Eidfjord, in Norway is set in the Vestland county, and sits in the breathtaking district of Hardanger. Whilst so many of the towns surrounding the fjords of Norway often get forgotten when put up against the breathtaking scenery surrounding them, we think Eidfjord is well worth a visit in its own right.
We visited Eidfjord in August and stayed around this gorgeous little town for just over a week. Whilst Eidfjord itself is limited in terms of what there is to do there, what it offers is a warm heart to go and explore all of the incredible places that exist nearby it.
We were really overjoyed by everything we got to see by using Eidfjord as a base and would go back in a heartbeat. We would easily recommend this area for its access to Hardangervidda, breathtaking waterfalls like Voringfossen just up the road and even areas like Folgefonna National Park and Flåm.
Below, we go through, from first hand experience, some of the best things to do in Eidfjord to have an incredible trip to this area of Norway. We’ll also cover many options of things to do around Eidfjord, from suggestions of hikes and saunas to the very best scenic driving routes. Prepare to be amazed by this breathtaking area!
Table of Contents
ToggleWhere is Eidfjord, Norway?
Our map below shows the location of Eidfjord, Norway and also includes pinpoints for the locations and suggestions for things to do in Eidfjord that we’ve further down in this article.
Getting to Eidfjord, Norway
The best way to get to the town and experience the best things to do in Eidfjord, Norway is by car. The town isn’t too well serviced by buses and doesn’t have a train station. Having a car will allow you to make the most of your time in Norway and the surrounding areas.
We picked up our car from Bergen Airport with Alamo through Rentalcars.com who were fairly reasonable and offer a pretty big fleet of electric vehicles for rental too. Bergen is the closest place really in terms of a big airport hub to Eidfjord, so this is where we’d recommend you set off from.
We’d also recommend checking out this amazing city too – as the things to do in Bergen really make it worth adding a couple of days to your trip! Once you’re on your way, it’s about a 3 hour drive from Bergen to Eidfjord through breathtaking scenery. So, the Hardangerfjord from Bergen is really accessible.
We were admittedly a little nervous about electric rental going into the mountains, but it turned out to be far from a problem. Norway has made a huge investment into electric charging, and this is just charged to your rental price at the end. There were electric charging bays all over the place in pretty much every place we went to, including specific electric charging hubs all over.
The driving in Norway is also pretty next level – people drive really carefully, and the roads are pretty much all in really good condition. So, you should have absolutely nothing to worry about with driving on your trip.
Be prepared that you will need to factor in extra costs for driving in Norway. Many of the bridges and tunnels you cross through have tolls attached to them. These aren’t particularly high, but they are charged at the end by your rental company, who track them.
As an estimate, we drove from Bergen to Eidfjord and on our weeks time in Eidfjord, we drove quite a lot. When we got back to Bergen, we were charged around an additional 130USD/100GBP for all of the tolls we encountered.
Likewise, you may also find yourself in Eidfjord for the day by boat if you’re on a cruise. Eidfjord is a pretty popular port stop off for fjord cruises. If this is you, then you will be fairly limited from our guide below as to what you can see, but we’d really recommend enjoying the town and also seeing if a tour is available from your boat of Voringfossen waterfall, which is very popular.
Insider tip: Depending on the time of year you’re researching; you may find when you click through that many of the suggestions we’ve made below say ‘temporarily closed’. This could be due to snow seasons and in-between seasons. So, it’s best to plan in advance around the best times to visit. We’d advise, if this is going to be your first time in Norway to visit between June and late September to see it at its best and be able to access everything.
Exploring the Things to do in Eidfjord, Norway
The town of Eidfjord is pretty small and Eidfjord Norway cruise port is primarily used as a day port for cruise ships and also for providing amazing access to the nearby Vøringfossen and stunning Hardangervidda National Park. It’s close proximity to the water makes it unbelievably scenic!
In the town itself, you’ll find a variety of little shops, restaurants and cafes which are well worth spending some time enjoying. It’s a really lovely town that is well looked after.
You’ll find lots of cute and quirky knitted covers on the lampposts and rails as you walk along the shoreline and through the town, as well as traditional Norwegian buildings. When you’re looking around, we’d recommend going to get coffee and a bite to eat at the Fjell & Fjord café and shop.
