Hiking holiday: Norwegian National Parks Challenge
Holiday dates
2023
18th – 25th August 2023
No places available
Holiday price
Booking
- Easy online booking
- No deposit required, card details secure your place*
- Choose your preferred type of room
- Solo travellers – email us to book a shared twin room
- Add any extras as you book
*late cancellation charges may apply, please read our booking terms and conditions
Walking holiday grade
Challenging mountain hiking for fit, experienced hikers.
Up to 9h walking time; up to 1200m ascent; up to 24km distance, though not on the same day.
Remote, rocky paths, one boulder field, straightforward scrambling, some exposure. Guests who experience vertigo may find the Besseggen day a challenge.
Please visit our walking grade page for more information. Or get in touch with your questions.
Small group size
Minimum 4, maximum 8.
Please do not make travel arrangements until you receive your booking confirmation and the holiday has been guaranteed to run.
Hike the Jotunheimen, Rondane and Dovrefjell National Parks
Challenge yourself on our most exciting adventure. Discover Norway’s wilderness and elemental beauty in the contrasting landscapes of three national parks.
Hike far above blue lakes and enjoy vistas across the dark peaks of the Jotunheimen, home to Northern Europe’s highest mountains. Explore deep into the remote rockiness of the Rondane and the dramatic features of Dovrefjell. This holiday will be enjoyed by fit, experienced hikers. The days are challenging, and the rewards are spectacular.
On this centre-based walking holiday we use transfers to access some of the most famous hikes in Norway. Eastern Norway has a more stable climate than the West Coast and on many days we can expect to be the only hikers in this vast wild land. Explore the untamed, mythical landscapes and breathtaking trails that make Norway unique.
Venabu has a reputation as a warm and welcoming hotel. The hotel’s friendly and inclusive atmosphere make Venabu a great destination for solo travellers. Read more about holidays at Venabu as a solo traveller.
This holiday will suit hikers who enjoy:
- big mountain days
- wild landscapes and dramatic views
- easy scrambling
There are some big ascents and descents, and the going under foot can be rough. We enjoy some long days and remote places. The reward is the sense of wilderness and unspoilt nature. Hikers with experience of Scottish Munros will recognise similar terrain.
“Thank you again for the warm welcome”
“Thank you for the warm welcome and the great guided walks! I hope to be back, I enjoyed wonderful days at Venabu.”.
Grietje (The Netherlands)
holiday highlights
- Stunning hikes in three National Parks: Rondane, Jotunheimen and Dovrefjell
- Besseggen and Snøhetta: two of Norway’s most famous hikes.
- The chance of seeing Musk Ox in Dovrefjell
- Hiking in wild reindeer country
- Discover the Nordic flora and fauna, migratory and ground nesting birds, birds of prey and rare arctic alpine plants
- See how the forces of water, geology and time have shaped this vast landscape
- Relax in our comfortable, family run mountain hotel
- Ideal for solo travellers, friends and couples who would like to share their walking holiday with like-minded people.
Holiday itinerary
Day 1. Arrival
19.00: Dinner is served.
This evening we will meet after dinner for the holiday briefing. After a day of travelling this is an evening to meet everyone and settle into your week.
Day 2. Rondane National Park: Store Ramshøgda
Walk details: 18km, ascent 460m, descent 620m.
We start our week with a hike to the peak of Store Ramshøgda. We discover the Rondane, Norway’s first National Park, created to protect the genetically unique wild reindeer living here. Descending from our high point we explore an unfrequented valley where we may see merlin and or fjellvåk hunting.
19.00 Dinner is served.
Day 3. Dovrefjell, Snøhetta 2286m
Walk details: 12km, 800m ascent. Transfer: 1hour 30 min; shuttle bus to Snøheim.
There are few places on Earth where you can see musk oxen in the wild, none are as accessible as Dovrefjell National Park. Our hike to the summit of Snøhetta takes us through a land of rare arctic-alpine flora, wild reindeer and arctic foxes. The route is more challenging than the numbers would suggest as it climbs over bouldery terrain. On the summit we are above the dramatic cwm or ‘botn’ where Snøhetta’s glacier sits. The rewards for the effort are stunning views stretching to each horizon.
19.00 Dinner is served.
Day 4. Jotunheimen: Besseggen 1743m
Walk details: 20km, 1100m ascent, 1000m descent. Transfer: 1 hour 45min
Justifiably one of Norway’s most famous hikes with extraordinarily beautiful views. We take a boat along the lake Gjende to start the ascent. Our route we climbs below high dark peaks taking the line between the emerald green water of Gjende and the deep aquamarine of Bessvatnet. The bold line of Besseggen itself challenges us with straightforward scrambling, on good quality rock with some exposure.
19.30 Dinner is served.
Day 5. Finnsjøvola and Pika, 1157m
Walk details: 12km, 380m ascent. Transfer: 30 min
Both tranquil and sublime Finnsjøvola offers us an easier yet spectacular day to balance the week’s adventures. We ascend steadily through delightful, pine forest to open land and sparkling lakes with views of the Rondane massif and east towards Sweden. As we walk and soak up the beautiful scenery we may be lucky enough to see wild reindeer and the almost mythical cloudberries, ‘the gold of the mountain’, so valued in Norway.
19.00 Venabu serves its special dinner: ‘A Taste of Norwegian Tradition’.
Day 6. Rondane National Park: Døralseter
Walk details: 24km, 400m ascent, 700m descent. Transfer: 1 hour 30 min
Today we hike into the sculpted, elemental landscape of the Rondane massif. We make a traverse through the heart of the park, surrounded by its dramatic, imposing peaks and post glacial features.
19.30 Dinner is served.
Day 7. Gravskardhøgda 1767m
Walk details: 21km 1200m ascent, 1000m descent. Transfer: 50 minutes
Our final ascent in Eastern Norway will not disappoint. Wild and stunning, we hike high above Atnasjøen. Gravskardhøgda’s broad summit ridge provides outstanding 360° views. On a clear day you can see all the way from the Rondane massif to Sweden in the east and it is very likely that we will have this vast landscape all to ourselves.
19.00 Dinner is served.
Day 8. Departure day
Departure after breakfast.
Please note that the order of the itinerary may vary to adapt to the weather and the needs of the group.
A note about the transfers
The transfers on this holiday may seem long however, in our experience, guests enjoy seeing the contrasting landscapes. We visit areas with very different characters in one holiday. Being centre based, and not fixed into a schedule, means that we can adjust the itinerary to suit the weather. These are remote places and the weather can make itself felt. This flexibility means that you see each place in its best light, perhaps literally…
What’s included
- 7 nights accommodation in our comfortable mountain hotel.
- Breakfast and evening meals, packed lunches and flasks filled.
- Guided walks on 6 days,
- The services of our expert hiking guide
- Boat journey on Gjende, Jotunheimen
- Our “Taste of Norwegian Tradtion” dinner served on Wednesday evening
- Shuttle bus to Snøheim
- Transfers to and from Ringebu at the start and end of the trip.
- All transfers for guiding
“Fantastic!”
Susan and Jayne (UK)
You may also enjoy our other hiking holidays
Discover Norway on Foot
Wild Reindeer Country Explorer
Autumn Hiking Experience
“Wonderful visit”
“Thank you to everyone at Venabu for yet another wonderful visit …. We will return!!”
