Do you want to combine some of the best winter activities we can offer, together with visits to remarkable places such as Jotunheimen, Filefjell, and the fjords? Then this is the one for you. On this week-long adventure, you get to go dogsledding, snowshoeing, winter kayaking, and also enjoy a beautiful fjord cruise. If that wasn't enough we can reveal that there are some hidden gems in there as well.
Highlights
- Stay in the authentic Bygdin Mountain Hotel, over 100 years of history.
- Learn how to mush your own team of dogs!
- Snowshoe on The Kings Road and learn about the Norwegian Trekking Association.
- Hike on the "Vindhellavegen" section of the King's Road, what some consider the most impressive part of the journey towards the Norwegian fjords.
- Paddle through the fjords on a winter kayak trip.
- Enjoy a spectacular fjord cruise on the UNESCO listed Nærøyfjord.
- Take the Flåm Railway (one of the most beautiful train rides in the world) to Myrdal, before ending up in either Oslo or Bergen.
Jotunheimen National Park is the perfect place for dogsledding and snowshoeing in the winter. During your stay, you will join the local dogsledders, or mushers as they are called, on their adventures. Not used to dogs? Don't worry. These dogs are very friendly! If the snow conditions are right, you can cover up to 40 kilometers in one day. While running, the dogs are silent, and mushing is simply a beautiful, quiet, and nature-friendly way of experiencing the Norwegian mountains during winter.
Our snowshoeing adventures will take us into the winter landscape of the Norwegian Mountains for a truly humbling and breath-taking experience. Our tour will be weather dependant, but no matter where we snowshoe, the mountains are grand and beautiful. On this tour, you will learn about local history, as well as snowshoe on the historical King's Road, the cultural heritage 100 km section of "road" from Oslo to Bergen, created in the 12th century. In addition to this, we will also do a winter kayak trip, and not to forget a snowshoe hike to Paradisjuvet, a hidden gem deep within the Norwegian fjords.
This tour takes us to family-owned accommodations and local communities in Norway to experience a typical small-town Norwegian lifestyle. Well-fed on traditional dishes served by local hosts, your winter holiday will give you the experience of a lifetime!
Physical level and risk
So that you can have a good experience, it is important that you choose a trip that suits your ability level. The scales for physical requirements and risk are general. Therefore, it is important that you read more about the difficulty of the specific trip under “Details”. This will help you to gain an understanding of the level required and the risks involved for each specific trip.
Read more about physical requirements and risk here.
Physical: 3
On these trips, some of the stages are demanding. On level 3 mountain hikes, there are often some long stages, and / or a demanding summit push where it can get cold. You must stand up to reach the goal, and have a good training basis and good health before departure. We sleep in tents and / or in cabins and hotels, but you do not have to have experience with tent life to participate. If the trip includes activities such as kayaking, cycling, climbing, glacier, skiing / mountaineering, it is an advantage to have experience with this activity. Read more about the grading on our trips here
Risk: 3
Activities / trips with some risk. Some incidents may occur, and they may be of such a nature that they require professional help. Read more about the grading on our trips here
What's included
- All accommodations
- All meals
- Professional nature guide
- Transport within itinerary
See more of what's included under the "details" tab
Contact
Questions about the trip? Don't hesitate to contact our project leader below, or contact our office here.
Eirik B. Zwart-Nilsen
eirik@hvitserk.com +47 23213080
Details
Difficulty
Level 2 out of 6. Please read more about our level of difficulty here. You do not need to have snowshoe or dogsledding experience to join this trip.
What to bring?
Have a look at the full equipment list by clicking "Equipment list" in the menu above. You can leave your luggage in the car or at the accommodation each day, so when doing the different activities, you only have to carry what you need for the day.
How to get there?
Are you wondering about how to get to Oslo in the most efficient way? Read more here. The trip will start at Oslo Bus Terminal in the center of the city. You will find directions for this in the departure information you will receive before departure.
Accommodation
We stay in unique and welcoming accommodations within the area. If you are traveling alone, you will share a same-sex twin room. If you would like a single room, please include this when booking. This comes at an additional cost of 4000 NOK. Most nights we will stay in en-suite rooms, but not all. If you want a single room we can't guarantee en-suite room each day.
Baggage
Due to limited space in the transportation we use, we ask that you bring one piece of luggage (we recommend a duffel bag, which is easier than a rolling bag to transport on this tour) with your clothes, toiletries, and items necessary for when we are not out doing activities. We require that you bring a day pack (hip belt strongly recommended) to use when hiking for food, water, cameras, and layers.
Insurance
You need atravel and health insurance, which also includes transportation back to your country. Remember to bring your insurance card/information.
Languages
The guide will speak English.
Changes may occur
We reserve the right to make changes to the program, and the price. The day to day program is indicative, and changes may occur. Please have a look at our terms and conditions.
Number of participants
Minimum: 4 people; Maximum: 8 people.
Included in the price:
- All accommodations.
- All meals.
- Professional nature guide.
- Transport within the itinerary.
Not included in the price:
- Transportation to the meeting point in Oslo. We are happy to assist you in booking a hotel in Oslo and give you advice on what to do when you stay in our capital.
- Drinks and snacks.
