Walking the Hardangerfjord

You will be hiking for between 3 and 8 hours per day, and the maximum ascent in one day is just over 1100m/3300ft. There are two days which would be graded more as moderate-challenging which are Days 2 and 5 or 6. However, both hikes are optional. this tour is suited to keen walkers who are used to hiking long days in hillier terrain.

Before your tour, we recommend hiking regularly and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure to check the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

The terrain on this tour is quite varied, featuring a mix of paved sections, farmyards, woodland paths, steep forest trails, and mountain paths. Some sections can be rocky and slippery in wet weather or boggy, so please take care.

In the Ulvik area, navigation may be more challenging as the trails are less trodden, and grass can become overgrown.

This tour is graded moderate, with a couple of optional days graded moderate to strenuous. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty, with some a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

Accommodation on this tour combines comfort, character and beautiful locations throughout your stay. In Bergen, you'll stay in a well-located, modern city-center hotel, a comfortable and convenient base for exploring the city. In Ulvik, you'll spend a couple of nights at a small, family-run hotel, where a personal touch and attentive service create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with a peaceful base from which to enjoy the surrounding fjord landscape. The rest of your nights are spent at a modern spa hotel in Lofthus, offering a higher level of comfort, excellent facilities and a beautiful setting overlooking the Hardangerfjord.

Across the three properties, expect comfortable, modern rooms, many with lovely views, along with attentive service, good dining and scenic terraces where you can relax and take in the fjord scenery.

Unfortunately, this is not available to solo travelers. We can, however, offer single rooms if you are traveling with others. These are available for a supplement.

Breakfast is included each morning, along with 5 evening meals on days 2,3,4,5 and 6, during your tour. Packed lunches are available from your accommodation if you order the night before, or you can stop along the way instead. Drinks aren't included, but are available at all of your overnight accommodations.

You can start this tour any time between mid-June and mid-September, the most pleasant time of year to walk in the Hardangerfjord area, with long daylight hours and warm daytime temperatures. Depending on the weather and the previous winter, there can still be some snow on the higher trails at the end of June.

You can start this tour on any day of the week from mid-June and mid-September.

Summer is the most pleasant time of year to explore the Hardangerfjord area, with long daylight hours and warm daytime temperatures, although depending on the weather and the preceding winter, there may still be some snow on the higher trails at the start of the season.

Luggage transfers on this trip work a little differently from our usual inn-to-inn routes.

When you are traveling by train and ferry you need to take your luggage with you. Please keep your luggage to a minimum size and a weight that you can easily handle - this will give you a more pleasurable experience when traveling between towns.

Norway has an excellent system of trail-marking, and all of the paths on this tour are well way-marked.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Our walks usually begin and end at a central point in town, such as a church or bus stop, and the app will also guide you on to your accommodation from there.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, you may wish to purchase a paper map, if so we recommend:

• Hardangerjokulen by Nordeca (map)

Your tour starts and ends in Bergen, which is well connected by air, rail, road and ferry.

BY AIR

Bergen Airport (BGO) has direct flights from a number of central European cities. Flight times include about 1.5 hours from Amsterdam or Copenhagen and 2 hours from London or Paris. You can also fly via Oslo (OSL), which takes about 55 minutes, with up to 20 flights a day between the two.

BY RAIL

The Bergen Railway is a scenic way to travel between Oslo and Bergen, with up to 4 departures a day. The journey takes about 7 hours through some beautiful landscapes.

BY ROAD

Driving from Oslo to Bergen takes about 7 hours via the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, partly on the National Tourist Route. Several other routes, via Hardangerfjord, Sognefjord or Hemsedal, all take 7 to 8 hours.

BY FERRY

The Hurtigruten coastal cruise stops in Bergen, Norled runs high-speed coastal ferries, and Fjord Line sails from Stavanger.

Your tour finishes in Bergen, and you can use any of these options for your onward travel.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation