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Private tour

Off The Beaten Track Self-Guided Fjord Hiking Tour

Are you looking for the best hikes in Norway? While staying in charming hotels, go on the local’s favorite hikes in a variety of landscapes, from coastal islands to fjords and alpine glaciers.

Best Off The Beaten Track Fjord Hiking Tour
  • 10 days
  • June - September
  • Moderate
  • 16-75 years

Price information

Price and payment information

  • Price from 30 500 per person
  • Duration: 10 days

This estimate is based on 2 people sharing a standard double room in three- or four-star hotels. Dinner is included for eight nights. If you would rather downgrade the accommodation or remove some dinners from the package, please let us know.

We do not like surprises when it comes to the cost, that is why we want to outline all the things that you should know before booking the tour.

What is included in this price
  • 9 nights accommodation in standard double rooms in three star hotels, including breakfast
  • 8 dinners
  • Car ferry across Geirangerfjord
  • Telephone assistance 7 days a week for urgent matters while traveling in Norway
  • Personalized travel guide with detailed descriptions of must-see/do attractions, itineraries, driving directions, hikes, and vouchers
  • All services provided by Norway Adventures and our suppliers will be in English
  • Transaction fee for using the online, secure, payment platform
What is not included in this price
  • All items not specifically mentioned under ’included in price’
  • International nor domestic flights
  • Airport transfers
  • Car rental, gas, parking, tolls, small ferry costs
  • Entrance fees, activities, museums etc., if not specified under ‘included in price’
  • Optional activities if not specified under ‘included in price’
  • Drinks
  • Insurance (we advise all our guests to buy a travel insurance)
  • Personal expenses
  • Visa fees (if applicable)
  • Other options and extensions
Payment conditions

– Final price and availability are subject to price and availability upon time of booking. It also depends on the amount of people and a few choices you can make. Please contact us for a customized offer.
– The price includes VAT according to the 2025 regulations. If the Norwegian Government decides to change the VAT regime, the price might increase.
– Norway Adventures invoices only in Norwegian Krone (NOK). All prices communicated by us, either online, in quotes and/or invoices, are in NOK.
– On all our tours, our terms & conditions apply.

Possible add-ons and changes

This vacation can be tailored exactly to your wishes, including adding extra activities or longer stays in certain cities or areas. It is also possible to choose a cheaper alternative where we arrange different accommodation for you, or remove some dinners from the package. If you would like more information about the possibilities, feel free to contact us.

This tour can also be offered to private groups as a fully guided trip, including transportation, hiking guides, dinners, etc. For groups we love to include all kinds of extra cultural/historical excursions: try a tasting at a cider orchard, tour a family’s private farm museum, or meet the locals at a traditional Norwegian farm.

Highlights

Highlights of this tour

Explore Norway’s most spectacular fjords: Nordfjord, Geirangerfjord and Hjørundfjord by foot. Hike on your own in a different landscape every day, and stay at charming small-scale hotels, off the beaten track. On this self-drive holiday you will start and finish in Ålesund, famous for its graceful Art Nouveau architecture.

  • Enjoy an active, independent self-guided vacation. Travel off the beaten track, driving your own rental car.
  • Each day, choose self-guided hikes from your detailed road book. We’ll include a range of options so you can choose according to the weather and your abilities.
  • The hikes are self-guided, so you must be comfortable with a map and compass or GPS when hiking.
  • Work up an appetite with long days in the mountains, then enjoy hearty local cuisine.
  • Stay in charming small scale hotels
Best Off the Beaten Track Fjord Hiking Tour

What to expect

The itinerary will include hikes on windswept islands along the Atlantic coast, with soaring sea cliffs overlooking white beaches. Journey from the salty coast to high alpine glacier terrain, crossing dramatic fjords in between. Your drives, winding along fjords and through mountain passes, will be interspersed with ferry trips, giving you plenty of time to stretch your legs, grab a svele and a cup of coffee at the cafe, and take some magnificent photographs. Adventure seekers can test their mettle with strenuous climbs, but we’ll also include lots of options to explore some beautiful trails and vistas at your own pace. After hitting the trails, you’ll stay at a handpicked local hotel each night, and curl up in front of the fire or put up your tired feet as you enjoy dramatic views over the fjords and mountains. With most breakfasts and dinners included, you can try all the best specialties from nearby farms and fisheries.

