Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier on the European mainland, a vast cap of ice stretching about 60 kilometres along the mountains between the Sognefjord and the Nordfjord.
The surrounding national park is one of the best places in Norway to get close to a glacier, whether you want an easy walk to a viewpoint or a full day roped up on the ice with a guide.
This guide covers the main gateways, the glacier arms that are easiest to reach, how guided walks work and the safety rules worth knowing before you go.
Jostedalsbreen National Park at a glance
The park was established on 25 October 1991 and covers roughly 1,310 square kilometres in Vestland county. About half of that area is glacier, and around 90 per cent of the park lies more than 800 metres above sea level.
The glacier itself covers somewhere between 458 and 470 square kilometres, depending on the survey, and the figure keeps falling. Its highest point, Høgste Breakulen, reaches 1,957 metres, while the highest rock summit in the area is Lodalskåpa at 2,083 metres.
Around 28 named glacier arms flow down from the plateau, some reaching almost to the birch forest. These arms are where most visitors meet the ice.
The blue colour you see at the front of a glacier comes from dense, old ice. According to the national park, some of the blue ice at the glacier fronts may be more than a thousand years old.
The three gateways and visitor centres
There is no single entrance. The park has three authorised visitor centres, each in a different valley and each a good base for its own side of the ice.
Breheimsenteret in Jostedalen, on the eastern side, looks straight up at Nigardsbreen. It has an exhibition on glaciers and climate, a lunch restaurant and tourist information, and it is the meeting area for many guided activities.
The Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærland, at the head of the Fjærlandsfjord, covers the southern side. Its panoramic film and hands-on exhibits with real glacier ice make it a good rainy-day stop, especially with children.
Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre in Oppstryn, by Oppstrynsvatnet lake, covers the north side near Stryn, Loen and Olden. It focuses on nature, cultural heritage and the people who have lived beside the glacier for centuries.
Nigardsbreen: the easiest glacier to reach on foot
If you only visit one glacier arm, make it Nigardsbreen. The national park visitor centre in Jostedalen describes it as the glacier in Norway that provides the easiest access, and it is the hub for guided walks on this side of the park.
From Breheimsenteret, the Brevegen toll road runs about 3 kilometres through moraine landscape to a car park beside the glacial lake, Nigardsbrevatnet. The road is normally open from late April through October and the toll is collected automatically.
From the car park, the signposted walk to the glacier viewpoint takes a little over an hour each way. The path along the lake crosses smooth, uneven rock slabs and is more demanding than it looks on a map.
Between June and September, a small boat crosses the lake and cuts out the hilliest section. It shuttles back and forth without a fixed timetable, you cannot reserve a seat, and tickets are sold at the pier. Even with the boat, expect around 40 minutes on foot to the viewpoint.
The viewpoint is the end of the route for independent visitors. Because the glacier is moving and retreating, the safe viewing spot can be relocated, so follow the current signs and barriers rather than an old map or a photo you saw online.
How a guided glacier walk works
Walking on the ice itself is a different activity from visiting the viewpoint, and in Norway it is done with a qualified guide. For many visitors, the guided walk on Nigardsbreen is the classic glacier hike in Norway. It is run by Jostedalen Breførarlag, the local glacier guide company.
Their Short Blue Ice Hike takes about four and a half hours in total, including the boat and the approach, with around one and a half hours on the ice. It is open to ages 12 and up and runs from mid-May to late September.
The Long Blue Ice Hike gives roughly two and a half hours on the ice and climbs further up the glacier tongue for wider views. There is also a family-focused hike for fit children from age 8 in high summer, and a longer outing with top-rope ice climbing for those who want more challenge.
Crampons, harness and other glacier equipment are included, along with the boat crossing. You bring warm layers, waterproofs, good boots, food and drink. Check the operator's website for current prices and start times, and book ahead in July and August.
Other operators run a scheduled Jostedalsbreen glacier tour in summer on arms such as Austdalsbreen, Tunsbergdalsbreen and Haugabreen. If you are coming without a car, a seasonal glacier bus links Sogndal with Jostedalen, and some hike start times are set to match its arrival.
Briksdalsbreen: the classic walk from Olden
On the northern side of the park, Briksdalsbreen sits at the far end of the green Oldedalen valley, south of Olden. Tourists have been coming here to admire the glacier and waterfalls since the mid-1800s.
From Briksdal Mountain Lodge, an easy path follows the river for about 2.5 kilometres to the glacial lake below the ice. Most people take 40 to 60 minutes each way, and a newer footpath on the south side of the river lets you make a loop.
For more than a hundred years, local farmers carried visitors up the valley by horse and cart. Since 2004 that job has been done by small open vehicles known as troll cars, which drive most of the way and leave a walk of roughly 500 to 700 metres to the lake.
The troll cars run from about May to October. In May and from 20 September, trips must be booked in advance.
Do not expect to walk on the ice here. The glacier front has retreated sharply, and because of the ice conditions, guided hikes from this area have moved to Tystigbreen on Strynefjellet.
Fjærland, Loen and other things to do
The Fjærland side is the best choice if you want glacier views with almost no walking. Bøyabreen lies right beside the main road, about eight minutes' drive north of the Glacier Museum, and Supphellebreen is only a short detour away.
Around Loen and Olden, the valleys of Lodalen and Oldedalen lead towards other glacier arms, while Stryn is the base for the north-western side of the ice. A short drive brings you to Geiranger, and our guide to hiking above the Geirangerfjord pairs well with a few days here.
Further south, the Sognefjord links Fjærland with the rest of fjord Norway. If your route continues that way, our guide to hiking in Flåm covers the best trails at the inner end of the fjord.
Other things to do in Jostedalsbreen National Park include kayaking on glacial lakes, rafting, nature guiding and, in winter, guided ski trips on the plateau.
Glacier safety: the rules that matter
Glaciers look solid, but they move and break constantly. Large blocks of ice can fall from the front without warning, and there have been fatal accidents at Norwegian glacier fronts.
Stay behind ropes and signs at viewpoints, and never walk under an overhanging ice front or into an ice cave. Sudden meltwater surges and falling rock are also real risks, especially after heavy rain.
Never step onto a glacier without a qualified guide or proper training and equipment. Crevasses are often hidden under snow, even on surfaces that look smooth from the edge.
The temperature drops quickly near the ice, even on a warm day. Our guide to the art of layering explains how to dress so you can add and remove warmth as conditions change.
When to go and how to plan
The main season runs from late May to September, when the roads are open, the Nigardsbreen boat is running and guided walks operate daily. July and August are busiest, while June and September are quieter, with more snow or autumn colours.
Two or three days is enough to see the park properly. Spend one day at Nigardsbreen with a guided walk, one exploring Fjærland's roadside glaciers and museum, and one in Oldedalen walking to Briksdalsbreen.
Distances between the gateways are longer than they look, because the glacier sits between them. Driving from Jostedalen to Olden means going all the way around the ice, so plan your route and accommodation around the side you want to see.
Finally, see the glaciers while you can. Scientists measuring the ice in 2020 suggested Jostedalsbreen could split into three smaller glaciers within about a decade, so the landscape you visit now will already look different in a few years.
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.