Day by Day
day
1
Oslo to Jotunheimen National Park
Your winter adventure starts in the capital of Norway, Oslo. At the central bus station, you will meet your guide, and team up with the other travelers in the morning. We will travel like locals, and go on the public bus to Beitostølen. During the day, we will drive past both local settlements and parts of the mountain areas in eastern Norway. The first night of the trip we will spend in historic rooms at Bygdin Mountain Lodge. In the evening we enjoy dinner together while going through the itinerary for the coming days.
day
2
Dogsledding in Jotunheimen National Park
Dogsledding is perhaps the funniest activity there is. The local mushers from the nearby village of Beitostølen will come to our hotel in the morning, and from Bygdin, our dogsledding adventure in Jotunheimen starts. The dogs are very kind and used to people, and you will soon realize that they love running. As soon as you release the breaks of the sled, the sound from the dogs almost disappears. Most of the time, the only sound you will hear is the sound of light feet running through the snow, as you move elegantly through the winter landscape. Where today's journey will take us depends on the weather that day. After finishing up, back at Bygdin Mountain Lodge we can enjoy a relaxing afternoon before a traditional dinner awaits us in the evening.
day
3
The King's Road (Part 1)
After breakfast, we head towards Filefjell, a mountain range situated in the outskirts of Jotunheimen. After checking into our accommodation we will be transported further down the mountain valley for the first of two snowshoe hikes on The King's Road.
It is not by chance that the King's Road was awarded the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage in 2017. Not all terrain types fit into the "French Principle" - the idea of having only straight roads. In some parts, the way became drastically steep and almost impossible to travel on, so new ideas were needed to decrease the steepness. On top of a tall, hand-made wall of rock, they put the road in a characteristic switch-back, at that time a world-class engineering accomplishment. A local guide will follow us along the Kings' Road. The real stories and narratives connected to this place are an essential part of the experience, and together with beautiful nature and architecture, it will be a day to remember. Vindhellavegen, the most spectacular stretch of Kongevegen over Filefjell, begins next to Borgund Stave Church. The road goes through the Vindhella and swings you back and forth down the steep road to Husum. The road is a good depiction of what types of roads were possible to build before dynamite was invented. Built in 1842-43, the road was only suitable for horse and cart. The King's Road is not a long hike from Borgund Stave Church, which is one of Norway's best-preserved Stave churches and definitely worth a visit.
Back at our accommodation in the afternoon, we enjoy dinner together before getting ready for the next part of The King's Road tomorrow morning.
day
4
The King's Road (Part 2)
After breakfast, we will be transported to the starting point of our second snowshoe hike on the King's Road. The hike will start in the snow-blanketed forest before we move gradually towards the mountain plateau. The King's Road was the first road built for horse transportation between the east and the west in Norway. People have traveled these areas since the medieval days. The state established the King's Road in the 1700s due to the many dangerous sections on the old path. The road builders back in 1700, followed an idea of building the roads as straight as possible, also known as the French principle. The hike over Filefjell, from Kyrkjestølen to Maristova, takes you over the highest point of Kongevegen. The high mountain trail, above the treeline, provides incredible views of Jotunheimen and the nearby fjords. In the evening we will enjoy dinner at Filefjellstuene.
day
5
Winter kayak on the fjord
From Filefjell we make our way down to the fjords, more precisely Årdalstangen! After leaving our luggage at the accommodation we will embark on a spectacular winter kayak trip on the fjord! For three hours we will paddle through classical Norwegian scenery with steep mountains on all sides. We will be dressed properly so that the low temperatures won't be a problem. After the kayak trip, we head back to our accommodation for a relaxing evening at our accommodation. Dinner tonight will be served at the hotel restaurant.
day
6
Off the beaten track
After breakfast, we will get off the beaten track to experience one of the hidden gems of the fjord! Today's snowshoe hike goes through a beautiful landscape covered with pine trees. Eventually, we reach our destination, a viewpoint high above the Sognefjord, which only a few tourists have seen. A local treat! This area is primarily used as a recreational area for the locals and therefore offers an authentic taste of the Norwegian outdoor lifestyle. After our hike, we will have a beer tasting session at our accommodation, together with the local producers at Tya Brewery. Enjoying the handcrafted beer with the fjords surrounding us. In the evening we will gather for our last meal, sharing good stories and laughter from our week together.
day
7
Fjord Cruise and Flåm Railway
If you thought that our last day would be a simple transportation lap to get back to either Oslo or Bergen you thought wrong. First of all, we will drive through the longest road tunnel in the world, before we end up in Flåm, one of the most popular destinations in Norway. Here we will embark on a fjord cruise taking us through both Aurlandsfjord and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Nærøyfjord. Rest your legs on deck, enjoy the view, and fill up your last part of your memory card. Back in Flåm, we take the Flåm Railway up to Myrdal. This train ride is by many considered to be the most beautiful train journey in the world. From Myrdal, you can continue to either Oslo or Bergen, depending on which destination you prefer to end the trip in.
We hope that your stay in Norway will leave you with everlasting memories and dreams of new visits!
Equipment List
Take a good look at this list, and make sure you bring everything you need. We encourage you to use what you have for this trip, and purchase items if you're missing something important on the list below. We have divided the gear list into three categories:
- Required: If you do not own this gear, you must acquire it for your trip.
- Recommended: Gear we suggest to be comfortable, but it is not imperative.
- Optional: Fun, additional luxuries.
Layering is extremely important in a variable climate like Norway. This list will guide you through the essentials. Remember the Norwegian saying "There is no bad weather, only bad gear", and prepare appropriately for any weather. You can read about the weather where you're traveling here.
The video below is for SUMMER gear, but you can get a lot of great tips for winter hiking as well! Welcome to Norway!
Please contact us at hvitserk@norrona.com if you have any questions and check out our gear page to learn more.
We always recommend wool in the Norwegian Mountains, but if you already have synthetic layers and don't want to buy new ones, synthetic is okay.
Required:
Recommended:
Optional:
Bed linens and towels are included all nights. All the equipment specific to the activities will be provided.