Hardangervidda is the kind of place that changes your sense of scale. You climb out of a fjord valley or step off a train, and suddenly the land opens into a rolling high plateau of lakes, lichen and old snowfields that seems to run on for days.
It does run on for days. This is Northern Europe's largest mountain plateau, and walking across it on foot is one of Norway's great hiking journeys.
This guide covers Hardangervidda hiking from both ends: short trips you can manage in a single day, the landmark summit of Hårteigen, the classic hut-to-hut trek from Finse to Haukeliseter, and the practical details that make a trip here go smoothly.
What makes Hardangervidda different
Hardangervidda National Park was established in 1981 and covers 3,422 square kilometres, making it the largest national park on the Norwegian mainland. Even so, it protects only around half of the plateau.
The average height is about 1,100 metres, and there are more than 7,000 lakes scattered across it. The plateau's highest point is the Hardangerjøkulen ice cap at 1,863 metres, Norway's sixth largest glacier, which rises from the north-western corner.
The landscape splits roughly in two. The east is broad and gentle, with long, easy moorland walking. The west is hillier and wilder, cut by deep valleys that drop steeply towards the Hardangerfjord and its waterfalls.
Hardangervidda is also home to Europe's largest wild reindeer herd, around 4,500 animals. They shape a good deal of how the park is managed, so it helps to know a little about them before you go.
Getting to the trailheads
The plateau is surprisingly easy to reach. The Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen runs along its northern edge, with stops at Geilo, Ustaoset, Haugastøl and Finse.
Finse, at 1,222 metres, has no road at all. You get off the train and you are already in high mountain terrain, which makes it the natural starting point for many trips.
Route 7 crosses the plateau between Eidfjord and Geilo, with handy access points at Dyranut and Halne. In the south, the E134 passes Haukeliseter, and on the western side the Hardangerfjord villages of Kinsarvik and Eidfjord are the gateways to the steep valley trails.
The best hikes on Hardangervidda for a single day
You don't need a week to get a feel for the plateau. These three Hardangervidda hiking routes give very different tastes of it.
Finse to Blåisen. From Finse station, a marked trail heads south across the dam at the end of Finsevatnet towards Blåisen, one of the outlet glaciers of Hardangerjøkulen. It's about 10 kilometres return and takes around four hours. Stay off the ice itself unless you join a guided glacier walk, and keep back from the loose moraine right at the glacier front.
Husedalen and its four waterfalls. Starting just outside Kinsarvik, this trail climbs beside the Kinso river past Tveitafossen, Nyastølsfossen, Nykkjesøyfossen and finally Søtefossen. Going all the way to the top fall is about 5 kilometres each way with roughly 700 metres of ascent, and the round trip takes five to six hours. Many people turn back after the first two falls, which makes for a shorter outing.
Vøringsfossen. At the edge of the plateau above Eidfjord, Vøringsfossen drops 182 metres into the Måbødalen gorge. A short loop of about 2 kilometres links the viewpoints near Fossli Hotel with those on the other side, crossing a footbridge high above the falls. It's easy enough for almost anyone and pairs well with a drive along Route 7.
Hårteigen, the plateau's landmark summit
Wherever you walk in the west of Hardangervidda, one mountain keeps catching your eye. Hårteigen rises to 1,690 metres as a dark, flat-topped block of rock, standing alone above the moorland like a giant hat.
It is also one of the best hikes in Hardangervidda for anyone who wants a real summit. It sits deep in the plateau, so most people climb it from one of the nearby huts, such as Torehytten or Hadlaskard, or as a side trip on a longer trek.
The standard route goes up a steep gully on the east face, following cairns, then crosses a short exposed section with fixed ropes or chains before reaching the flat top. Snow can linger in the gully into summer. Save it for a dry, clear day, and skip it in fog or rain.
The classic Hardangervidda trek: Finse to Haukeliseter
If there's one Hardangervidda multi day hike that people dream about, it's the north-to-south crossing from Finse to Haukeliseter. It forms part of DNT's long-distance mountain route and is about 123 kilometres over six days.
A typical itinerary looks like this:
Day 1: Finse to Krækkja, about 24 km.
Day 2: Krækkja to Stigstuv, about 20 km, crossing Route 7 near Halne.
Day 3: Stigstuv to Sandhaug, about 20 km of open, classic plateau walking.
Day 4: Sandhaug to Litlos, about 25 km, with Hårteigen coming into view.
Day 5: Litlos to Hellevassbu, about 16 km in more rugged terrain.
Day 6: Hellevassbu to Haukeliseter, about 21 km to the road and the bus.
None of the climbs is especially big, but the stages are long and the ground is often rocky or boggy. DNT grades the route as demanding, and a spare day for bad weather is well worth building in.
North to south is the usual direction. You arrive by train at Finse and finish at Haukeliseter on the E134, where express buses run towards Oslo, Bergen and Haugesund. The trek also works the other way round if that suits your travel plans better.
Huts, camping and wild reindeer
The DNT network makes this Hardangervidda trek very manageable. Within the national park there are seven staffed lodges and five self-service huts, plus several privately run lodges on and around the plateau.
Staffed huts such as Krækkja, Sandhaug and Litlos serve dinner and breakfast. Self-service huts like Hellevassbu are stocked with food you can buy and are open with the standard DNT key. Opening dates vary, and some staffed huts switch to self-service late in the season, so check each one before you set out.
Carrying a tent gives you more freedom. Norway's right to roam lets you camp on open land almost anywhere, as long as you stay away from houses and leave no trace. Our guide to the rules of wild camping explains the details.
Whether you sleep in huts or under canvas, give reindeer a very wide berth. The animals calve between mid-May and mid-June, and some huts may even close temporarily if a herd is nearby. Sticking to marked trails is one of the simplest ways to keep disturbance down.
When to go and what to pack
The main hiking season runs from July to mid-September. The second half of July and the first half of August is the safest window, when all the huts are open and the summer bridges over the larger rivers are in place.
Early in July, snowmelt can leave rivers high and paths wet. By September the bridges start coming down, the nights get cold and the huts begin to close.
The weather on an open plateau can turn quickly, with wind and rain sweeping across from the west. Pack a waterproof shell, warm layers, a hat and gloves, and boots that can handle wet ground. Midges and mosquitoes can be a nuisance in midsummer, so bring repellent.
In winter, Hardangervidda becomes a classic ski touring area, with marked ski routes between the huts around Easter. That's a different undertaking altogether and needs real winter mountain experience.
Maps and planning your route
The trail network is marked with red T's, but the plateau can look much the same in every direction when cloud comes down. Carry a proper paper map along with a compass, and know how to use them.
DNT's free planning site UT.no lists trails, huts and route suggestions, and the app lets you save maps for offline use. Check it for hut opening times, summer bridges and any temporary closures before you go.
If you have time to combine Hardangervidda with other big Norwegian hikes, the Trolltunga hike climbs from the edge of the same high mountain country near Odda. For a drier, rockier contrast further east, our guide to Rondane National Park covers Norway's oldest national park.
Cover photo: Hardangervidda by Eric Spenle, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
About Erik Lindqvist
Erik Lindqvist is a Scandinavian trail guide and outdoor writer based in Norway. He has spent fifteen years hiking fjord paths, mountain ridges, and forest tracks across Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.
