Norway Road Trip: The Perfect Scandinavian Adventure with Kids
- minna
- 3 days ago
- 13 min read
If there is one trip I would do all over again in a heartbeat it's this one! The landscapes in Norway are some of the most beautiful ones I have ever seen, and oftentimes you get them all to yourselves, which gives a feeling of complete freedom. This road trip was made extra special by the fact that we had friends and family join us, and we also had some time at the start and the end seeing relatives that we haven't seen in a very long time.
We spent nearly two weeks exploring the fjords and mountains between Oslo and Bergen, making regular stops to keep our 3-year-old daughter entertained. Below is the route I would recommend taking if you are exploring this part of Norway with young kids.
When to Go to Norway with Kids
Norway is definitely one of those countries that has something for every season! In the winter months, it's the perfect place for winter sports as it has plenty of high mountains and lots of snow (even us Swedes tend to pop over the border for ski holidays!). A lot of people also come here for the Northern lights, as Northern Norway is known for being a good spot to chase the Northern Lights.
However, if you are thinking of doing a road trip and do some hiking with kids, I would recommend visiting in summer as in spring and autumn (and sometimes even in summer), the weather in the mountains can be really harsh with snow never fully melting at the very peaks. Norway also benefits from the gulf stream, which means the sea gets warm in the summer, and you also get the phenomenon of Midnight Sun, where the sun never fully sets in summer!
Where to Fly to in Norway
For this road trip, we started off in Oslo and finished in Bergen, both airports are well-connected with regular flights to the UK and Europe. You could of course choose to fly in and out of the same city, and do more of a loop instead (which would work out cheaper with car hire), or if you wanted a slightly different route, there is also Stavanger airport a few hours' drive south of Bergen, which also has regular flight connections.
How to Get Around Norway with Kids
We decided to hire a car from Oslo to Bergen as we wanted as much flexibility as possible. Dropping the car off in a different location to where we picked it up, did incur a pretty hefty additional drop-off fee, so if you are conscious of budget, there is also a train connecting Bergen and Oslo, which is meant to be incredibly scenic and child-friendly with a kids area onboard the train. If you did it this way, I would still recommend hiring a car for a few days in either location (if picking one I would pick Bergen - the "gateway to the fjords"!) and then also making a stop or two along the train route (Flåm is a good halfway stop!).
If you are renting a car, it's worth mentioning that a lot of cars in Norway are electric. It was our first time renting an electric car on holiday, and we were a bit worried it would be hard to find spots to charge it on the way - but this was very easy and there were charging places literally everywhere!
Where to Stay in Norway with Kids
Based on the route we chose for our itinerary, these are some areas and places to stay I would recommend between Oslo and Bergen:
Oslo - check out my Oslo Guide for full list of accommodation
Gausta/Rjukan - near Gaustatoppen and other great hiking trails
Recommended accommodation: 3 Bedroom Apartment, Villa Rjukan
Røldal - lovely little town near Trolltunga, next to waterfalls and mountains
Recommended accommodation: Røldal Apartment
Odda - closest town to Trolltunga
Recommended accommodation: Trolltunga Lodge, Vikinghaug
Eidfjord - beautiful spot right on the fjord, near Vøringfossen
Recommended accommodation: Vik Pensjonat
Bergen - check out my Bergen Guide for full list of accommodation
Norway Road Trip Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1-3: Oslo
We're starting off our road trip in Oslo which has to be one of my favourite European cities - it has the culture, arts and food scene that you would expect from any capital city, but there is also so much nature in and around the city that you forget you're actually in a city sometimes!
We stayed out on the Nesodden peninsula as I have family there, and it's a lovely place to visit, especially in summer, as it's perfect for swimming in the fjord, picking wild berries and just enjoying nature. To get here, you can take the ferry from Aker Brygge in central Oslo (this is also where you get the ferry out to the islands like Huvudøya and Lindøya) and it takes about 20 minutes.
If you are visiting Nesodden, I would also recommend checking out Spro Gruve - an old stone mine full of a mineral called Muscovite which makes the cave shimmer in sunlight! You can either drive here of get the bus from the ferry stop at Nesoddtangen.
For the rest of our time in Oslo, we tried to do as much outdoor activities as possible like hiking up to Vettakollen for great views of Oslo and the fjord, visiting Vigeland Sculpture Park and exploring the trendy area Grüneløkka.
To read my full guide of things to do in Oslo with kids, click here!
Day 4: Oslo-Gausta
We started by exploring a bit more of Oslo as we were waiting for some of our friends who are joining us on this road trip to arrive. As we were here during Oslo Pride, we watched a bit of the parade, spent some time at the playground and then went to Oslo Opera House, which is a fun building to explore as you can walk the roof all the way up to a platform at the top that offers great views of the fjord.
After lunch, we picked up our rental car and started making our way towards Gausta. The drive is relatively short (about 3 hours), but there can be quite a bit of traffic getting out of Oslo, so make sure to account for extra time being stuck in traffic! Once you start leaving Oslo behind, you're suddenly driving through beautiful fjords - a very exciting start to our road trip!
