Planning our road trip around Norway was overwhelming. With so many places to go and only two weeks to explore this incredible country, we knew we had to start somewhere. Oslo was the obvious choice. After planning and setting more realistic expectations, we realised we couldn’t do the top of Norway, Lofoten. So, we decided to explore the bottom and west coast instead. We wanted to hit a few key spots and squeeze in as many hikes as possible.

Our two-week west coast itinerary is still one of the highlights of our trip. With a few minor changes, I highly recommend it to anyone visiting.

For a quick summary head to the bottom page for the complete list.

Starting with Oslo

Driving in from Sweden, we spent one night and two days exploring Norway’s capital, Oslo. Staying outside the city centre with a car was our only option, but the public train was easy and affordable, so we had no trouble getting around. We hit the main sights first, taking a walk down to the waterfront to admire the architecture masterpiece of the Opera House. Then continue exploring the water front, with sculptures and swimming spots to explore we spent majoring of our second day on the Sørenga Sjøbad pier enjoying the sun and swimming. If you’re on a slightly different budget there are incredible saunas and swimming spots to enjoy.

After exploring the waterfront we hit the main town centre stopping at the following sight along the way:

• Akershus Fortress Visitor Center
• Oslo City Hall
• The Royal Palace
• Damstredet

Following all this walking we had to try a couple of norways street food options, getting a hotdog from Syverkiosken. Affordable and delicious this hotdog had caramelised onions a wrap to cover it and all the sauces you could want 10/10.

We then went and tried Haralds Vaffel, a norwichen waffle with brown cheese and jam. We also tried one with blue cheese and mushrooms, which was our preference 7/10.

Explore the stunning streets and architecture of GRÜNERLØKKA, a neighbourhood known for its incredible shops. If you’re on a weekend trip, you’ll be tempted to indulge in some retail therapy. For a fun and unique coffee experience, head to Tim Wendelboe, the coffee shop that serves coffee in martini glasses. If you’re on a mindful budget, there are amazing bakeries that offer delicious sweet and savoury treats at affordable prices.

Telemark

After an incredible 36 hours in Norway we headed to a couple hours west to Telemark staying at telemark campground for two nights.

Out of all the places we stayed this was our favourite. Lake front with free kayaking, paddle boards and saunas the whole experience feels very on brand for Norway. If we were staying longer we would have explored more of the nearby trails.

Lofthus

Our next destination for two days was Lofthus, with pit stops at Dalen and Mjonøy AS along the way. Mjonøy AS is a must-visit, renowned for its delectable cinnamon rolls that are among the best in Norway and Europe. This driving was truly breathtaking with the fjords and mountains you’ll often find yourself stopping to take in the views like us.

After a very poor attempt at freedom camping we stay at Lofthus campsite the night before undertaking Queen Sonja’s Panoramic Hiking Trail. With our original plan to do Trolltunga we opted to save $200 in parking and shuttle and do a free hike nearby. The Queen Sonja hike had everything you could possibly want with incredible views of the fjord, waterfalls and tans with mountain goats hiking alongside you the 1000km in elevation won’t be as hard with incredible views to distract you along the way.

As a post hike treat stop at Lofthus sideri AS for a crisp treat among the apple trees. The other incredible walk in the area is Bondhusvatnet for slightly tired legs this walk only takes 2 hours round trip with most amazing scenery and little elevation this is also a must do even if you have to pay $25 in parking….

Bergen

For the next two days we went slightly out of your way to Bergen. The quint coastal town is known for its fresh seafood and old fishing village this town is a must visit when in Norway.

Quick Guide :

• Hansakvarteret Bryggen
• Climb Mt Fløyen
• Det Lille Kaffekompaniet
• Fish Markets
• Arna sauna

For the first night we camped and then treated ourselves to our most interesting stay of the trip so far staying in a boat house.

Aurland

The next stop on the trip is Aurland, for incredible hiking this area is at the bottom of the fjord so it does get cold but is peaceful and quiet. We did the Stegastein hike which was a little bit more technical than the last but the views at the top were outstanding. With lots of cheeky mountain goats at the top this is still my favourite hike of the trip.

The following day if you have the budget for it the area host amazing kayaking trips and a floating sauna experience that looked incredible. (Unfortunately not in our budget) but make sure you stop for a coffee and sweet treat at Marianne Bakeri & Kafe and cold plunge into the fjord on the jetty! Or read a book in the hammock like us.

Stryn

Up next for possibly my favourite part of Norway Stryn. With the most picturesque scenes and wonderful stay at Strynsvatn Camping Plus, Stryn is another must visit when road tripping Norway.

Like all places in Norway, Stryn offers plenty of hiking, stunning fjords, and saunas. However, the views around Stryn are the most spectacular of all the places we visited.

A couple of things to check out in Stryn

• Flo Brygge Sauna
• Hjelle
• Kolbeinsvatnet

Geiranger

Geiranger, not far from Stryn, is a great destination for a shorter driving day. You can get there by car ferry. Geiranger offers the Homlungsætra hike, where you walk around the top of a fjord and get to see the seven sisters along the way. You can also visit the abandoned farm Skageflå. This was the easiest hike of the trip with it being around 3 hours with the hardest part being at the very beginning.

We continued north to see the Troll Wall and drove along the famous Trollstigen road. This was the furthest north we had ventured and we stayed the night at a campsite. It was incredibly affordable and had laundry facilities, but it wasn’t worth recommending. After 12 days in Norway, we had to start making our way back to Sweden. We drove through Lillehammer, staying there for a night before returning to Sweden. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend Lillehammer. We wanted to visit the Olympic park, but it was closed the day we arrived. In hindsight, I would recommend a one-way rental and flying out of Ålesund, or driving back to Oslo and spending another couple of days there to wrap up our two weeks in Norway.

Overall:

Norway remains our favourite country from all our European trips. The scenery and sights are outstanding, making it a trip we’ll never forget. However, Norway can be quite expensive, especially for dining out and drinks. We only had one meal out and one drink the entire time we were there. To save money, we cooked all our food and brought everything from the supermarket. Half of our stays were at campsites, which helped us keep our budget of €50 per day. Even with some luxuries of saunas and coffee, we managed to stay within our budget for the entire trip.

Summary:

1 Night -Oslo (wish it was more)

2 Nights – Telemark

2 Nights – Lofthus

2 Nights – Bergen

2 Nights – Aurland

2 Nights – Stryn

1 Night – Geiranger

1 Night – Åndalsnes

1 Night – Lillehammer (would switch to Oslo)