Jotunheimen is where Norway keeps its biggest mountains. The name means "home of the giants", and it fits: more than 250 peaks here rise above 1,900 metres, including Galdhøpiggen and Glittertind, the two highest summits in Northern Europe.
What makes the area so rewarding is the range of options packed into one region. You can walk a classic ridge in a day, scramble up a lonely summit, or spend a week moving between staffed lodges without ever carrying a tent.
This guide gives you an overview of Jotunheimen hiking: the main areas, the best day hikes, the classic multi-day loop and the practical details that make a trip run smoothly.
Getting to know Jotunheimen National Park
Jotunheimen National Park was established in 1980 and covers about 1,151 square kilometres of high mountain terrain. It straddles Innlandet and Vestland counties, across the municipalities of Lom, Vågå, Vang, Luster and Årdal.
The landscape changes as you cross it. The east is more open, with broad valleys and long lakes such as Gjende and Bygdin. The west turns wild and jagged in Hurrungane, where Store Skagastølstind rises to about 2,405 metres.
Lake Gjende is the emotional heart of the park for many visitors. Glacial silt turns its water a milky emerald green in late summer, and the deep blue Bessvatnet sits about 400 metres higher on the ridge above it.
Most hikes start from a handful of bases: Gjendesheim in the east, Spiterstulen and Juvasshytta in the north, Leirvassbu in Leirdalen, and Turtagrø on the Sognefjellet road in the west.
Jotunheimen day hikes from Gjende
The Gjende area is the easiest place to start, and it is home to the most famous walk in Norway. Besseggen sees around 50,000 hikers a year, and most of them take the boat from Gjendesheim to Memurubu and walk back over the ridge in five to seven hours.
Our Besseggen ridge hike guide covers that route in detail, from boat tickets to the steep section above Bessvatnet. If you have more than one day here, though, the lake offers plenty more.
Bukkelægret, on the far side of Memurubu, is a dramatic alternative. The route links Memurubu and Gjendebu, and its signature section is a steep climb of about 500 metres straight up from the shore at Gjendebu. Gjendebåtene estimates three to five hours for the crossing in either direction.
For something gentle, there is a lakeside path between Memurubu and Gjendesheim known for its rich mountain flowers. It makes a good alternative on a cloudy day when the ridges are hidden.
With children or tired legs, the short climb behind the Gjendesheim boat dock leads to a viewpoint over the lake in about half an hour. A little further north near Bessheim, the Hulderstigen nature trail is roughly 5.5 kilometres of easy forest walking with no real climbs.
The Knutshøe hike: Besseggen's quieter neighbour
Across Gjende from Besseggen stands Knutshøe, a 1,517-metre ridge that sees a fraction of the traffic. From the top you look straight across at Besseggen and Besshøe, with the braided delta of Øvre Leirungen spread out below.
The usual Knutshøe hike starts at the Vargebakken parking area on road 51, about four to five kilometres south of the Gjendesheim turn-off. Most people walk it as a loop of roughly 12 to 15 kilometres, following the crest over the summit and returning through Leirungsdalen.
Allow around five to six hours. It is a step up from Besseggen in difficulty: the path is unmarked in places, there are short scrambling sections near the start and just below the top, and the ridge drops away steeply on both sides.
Keep to the main path. Side tracks on the left can lead onto steep ground that is hard to get back from. Save this one for a dry, clear day, and avoid it altogether if you are uneasy with heights.
Big summits: Galdhøpiggen, Glittertind and Kyrkja
Bagging Norway's highest peak is the goal of many visitors. Galdhøpiggen, at 2,469 metres, can be climbed with a guide across the Styggebrean glacier from Juvasshytta, or on your own along a marked, glacier-free trail from Spiterstulen.
Our Galdhøpiggen hike guide compares both routes, with timings and what to pack. Across the valley, Glittertind is usually climbed from Glitterheim or Spiterstulen and makes a fine second giant.
If you want a summit with real character but less effort, look at Kyrkja, "the church". Its pointed spire rises to 2,032 metres above Leirvassbu, which sits at around 1,400 metres at the end of a toll road in Leirdalen.
The round trip is about 9 kilometres with roughly 630 metres of climbing, and four to six hours is a fair estimate. The top section is steep and airy, and you will need your hands, but there are plenty of solid ledges, so most confident walkers manage it in good conditions.
In the far west, Fannaråken stands at 2,068 metres and carries Fannaråkhytta, Norway's highest staffed DNT lodge. The marked route from Turtagrø is about 8 kilometres and 1,200 metres of ascent one way, which DNT puts at four to six hours, so plan a long day or book a bed on top.
A classic Jotunheimen trek, hut to hut
Jotunheimen is one of the best places in Norway to try a hut-to-hut trip. Staffed lodges run by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) serve dinner and breakfast and offer beds, so you can travel light and still sleep warm.
The best-known Jotunheimen trek is a six-day loop that starts and ends at Gjendesheim. DNT's suggested stages run Gjendesheim to Glitterheim, then on to Spiterstulen, Leirvassbu, Gjendebu and Memurubu, before finishing over Besseggen.
Daily stages are typically 13 to 21 kilometres and five to seven hours of walking. The route takes in high passes, glacial valleys, the Bukkelægret climb and finally the Besseggen ridge, which makes for a memorable last day.
If six days is too much, the Gjende lodges make shorter Jotunheimen multi-day hikes easy to arrange. Two or three nights split between Gjendesheim, Memurubu and Gjendebu, with the boat as a shortcut, give you Besseggen and Bukkelægret without the long stages.
Book beds early for July and August, especially at weekends. If this is your first trip of this kind, our guide on how to plan your first multi-day backpacking trip covers packing and pacing.
When to go and how to get there
The main hiking season runs from late June to early September. Snow can linger on high ground well into July, and early in the season some passes are still wet and heavy going. Late August and early September bring fewer people and autumn colour, but shorter days.
The Gjende boats run from early June into September, and booking in advance saves you from long queues on the quay. They also carry luggage between the lodges for a fee, which is handy if you want to cross a ridge with only a daypack.
Several approach roads are seasonal. Road 51 over Valdresflye and the high section of the Sognefjellet road, Northern Europe's highest mountain pass at 1,434 metres, close for the winter. Leirvassbu's toll road also follows the lodge season.
In summer, buses run to Gjendesheim and other trailheads from Oslo and from Otta, which is on the railway line through Gudbrandsdalen. Check the current timetables on Entur before you set off, as services change through the season.
Staying safe in the home of the giants
These are serious mountains, even on busy trails. Weather can change within an hour, wind on the ridges is often much stronger than in the valleys, and low cloud over a snowfield can leave you in a whiteout with no visible path.
Pack a windproof and waterproof shell, warm layers, a hat and gloves even in July. Carry a map and offline navigation, plenty of food and enough water for exposed sections where streams run dry.
Never cross a glacier without a guide and proper equipment. Many classic routes, from Galdhøpiggen via Styggebrean to Fannaråken from Sognefjellshytta, offer guided crossings for exactly that reason.
Above all, be ready to turn back. Jotunheimen will still be there next summer, and a quieter valley walk on a bad day often turns out to be one of the best memories of the trip.
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.
