Discover Norway
The Norwegian capital has traditionally hosted the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony every year since 1901 with exceptional people being recognised for their contributions to world peace. Norway is also exceptional and merits a different kind of peace award, for its panoply of tranquil mountains, valleys and lakelands, made accessible to all by its longstanding right to roam laws.
Our Norway tours focus on two of the country’s greatest national parks, Jotunheimen and Rondane, which are delightfully distinctive from Alpine trekking elsewhere in Europe. On these walking holidays, Norway’s formidable fjords greet you on the other side of ridge climbs, you can trek across glaciers to gain panoramic views, or hike to glistening lakelands as a herd of wild reindeer watches on. On many of our Norway hiking tours, you also stay in Norway’s impressive network of mountain lodges, another institution that supports a beautiful thing – to go in peace.
Popular tours in Norway
Cycling in Norway and Sweden: Oslofjord
Trekking the Jotunheimen Mountains and Galdhøpiggen
Walking in the Jotunheimen Mountains Short Break
Hiking the Kongevegen over Filefjell
Cross-country Skiing in Beitostølen (Centre-based)
Cross-country Skiing in Valdres (Centre-based)
Cycling in Norway: The Mjølkevegen South Route
Cycling in Norway: The Mjølkevegen North Route
Cycling in Norway: The Mjølkevegen Grand Tour
Trekking the Jotunheimen Mountains and Besseggen Ridge
Trekking the Jotunheimen Mountains and King’s Road over Filefjell
Ibsen’s Rondane Mountain Circuit
Adventure types
Norway: where to go
Jotunheimen National Park
Jotunheimen National Park is a protected mountain landscape with more than two hundred summits over 2,000m, with Galdhøpiggen the highest at 2,469m. You can explore some of these summits on our hiking tours to the Jotunheimen Mountains, located about four hours north of Oslo. Every day of hiking in this region brings new inspiration, such as trekking over Besseggen Ridge which you access by boat across Lake Gjendebu. Or, taking a guided trek across a glacier to Uranostind at 2,157m. The Jotunheimen Mountains are called ‘the land of giants’ in Norse mythology, and its ravines, giant waterfalls, glaciers and jagged ridges are most certainly epic.
The King’s Road
The King’s Road, or Kongevegen, is an ancient 100km highway over the Filefjell Mountains, and less challenging than some of the other trekking routes in Norway. Dating back to 1793, it was the first route that people could use specifically for horses and carts, to connect the east with the west of the country, and also the two cities of Oslo and Bergen. It is divided into sections, taking you through beech forests, mountain passes and formidable fjord landscapes. As part of the trail borders the Jotunheimen Mountains, you can combine walking sections of the King’s Road with a hiking holiday in Jotunheimen National Park.
Rondane National Park
Rondane National Park is the oldest national park in Norway, established in 1962 to protect its prolific and perfect mountain terrain that stretches for 963km2. This is a landscape of peaks and plateaus, sprawling valleys and vistas, many of them sweeping down to windswept lakelands, such as the trio at Hårrtjønnin, Lake Høvringsvatnet or Lake Rondvatnet, the largest in the park. Our self-guided holiday in Rondane National Park is perfect if you are looking for Norway hiking tours that have all the punches when it comes to prettiness, but fewer when it comes to pushing yourself.
Norway: things to do
- Hiking is to Norway what cycling is to the Netherlands, which means that there is a fine heritage of trails but also places to stay when you head off piste on our Norway tours, such as the Norwegian Mountaineering Association iconic lodges – also known as DNT lodges, an acronym for the association’s name, Den Norske Turistforening, founded in 1871. Ranging from traditional red to more earthy log cabins, there are 550 of them across the country. While hiking in the Jotunheimen Mountains, for example, you sleep at one of the oldest huts, on the shores of Lake Gjende, perfect for a wake up swim. Or when hiking on the King’s Road, stay at Fondsbu Lodge, on the shores of Lake Bygdin, a lodge that is particularly famous for its great local cuisine.
- Try some traditional food on our Norway hiking tours, from salt cod to smoked salmon, elk to reindeer. Lapskaus is a traditional stew made with beef, potatoes, carrots, Swede (the vegetable not the neighbour!) and leeks. Kjøttkaker meatballs are better than Swedes’, however, according to Norwegians, and raspeball (sometimes potetball) potato dumplings are sure winners after a day on the hills. Also made from potatoes, look out for the Norwegian alcoholic spirit, Akvavit, drunk neat by the brave, but also splashed into cocktails.
