It’s no secret that the Hardanger area right here in Norway is sort of a picture-perfect postcard. Each nook you flip actually has you feasting your eyes upon one other breathtaking waterfall, camp spot or mountain climbing path with a few of Norway’s highest tucked away right here.
My 3 days exploring Hardanger have been a few of my favourites on my 10-day Western Norway street journey itinerary and I’m excited to delve a little bit deeper into simply how a lot journey is on supply on this Hardanger journey information.
Assume bucket record hikes, world-class cider (this was a shock for me too!), once-in-a-lifetime campervan pull-ups and views for days. Severely, this space of Norway is beautiful and also you’ll wish to spend a superb few days right here, a minimum of.
This Hardanger information covers every little thing it’s essential know when visiting this space. From epic hikes and waterfall suggestions to the perfect locations to eat and drink, plus campervan stopovers. Whether or not you’re exploring by automobile, campervan, or ferry, that is your go-to useful resource for the perfect issues to do in Hardanger.
P.S. In the event you’re planning a street journey via Western Norway, I’d extremely suggest my Norway Google Map for all of my actual Google Pins and proposals for all times on the street.
Let’s tuck in, lets?
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the perfect locations to eat, drink, chill out and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your machine and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
The place is Hardanger?
You could have come throughout the Hardanger area earlier than when researching Trolltunga, some of the photographed rock formations on this planet, and one among Norway’s hottest mountain climbing routes. It’s situated right here in Hardanger!
Positioned only a brief drive southeast of Bergen (round 1 hour drive time), Hardanger is a shocking area in western Norway and is residence to the well-known Hardangerfjord (the nation’s second-longest fjord, stretching 179 kilometres).
It is a vacation spot the place Norway’s pure magnificence takes centre stage and you might be met with an abundance of cascading waterfalls, mountainous panoramas, oh and an informal thriving cider manufacturing.
The Hardanger area has some beautiful fjord arms to discover while on the bottom, together with:
- Sørfjorden – Lined with apple orchards, charming villages, and iconic mountain climbing trails like Trolltunga.
- Eidfjorden – The gateway to Hardangervidda Nationwide Park, that includes Vøringsfossen, one among Norway’s strongest waterfalls.
- Ulvikfjord – Identified for its cider farms and tranquil boat journeys.
- Granvinfjord – Surrounded by lush forests and historic websites.
Journey tip:
Have some native foreign money in your pocket and preserve an eye fixed out for fruit stands on the aspect of the street. This area presents a number of the finest, freshest apples you will get your arms on!
Find out how to Get to Hardanger
- From Bergen: A brief drive of simply over an hour (relying on site visitors) through the E16 and Route 7 brings you on to the fjord.
- From Oslo: Round a 5-hour drive alongside Route 7.
- Public Transport: There are buses that join Bergen and Oslo to varied factors within the Hardanger area. See extra right here and plan your journey.
Finest Time to Go to Hardanger
Whereas Hardanger is a shocking place to go to year-round, the months of Might to September supply probably the most beneficial climate for out of doors actions. That is thought of the height season for a summer time street journey/mountain climbing journey.
While Norway continues to be beautiful within the rain and the waterfalls develop into insanely plentiful with the extra water gushing down them, the views and the enjoyment of the hikes right here in Norway peak on these clearer, sunnier days.
One of the best time to go to Hardanger will depend on your priorities!
We visited on the finish of August and have been unlucky to have 3 days of rain to start out the journey. They hadn’t had any rain for 4 weeks prior! We didn’t wish to do the total Trolltunga day hike within the rain and so we hung round Hargandger for a few additional days till the skies cleared.
A silver lining often because this Hardanger journey information was born from that additional time we needed to discover! We did some profitable fishing, discovered shorter hikes, foraged Porcini mushrooms and frolicked studying our books with a view on the fjord entrance.
Watch our street journey come to life on this Norway vlog:
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the perfect locations to eat, drink, chill out and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your machine and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
1. Day hike to Trolltunga
This one has obtained to be up there on the prime of the perfect issues to do in Hardanger. That is one among Norway’s most iconic hikes, Trolltunga (the “Troll’s Tongue”) and other people come from everywhere in the world to expertise it.