We found that their coffee was some of the nicest in the area, and they offer some beautiful pastries to enjoy. The gift shop also has lots of lovely little items to take home too.
The town also has a really lovely outdoor Thai café and a couple of supermarkets which are great for stocking up on provisions. Be mindful that the town of Eidjord is pretty small, so if you visit off season, you may well find that many of the places in town are closed. We’d really recommend visiting between June – September to get the most out of your visit.
If you’re looking for hotels in Eidfjord itself, there’s the Vøringfoss Hotel, Vik Pensjonat and the Eidfjord hotel which can all be booked very easily through sites like Agoda and Booking.com (which are the main ones we use). There’s also lots of other options of full apartments on sites like Agoda, Trip.com, Airbnb and Vrbo.
Another area which is very close to the center of the town is the beach, which is a great little swimming spot and one which we enjoyed whilst here. In fact, we think that getting out into the water is one of the best things to do in Eidfjord, Norway.
The views from Eidfjord sand beach are spectacular and if you spend any real amount of time here, you can enjoy watching the light change over the fjord and mountains. The water stays cold all year round so is perfect for getting in a refreshing dip.
It’s a very easy walk from Eidfjord town – and takes about 30 minutes to reach with very minimal climbing uphill. There is a good path all the way there – we’d recommend taking this path there along Elvavgen which you can find on your phone maps easily. The great thing about Norway too is there is cell service pretty much everywhere!
Things to do Near Eidfjord, Norway
Whist Eidfjord is a gorgeous little town to enjoy and to base yourself in or nearby, one of the best things about it is the access it provides to the surrounding landscape. It’s got amazing access to stunning mountains, waterfalls and so much more nearby, but also within a couple of hours driving, you can be in areas like Flåm or Folfgefonna National Park.
We used Eidfjord as a central base as we didn’t want to move around on our trip, and it was perfect for this. We enjoyed much of what there was to do nearby most of the time and took a couple of day trips further afield in-between to see other things surrounding.
We’d say this is the best way to explore from Eidfjord and make the most of it. We really aren’t exaggerating when we say there is so much to do and we genuinely think that this area of Norway has some of the most breathtaking scenery we’ve ever seen.
Below, we’ve covered all the areas we visited and enjoyed close to and around Eidfjord and the Hardanger to help you plan your trip. Prepare to be amazed by all the incredible things you’re going to get to see!
Vøringfossen
Even if you’re passing through and only have a few hours around Eidfjord, you really have to go and see the wonderful Voringfossen! It’s about a 30 minute drive from Eidfjord and offers some of the most breathtaking waterfall views you’ll ever see!
The waterfall sits at 182m/597ft. above the mountains of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau and, if you have a thing with heights, you just need to be mindful that the viewing platforms have serious drop downs below them (but are perfectly safe).
When driving from Eidfjord, there is an initial pull in and parking lot for Voringfossen with a number of trails – such as the Vorgingfossen waterfall hike. If you’ve got time, and are clear headed with heights, then these present great side views of the waterfall.
If you’d like to get as close to Vøringfossen as possible without the hair raising walk out to see it, then continue up the road and shortly after this first car park, you’ll see a sign for the Fossli hotel. Follow this and you’ll be able to use the parking lot. It’s a very short walk (about 2 minutes) to the main viewpoint.
Be mindful that if you visit in summer, you won’t have the place to yourself, but it also isn’t overrun. We actually visited a couple of times as it was on our way to and from other things like the Hardangervidda scenic road. Each time, there were numerous people but it never felt too bad. People come and go from the viewpoint pretty fast.
The views from here really are mesmerizing and very dramatic. We were blown away by just how stunning it really was. We’d recommend using a wide angle lens or the wide angle on your phone to capture the best shots. You can also take tours of Voringfossen too, such as this one will pick you up from Eidfjord.
You could also enjoy some of the Voringfossen hotels to make the most of your time at this wonderful place. It’s so commanding that this would be such a lovely way to commemorate it. The Fossli hotel would be the first option, with Liseth Pensjonat being second, a few hundred meters further along the road.