We made a few quick stops on the way, but wanted to make as much headway as possible in order to not arrive too late, and got to our cabin around dinner time. We finished the day with a midnight walk - and I can confirm it was still light outside!
Day 5: Gausta and Ørnenipa
Our original plan today was to go up to Gaustatoppen, but as it was extremely windy, we decided to explore something a bit more sheltered and instead hiked Ørnenipa. It's a fairly easy hike which takes about 3-5 hours to complete and it felt like a good practice hike for our long Trolltunga hike in a couple of days time!
We started the trail at Gaustablikk (there is parking right next to Den Lykkelige Sportsmann). The trail is fairly easy to start of with, taking you next to a lake and then up through the woods towards the top. We brought a a back carrier and a sling for our then 2.5-year-old daughter, but as the trail wasn't too steep, she could also walk parts of it herself.
(If you're in need of a good toddler carrier, I would highly recommend the Izmi Breeze Aventure Toddler Carrier - you can get 10% off your order by using this link and applying the code TTD10 at checkout.)
There is only one quite steep incline towards the start of the hike, and after that it is mainly flat through rugged mountains with great views of Gaustatoppen. Despite the hike being fairly straightforward, my husband managed to roll his ankle just after we had stopped for lunch, and therefore decided to head back to the cabin first and have a rest. He also managed to get lost on the way, but a very kind Norwegian man helped him and even drove him to his house so he could wrap his ankle. What a hero! PS. it's honestly not that difficult or strenuous he is just a liability
As my daughter still napped during this trip, we made most progress while she was asleep, and could then take it a bit easier for the parts where she was awake. Towards the end, it did start to get a bit too windy, so even though we were sheltered in between the mountains we decided to turn and make our way back.
We ended the day with a sauna at Gaustablikk Mountain Resort and it was probably my most scenic sauna experience to date! It's a floating sauna on the lake with Gaustatoppen as the backdrop and it was the perfect way to wind down after a long hike. As my husband still couldn't properly walk, he decided to stay home with our daughter, but I did see a playground with some swings next to the resort, so an option could be taking it in turns if you are going here with kids.
Day 6: Gausta to Røldal
Today the wind had died down completely so we could finally go up to Gaustatoppen. The peak is 1800 metres high and you can see a 6th of the entire country from the top! You can hike all the way, but as we were still a bit tender from the hike the day before, we decided to take the funicular up instead. In fact, I would say it's worth going here for the funicular experience itself - it's a cable car that goes inside the mountain!
It was built after the Second World War as Gaustatoppen was chosen by the Norwegian Armed Forces as the location for a secret communication system, and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the very top (the temperature inside the mountain is quite cold so I would bring some extra layers if you're doing this).
There are a few different platforms at the top where you can take in the gorgeous views, offering 360° views of the landscapes below, and while you're here, make sure to try the famous cardamom waffles (Norway's highest waffle!) before heading back down again.
After this, we started making our way through the beautiful landscapes, headed for Røldal. It was a lovely sunny day and most of the drive was next to rivers and lakes so we decided to stop for a quick swim in lake Totak, just before Vå (I've marked the exact location in the map further up). We managed to find a spot with a small beach and little jetty and went for a dip - the water was very cold, but refreshing!
The total drive was only about 3 hours, but the views were honestly insane so you'll want to make lots of stops! We stopped for dinner in a little village called Haukeli, which also had a small supermarket and a Sami shop, and then stopped again next to lake Kjelavtn, which apart offering gorgeous views, was also a great place to stop and let our daughter have a run around.
We arrived in Røldal early evening, a charming little village set in the mountains (we could actually see waterfalls from our accommodation) and got straight to packing and planning for our big day tomorrow...
Day 7: Trolltunga Pt 1
Today is the big day! We are hiking up to Trolltunga, one of Norway's most iconic hikes which culminates in the giant rock, the "Troll's Tongue". When we first started planning this road trip, we weren't sure if this was going to be possible to do with a toddler. But we decided to give it a go, and in the months leading up to this trip, we've been preparing by exercising, doing practice hikes, researching what to wear/bring and keeping up to date with the latest weather forecast and recommendations.
If this is something you are considering with a toddler/young child, I would recommend doing proper research and be aware of the risks with this hike. I have written a guide on it which you can take a look at here with information about the hike, how we prepared and resources we found useful.
The hike starts near Odda and on the way from Røldal we made a quick stop at the waterfall Låtefoss, which is you can see from the road. There are three different places you can park for this hike - we parked at P3 which is the most expensive and needs to be pre-booked, but it's the closest car park to the top, with the estimated time of the hike being 7-10 hours to complete.
By some miracle, my husband's ankle recovered just in time for this hike and he was able to join (but he did hire some walking poles to ensure it wouldn't happen again!). The morning started off a bit drizzly, but by the time we started hiking, the rain stopped and it was dry for the rest of the day, with no wind.
Most of the hike is actually pretty flat, but long. This meant our daughter could walk parts of it herself and we weren't too exhausted. There is one steep incline, but this is towards the start of the hike, so once you're past that, the worst is over! We had decided to camp at the top which meant we weren't in a rush, and as it was the middle of summer, we knew the sun wouldn't really set so we had daylight on our side.
