If you ask us, putting one foot in front of another on a hiking trail is the best way to experience Norway. Hike along the jagged mountain peaks of the Lofoten Islands, the picture perfect fjords in southern Norway, and through some of the world’s most awe-inspiring landscapes. Stand on iconic Trolltunga and Pulpit Rock and even Kjeragbolten (if you dare!). Even journey to the far north for an unforgettable kayaking and hiking adventure in Svalbard. Here are 14 of the best hikes in Norway.
Norway is our favorite spot in the world to go hiking. Every time we hike a new trail we fall more in love with this beautiful country. We have done most of the hikes on this list but a few are still on our bucket list.
Get ready to be inspired…and have fun picking out which ones you would like to do!
Note: All hiking distances are round trip.
Best Hikes in Norway
#1 Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen)
Distance: 8 km (5 miles)
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Length of Time: 5 hours
See it on a map
The hike to Pulpit Rock is one of the most popular hikes in Norway. Its great views, relatively easy hiking trail, and convenient accessibility from the town of Stavanger is what makes this hike appealing to so many people.
Pulpit Rock
Pulpit Rock can be a very crowded place in the summer months.
If you are new to hiking, or if you are traveling with kids, this is a perfect first hike to do in Norway. And once you stand on top of Pulpit Rock and enjoy the amazing view over Lysefjord, you’ll be hungering for more.
LEARN MORE: How to Hike to Pulpit Rock
#2 Kjeragbolten
Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 6 to 8 hours
See it on a map
Hiking to Kjeragbolten, this giant boulder wedged between two cliffs, is our favorite hike of all time. Why? It’s not just because you get the chance to do something absolutely crazy, stepping out onto the boulder, it’s also because this hike is just downright fun. Do you dare?
Kjeragbolten | Best Hikes in Norway
LEARN MORE: How to Hike Kjeragbolten: The Complete Guide
#3 Segla
Distance: 5 km (3.1 miles)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 3 to 4 hours
See it on a map
Located in northern Norway on the island of Senja, this short hike is surprisingly tough. But, oh the view from the top! Your reward is breathtaking panoramic views of Mefjord and the nearby mountains. It is worth visiting Senja just to do this hike.
Segla
#4 Galdhøppigen
Distance: Varies depending on the route
Difficulty: Easy to extreme
Length of Time: Varies
See it on a map
Galdhøppigen is the tallest mountain in Norway and northern Europe. To reach the summit there are several hiking trails to choose from. Some are strenuous climbs, some take you across glaciers, and some require having a guide. This is a hike that is still on our bucket list, and wouldn’t it be awesome to stand on the highest point in northern Europe?
#5 Romsdalseggen Ridge
Distance: 11 km (7 miles) point-to-point hike
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 8.5 hours
See it on a map
This is a point-to-point hike along the Romsdalseggen Ridge, a narrow ridge high above the fjords and the town of Åndalsnes. On a clear day, the views are unbeatable, and you can even see out to the Atlantic Ocean.
Some people say that this is the most beautiful hike in Norway. Come see for yourself!
Hiking Romsdalseggen Ridge
#6 Besseggen Ridge
Distance: 13.3 km (8.2 miles)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 6 to 8 hours
See it on a map
Located in Jotunheimen National Park, this trail offers stunning views of emerald lakes and alpine scenery. This is usually done as a point-to-point hike between Memurubu and Gjendesheim. Many people choose to take a ferry to Memurubu and then hike back to Gjendesheim from here.
#7 Ryten and Kvalvika Beach
Distance: 8.7 km (5.4 miles) round trip
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Length of Time: 3 to 5 hours
See it on a map
The hike to Ryten has all of the ingredients of a perfect Lofoten Islands hike: sweeping vistas across the mountains and fjords, a fun but slightly strenuous hike to a mountain peak, and a breathtaking view of a white, sandy beach. The icing on the cake is a “mini Trolltunga,” an outcropping of rock where you can get creative with your photos.
Ryten
Kvalvika Beach | Best Hikes in Norway
#8 Svolvaer Fløya and Svolvaergeita
Distance: 5 km (3.1 miles)
Difficulty: Moderate
Length of Time: 3 to 4 hours for the hike, 2 hours for Svolvaergeita
See it on a map
If you are looking for the ultimate adventure in the Lofoten Islands, consider this rock climbing and hiking experience.
Svolvaer is one of the largest towns in the Lofoten Islands. For the best view over the town (and one of the best views in the Lofoten Islands), you can hike to the top of Fløya.
Svolvaergeita, also called The Goat, is a pinnacle of rock that is very popular with rock climbers. It’s located on the slope of Fløya, so it is very easy to combine this rock climbing adventure with the Fløya hike.
