Mjølkevegen: North Route (7-days)
Mjølkevegen is one of Norway’s most attractive cycling routes. The week-long North Route cycling trip will give you all the highlights of what this beautiful part of Norway has to offer from the comfort of your bike seat.
Mjølkevegen (The Old Milk Route) is considered one of the most beautiful cycle routes in Norway, and the full route is 250 km long, stretching from Vinstra in Gudbrandsdalen to Gol in Hallingdal. We’ve created the North Route, a 200 km long route taking you from Lemonsjø to Beitostølen in 7 days.
The North Route is a beautiful, scenic journey which is perfect for enthusiastic cyclists with a fair amount of experience on a bike. The week-long adventure will see you cycling through beautiful mountain landscapes along popular places like Jotunheimvegen and Stølsvidda, and you’ll see plenty of the traditional farm life and landscape in this stunning region of Norway.
Following the North Route, you’ll cycle mainly on gravel mountain roads, and you’ll pass along charming rivers and blue mountain lakes in this rural part of Norway. The carefully crafted route covers some of the best sights in the region, and your week-long cycling holiday is sure to be an adventure you’ll never forget.
On the first day of the trip, you’ll hop on the bus Valdresekspressen which will take you from Oslo to Lemonsjøen in Jotunheimen. Here, you’ll spend the night at Lemonsjøen Fjellstue. This is a lovely cabin situated next to the gorgeous Lemonsjøen Lake. There are plenty of opportunities for short bike rides, hikes and other nature experiences in the surrounding area.
The next day, your first long bike ride will be from Lemonsjøen to Ruten. The quiet trail will take you along gravel mountain roads through the Murudalen Valley. As you cycle, you’ll pass beautiful rivers such as Sjoa and Muru as well as the lakes Slangen and Olstappen. You’ll be spending the night at Ruten Mountain Lodge, which is a charming guest house located in Gudbrandsdalen – one of Norway’s most iconic and well-known valleys.
On the third day, you’ll cycle along the picturesque Jotunheimvegen towards Bygdin Mountain Hotel. It’s a beautiful cycle route that’ll allow you to take in the charming farming and mountain landscape around you, and you’re likely to see some grazing animals along the way. Bygdin Mountain Hotel is situated at the border of Jotunheimen National Park, with a stunning view of the magnificent mountains surrounding it. This is a lovely, historic hotel with plenty of opportunities for hikes and other experiences you can take in if you’re not too tired from your day of cycling.
The next day, you’ll hike the mountain Synshorn. With the summit 1457 meters above sea level, Synshorn offers an incredible view of Jotunheimen, and the short hike to the top starts just outside of the hotel. For the afternoon, a mini cruise with the historic boat M/B Bitihorn is scheduled. The beautiful boat journey will take you across Bygdin lake to Eidsbugarden with a stop at Torfinnsbu, and offers stunning views of Jotunheimen. After the boat ride, you’ll cycle for about an hour until you get to Tyinholmen. You’ll spend the night at Tyinholmen, which is a charming, traditional guest house with lots of history. Nearby, there are a range of options for short scenic bike rides or hikes in the beautiful natural landscape.
The following day, you’ll cycle to Koldedalen Valley. This is a lovely detour from the normal Mjølkevegen route, offering stunning views of the mountains Uranostinden and Falketinden. The route is a pretty, scenic route that is flat and easy to cycle. After taking in the gorgeous views, you’ll cycle on towards Tyin/Filefjell. The route will take you along the picturesque Tyin Lake on quiet country roads towards the well-known Tyinkrysset. Here, you’ll follow the road south towards Filefjellstuene Lodge. This is a pleasant family-run lodge located in the heart of the Tyin-Filefjell area, and there are a number of fun things to do in the local area.
The next day, you’ll cycle from Filefjellstuene to Beitostølen, which is the most challenging part of the Mjølkevegen cycle route. The journey will take you to the historical Kongevegen, and you’ll cycle past the stunning Sputrefossen waterfall. You’ll face a steep hill getting to the top of the Slettefjell mountain plateau, and when you reach the top, you’ll be 1315 meters above sea level. From here, you’ll cycle down towards Beitostølen, where you’ll spend the last night of the cycling holiday. Beitostølen is a charming, lively mountain village where you’ll stay at Radisson BLU Mountain Resort Beitostølen.