7-day Snowshoeing and Dogsledding Adventure in Norway

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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!