Svolvaergeita
The view from Svolvaer Fløya | Best Hikes in Norway
If you are looking for a truly unforgettable travel adventure, put this on your list. And yes, you can do this if you are a beginner rock climber.
#9 Stetind
Distance: 10 km round trip (6.2 miles)
Difficulty: Challenging
Length of Time: 10 to 12 hours
See it on a map
This is another hiking and rock climbing adventure in northern Norway. Located in Nordland in northern Norway, Stetind is Norway’s national mountain. This giant granite obelisk is another popular spot for rock climbers. If you hire a guide you can do this if you are a beginner.
This is still on our bucket list. We didn’t have enough time to fit this in to our recent trip to northern Norway but that’s OK…we don’t mind going back again. 🙂
#10 Trolltunga
Distance: 28 km (17.4 miles) round trip
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 10 to 12 hours
See it on a map
This is an incredibly scenic hike, with phenomenal views out over lakes and snow-capped mountains. The hike ends at the Troll’s tongue, a thin sliver of rock perfect for creative photographs.
Trolltunga
In recent years, the popularity of this hike has skyrocketed. This is one of the busier trails in Norway. If you are looking for a quiet, tranquil experience, this hike may not be for you. However, posing for photos on Trolltunga is a blast, and that’s what makes this hike so famous.
#11 Reinebringen
Distance: 3 km (2 miles) round trip
Difficulty: Challenging
Length of Time: 3 hours
See it on a map
Reinebringen, with its dazzling view over the fishing villages of Reine, Sakrisøy, and Hamnøy, is the most popular hike in the Lofoten Islands.
It’s a hard, steep, challenging hike on muddy, rocky trails, so it’s not to be underestimated. Don’t let the short distance fool you…it’s a tough hike and you need to have a good level of physical fitness to do this.
Reinebringen
LEARN MORE: How to Hike Reinebringen on the Lofoten Islands
#12 Munken
Distance: 11 km
Difficulty: Strenuous
Length of Time: 6 to 8 hours
See it on a map
Located just around the bend from Reinebringen is another spectacular hike. This was on our to-do list while we were in the Lofoten Islands, but a solid day of rain kept us indoors.
This hike takes you through the stunning high mountain scenery of the Lofoten Islands. On a clear day, the views are unbelievable.
If you have a lot of stamina, or want to turn this into a two-day backpacking adventure, you can sleep or camp near Munkebu Hut and then continue on to Hermannsdalstind.
RELATED: 20 Best Day Hikes in the World
#13 Måtind and the Stave-Bleik Coastal Trail
Distance to Måtind: 7.6 km (4.7 miles) round trip to Måtind
Distance of the Coastal Trail: 9 km round trip
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Length of Time: 3 to 4 hours
See it on a map
This gorgeous hike is located on the Vesteralen islands of northern Norway. It’s a relatively easy hike and the views you get of the coastline are breathtaking. You can hike directly out to Måtind, the highest point on the hike and a spot that offers panoramic views, or you can hike the entire distance of the coastline.
Måtind | Best Hikes in Norway
#14 Hiorthfjellet
Hiking Distance: 8.7 km (5.4 miles) round trip
Kayaking Distance: 5.4 km (3.4 miles) round trip
Difficulty: Strenous
Length of Time: 11 hours
See it on a map
Hiorthfjellet is one of the tallest mountains on Svalbard. The hike to the top of the mountain is not technically challenging and this is a great way to experience Svalbard. Along the way, it is not unusual to see reindeer and arctic fox. And on a clear day, the view from the top of Hiorthfjellet offers stunning views over Longyearbyen and Adventfjord.
If you are feeling adventurous, you can combine this hike with a kayaking trip across Adventfjord for a full day adventure. It is an amazing day!
See Norway’s Best Hikes on a Map
Are you ready to start planning your trip to Norway? Which of these best hikes in Norway do you want to do? Comment below!
More Information for Your Trip to Norway:
10 DAYS IN THE FJORD REGION: On this 10 day itinerary through the fjord region, visit southern Norway: Bergen, Geirangerfjord, and Stavanger and hike Trolltunga, Pulpit Rock and Kjeragbolten.
NORTHERN NORWAY ITINERARY: On this 10 day Norway itinerary, road trip through Senja and the Vesteralen Islands, two beautiful off the beaten path destinations, and visit the Lofoten Islands.
LOFOTEN ISLANDS: For an overview of the best things to do, read our Lofoten Islands Top Ten List. Get lots of travel planning advice in our Lofoten Islands Itinerary. For advice on where to stay, read our Lofoten Islands Hotel Guide.