We’ll provide detailed itineraries and instructions in your personalized road book, so you’ll travel safely and securely, without any practical concerns or logistical headaches. Your road book includes our best insider tips, including detailed driving directions with recommended sites and stops along the way, as well as a variety of our favorite hikes and activities to choose from at every location.

This trip can also be offered to private groups as a fully guided trip, including transportation, hiking guides, dinners, etc. For groups we love to include all kinds of cultural/historical excursions: try a tasting at a cider orchard, tour a family’s private farm museum, or meet the locals at a traditional Norwegian sheep farm.

Contact us if you would like more information.

Day by day

Get an overview of what you will experience

Day 1: Explore Art Nouveau city of Ålesund
Day 1: Explore Art Nouveau city of Ålesund

Arrive at Vigra airport in Ålesund. Pick up your rental car and get ready to explore our country. Ålesund is one of Norway’s most elegant cities with a classic European character. After a devastating fire in 1904, the city was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style, with turrets, spires, and graceful ornamentation. Stroll along the harbor and see the fishermen returning from the sea. Walk up the 418 steps to the top of Mt. Aksla for a great view over the city. Stay at a three-star hotel in the city center. Tonight dinner is not included, since there are so many nice restaurants to choose from (we’ll recommend some favorites).

  • Total driving time today: approx. 40 minutes.
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Day 2: Do a scenic drive to the coast with a great hike along the way
Day 2: Do a scenic drive to the coast with a great hike along the way

Leave Ålesund and drive southbound. You will take the car on the ferry just like the locals, your first of three ferry trips today. With a snug cafe on each ferry, there’s just enough time to caffeinate and enjoy the views. Next, venture into the spectacular Hjørundfjord, with the road ahead of you snaking along the fjord. Stop for an easy hike in a beautiful valley in between spectacular peaks. In the late spring and early summer this valley will be dotted with foxgloves, buttercups, and bluebells.

After the hike and two more ferries, you’ll reach your destination: a picturesque fisherman village in Bremanger. This is an amazing area, also called Little Lofoten, with colorful fishermen cabins (rorbuer), sea cliffs, small islands, white sandy beaches, and crystal clear water, but without the crowds.

You will stay in a hotel room, apartment or fishermen cabin in the village. This hotel consists of a cluster of buildings, including hotel rooms, cabins, apartments, and the main building that houses the hotel restaurant. The family that runs it will entertain you, no doubt. They have many good stories to tell. The seafood dinner at the hotel is famous, and dinner is included both nights.

  • Hike duration: appr 3-4 hrs
  • Elevation: 400m up & down (1300 ft)
  • Total driving time today: approx. 5.5 hours (including 3 ferries)
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Day 3: Go for a sea cliff hike in Bremanger
Day 3: Go for a sea cliff hike in Bremanger

This area is also called Little Lofoten with its rugged, windblown landscape with hardscrabble vegetation, surprisingly exotic white sandy beaches and endless ocean views. Depending on the weather and your hiking expertise you can choose:

– A moderate-level hike to Veten, an expansive ocean overlook. On a clear day you can see all the way to Norway’s Western Cape. – Duration: 4 – 6 hrs. – Elevation: 550m up & down (1800 ft)

– An expert hike to Hornelen, Europe’s highest sea cliff. At 860 meters (2800 ft), the view of the fjords below is well worth the hike. It might be even more spectacular than the famous Trolltunga overlook. – Duration: 7 – 9 hrs – Elevation: max 860m up & down (2800 ft)

Or, if you would rather try a day of cycling, you can rent bicycles at your hotel and explore the winding coastal roads by bike.

  • Hike duration: appr 4-6 hrs
  • Elevation: 550m up & down (1800 ft)
  • Total driving time today: approx. one hour
https://www.norway-adventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/self-guided-fjord-view-on-hike-to-veten.jpg
Day 4: Dive into Viking history
Day 4: Dive into Viking history

Today you will venture deeper into the fjords and indulge in local history and culture along the way. Start with a short hike to a day cabin with a view over the fjord and the glacier.

In the town of Nordfjordeid you can visit Sagastad and go aboard a Viking Ship. This impressive replica is built according to the remains of the ship of a Viking King that once lived in this fjord. Buy a cinnamon roll at the local bakery and stroll through the historic main street with charming wooden houses.

Continue to Sandane. If you did not hike earlier today you can hike the trail through the ‘Love Forest’ to the spectacular view point over the Holvikfossen waterfall.