Hardangervidda Scenic Route
The Hardangervidda scenic route is well worth spending one of your days driving and in our opinion one of the best things to do in Eidfjord, Norway. The Hardangervidda National Park houses the highest mountain plateau in Northern Europe.
The Hardangervidda scenic route takes you from Eidfjord to Haugastøl and this journey will take you roughly one hour to drive there (then another back). It is very accessible and you could even include it with your visit to Vøringfossen, which is what we did.
The scenery along this road is incredible, and very different from anything you’ll see in the rest of fjord Norway. The mountains are quite rolling and you’ll see endless small lakes and the Hardangerjøkulen in the distance – which is the sixth largest glacier in mainland Norway.
Along your way, we’d recommend you stop off at many of the pull in spots to take photographs and just take in the views (there really are plenty). This trip could easily take you a whole day, but if you’re short on time, you could do it in a half day, and still go to Vøringfossen on your way out or back.
We stopped off at the Halne Fjellstugo hotel which is by the side of Halnefjorden for a drink in their cosy dining room looking out over the lake. We also booked in to use their sauna across the road from the hotel.
This was the perfect way to relax and get a truly unique experience – one which was a highlight for us and would really recommend. Whilst we didn’t stay in the hotel itself, this would be a lovely place to stay with those mesmerizing views and putting you right onto hiking routes, ski touring opportunities and others.
In this area, there is of course lots of hiking, more on this below! Here is a map of the Hardangervidda scenic route from Eidfjord:
Hardangervidda National Park Hiking
One of the best things to do near Eidfjord Norway is go hiking, and Hardangervidda National Park has a lot to offer (and some really unique hikes). We only had the opportunity to do one hike whilst we were checking out Hardangervidda National Park, but it was incredibly memorable, and we would really recommend it.
The glacier view Hardangerjøkulen loop takes you through some of the most stunning high mountain plateau vistas. For 7km with 150m/492ft. ascent and descent, you get a lot for your effort.
One of the highlights of this hiking route is getting to see a pretty much panoramic view out over the Hardangerjøkulen glacier, which feels like it extends pretty much for an eternity to see. The views are the most spectacular about a third the way through if you take the route in the direction we’ve outlined below.
Be mindful of weather – on a rainy and low cloud day, you can expect poor visibility and may find navigation more of a challenge. Luckily, we had a crisp sunny day when we did this hike and we’re glad we saved it for a day like this.
Likewise, it can feel cold and exposed on the Hardangervidda. So, we would always recommend bringing layers to take on and off as needed.
If you want to park at the lot that we have started this hike from, you will need to pay, which you can do via a QR code at the start of the road. We didn’t have much luck with this (the site didn’t load for us), so we parked for free along the roadside parking lot and just added a bit extra from the roadside down.
Here’s our hiking route for this trail – you won’t be disappointed if you give it a go:
Voss
Voss is known as the adrenaline capital of Norway, and easily one of the best places to visit near Eidfjord on your trip. There’s plenty to do here if you enjoy adventure with hiking routes, climbing, ice climbing, waterfalls and lakes a plenty.
Voss also offers one of Europe’s best rivers for rafting which we would highly recommend if you want to have a day to remember. We’d recommend getting a guided tour for this.
We booked this one with GetYourGuide. It was reasonably priced and lasted a few hours. They also provide all the gear you need so you can just turn up and enjoy.
If you wanted to take things at a slightly more relaxed pace, there’s also the Voss Gondola, which you can get on straight from the train station. You can head up to 820m/2690ft. to the top of Mount Hangurstoppen which has a restaurant with stunning views.
Flåm, Norway
In under two hours drive from Eidfjord is Flåm. It’s a fjord village which itself is quite touristy, but it has the most scenic views of the fjord from it and also provides a lot when it comes to both relaxation and adventure.
If you’re visiting Voss, Stalheimskleiva and Tvindefossen, then going on to Flåm really doesn’t add a lot more in terms of journey time. When we visited, we combined it with the locations listed above.
When you get to Flåm, Norway, you can park up and have a look around the waking paths along the fjord side. You can also take a look around the market stalls and food sellers. There isn’t a great deal of things to do in Flam Norway itself, but there are plenty of hikes and other activities nearby too.
We didn’t get chance to do any of these, but they come very highly recommended. Instead, we visited the Flåm Floating Sauna (Fjord Sauna) which was a wonderful experience and something we’d recommend to anyone.
