Trolltunga Hike- The Trollunga hike in Norway is one of the most popular hikes in the country. It is so for a reason as it over looks crystal blue waters and gives you a serious sense of accomplishment as this is not as easy hike. We completed many hikes during our time in Norway, this one was definitely the longest.

Many people complete this hike along with Kjerabolten and Pulpit Rock to complete their ‘Triple Crown‘ victory of Norway. Be sure to check out my post on my Two Weeks in Norway Itinerary .

Stats

Distance: 22 km (13.6 miles) round trip

Elevation Gain: 900 meters (2,950 feet)

Time: 10 – 12 hours

What do I need to bring?

Water– it gets pretty hot so hydration bladders are great to have and easy to pack

Hiking shoes/Sturdy Gym Shoes– I am wearing my favorite
Ahnu hiking shoes
Sunscreen– it can get bright on that Norway rock face

Snacks/Sandwich– we packed peanut butter sandwiches, granola bars, fruit, and jerky sticks

Hiking Poles– these are great pack-able ones for traveling

DayPack- I used my The North Face Borealis for this trip but I am also a fan of the Osprey day packs

Rain Jacket– you never know what the weather will do in Norway

Rain Cover– these pack small and have saved our bags multiple times, always in my daypack when I am hiking

Camera/Cell Phone– for your token picture on Trolltunga

Light Layers- the valleys and elevation changes made for a constant change in temperatures. As walking up and down hills my body heat changed so often. Light layers are key for this hike. Even long sleeves helped for protecting ourselves from getting sun burnt. On this hike I wore an exercise tank, and my REI 3/4 zip. But I also love my Columbia Tamiami to both stay warmer in the early mornings but also light enough to layer and still wear as it has SPF protection in it.

***You can find my entire Norway summer packing list here.

Where to Stay

Renting an Airbnb in the town of Odda was the best decision for us. Most people stay in Tyssedal as it puts you closer to the the Trolltunga trail. But staying in Odda was a cheaper option and only adds ten extra minutes onto your drive. Odda also has some more restaurants and grocery store options if staying the night before or after.

We rented this Airbnb to stay at, our host was wonderful. He actually runs transportation to the hike so he had lots of great information and tips. This place was also situated right outside the bus station if needing to use public transportation to the the base of the trail. If renting an AirBnb click here for $40 off your first stay.

It is really best to stay near the hike, it is a long and strenuous one. I wouldn’t recommend having a long drive immediately after this hike.

Check places to stay in the area here:

Booking.com

How To Get There

The drive to Tyssedal (6 km from Odda) on route 13. Follow signs to Skjeggedal and Trolltunga. After about 7 km you reach the parking lot in Skjeggedal. This is a pretty narrow and windy road. Go slow around the sharp bends and you shouldn’t have a problem. We went at 5:00 am and didn’t meet any other cars. On the way back from our hike we did and had to back up a few times to let cars through in the wider sections of the road.

**If looking for get there by public transportation look at the end of this article for more information**

Parking

Trollunga actually has two parking lots available for cars to park at during the hike. They both charge daily fees.

Skjeggedal Carpark: This parking lot is at the very base of the trail. Here is where a lot of tours meet, it has a restaurant and restrooms for hikers. They do charge a 500 NOK fee (about 60 USD). Plenty of spaces here as they have 250.

Trollunga Road Carpark: This road is newly built. It is a singe lane road and has only 30 spaces at the top. The parking fee is the same as at the bottom, 500 NOK (about 60 USD). The advantage of this carpark is that it will shave off the first section of the hike, saving you about 1 1/2 hours. This will take off the first 1 km but it is probably the most difficult part of the hike. Being so small it is hard to park here. You can find more information about this car park here.

**Arriving at 5:00 am to complete the hike we still were not early enough! There was already a long line of cars waiting. They open at 6:00am so we figured we might as well start moving instead of risking waiting another hour and still not making the cut. There was no way of knowing how many cars were already parked at the top from campers the night before.**

The Hike to Trolltunga

The Start

Find the trailhead of the hike by facing the uphill side of the carpark. You will have to walk towards the left along the road you came in on. Once passing the bridge turn right to what looks like you are heading towards a cabin. This is where the trail begins.

The first kilometer of this trail is the hardest. It is a 1km straight up ascent. You will be climbing over boulders and through the trees. They have placed the occasional rope to help you use for guidance to get up hill if needed.

