jotunheimen, the roof of Norway. You’re staying at a husky farm, so get to know your new furry friends: help with feeding, take them for a walk or go for a ride.

Jotunheimen is a paradise for hikers. The most famous hike is Besseggen: you take the boat across Lake Gjende to Memurubu and walk back along the narrow ridge, with the green Gjende on one side and the blue Bessvatnet on the other. Allow 6 to 8 hours. Prefer to head into the mountains by car? Then drive over Sognefjellet, at 1,434 metres the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe.

• Meeting the huskies
• Besseggen hike
• Mountain road over Sognefjellet

You stay two nights in an apartment with a kitchen and terrace at Jotunheimen Husky Lodge in Sjodalen.

A quiet day in Sjodalen. Your accommodation is on the river Sjoa, about twenty kilometres from Gjende. Walk the fairy-tale trail through Sagaskogen, or head into the mountains once more for a final hike in Jotunheimen.

You spend a night in a cottage at Sjodalen Hyttetun, by the river. You dine in the restaurant under a dome with a grass roof.

Today you drive from the mountains to the capital. Take the route over Valdresflye, a high plateau full of lakes with views of the peaks of Jotunheimen, and then gradually return to civilisation.

In Oslo you end the trip with culture and great food. Walk across the roof of the Opera House, see The Scream at the MUNCH museum and stroll through Vigeland Park, with more than 200 sculptures. On the Bygdøy peninsula you’ll find the polar ship Fram and the Kon-Tiki raft.

• National Tourist Route Valdresflye
• The Opera House and the MUNCH museum
• Vigeland Park

You stay two nights at Clarion Hotel The Hub, two minutes’ walk from the central station. With 810 rooms it’s the largest hotel in Norway, with a swimming pool, saunas and a roof garden.

Today your round trip comes to an end. In Oslo you drive onto the ferry back to Kiel or Copenhagen. Enjoy the view one last time as you sail out of the Oslofjord.

Instead of Måløy, you can also stay at Knutholmen in Kalvåg: an old fishing village full of rorbuer on the water, with a maritime restaurant.

Want to wake up right on Lake Lovatnet? Then instead of Lodgen Stryn, choose a cabin at Sande Camping, with a sauna on the lake and its own little beach.

Instead of from Oslo, you can also sail back to Hirtshals from Larvik. With the fast ferry you’ll be back in Denmark in about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

By arrangement, all accommodation can be upgraded to more luxurious rooms or other places to stay.