It’s an independently owned sauna, with a location just along the shore about a ten-minute walk from the main parking in Flam, Norway. The sauna sessions last for about an hour and it floats on the edge of the fjord.
You have amazing views out over the fjord and can use either the water hole in the sauna to dip into the refreshing cold water to cool down, use the ladder on the side of the sauna or jump off the roof! This was one of our favorite experiences in Norway!
You’ll need to book it in advance on their website as it can get busy. You can either book into a public session or book the sauna for yourself and your group to enjoy alone.
See Stalheimskleiva
A wonderful addition to a visit to Flåm, Voss and Tvindefossen is to see the amazing views of Stalheimskleiva, the valley and jaw dropping mountain views this provides. Staheimskleiva is actually a road and is one of the steepest roads in Northern Europe.
However, the road itself isn’t actually drivable, it is closed off as it was subject to landslide and hasn’t ever been made operational to vehicles again. Instead, you go along a well surfaced road and can get to the viewpoint to see out into the valley below.
The best views you’ll get are from the Stalheim Hotel. They actually allow you to go through the hotel at certain times of day (between 10am and 4pm when we were there) to see the views out from their viewing platform free of charge.
When we visited, we actually thought this looked like an amazing hotel to stay in – could you imagine waking up to see these views below? We both agreed that if we visited again, we’d love to stay here and it also looked reasonably priced for the experience.
Tvindefossen
If you’re visiting Voss, Flåm or any of these other amazing places in this area of Norway, then a quick visit over to look at Tvindefossen is well worth it. However, after visiting, we wouldn’t make the journey especially for this alone, so tie it in with something else!
Tvindefossen is a waterfall which offers stunning views – you can walk from the parking area to go see it in more detail. It’ll only take you a few minutes and won’t take too much of your time away from other activities.
If you’ve already been to Vøringfossen, then you might find this a little lacking in comparison, but none the less, it’s an interesting place to go and see. There’s also a little refreshments and gift shop at the foot of it too.
Ulvik
Ulvik is about a 45 minute or so drive from Eidfjord and is well worth taking the journey to and see. First of all, the drive there is particularly scenic, but what makes Ulvik special is it’s cider production.
There are numerous farms and producers in Ulvik, which is well known for its apples that produce the most beautiful ciders. You can go and enjoy a glass at many of the producers along the road. This is such a great activity to do and one of the best things to do in the Eidfjord area.
We would recommend that you get in touch with the cider farms in advance, depending on when you plan to visit, to make sure that they’re open. Some of the farms we’d recommend the most are Syse Gard and Hardanger Juice and Cider Factory – which are family run businesses.
You’ll have a great time learning from the owners about cider production, the process and the local area. We’d recommend giving yourself a couple of hours for this.
Folgefonna National Park and Bondhusvatnet Hike
Whilst Folgefonna National Park is a little further away (around a two hour drive from Eidfjord) we would really recommend you take a day to go and do the Bodhusvatnet hike. It’s unbelievable.
We were on the fence about it for a few days as we wanted a bit of a break from driving, but after hiking this trail, we’re really glad we did it. And we don’t think you’ll regret it either.
The hike takes you up to Bondhusvatnet which is an out of this world lake. When we hiked the trail, it started off sunny and then the heavens opened and we ended up with pouring rain (so much so, Matt’s phone stopped working).
Whilst hiking up to the lake, we had views of the glacier (Folgefonna) creeping out from the mist before us. You’ll see mesmerizing mountain tops and even on a less than perfect day, it’s still worth doing.
When we reached the lake, we actually became pretty emotional, it just didn’t look real. It could have partly been down to seeing something we’d wanted to visit for years, but aside from that it was just jaw dropping. Here’s what we saw when we visited:
You can carry on from the lake up to the foot of the glacier, which turns this into a hard route from the mouth of the lake on up. As we were relatively short on time and because the weather was so bad, we stuck with up to the lake only. If we went back, we’d certainly add this in though.
On your way back to Eidfjord, be sure to stop off in Odda too, it’s a really lovely place that had a lot going on. We’d recommend parking up and spending an hour or so taking a look around.