The Trolltunga hike presents a difficult trek and sometimes takes 10-12 hours to finish the spherical journey. The space provides as much as about 22 km (14 miles) in whole however your whole strolling distance truly will depend on the place you stroll from (there are just a few beginning factors). In the event you’re doing this hike as a part of your street journey and you’ve got a motorhome, your solely choice for parking is P1 – Tyssedal. If in case you have a automobile you may head as much as P2 – Skjeggedal.
Right here’s what I learnt and didn’t know beforehand for those who’re coming by campervan:
- You’ll have to park at P1 (NOK 300 for the day, no in a single day sleeping allowed)
- You’ll then have to guide a return ticket on the shuttle bus to P2 (NOK 200) – guide right here
- From P2 you may both stroll (4km steep uphill) or get one other shuttle bus as much as P3 for NOK 150 (the place the hike begins)
The remainder of it’s then free and straightforward to comply with and the view from the Troll’s Tongue (the rock jutting out 700 meters above Ringedalsvatnet Lake) is price each step and penny!
It value us just below £100 for the 2 of us with all prices thought of! Sure it appears steep however they’ve an excellent operation working right here for the quantity of tourism it attracts and it was a fairly seamless expertise!
Attention-grabbing reality
Trolltunga was fashioned over the past Ice Age, round 10,000 years in the past!
2. Discover Folgefonna Nationwide Park
Dwelling to the Folgefonna Glacier (Norway’s third-largest glacier, overlaying 168 sq. kilometres), Folgefonna Nationwide Park presents guided glacier hikes appropriate for numerous ability ranges. Dive into the glacier’s historical past and witness the mesmerising blue ice formations beneath the wing of a educated native information for a as soon as in a lifetime journey!
P.s. For snowboarding fanatics, the Fonna Glacier Ski Resort offers summer time snowboarding alternatives with spectacular fjord views.
Study extra about guided glacier hikes.
3. Drive alongside the Hardanger Norwegian Scenic Route in daylight
Norway has just a few notable Scenic Routes unfold throughout the nation and the Hardanger Norwegian Scenic Route is one among them.
Actually, simply driving alongside the street that wraps round this fjord is among the finest and most stunning issues to do right here.
The Norwegian Scenic Route Hardanger consists of 4 notable sections: Granvin – Steinsdalsfossen, Norheimsund – Tørvikbygd, Jondal – Utne, and Kinsarvik – Låtefoss.
We travelled from Bergen to Odda and coated the Låtefoss – Kinsarvik part of the route and it was STUNNING.
Tip: Be sure to drive this half within the day time to absorb the insane surroundings.
4. Låtefossen
I informed you the waterfalls are EPIC when it rains, didn’t i?
Låtefossen is a waterfall situated simply 20 minutes from Odda (the primary city within the area) so is a superb addition to your street journey for those who’re passing via.
Near the street (making for a fast and straightforward cease off) and main via the slender Oddadalen valley, the dual cascades of Låtefossen waterfall plunge down the mountainside and might be each seen and photographed from the bridge.
There are some picnic benches right here ought to the climate allow to get pleasure from your lunch outdoors with a view!
5. Go to Heit Sørfjorden Sauna
Fjordfront saunas are my new favorite factor and the obsession began proper right here in Hardanger. A floating sauna with panoramic fjord views?!? Severely, you can’t beat it.
In the event you’re seeking to chill out and rejuvenate (possibly after doing one of many hikes), guide your self into Heit Sauna, situated in Sørfjorden, and alternate warmth remedy with some icy fjord plunges!
E-book your sauna expertise right here.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the perfect locations to eat, drink, chill out and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your machine and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
6. Floy Cafe & Bakery
A extremely beneficial cease for espresso lovers and pastry-obsessed people.
Floy Cafe & Bakery opens between the summer time months of Might to September and serves up freshly baked items and native treats on the fjordside. We had deliberate to go after our Trolltunga hike however we didn’t make it in time earlier than they closed – I used to be gutted!
They’re open Tues – Sunday 09:00 – 16:00 so you’ll want to time it with when they’re open and style the buns for me!!!
They’re identified right here for his or her conventional Norwegian “Skillingsboller”—a scrumptious cinnamon bun right here so I’m going to recommend selecting up a pair as you drive via pre or post-hike!
7. Style the native cider at Lofthus Sideri
I had no concept that Hardanger was residence to a world-class cider area! We have been truly en route to start out a hike in Lofthus and observed the highly effective attract of the shiny pink apples on the aspect of the street as we have been driving.
We observed the Lofthus Sideri signal and vowed to cease off after the hike to style the magic.