We took lots of breaks for snacks and play, and tried to cover as much ground as possible when our daughter was napping in the carrier. The landscape changes as you go, and about a third of the way you reach the fjord and have stunning views of the fjord for the rest of the hike! Apart from a small misfortune where my husband dropped his phone into a narrow canyon in the rock (which we sadly weren't able to get back despite our best efforts using the walking poles and some chewing gum), the hike was pretty straightforward and it took us about 7 hours to reach the famous rock.
When we got there in the early evening, the day hikers had all gone back and we had Trolltunga all to ourselves! It was a real pinch-me moment, and I was still in disbelief that we'd actually made it.
We set camp nearby next to the fjord and after some dinner called it a night, exhausted but happy.
Day 8: Trolltunga Pt 2
Waking up in the mountains above the clouds next to a fjord was an unreal experience - and it was actually my birthday, which made it even more special! My husband and friends had even managed to bring a (slightly squashed) muffin with a candle for me.
As we were having breakfast, the clouds started to disperse and we packed up our things and headed back to the Trolltunga rock. It was only 9 in the morning but there were already people queueing up to get their picture taken out on the rock! We decided against joining the queue as we'd had such a perfect experience the night before and instead started making our way down.
The weather today was even better with clear skies and sunshine the whole day. It did get quite hot, especially as we had all prepared for colder conditions - so this is worth bearing in mind too, and definitely pack sunscreen!
Despite it being downhill, it took us almost as long going back down, again with lots of breaks for play and snacks, and by the time we got back down it was nearly 4 in the afternoon. The biggest struggle with this entire hike was not so much the length/difficulty of the hike, or even carrying our daughter and all the things (big thanks to our friends who helped us out with this!), but keeping our 2.5-year-old entertained. It didn't help that she got her final molars come through these exact two days, so at times she was not happy. There wasn't much we could do about it though other than taking it easy and topping her up with Ibuprofen (and for the last hour of the hike we gave in and give her some screen time).
After arriving back at the car, we headed straight to Lofthus Sideri - a cider house about a 30 minute drive from the car park. Although we were still sweaty, dirty and completely exhausted, sitting down and enjoying a cold cider was such a treat! We shared a cheese and charcuterie board and me, my friend and my sister did a cider tasting, while my daughter and the two designated drivers had some homemade apple juice. Well worth a visit if you're passing by!
We spent the evening in Eidfjord - a small village right next to the fjord and our penultimate stop on our road trip.
Day 9: Eidfjord-Bergen
Today we're making our way to our final destination of this trip: Bergen! But first, we're making a few stops on the way as there is so much to see and do in the area.
We couldn't leave Eidfjord without trying the famous cardamom buns from Vik Bakery - and they did not disappoint! Possibly one of the best ones I've had (or at least up there with the delicious cardamom buns from Skt. Peders Bageri in Copenhagen!). After a bun and a coffee, we're ready to continue with our day and head to our first stop: Vøringsfossen.
It's about a 15-20-minute drive in the opposite direction of Bergen, so it is a slight detour but well worth it!
When you reach the parking lot, there are ramps and steps along the cliff's edge leading to the top above the waterfall, offering impressive 360° views. The waterfall itself has a drop of 182 metres, of which 145 metres is free fall. On a sunny day, you'll see rainbows forming around the cascading water, making it even more special. As the whole bit is accessed via ramps and steps, it is perfectly child-friendly (and only takes about 10 minutes to get to the top) - but ditch the pram!
After this, we took the Scenic Route towards Bergen (Google Maps will recommend another, faster route, but I'd highly recommend taking this route!). On the way, we stopped at a second waterfall, Steindalsfossen. This beautiful waterfall has a 50-metre drop, and the unique thing is that you can actually walk behind it (without getting wet!). The waterfall is just a short walk from the car park, and the path is pram-friendly (though it's short enough that you can carry your child or let them walk by themselves).
From here, it's only about an hour's drive to Bergen and we were able to arrive before dinner.
Day 10-12: Bergen
For the last few days of our trip, we spent some time exploring Norway's second biggest city, Bergen. It's nicknamed "the Gateway to the Fjords" as it sits right by the water surrounded by mountains - its location also means it's one of the rainiest places in Europe with around 200 days of rain per year - so make sure to pack a rain jacket!
We started our stay in Bergen by exploring the fjords and took a fjord cruise to Mostraumen with Rødne Fjord Cruise. This was a half-day cruise and there is a cafe and toilets onboard with plenty of indoor seating, as well as outdoore areas both upstairs and downstairs for taking in the views (there was even a small kids play area under the stairs!).
The rest of our stay in Bergen we took the cable car up to Mount Fløyen (which not only has great views of Bergen, but also has an incredible playground at the top!), wandered the cobbled streets of Old Bergen and Nynes, explored the fish market and Bryggen, and visited the aquarium on a rainy day.
For my full guide on what to do in Bergen with young kids, click here.
