Norway has a reputation for being expensive, and it is not undeserved. A beer in Oslo, a restaurant dinner in Bergen or a hotel room in Lofoten in July can make visitors wince.
The good news for hikers is that the mountains themselves are free. The trails, the views and the right to roam cost nothing. What costs money is everything around them: getting there, sleeping, eating and gear.
So how expensive is Norway for a hiking trip? Here is a practical breakdown, with real prices where they exist and honest ranges where they don't.
Why Norway feels so expensive
Norway has high wages and high taxes, and that shows up in prices for services. Anything that involves labour, like restaurant meals, guided tours or taxis, tends to cost more than in most of Europe.
Alcohol is heavily taxed and sold in state-run Vinmonopolet shops, apart from beer with low alcohol content sold in supermarkets. Eating out regularly adds up fast.
Exchange rates matter too. Depending on where you travel from and how the krone is trading, the same trip can feel noticeably cheaper or more expensive from one year to the next.
The free part: trails and the right to roam
Norway's allemannsretten, the right to roam, lets anyone walk in uncultivated land and camp for free, with a few rules. You can generally pitch a tent for up to two nights in the same place, as long as you are at least 150 metres from the nearest inhabited house or cabin.
That means a hiker with a tent can sleep in spectacular places without paying anything. Read our guide to wild camping and allemannsretten before you go, as there are a few exceptions and seasonal fire bans to know about.
Most trails are also free to use. Some popular hikes have paid parking at the trailhead, which is one of the more common unexpected costs.
DNT cabins: a classic Norwegian option
The Norwegian Trekking Association, DNT, runs a large network of mountain cabins. They come in three main types: staffed lodges with meals, self-service cabins with stocked pantries, and basic no-service cabins.
For 2026, DNT Oslo og Omegn lists self-service cabin prices of 340 kroner per adult per night for members and 520 kroner for non-members. Some other DNT associations charge slightly different rates, such as 345 kroner for members.
Adult DNT membership costs 860 kroner a year in 2026. If you plan to spend three or more nights in DNT cabins, membership often pays for itself, and it also gives discounts at staffed lodges.
Staffed lodges and full board
Staffed DNT lodges are more expensive but include meals. As an example, DNT Drammen og Omegn lists a full-board package for 2026 at 1,315 kroner per adult per night for members in a small room, and 1,710 kroner for non-members.
That price includes breakfast, a three-course dinner, a packed lunch with a thermos and a shower. For a long day on the trail, that is good value compared with hotels and restaurants in town.
Prices vary between lodges and room types, so check the specific cabin before you go.
Food: where most budgets go
Food is often the biggest daily cost for hikers in Norway. Restaurant meals are expensive, but supermarkets are reasonable by Norwegian standards.
Chains like Rema 1000, Kiwi and Coop Extra are the budget options. Stocking up on bread, cheese, oats, pasta and snacks before you head into the mountains will save a lot of money.
Self-service DNT cabins sell basic provisions from a stocked pantry, paid for on the honour system. It is convenient, but planning your own meals is cheaper. Our 3-day backpacking meal plan is a good starting point.
Getting to the trailhead
Transport can be a big cost, especially if you are travelling from Oslo or Bergen to the mountains. Trains and long-distance buses connect many hiking areas, and booking early usually gives lower fares.
Renting a car gives flexibility but adds fuel, tolls, ferry crossings and parking. Norway has many road tolls, and ferries across fjords are an extra expense on many routes.
For popular hikes like Preikestolen or Trolltunga, you can often choose between driving and taking a seasonal bus. Compare the full cost, including parking, before deciding.
Gear: buy, rent or bring
Bringing your own gear is the cheapest option. Outdoor equipment in Norway is high quality, but it is rarely cheap.
If you need something specific, some outdoor shops and organisations rent out equipment like tents, sleeping bags and stoves. Second-hand marketplaces are another option for longer stays.
Do not skimp on the essentials. Good boots, rain gear and warm layers matter more than saving a few kroner, as the weather can change quickly in the mountains.
Small costs that add up
Many hikers are caught out by small charges rather than big ones. Trailhead parking at popular hikes can cost a few hundred kroner per day, and toll roads are charged automatically by number plate.
Ferry crossings, a coffee and waffle at a staffed cabin, a shower at a campsite and laundry after a week on the trail all add a little. None of these are huge on their own, but over a week they can make a real difference.
Paying by card is accepted almost everywhere, even at many remote cabins through the DNT payment app, so keep an eye on your account as you go.
Sample budgets
Budgets vary so much that a single number would be misleading. Instead, think in three styles of trip.
A tent-based trip with supermarket food is the cheapest. Your main costs are transport and groceries, and you can keep daily spending low.
A cabin-hopping trip using self-service DNT cabins adds roughly 340 to 520 kroner per night for accommodation, depending on membership. A staffed-lodge trip with full board is the most comfortable and the most expensive, at well over a thousand kroner per night.
Ways to keep costs down
Travel outside the peak weeks of July if you can. June and late August often have good conditions and fewer crowds.
Join DNT if you will use the cabins several times. Bring a refillable bottle, since tap water and mountain streams are generally clean, though it is wise to know how to purify water in the wild when in doubt.
Cook your own meals, share car rentals with others and look for combined transport tickets in the region you are visiting.
Keeping an eye on prices
Prices in Norway change with inflation, interest rates and the value of the krone. If you are planning a trip months ahead, it is worth following what is happening in the Norwegian economy.
For news on prices, interest rates, the krone and the Norwegian economy in general, Finansmagasin, a Norwegian site covering economics, business and markets, is a useful source.
Is it worth it?
Norway is not a budget destination, but a hiking trip there does not have to break the bank. The most memorable parts, the ridgelines, the fjords and the midnight light, are free.
With a tent or a DNT membership, a bag of supermarket groceries and a bit of planning, you can enjoy the Norwegian mountains for far less than a city break in Oslo. Start small, with a day hike or a single cabin night, and build from there once you know what the trails and your budget can handle.
Cover photo: Mirdsson2 / Wikimedia Commons, 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.