This ended up being one among my favorite, sudden experiences in Norway. We tasted a wide range of Norwegian cider at Lofthus Sideri studying concerning the apple-growing heritage of Hardanger which dates again to the thirteenth century!
Oh and also you get to style the unbelievable apple cider or apple juice with a view over the fjord! Simply one other insane view right here in Norway and positively among the best issues to do in Hardanger.
8. Queen Sonja’s Panoramic Climbing Path
Named after Norway’s Queen Sonja, an avid hiker, this route was beneficial to me by just a few buddies as an extremely scenic path. There are insane views over the Sørfjorden throughout the whole hike so for those who’re searching for a day hike that boasts the perfect views on the town, second to Trolltunga – I reckon that is it.
This path goes for 16 kilometres and takes round 6-9 hours to finish ranging from Kinsarvik and ending in Lofthus (or vice versa).
View the total route particulars.
9. Go to Vøringsfossen Waterfall
Certainly one of Norway’s most famous waterfalls and the perfect issues to do in Hardanger is Vøringsfossen.
Boasting a free fall of 182 meters and simply accessible from the Norwegian Scenic Route Hardangervidda, guests can get pleasure from a number of viewing platforms providing completely different views and picture alternatives throughout this pure magnificence!
A footbridge was truly constructed over the waterfall in 2020, permitting you to get even nearer to the motion!
10. Hike as much as the Hovden cabin
On one among our wet days, pre-Trolltunga, we zoomed in on Google Maps to discover a comparatively brief hike we may do. Consider it like a Trolltunga warm-up.
We drove to Lofthus (go to the bakery earlier than!) and walked the path up via the forest following indicators to the Hovden Cabin for what we discovered to have insane views throughout Sognefjord.
We weren’t fairly anticipating what we arrived to if I’m trustworthy. A free public cabin with bathrooms, books, a hearth, blankets and sheltered seating?!?
It was in completely impeccable situation and we have been the one ones up there! Our jaws dropped to the ground as we sat to benefit from the view and signed the guestbook.
Such a shocking piece of structure. We have been dumbfounded by the mutual respect that was evident between hikers and the federal government offering these amenities. So stunning to witness.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the perfect locations to eat, drink, chill out and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your machine and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
Campervan Suggestions & Finest Stopovers
Hardanger is a improbable cease on a Western Fjords campervan itinerary, providing loads of campsites and well-equipped areas to park up for the evening. Bear in mind, Norway’s Proper to Roam (Allemannsretten) coverage permits for accountable wild tenting in nature, making it a dream vacation spot for these searching for a wild tenting expertise!
Odda: The right place to top off, replenish and cease over
Odda is a major hub for these travelling by campervan. Most individuals we met have been staying there and it appears the preferred choice for these travelling by motorhome and wanting to go to Trolltunga.
This small however outfitted city presents a number of campsites with important amenities, together with showers, laundry, and kitchen areas. There’s additionally a waste drop-off and freshwater fill-up for those who’re seeking to refresh your motorhome!
Odda additionally has your entire supermarkets and out of doors gear retailers to top off on provides and extra clothes/equipment wanted earlier than heading to Trolltunga or different close by hikes.
FAQ: Every thing You Must Know About Hardanger
How lengthy ought to I spend in Hardanger?
3-5 days is good to get the details of curiosity in and get an actual various style of what’s on supply right here, however it will depend on what number of hikes you wish to do!
What’s the easiest way to get round Hardanger?
A automobile or campervan is probably the most handy and versatile choice for exploring this beautiful space, although ferries and buses join key areas and it’s doable.
Can I go to Hardanger on a day journey from Bergen?
Sure, however an in a single day keep is beneficial to completely admire the area.
Is the Trolltunga hike laborious?
It’s not an EASY hike however it’s not superior by any means. It requires a mean stage of bodily health, for those who can, do a few warm-up hikes and ensure you have comfortable strolling boots or trainers with you. You wish to ensure you depart sufficient time to get there and again earlier than darkish.
So long as you begin early, you could have time to tempo it. The shuttles begin from dawn so if unsure, begin as early as you may to take the strain off!
Have you ever been to Hardanger?
What are the perfect issues to do in Hardanger in your opinion? Something you’d add to this Hardanger bucket record?
Love as all the time and blissful adventuring…
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the perfect locations to eat, drink, chill out and discover within the space. You merely open the Google Map in your machine and all my pins are on the contact of your fingertips.
