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 mountaineering path with a few of Norway’s best possible tucked away right here.
My 3 days exploring Hardanger had been a few of my favourites on my 10-day Western Norway street journey itinerary and I’m excited to delve somewhat deeper into simply how a lot journey is on supply on this Hardanger journey information.
Suppose 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 gorgeous and also you’ll wish to spend a great few days right here, not less than.
This Hardanger information covers all the pieces you want to know when visiting this space. From epic hikes and waterfall suggestions to the very best 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 very best issues to do in Hardanger.
P.S. Should you’re planning a street journey by Western Norway, I’d extremely suggest my Norway Google Map for all of my precise 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 very best locations to eat, drink, calm down 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 will have come throughout the Hardanger area earlier than when researching Trolltunga, one of the crucial photographed rock formations on the planet, and one in every of Norway’s hottest mountaineering routes. It’s situated right here in Hardanger!
Situated only a quick drive southeast of Bergen (round 1 hour drive time), Hardanger is a shocking area in western Norway and is house to the well-known Hardangerfjord (the nation’s second-longest fjord, stretching 179 kilometres).
This can be 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 gorgeous fjord arms to discover while on the bottom, together with:
- Sørfjorden – Lined with apple orchards, charming villages, and iconic mountaineering trails like Trolltunga.
- Eidfjorden – The gateway to Hardangervidda Nationwide Park, that includes Vøringsfossen, one in every of Norway’s strongest waterfalls.
- Ulvikfjord – Recognized 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 maintain an eye fixed out for fruit stands on the facet of the street. This area affords among the greatest, freshest apples you may get your palms on!
Get to Hardanger
- From Bergen: A brief drive of simply over an hour (relying on visitors) by way of 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 Could to September supply probably the most beneficial climate for outside actions. That is thought-about the height season for a summer season street journey/mountaineering journey.
While Norway continues to be gorgeous within the rain and the waterfalls change into insanely considerable 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.
The very best time to go to Hardanger is determined by your priorities!
We visited on the finish of August and had been unlucky to have 3 days of rain to begin the journey. They hadn’t had any rain for 4 weeks prior! We didn’t wish to do the complete Trolltunga day hike within the rain and so we hung round Hargandger for a few further days till the skies cleared.
A silver lining often because this Hardanger journey information was born from that further time we needed to discover! We did some profitable fishing, discovered shorter hikes, foraged Porcini mushrooms and hung out 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 very best locations to eat, drink, calm down 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 bought to be up there on the high of the very best issues to do in Hardanger. That is one in every of Norway’s most iconic hikes, Trolltunga (the “Troll’s Tongue”) and folks come from everywhere in the world to expertise it.
The Trolltunga hike affords a difficult trek and sometimes takes 10-12 hours to finish the spherical journey. The gap provides as much as about 22 km (14 miles) in whole however your whole strolling distance really is determined by the place you stroll from (there are just a few beginning factors). Should 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. When you’ve got a automobile you’ll be able to head as much as P2 – Skjeggedal.
Right here’s what I learnt and didn’t know beforehand should you’re coming by campervan:
- You’ll must park at P1 (NOK 300 for the day, no in a single day sleeping allowed)
- You’ll then must e-book a return ticket on the shuttle bus to P2 (NOK 200) – e-book right here
- From P2 you’ll be able to 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 price us just below £100 for the 2 of us with all prices thought-about! 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!
Fascinating reality
Trolltunga was shaped over the past Ice Age, round 10,000 years in the past!
2. Discover Folgefonna Nationwide Park
House to the Folgefonna Glacier (Norway’s third-largest glacier, protecting 168 sq. kilometres), Folgefonna Nationwide Park affords guided glacier hikes appropriate for varied ability ranges. Dive into the glacier’s historical past and witness the mesmerising blue ice formations below the wing of a educated native information for a as soon as in a lifetime journey!
P.s. For snowboarding fans, the Fonna Glacier Ski Resort offers summer season snowboarding alternatives with spectacular fjord views.
Be taught 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 in every of them.
Truthfully, simply driving alongside the street that wraps round this fjord is likely one of the greatest 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 lined the Låtefoss – Kinsarvik part of the route and it was STUNNING.