The trail eventually levels out and you will see the Trolltunga car park in the distance, if you weren’t one of the lucky ones that got to park there. If you were then this is where you hike begins (you didn’t miss much!).

Follow the red T’s to stay on the path. This is how most trails in Norway are marked.

More up hill climbs

After the first up hill you will come across some more. Luckily this ascent is not as quick of an incline and is broken up with a lot more flat sections to help your legs catch a break.

The park has put some ‘steps’ together which helps when going up and down this granite rock face. As you go on this section of the trail will be mostly smooth rock face.

The sun started to come out around this section of the trail for us. We stopped and took a break to apply sunscreen. We did this multiple time on the trail. The sun on that rock face can be brutal. Our AirBnB host even made sure to remind us as he has heard too many stories of trips being ruined by getting burnt hiking to Trolltunga. Even in the snow!

Once you get to where the water is running (not sitting water) you can drink it! It is totally safe! A lot of people rely on this to help from carrying too much water. This helps to keep the weight of their backpacks down. Some hikers do camp on the trail and use this as a source for cooking as well.

Along the trek you will see a lot of emergency shelters, these are mostly in place for the winter hikes. A shelter to use if an unexpected storm came through. They are not supposed to be used as an everyday shelter.

It is important to take many break during this hike, for food, water or even just to give you legs a rest.

Arriving

This hike seemed very secluded, it wasn’t until we reached Trolltunga itself that we saw a crowd of people.

We immediately got in line to get our token picture on the Trolltunga rock. Since we were with a friend we had him take our pictures first then switched off so we could capture some of him as well. We each waited in line for our turn for about 20 minutes. I have heard of people waiting for up to an hour! So I was happy with our time!

If hiking a lone there are many people sitting near by to ask to take your picture. Everyone seemed happy to do so.

After our photos we climbed up above to the left and ate our packed lunches. Take in the views and when feeling ready make your way back to the carpark on the same path you hiked in on.

We actually saw two sets of couples get engaged as we ate our lunch 🙂

The Trek Back

As we headed out big crowds and tour groups were heading to Trollunga.. The heat was really starting to get to us and stopped to refill our waterbottles at the stream. We were glad that we got up at 4:00 am to complete this hike, to not only avoid the crowds but also get the first section of the hike finished before the heat of the day.

On our way back we took more time to over look the edges of the cliffs at the incredibly blue waters below. Taking more time to get some pictures as well.

The hardest part of this hike again was the last 1km down. I took my time as by point I was feeling it in my knees from the impact of the rocky trail.

What was it like to be on Trolltunga?

After stepping out on to Kjeragbolten this was nothing! Its quite wide, and has a slight incline to the rock. Which made me very comfortable to hang my legs over the edge.

Tips

-Once you get to where the water is running (not sitting water) you can drink it! It is totally safe! A lot of people rely on this to help from carrying too much water. This helps to keep the weight of their backpacks down. Some hikers do camp on the trail and use this as a source for cooking as well.

-It is important to take many break during this hike, for food, water or even just to give you legs a rest.

-Where good shoes. There are some wet areas and small streams to cross.

-The earlier the better. During the summer months they experience almost 24 hours of daylight. Take this to your advantage and go as early as you can to beat the crowds. This also help with hiking before the sun gets stronger and hotter throughout the day.

-Bring plenty of food! You will be gone for at least 10-12 hours.

When To Go

Due to the high elevation of this hike it is best to go in the summer months. We went on an unusually hot summer day on July 3rd and had no issues with snow, yet we did see some snow off to the sides of the trail in shaded areas. It is best to plan to go on this hike at the end of June to mid September. It is possible to go in the winter months but it is recommended to go with a guide.

Visit Norway recommends the following dates:

15 June-15 September Recommended season (average year).

16 September-28 October Recommended with guide.

29 October-16 February NOT recommended, highly dangerous.

17 February-14 June Recommended with guide (snowshoes).

Public Transportation

If staying in Tyssedal or Odda you can use public transportion:

-Book tickets ahead of time with Odda Taxi Shuttle

-Use the public transportation by using the Skyss Bus. You can find pick up times to and from Trolltunga’s parking lot here.

-It is advised not to hike Trolltunga unless staying near by, it is quite far from the major cities in Norway.

3 hours from Bergen

6 hours from Oslo

4 hours from Stavanger

If you do not have your own car from transportation or a rental car you can arrive from some major cities by bus or train to stay the night in Odda or Tyssedal.