Stay at a classic three-star hotel for two nights. Enjoy your dinner and try some of their locally brewed beer.

  • Hike duration: 1.5 – 2 hrs
  • Elevation: 350 m up & down (1150 ft)
  • Total driving time today: approx. 3 hours (including 2 ferries)
https://www.norway-adventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/self-guided-hiking-DAY-4-Sagastad-Nordfjordeid-resized-MN.jpg
Day 5: Hike with a 360° fjord view
Day 5: Hike with a 360° fjord view

The hike to Haugsvarden will reward you with a 360° view over the different fjords around you. A nice addition at the top is a plaque with all the names and altitudes of the surrounding mountain tops. This area is also known for having a great network of trails for downhill mountain biking. Maybe you want to try that today? Bikes can be rented locally, or you can go cycling with a guide. After your hike or bicycle trip, you’ll have earned your dinner back at the hotel.

  • Hike duration: 2.5 – 3.5 hrs
  • Elevation: 350 m up & down (1150 ft)
  • Total driving time today: approx. 30 minutes
https://www.norway-adventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/self-guided-hiking-DAY-5-Hike-Haugsvarden-resized-MN.jpg
Day 6: Lodalen valley and glaciers
Day 6: Lodalen valley and glaciers

Drive over Utvik mountain pass and along the Nordfjord to Lodalen. Take a historic walk along Lodalen lake, where the village was wiped out twice in thirty years, first by a giant tidal wave triggered by a landslide, then by a 70 meter (230 ft) high tsunami. If you wonder how the boat ended up in the valley, you now know why.

Continue with a hike to the Bødalglacier, a hidden glacier that only the locals know of. Take a lunch break at the summer pasture farm (seter), where for centuries, milkmaids would drive their herds up the mountain to live and graze for the summer. Today you can find the stone foundations of their sel cabins atop mountains all over Norway. Maybe the cows will come to greet you.

Neither of today’s hikes is very strenuous, so you’ll have a chance to give your legs a bit of a rest, as there are plenty of options for more challenging hikes in the coming days. The next two nights you will stay at a historic three-star waterfront hotel. The family that runs the hotel are lovely, warm hosts. Dinner is included.

  • Hike duration: 3-4 hours
  • Elevation: 200 m up & down (650 ft)
  • Total driving time today: approx. 1.5-2 hours
https://www.norway-adventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/self-guided-hiking-DAY-6-Charming-historic-hotel-resized-MN.jpg
Day 7: Master the challenge
Day 7: Master the challenge

This inner area of Nordfjord, which is still quite unknown by tourists, combines a remarkably scenic fjord surrounded by soaring mountains. There is a lot to explore in this area.

For experienced hikers with good knees, the hike to Mt. Skåla is a fantastic hike, at 1848 meters (6000 ft) above sea level. This is Norway’s longest uphill stretch with 22% ascent/descent and it’s only advised if the weather is good. The view from the top is spectacular. You see the glacier tongues of the Jostedal glacier, snowy mountain peaks, the Lovatn glacial lake and the fjord below. If you would rather do this hike with a private guide, this is also possible. – Duration: 12-14 hours – Elevation: 1850 m up & down (6000 ft)

Another adventure in this area is climbing the Via Ferrata. The name Via Ferrata comes from Italy, where they built an “iron road” of steel cables, suspension bridges, and fixed climbing rungs in the mountains during the first world war. The essence of a modern Via Ferrata is a steel cable that runs along the route and is periodically fixed to the rock. Using a Via Ferrata kit the climbers can secure themselves to the cable, preventing any falls, so even inexperienced climbers can master an adventurous climb. If you are looking for a bit extra excitement today, you can try one of the ziplines at the top.

Alternatively, you can take the gondola up the mountain and do an easy hike at the top with great panoramic views, eat lunch at the restaurant at the top and take the gondola back down. There are many hikes you can choose from (more details will be provided in your personalized travel guide)

On a clear day you might see paragliders take off and float down into the valley.

  • Duration: 12-14 hours
  • Elevation: 1850 m up & down (6000 ft)
  • Total driving time today: approx. 30-60 minutes
https://www.norway-adventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/self-guided-hiking-DAY-7-Hike-to-Skala-resized-MN.jpg
Day 8: Hike in the UNESCO listed Geirangerfjord
Day 8: Hike in the UNESCO listed Geirangerfjord

Leave Nordfjord and enjoy the view when driving along the scenic winding road down to Geiranger. You can take the small sightseeing boat that takes you out on the fjord. They will drop you off at the base of a steep hiking trail leading you to the Skageflå mountain farm on the ridge. Look around at this historic site and enjoy the view of the Seven Sisters Waterfall at the other side of the fjord.

