Explore Norway’s Cycling Adventures: 6 Amazing Bike Tours

A vacation in Norway is synonymous with experiencing nature at your own pace. Why not hop on two wheels and create unforgettable cycling memories? With ten different national cycling routes in Norway, along with many smaller bike tours worth exploring, you have plenty of options to traverse the country on low-traffic roads. An experience for both young and old alike!

Rallarvegen

Starting Point: Finse or Geilo
Recommended Duration: 1-5 days

Rallarvegen is perhaps the most classic cycling route in Norway, attracting over 25,000 cyclists every year. It has been hailed as Norway’s most beautiful bike ride numerous times, and rightfully so, as you pedal through mountains, plateaus, and pristine nature. While some hardcore cyclists complete the journey in one day, it’s recommended to split it into two or three stages to fully enjoy the scenery.

The route starts from the high mountain terrain near Haugastøl (near Geilo), at an elevation of 1000 meters above sea level, and ends at the beautiful Aurlandsfjorden. Although it’s not just downhill to the fjord, which is 81 kilometers from the starting point, there are plenty of downhill stretches. The highest point on Rallarvegen is Fagernut, at 1310 meters above sea level. On your way down, you’ll pass through Finse, Hallingskeid, and Myrdal, all excellent resting spots. The endpoint is Flåm in Aurlandsfjorden, where you can catch the Flåm Railway back up!

TIP: This is a popular tour, and several operators offer cycling packages that include train tickets, bikes, meals, and accommodation.

Ålesund to Geiranger via Hjørundfjorden and the Sunnmøre Alps

Starting Point: Ålesund city center
Recommended Duration: 3-5 days

Geirangerfjorden is one of Norway’s most visited fjords, with most tourists arriving by boat or cruise ship. For a unique experience, you can hop on your bike from Ålesund and end up in the beautiful fjord. Geirangerfjorden is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and despite fewer than 300 people living in the village of Geiranger, it receives over 900,000 visitors annually. Surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks, lush vegetation, and cascading waterfalls, it’s a delight to experience this on two wheels.

The recommended route starts from Ålesund city center, and you’ll need to coordinate with local ferries and boats to get around. You’ll need to take a boat from Solevåg ferry quay to Festøya ferry quay, and then from Indre Standal to Leknes. Once you reach Hellesylt, it’s time to board the ferry that goes all the way into Geirangerfjorden. Remember to try a hike without your bike along the road. We recommend climbing Slogen near the self-service Patchellhytta. Plan for at least an extra day!

Mjøstråkk

Starting Point: Hamar, Lillehammer, or Gjøvik
Recommended Duration: 1-14 days

Mjøsa is Norway’s largest lake, surrounded by beautiful countryside. Mjøstråkk is a route spanning 250 km, but you can choose to do the entire route or just a part of it. This tour can be a great activity while staying at WonderInn Riverside to explore more in the surrounding area. Some highlights along Mjøsa include Norway’s smallest chocolate factory in Gjøvik, the Lillehammer Art Museum, and Domkirkeodden in Hamar. Between the cities, you’ll find charming farms with farm shops and small cafes, as well as long stretches and cozy rest areas along the way.

There are options for accommodation on some of the farms, and the bike tour can be done with the whole family since most of it is flat. To break up the trip and add some variation, you can also hop on the boat Skibladner, which traverses Mjøsa back and forth. Often referred to as “Mjøsa’s white swan,” it’s a great option for resting your legs while enjoying the view of Mjøsa from a different perspective.

The Golden Detour, Inderøy

Starting Point: Røra station
Recommended Duration: 2-3 days

If you’re a food enthusiast, you must experience The Golden Detour. Just north of Trondheim lies a bike tour that invites you to Norway’s best food hub, where you can experience culinary delights around every corner. The bike tour is not demanding and traverses an almost flat landscape, but the delightful sea breeze and the many farms you encounter along the way make it an unforgettable journey.

When you’re in Trondheim and want to experience the best in the area, you can take the train to Røra station. Here, you can rent bikes through Visit Innhered, which is especially ideal for tourists traveling without their own bikes. It’s easy to navigate through the landscape on the Inderøy peninsula. If you’re in a hurry, you can do a day trip, but the best experiences will arise if you spend one or two nights at different farms around the peninsula. You’ll get closer to the friendly locals, experience the best Inderøy has to offer, and stop by many more farms to enjoy local organic food every time hunger strikes.

Andøya from North to South

Starting Point: Andenes
Recommended Duration: 2-4 days

Just above the Lofoten Islands, you’ll find Andøya, an island with fewer towering mountains than Lofoten. This makes it an ideal cycling destination, and you can cycle the entire island from north to south for the whole family. You can combine the bike tour with hikes to Bleik or Stave, or visit Andøya Space. The latter is an exciting space research station where they launch rockets into space, mostly to study the magical Northern Lights. The space station welcomes visitors at the Spaceship Aurora visitor center. Andøya is also world-renowned for whale safaris, which can be a fun experience along the way.

The bike tour takes you past cobblestone beaches, marshes, powdery white beaches, and beautiful mountain landscapes. There is incredibly little traffic along the road, and most of the route is in natural surroundings without any buildings. This is a great trip to combine with accommodation at WonderInn Arctic. You can cycle from our dome to Harstad to catch a boat to Andøya before starting the bike tour. When you return after a few days of exploration, you can relax in full glamping comfort with your own hot tub or book yourself into the sauna to really treat yourself.

For the Most Adventurous: Nordkapp – Lindesnes

If you’re truly looking to experience Norway from top to bottom and want a challenging adventure, the longest national bike route is an ambitious choice. National bike route number 10 stretches all the way from Nordkapp to Lindesnes! This journey is nearly 3000 kilometers long. Note that there are several tunnels along the way where cycling is not allowed, and you’ll need to take a bus or train through to continue. The record for the long journey is only 116 hours and 59 minutes, but it’s recommended to set aside a month or two to complete it. There’s plenty to experience along the way, so the more time you have, the more experiences you’ll bring back home.