Hiking Routes in Jotunheimen National Park
– Grab your boots, pack your bag and wander off on a hike into Jotunheimen’s beautiful landscapes and stunning wilderness.
When hiking in Jotunheimen National Park, you will have thousands of kilometres of walks, covering all kinds of magnificent terrain, to choose from. Walk for for half an hour, a day, a week or a month! Choose the track that suits your ability and schedule.
About hiking in Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is one of Norway’s most alpine areas with sharp peaks and deep valleys. The dramatic landscape is made up of snow, ice, rocks and vegetation. In the Jotunheimen National Park you will find one of Norway’s most popular and stunning hikes, the narrow Besseggen ridge that runs between a green and a blue lake. Our national park offers Northern Europe’s most beautiful vistas and dramatic walks. If Jotunheimen is the heart of Norway, thousands of kilometres of tracks are its veins. Are you ready?!
Walking in Jotunheimen can be everything from a short one-day hike to a multiple-day trek. From the Bygdin Lake in the East, discover the stunning summit of Synshorn (1,475 m.a.s.l.). Or a nice and short trip with beautiful views over Jotunheimen, Raslet, Kalvåhøgde, Heimdalen and Østre Slidre. Try also the longer hike to Bitihorn (1607 m.a.s.l.), that lies at the entrance to Jotunheimen National Park. Get on the boat M/B Bitihorn and travel across the Bygdin Lake to Torfinnsbu to hike the mysterious Svartdalen Valley. Attempt a climb up the impressive peaks of Torfinnstraversen or Nørdre Kalvehøtinden. Here you will be accompanied by local guides as the ascents require skill, climbing and special equipment.
North of the Bygdin Lake lies the emerald green Gjende Lake, surrounded by Veslefjellet, Besseggen, Memurutunga, Bukkelægret, Gjendtunga and so much more. These hikes can be enjoyed individually where you can board the boat Gjendebåten. Or you can combine them on a multi-day hike and experience the trekking of a life time. West for Bygdin Lake you will find Eidsbugarden, and access to a range of hikes, including short family friendly trips to Utsikten or Torshamaren, and glacier walks to Uranostind.
Maps of the Jotunheimen National Park trails can be obtained in local stores, hotels and tourist information offices as well as online or in upscale bookshops across Europe and the rest of the world.
When to hike in Jotunheimen
The best time of year for hiking in Jotunheimen is from the middle of July until the middle of August. June and September or even early October may also offer pleasant hiking conditions, depending on weather conditions and the amount of snow.
Hiking possibilities in Jotunheimen
There are more than 50 marked routes within the national park and about a further 70 in the surrounding areas. The duration of the hikes vary from one hour up to eight or ten hours. There are also plenty of opportunities for multi-day hikes, lasting from three to ten days or even longer. For hikes to the higher areas of the Jotunheimen National Park, an average physical condition is recommended and previous experience is definitely a benefit. Families and non-experienced hikers may prefer one of the flat, easy routes in the valleys. There are also short, easy hikes outside the park, for example in Beitotstølen, Lom or in the Skjåk municipality.
Jotunheimen is incredibly popular amongst hikers and climbers, in particular the famous Besseggen-trail, and the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) maintains a number mountain lodges in the area, as well as well-marked trails that run between the lodges and others up to some of the peaks.