MORE GREAT HIKES IN EUROPE: From thrilling trails in the Alps to easy walks along the coast, read our article 20 Best Hikes in Europe for some beautiful hiking trails to put on your travel wish list.
Planning a trip to Norway? Read all of our articles in our Norway Travel Guide.
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Comments 16
Excelen information thank you very much
Oh Wow…these photos look incredible! I have always wanted to visit Norway. Great job on putting this together. If you have make it to Flores indonesia. Please look us up. Maika Komodo tour. Komodo National Park is a beautiful place as well! Crystal clear waters, and lush mountains. Hope to see you, if you visit
So many hikes yo put on my bucket list, thank you for this information
I am a local from the Trolltunga area. I just want to point out how trolltunga is in the border of the national park Hardangebida and some amount of people takes it from trolltunga to continue and aventurous hike inside the national park without knowing that they are severely damaging the biggest treasure of the park: the wild reindeer.
This animals are incredibly shy and flee several kilometers if they detect human presence, lately the park is having a growing influx of people witch limits a lot the roaming posibilities of the animals.
The tourist cabins Torehitta, Littlos and Sandhaug are particularly damaging because they provide access to the ancestral calving areas of the reindeer that stopped using then because of the amount of people going around.
So, if you want to go to trolltunga, go, enjoy the amazing views but please do not intern yourselves even more in the national park. We are all responsible of the effects of our holidays in the nature we all love so much.
If you desire to know about this issue do not doubt about writting ( I can provide links to the latest research on the affection of tourism in the reindeer habitad if somebody is curious)me and if you want extra information about the hike you can do it aswell!
Ander
Author
Hello Ander. Thank you for writing in with this. If you do have a link to an article that we can post on this guide that would be helpful. Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie and family,
I am looking at a couple of go-to places for July/Aug/September and although I am registered on your blog, your site came up in some additional research. After Tenerife and then 2 months in Nepal early next year, I am interested in Norway.
We don’t like to rush and have plenty of time, so would like to know of a good base for say 2 weeks to be able to undergo at least 8 or 9 hikes. Then we can move on to another area for 2 weeks (or more if needed).
Do you have any suggestions of a good base?
Regards
Jenni Lazarow
Lazarow World-Hikeabout
Author
Good choice with Norway! If you like hiking, you could spend all of your time in Norway, splitting your time between northern Norway/Lofoten Islands and southern Norway. We love Norway for hiking and the landscapes and it would be an incredible month. There are tons of hikes to do in and around the Lofoten Islands and Vesteralen. There are fewer hikes in southern Norway, but you could do some iconic ones like Trolltunga and Kjeragbolten. Another option is to spend two weeks in the Dolomites. The Dolomites are our favorite place to go hiking. It just depends if you want to take the travel time to get from the Lofoten Islands to Italy (Venice). But to me, a northern Norway (2 weeks) + Dolomites (2 weeks) trip would be epic. OR, spend all of your time in Norway on this trip, and on a future trip, do the Dolomites + the Swiss Alps. Cheers, Julie
Very good website! Pulpit rock is on my bucket list for sure. I travel all around south asia and try to help out with local companies that need it, but I hope to take a break and get to Norway. I have not been yet. It looks so amazing. Thank you for the inspiration and safe travel and enjoy the amazing hikes.
Great information. So many hikes to put on the bucket list. One of my favorites in Flores Indonesia and they have real rice field that looks like a spiderweb. So cool to see if you can ever make it out that way. You can see my photos on my name link
Author
Thanks for sharing! We would love to do that someday.
Beautiful photos. I’m trying to gauge weather and clothing based on your pictures. What month is this visit from? Sorry if you mentioned and I just missed it!
Author
We have visited Norway twice (so far). Both times were in the summer months. Some of these photos are from early July and others are from early August. Cheers, Julie
Your list is so helpful, thank you! Could you also advise which month is best for hiking?
Author
July and August are the best months for hiking because all of these trails will be open. Some trails are only open from mid-June through mid-September, without a guide. Cheers, Julie
Re.: The Besseggen hike.
I recommend hiking Besseggen from Gjendesheim to Memurubu. This is contrary to current advice.
From Memurubu, you will be climbing/walking up the egg with your face towards the ground in front of you. “Boring”
From Gjendesheim, you will be walking/jumping down the narrow egg, having a 300 degree panoramic view and the drop down to Gjende on your left . It makes the egg seem like a balancing act – but without adding any added “danger”.
Thank you for your excellent tales og hiking in my country.
Thormod
Author
Thanks for the tips! This is hike that is still on our bucket list (and hope to do it soon). I guess you can tell that we are huge fans of Norway…what a beautiful country you live in. Cheers, Julie