- With all these wild spaces, it’s not surprising that wildlife watching is a feature of all our Norway walking tours. Rondane National Park, for example, is celebrated for its herds of wild reindeer, with over 2,000 roaming the glacial slopes and valleys. You might also see elk, roe deer and musk oxen and, much more elusive, brown bears and wolves. There is no shortage of wildlife in Jotunheimen National Park either, with elk and reindeer up in the higher peaks and red deer in the forests or on the southern side of Gjende lake.
Responsible travel tips
- Whale meat is still on the menu in some places in Norway, going against international advice against commercial whaling. They have self-allocated quotas to keep the powers that be at bay, while still killing these precious cetaceans in their bays. Whaling is an ancient tradition here, albeit a dying one, but much of the whale meat is touted at innocent tourists, who go for trying something new on holiday. Please don’t, and shake your head at hvalbiff, or whale steak, on the menu. Read more about international campaigns to stop whaling at Whale and Dolphin Conservation and consider donating to their work.
- Norway may be set up with superb trails, but it’s vital to be a responsible walker while out in the wild spots of the Jotunheimen or Rondane National Parks on our Norway tours. The right to roam (allemannsretten in Norwegian) has been enshrined in law since 1957, and so please respect this while you roam too. This includes the obvious rules of leaving no litter, removing nothing, staying on allocated tracks and watching wildlife quietly and from a safe distance, respecting the fact that these spaces are their home.
- Be a safe hiker too, making sure you have all the required equipment as advised in your trip notes, first aid kit, water and so on, as well as a note of the emergency services at The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC). This is +47 51 51 70 00 for JRCC Southern Norway, which is where our Norway tours take place.
- On many of our Norway hiking tours, you will stay at DNT huts, and it’s worth noting that the foundations of these buildings are held up not only by seasonal staff but also by teams of volunteers. These volunteers carry out maintenance on the lodges, mark trails and do lots of year round support. These are people who really believe in the ethos of the DNT where, since its foundation in 1871, the mandate has been to “acquire means to ease and develop outdoor life here in this country”.
Do I need a visa for Norway?
You do not need a visa for Norway if you are visiting as a tourist for less than 90 days from the following countries. (Please note, however, that you will need to follow ETIAS requirements starting in late 2026):
- EU/EEA/Schengen countries
- USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
- Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong
- Some Latin American countries including Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia
- Some Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia and Barbados, but residents of some other countries may need to apply for a visa
Citizens from the following regions generally require a Schengen visa to enter Norway for short stays (up to 90 days):
- Most African countries (except those with visa-free agreements such as Mauritius and Seychelles)
- Most Asian countries, including India, China, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand
- Russia and Belarus
- Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon
- Many Caribbean and Pacific nations
To double check whether you need a visa, see the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, or use the visa tool below.
FAQs
Norway has dual delights when it comes to natural adventures, clearly divided between hiking and cycling in summer or cross-country skiing in winter. In general, our Norway tours also focus on two of the country’s greatest national parks, Jotunheimen and Rondane, where formidable fjords greet you on the other side of ridge climbs, and where you can trek across glaciers to gain panoramic views, or hike to glistening lakelands as a herd of wild reindeer watches on. June, July and August are, in general, the best time to go to Norway for warmer temperatures and longer days but peak season does get busy, accommodation-wise, so aim for the shoulder seasons if you can. But for more details, see our blog, Best time to go to Norway.
Travelling by train in Norway is spectacular, speedy and sustainable. You can also travel to Norway by train from anywhere in the UK and Europe, although it’s a long way. As responsible travellers, you significantly reduce your carbon footprint by taking the train, and your holiday gets off to a much more relaxed start too. By booking in advance, you can also get some great deals on the various rail companies which are, VY, SJ a Go-Aheadnordic, depending on the route you want to take. For more detailed information, see the greatest train geek ever, The Man in Seat 61. Our easiest holiday to reach by train is one that combines both Norway and Sweden, Cycling around Oslofjord, which starts and ends in the capital.
We have just one bespoke family adventure in Norway, which is a winter adventure, for families with children of at least six years old. In addition, it’s worth checking out our other easy/moderate level walking or easy/moderate cycling holidays, to see if they appeal to all family members. Our adventure specialists are here to cater for your needs, and we can often adapt a day’s itinerary if you think it’s going to be too hard or too easy. We have a wider array of family-friendly adventures in neighbouring Sweden, as it is a lot less mountainous.
Because the terrain is very mountainous, and transfers are trickier, solo travel is not recommended on most of our adventures in Norway, except on this Jotunheimen Mountains short break, over four days. Dinners are also included in the price of this tour, so you have plenty of opportunity to socialise with fellow hikers. Please remember that a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared.