Hike back to Geiranger, passing a traditional summer farm on the way.

Continue your journey by a one hour ferry ride through the UNESCO World Heritage listed Geirangerfjord to Hellesylt. Drive through the magnificent Norangsdalen, with its spectacular craggy peaks. Here you can view the drowned summer farm in the Lyngstøylvatnet lake in the valley and learn about its dramatic history.

Tonight you will stay at an ornate four-star hotel in Øye. This historic wooden hotel is almost like a museum. Many rooms have four-poster beds and lush carpeting. Kings, queens and emperors have stayed here throughout history. You will stay here for two nights and dinner is included.

  • Hike duration: 5-6 hours
  • Elevation: 550 m up & down (1800 ft.)
  • Total driving time today: 2.5- 3 hours
https://www.norway-adventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/self-guided-hiking-DAY-8-Geirangerfjord-view-from-Skagefla-to-Seven-Sisters-waterfall-resized-MN.jpg
Day 9: Follow William C. Slingsby’s tracks to Slogen
Day 9: Follow William C. Slingsby’s tracks to Slogen

Finish your Norwegian hiking vacation with a spectacular hike in the Hjørundfjord area.

Experienced hikers who are not afraid of heights can hike to the summit. This hike was a favorite of William C. Slingsby’s, an English mountaineer who discovered many of Norway’s peaks and made many first ascents in the early 1900’s. He visited Norway 21 times! The peak is called Slogen, 1564 meters (5100 ft) above sea level. If you decide that its steep summit is a bit too much for you, you will also be able to enjoy fantastic views and peek over the edge at Jenteskaret, 900 m (3000 ft). – Duration: 9-10 hours – Elevation: 1550 m up & down (5100 ft)

An alternative is the hike to Saksa, which is also rated as expert, but a shorter one. From here, you can marvel at the overwhelming rock peaks around you, and you will have a great view of the Hjørundfjord and Norangsfjord. If the clouds are high and the weather is good, it’s unforgettable. – Duration: 6-7 hours – Elevation: 1070 m up & down (3500 ft).

There are many other hikes with spectacular views to choose from in this area, for hikers with different abilities. We will give you more suggestions in your personalized travel guide.

Enjoy your last evening in the fjords.

  • Hike duration: 6-7 hours
  • Elevation: 1070 m up & down (3500 ft)
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Day 10: Do a short city visit in Ålesund and fly home
Day 10: Do a short city visit in Ålesund and fly home

After breakfast, drive for approx. 2.5 – 3 hours (including one ferry) to Vigra airport (Ålesund) and take your flight home. Thank you for visiting our country! If you’d rather add a few days and discover another part of Norway, we’d be glad to help.
Please contact us if you want us to tailor this vacation.

    End: Ålesund

    Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We aim to include unique accommodation on all our tours. Either because of the location, the hosts, the charm, the history, the food, good value for money, a combination of all this, or just because we know you will love this hidden gem! We prefer to work with small-scale and family-run hotels; the best way for you to meet the locals!

    You can find an impression of the type of accommodation you can expect on this tour, however, we customize all accommodations exactly to your wishes.

    Practical information

    What you need to know and how to prepare

    Guide

    This is a self-guided tour (travel on your own, without a guide).

    You’ll receive a personalized travel guide, so you travel without any practical or logistical headaches. Your travel guide includes insider tips, detailed driving directions with recommended sites and stops along the way, our favorite hikes and activities to choose from at every location.

    What to bring

    Please check out the packing lists for bringing appropriate attire.

    Age limit

    We recommend the travelers on this tour to be between approximately 18-75 years old. This age estimate is based on the program, activities, transportation and type of accommodation. Are you unsure if this tour is the right fit for you? Please, contact us. We can customize the tour according to the ages of the travelers.

    More information
    Can I customize this tour?
    Yes, this tour can be customized exactly to your wishes, including adding extra activities or longer stays in certain cities or areas, or shortening the number of days.
    General tips and advice about Norway
    Read the general tips and advice about traveling in Norway.

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