Vøringsfossen Waterfall in Norway, which is also known as Voringfossen, is a perfect stop if self driving through Norway, this waterfall has a fall of 163 meters (535 feet). The Vøringsfossen falls is located not far off the road so the detour is well worth it. This stop would also make a perfect day trip from Tyssedal or Odda, Norway. We were travelling from Odda, after hiking Trolltunga, and were on our way to visit Flam and then stay in the Loen area to complete the Loen Via Ferrata. Here you will find everything you need to know, where to park, the hiking trail to the bottom and overlook points at the Vøringsfossen waterfall.

Be sure to check out my post on my Two Weeks in Norway Itinerary.

How To Get There

After hiking Trolltunga and staying in the town of Odda, Norway we took a full day to travel making stops along the route to Flam and later to stay in Loen, Norway.

From Odda this route should take about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

From Odda you will take Route 13 toward Almerket. Via Roundabout you will take Route 7.

While out Route 7 you will pass the small town of Eidfjord, we used this town as a place to pull over eat lunch and pick up a few groceries. There is also a few options to eat in this town and some coffee shops. I would recommend a stop here if looking to stretch your legs, a cute place to look at the fjord and eat a sandwich by the water.

From Eidfjord you will continue right on Route 7 for about another 20 minutes. You will eventually take some serious loops and switchbacks through some tunnels right before you reach the park. You will begin to see some tourist signs for the Voringsfossen Waterfall.

***This drive had tons of stops to buy cherries and other fruit off the side of the road. I would suggest carrying a little bit of cash on you to purchase some as a road trip snack. Most vendors used the honesty policy so bring some small bills for exact change.

Viewpoints From Above

Vøringsfoss Kafeteria & Souvenir

The first stop you will come up on is on the right and will be called Vøringfoss Kafeteria & Souvenir Shop. Here is a great place to use the restroom, get a souvenir and an ice cream. There are some hiking paths off this stop, the next viewpoint has the better views of the waterfall but at this stop you can overlook the canyon. Just do be careful with children, pets and yourself as there were not many rails to protect people from the edge. They did look like the were possibly in the process of making railings in this area, went we went in June of 2018.

Fossli Hotel

I believe the best views of the waterfall from above is at the Fossli Hotel. The Fossli Hotel was built in 1891, this lodge overlooks one of the highest waterfalls in Europe. This would be a great place to stay at and drink a cup of coffee while watching the falls the morning, sounds so peaceful. You can check for reservations and booking on this site.

From here they have many great paved paths to see different angles of the waterfall. I felt perfectly safe here sas it was all surrounded by guardrails and hand rails as well. When we went they even had live strings music playing which was a nice touch while watching the falls. You don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy the amenities, they had a place to walk up to purchase food here as well.

Booking.com

Hiking to the Bottom of the Falls

While on our way back out we saw a few cars pulled over by a hiking path and decided to see what they were heading towards. We were glad we did as this path brought us to the bottom of the falls. Here is all you need to know about the hike to the bottom of the Voringfossen Waterfall:

Distance: 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles)

Time: 1 hour to 1.5 hours

When: May 15th to October, depending on snowmelt

Ascent: 75 meters (246 feet)

Difficulty:

This hike is considered difficult due the steep descent and ascent and boulders along the edge of the water. Many children and people were all ages were completing the hike though.

Where:

To find the falls your will park your car on the side of the road by Storegjel, between the 2nd and 3rd tunnel in the Mabodalen valley. There are only a few spots to park so grab one when you see one.

The Hike:

To start the hike you will walk around 300 meters (984 feet) down an old paved road before you reach the sign pointing to Voringsfossen. Take this path the right and follow the path, painted rocks and signs.

The path and rocks to get more slippery as they are wet from the mist of the falls, do be careful and where good shoes. You can check out my complete packing list for Norway.

Eventually you will find yourself crossing a suspension bridge to cross the river. It does ask for only one person to cross at a time. The bridge didn’t seem to wobbly and was easy to cross. From the bridge you will have some great views of the waterfall.

Shortly after the suspension bridge you will continue heading right on the path until you reach the rocky ending and the best view of the falls from the bottom.

Many people stopped here to rest before heading back, get some pictures (if you could, the mist made it hard to get a clear shot), and maybe eat a snack.

When ready take the same path back as you did in, and of course bringing out anything you brought in to keep the trail clean. 🙂

Does It Cost To See It?

Nope! This is a free site. Even parking was free when we went in June 2018. So unless you want to buy something to eat or a souvenir this will not cost you anything extra.