Here’s the route we plotted and followed for the Bondhusvat hike, otherwise known as one of the most amazing hikes for views we’ve ever done:
What to Bring with You When Visiting Eidfjord
As with most places in Norway, you need to be prepared for any weather and particularly rain! The weather changes a lot in Eidfjord and if you plan to go hiking you need to be well prepared with gear fit for purpose.
Use our list below as a starting point – we’ve also linked out to other relevant articles to help you plan accordingly. You should also check out our what to wear hiking and day hiking checklist for a good base line of things to bring.
Waterproof Gear
It rains a lot in Norway. You may get lucky, but as a baseline, for our 10 day trip, more than half of that involved a lot of rain, and this was in August. We made sure we brought gear that would work for any eventuality, and as we planned to spend a lot of time outdoors, most of this was hiking focused.
The main areas we’d say you should focus on is bringing a good waterproof rain jacket for hiking (our guide covers some of your best options). This should be well weatherproofed. If you already have a waterproof jacket, make sure you give it a waterproofing treatment before you arrive.
Good hiking shoes or hiking boots are also a wise idea – as it rains a lot you can expect mud, so wearing something that will keep you insulated and dry is a no brainer. Our guide to the best waterproof hiking shoes will have you covered here!
You will likely want to consider having a pair of waterproof rain pants (our guide covers a number of good options for all budgets) stowed away in your day pack in case you need them. A pair that zip on and off easily are well worth the investment and will keep you dry and safe should it get very wet outside.
You may also want to consider bringing a waterproof cover for your phone or camera. You could also consider a drybag to put inside your backpack. It really can rain very heavily in Norway, and you don’t want to be caught out at the costly expense of your technology!
Even if you don’t plan to go hiking, you still need to be prepared for the weather. We’d say this is the most important area to consider getting right for your trip to Eidfjord, Norway over anything else.
Trekking Poles
If you plan to do much hiking, we’d recommend bringing trekking poles or hiking poles with you in your checked luggage. Some of the hikes in this area of Norway can be quite steep and these make a huge difference your stability and joints after your hike. Our guide to the best trekking poles for hiking goes over a range to suit all budgets and comfort needs.
Daypack
A good daypack will allow you to bring everything you need with you for the day and all your waterproof layers as and when you need them. Go for a pack that has mesh sections where you can stuff wet waterproof layers when you don’t need them. Something between 15l – 24l should be all you need for your Norway trip, unless you plan on going backpacking and need a bigger waterproof hiking backpack.
Our guide to the best daypacks for hiking covers a range of options, some of which are even suitable as carry on baggage, meaning you can streamline down for your trip. We have various options to suit all budgets included too.
Cold Water Swimming Gear
There are so many amazing places to swim in fjord Norway that it’s well worth bringing some gear with you to enjoy swimming to its fullest. Whilst you may be happy to bring just swimwear, we’d really recommend bringing some neoprene boots and gloves to enjoy the cold water more.
Likewise, if you plan to use any of the saunas, it’s a good idea to bring swimwear with you to enjoy this more. A changing towel is also a really good idea. Our guide to the best gear for cold water swimming has you covered, alongside lots of advice to enjoy cold water safely.
Miscellaneous
We’d also consider things like suncream, sunglasses, a hiking compass for backup and navigation maps for hiking on your phone. Lots of layers are also a good idea and this should include a hat and gloves. Our day hiking checklist is a good place to start here and will give you lots of ideas of what to bring based on what you plan to do and the time of year you plan to do it in.
Enjoy Eidfjord, Hardanger and the Fjords of Norway
As you can probably tell from all the things we got to see and do in and around Eidfjord, we had an incredible time. Hopefully the photographs we’ve shared in this article show that even more – it is an incredible place which we were blown away by.
We think that if you’re planning to visit the fjords of Norway, especially so if on route from Bergen then some time in Eidfjord is a must. It’s home and close by to some amazing sights and places you won’t forget anytime soon.
Be sure to also read our guide on the best things to do in Bergen, which has a lot to offer too. This covers all the sights you’ll want to see if Bergen is a stop off on your trip.
We hope our guide has given you a good dose of inspiration. We can honestly say, whatever you decide to do around Eidfjord, you’ll be happy!
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