Tip: Ensure you drive this half within the day time to take in the insane surroundings.
4. Låtefossen
I advised 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 should you’re passing by.
Near the street (making for a fast and straightforward cease off) and main by the slim Oddadalen valley, the dual cascades of Låtefossen waterfall plunge down the mountainside and may be each seen and photographed from the bridge.
There are some picnic benches right here ought to the climate allow to take pleasure in your lunch exterior 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 not beat it.
Should you’re trying to calm down and rejuvenate (perhaps after doing one of many hikes), e-book 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 very best locations to eat, drink, calm down 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 season months of Could 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 remember to time it with when they’re open and style the buns for me!!!
They’re recognized 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 by pre or post-hike!
7. Style the native cider at Lofthus Sideri
I had no concept that Hardanger was house to a world-class cider area! We had been really en route to begin a hike in Lofthus and observed the highly effective attract of the shiny crimson apples on the facet of the street as we had 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 in every of my favorite, surprising experiences in Norway. We tasted a wide range of Norwegian cider at Lofthus Sideri studying in regards to the apple-growing heritage of Hardanger which dates again to the thirteenth century!
Oh and also you get to style the unimaginable apple cider or apple juice with a view over the fjord! Simply one other insane view right here in Norway and undoubtedly top-of-the-line issues to do in Hardanger.
8. Queen Sonja’s Panoramic Mountain 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 your complete hike so should you’re in search of a day hike that boasts the very best 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 complete route particulars.
9. Go to Vøringsfossen Waterfall
Considered one of Norway’s most famous waterfalls and the very best 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 take pleasure in a number of viewing platforms providing totally different views and picture alternatives throughout this pure magnificence!
A footbridge was really 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 in every of our wet days, pre-Trolltunga, we zoomed in on Google Maps to discover a comparatively quick hike we might do. Consider it like a Trolltunga warm-up.
We drove to Lofthus (go to the bakery earlier than!) and walked the path up by 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 bogs, books, a hearth, blankets and sheltered seating?!?
It was in completely impeccable situation and we had 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 had been dumbfounded by the mutual respect that was evident between hikers and the federal government offering these services. So stunning to witness.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the very best locations to eat, drink, calm down 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 unbelievable cease on a Western Fjords campervan itinerary, providing loads of campsites and well-equipped areas to park up for the evening. Keep in mind, Norway’s Proper to Roam (Allemannsretten) coverage permits for accountable wild tenting in nature, making it a dream vacation spot for these in search of a wild tenting expertise!
Odda: The right place to replenish, replenish and cease over
Odda is a first-rate hub for these travelling by campervan. Most individuals we met had been staying there and it appears the preferred choice for these travelling by motorhome and wanting to go to Trolltunga.
This small however geared up city affords a number of campsites with important services, together with showers, laundry, and kitchen areas. There’s additionally a waste drop-off and freshwater fill-up should you’re trying to refresh your motorhome!
Odda additionally has all your supermarkets and outside gear outlets to replenish on provides and extra clothes/equipment wanted earlier than heading to Trolltunga or different close by hikes.
FAQ: All the things You Must Know About Hardanger
How lengthy ought to I spend in Hardanger?
3-5 days is right to get the details of curiosity in and get an actual numerous style of what’s on supply right here, nevertheless it is determined by what number of hikes you wish to do!
What’s one of the simplest ways to get round Hardanger?
A automobile or campervan is probably the most handy and versatile choice for exploring this gorgeous 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 totally respect the area.
Is the Trolltunga hike arduous?
It’s not an EASY hike nevertheless it’s not superior by any means. It requires a median degree of bodily health, should you can, do a few warm-up hikes and be sure you have cozy strolling boots or trainers with you. You wish to be sure you depart sufficient time to get there and again earlier than darkish.
So long as you begin early, you’ve got time to tempo it. The shuttles begin from dawn so if doubtful, begin as early as you’ll be able to to take the stress off!
Have you ever been to Hardanger?
What are the very best issues to do in Hardanger in your opinion? Something you’d add to this Hardanger bucket record?
Love as at all times and pleased adventuring…
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering the very best locations to eat, drink, calm down 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.