Norway has excellent healthcare with no major health risks and it is also rabies-free. No vaccinations are required, but the WHO recommends routine vaccines such as tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella before travelling. Ticks (flått in Norwegian) can be a problem when hiking, so you do need to take precautions. Wear long sleeves and trousers, and tuck your trousers into hiking socks when possible. Lyme disease and Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) are both tick-borne, so always check yourself fully after hiking and carry a tick remover with you too, so that you can catch them quickly.
Always make sure that you have suitable health insurance to suit your adventure travel and also note that Norway has an excellent apotek (pharmacy) system, which is almost like going to a doctor’s surgery. As with all international travels, it’s always worth getting up to date information at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for UK travellers or similar foreign office advice in your home country.
In addition, as most of our Norwegian adventures are in remote mountain terrain, it’s important to be prepared and be au fait with safety procedures. We have a detailed blog on Safety in mountain landscapes, with many useful tips.
Of course, this depends on the region that you are visiting but as with most of our adventures, you will be exploring remote terrain where weather conditions may be unpredictable. For that reason, we have some detailed blogs on packing, which may be of help: What to pack for a cycling trip and What to pack for a hiking trip. As well as that, don’t forget to pack your sense of adventure, plenty of sunscreen and a phrase book.
Overtourism is an issue in many parts of the world, and although we are all for people having adventures, we’re aware that some places just need to put the brakes on. Which is why we aim to take you off the beaten path, and also encourage travel outside of the peak seasons. The areas that suffer from overtourism in Norway are the Lofoten Islands, which are now well and truly on Insta-programmes, and also the cruise ship ports of Bergen, Flåm, Geiranger, Stavanger and Ålesund. However, these are all fjord-focused, and the only adventure of ours that may be affected by this is our Cycling around Oslofjord tour, which still takes you to many places where cruise ships can’t go. Otherwise, our other tours focus on massive mountains not massive ships, and so you’ll be rambling well away from the revellers.
Yes there are, and we love them! They are both in the Valdres region, which is gateway to Jotunheimen National Park, and very popular with our summer hikers and cyclists. However it feels even wilder when it freezes, and has a superb network of cross-country skiing trails to explore. The other great thing is that the winter season goes on for a long time in Norway, and both our holidays run until April. One is in Vaset, a small family-friendly skiing area at 1,000m, and the other is in Beitostølen (900m), which is 50km further north at the foot of Jotunheimen’s high mountain peaks.
“This was our second trip using Natural Adventure and it was amazing! All the details were done nicely and without problems! Easy directions to follow for transportation. Norway skiing was superb!” – Scandinavian American, Minnesota on our Cross-country Skiing in Beitostølen (Centre-based) holiday.
Norway is well known for catering to a wide range of dietary needs, with a strong focus on health, sustainability and fresh ingredients. Many restaurants and shops offer clear labelling for allergens and vegan, dairy or gluten-free options are widely available. Norwegian culture embraces simple, natural foods, making it easier to find dairy-free (melkefri) and gluten-free (glutenfri) products, as well as meals tailored to various allergies.
It’s the Norwegian kroner, which is labelled as kr, and the currency code is NOK. Norway is one of the most cashless countries in the world, and visitors will find that credit cards, debit cards and mobile payments like Apple Pay or the local app Vipps are widely accepted and often preferred in shops, restaurants and public transport. While rare, some small vendors, outdoor markets or rural locations might not accept cards, so do carry a small amount of cash just in case.
Read more about Norway
Best time to go to Norway
Winter or summer, Jotunheimen Mountains or Rondane National Park, here’s our guide to the best time to go to Norway. A country where hiking, cross-country skiing and cycling the likes of the magnificent Mjølkevegen are always refreshing – and life-affirming.
Expert advice on walking in Jotunheimen National Park
Jotunheimen translates as Home of Giants, but this is one home that is not to be feared, only to be revered. For magnificent, remote hikes that are Nordic and energetic, read more about walking in a landscape with 250 peaks over 1,900m.
Cross-country ski in our top winter wonderlands
On cross-country ski trails it’s all about going slow in the snow, escaping chalet scenes, piste bashers and cable car queues. Why would you want to zoom through it when you can just slow down and commune with it?
Our top lesser-known lake districts in Europe
Some lake districts in Europe are world-renowned, such as Lakes Como, Loch Lomond or England’s Lake District. However, we want to add a few more watercolours to the picture and highlight lakelands that are lesser known.
