High and Low Around Jotunheimen

This summer, there are plenty of reasons to spend your holiday in Norway. This tour is one of them!

Join us in the high mountains and down to the deep fjords of Western Norway – and back up into the mountains again. All of it, of course, by bicycle.

Great experiences await you, and you can look forward to magnificent nature, fascinating cultural history, excellent culinary experiences, and to experiencing “Norway – your nearest holiday destination” on two wheels and in good company.

The tour is a circular route with both start and finish in Fagernes. This makes your personal logistics very simple: your car can remain parked in Fagernes throughout the tour, and if you prefer to arrive by bus, there are regular connections to Oslo, Bergen and Lillehammer.

We begin in Valdres, heading north from Fagernes towards Beitostølen. From there, we continue across Valdresflya and descend into the Gudbrandsdal region towards Lom. The next major highlight is Sognefjellsvegen – the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe, reaching 1,434 metres above sea level. If you would like even more elevation gain, you have the option of a detour up to Juvasshytta.

After several days of cycling, we arrive in Skjolden at the head of the Lustrafjord – a place so beautiful that we stay here for two nights, allowing ample time to experience the meeting of mountains and fjord. On the rest day, we go for a ride, and it is possible to visit the Breheim Centre at the foot of the Nigardsbreen glacier.

From Skjolden, the route once again climbs Sognefjellsvegen, but before reaching the very top we turn south at Turtagrø and instead follow Tindevegen across the mountains to Øvre Årdal. Along the way, we pass several famous peaks, including Store Skagadølstind, so there will certainly be photo stops.

From Øvre Årdal, we continue towards Tyinkrysset, and from here the route leads back to the starting point in Fagernes. Along the way, you can choose whether to take a detour to Syndin and Panoramavegen, allowing you to bring the final high-mountain experiences home with you.

The tour consists of a base route of approximately 515 kilometres. Six days of cycling with daily distances of 80–100 kilometres. Quite manageable for everyone – even though there are, of course, some elevation gains.

In addition, each day you have the option to choose an extra challenge in the form of a longer loop, a detour from the route, or a climb up a mountain. In this way, you decide how challenging the tour should be. If you choose the full package, the total distance will be approximately 725 kilometres with around 15,000 metres of elevation gain. Please see the “Programme” section for descriptions of the individual days.

The basic assumption is that we ride on road bikes, but it is also possible to participate on gravel bikes and mountain bikes. Read more under “Practical Information”.

Highlights You Can Look Forward To:

Jotunheimen
Valdresflya
Blåhø / Jetta
Lom
Juvasshytta
Breheimen
Sognefjellsvegen
Lustrafjorden
Skjolden
Breheim Centre
Tindevegen
Hurrungane
Tyin
Eidsbugarden
Syndin
Panoramavegen

– and, of course, excellent historic hotels and outstanding culinary experiences.

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Departure dates 2026

Monday, July 27^th - saturday, august 1^th 2026
(Sunday, july 26^th - sunday, august 2^rd)

Join us in the high mountains and down to the deep fjords of Western Norway – and back up into the mountains again. All of it, of course, by bicycle.

Price per person

In shared double room: 1.875,- EUR

Optional Extras

Single room during the tour: 375,- EUR

Gallery

Programme

The tour starts at 10:00 with departure by bicycle from Scandic Hotel Fagernes. It is possible to arrive in Fagernes already on Sunday evening – see “Practical Information”.

Day 0

Optional arrival and overnight stay at Scandic Hotel Fagernes.

A short information meeting will be held on Sunday evening for those who arrive on this day.

Day 1

Today’s route is approximately 100 km with around 2,000 metres of elevation gain
We begin with an information meeting for all participants at 09:00. After that, we load the luggage into the support vehicle and are ready for departure at 10:00.

We head north towards Beitostølen, primarily following smaller roads up into the mountains. After Beitostølen, Bitihorn becomes a prominent landmark, after which we pass the eastern end of Lake Bygdin before climbing up across Valdresflya, one of Norway’s National Tourist Routes, reaching an elevation of 1,389 metres above sea level.

On the far side of the plateau, we make a short detour to Gjende and Gjendesheim before continuing towards Bessheim, where we stay overnight.

The Little Extra: 
Today’s route including the little extra is approximately 130 km with around 3,000 metres of elevation gain
From Heggenes, you can cycle across Eggeåsen to Ryfoss, and from there return towards Beitostølen via Slettefjellsvegen. Parts of this route are on gravel roads.

Day 2

Today’s route is approximately 85 km with around 1,200 metres of elevation gain
We continue from Bessheim, following the Sjoa River for the first few kilometres. At Randsverk, we turn down into Heidalen – and surely there will be time for a stop at Heidal Ysteri?

From here, we continue towards Lalm and onwards to Vågåmo over a couple of smaller climbs. The final approximately 30 kilometres towards Lom, today’s destination, follow Lake Vågåvatnet and the Otta River, making this section relatively flat.

In Lom, we stay at Fossheim Hotel, renowned throughout Norway for its cuisine, founded more than 40 years ago by Arne Brimi and Svein Garmo.

The hotel is located right in the centre of town, making a visit to the nearby Lom Stave Church an obvious option.

The Little Extra – which today is not so little: 
Today’s route including the little extra is approximately 115 km with around 2,500 metres of elevation gain
From Vågåmo, it is possible to undertake a truly spectacular climb: approximately 1,250 metres of elevation gain to the summit of Blåhø / Jetta (1,617 metres above sea level). This is Norway’s third-highest road, and on a clear day you are rewarded with a magnificent view from the top. Most of the route is on gravel, and it is recommended that you only attempt this ride on a gravel bike. It is possible on a road bike, but…

Day 3

Today’s route is approximately 85 km with around 2,000 metres of elevation gain
Today we head into the high mountains!

Today’s stage takes us over Northern Europe’s highest mountain pass: Sognefjellsvegen, where Fantesteinen marks the highest point at 1,434 metres above sea level.

We cycle from Lom westwards along the Bøvra River and soon join Route 55 – the National Tourist Route across Sognefjellet. Here, we truly feel the presence of the great mountain massifs, with Jotunheimen on our left and Breheimen on our right. We may stop at Elveseter to see the Sagasøylen before continuing the ascent.

From the top of Sognefjellsvegen, the route descends almost continuously for 30 kilometres, and after winding through a series of hairpin bends we reach Lustrafjorden and Skjolden, where we stay for the next two nights.

The Little Extra – also not small today: 
Today’s route including the little extra is approximately 115 km with around 3,300 metres of elevation gain
Today, you can reach the very top! From Galdbygda, approximately 20 km after the start in Lom, you can take on a demanding climb to Juvasshytta at 1,841 metres above sea level. This is Norway’s highest road, bringing you right to the foot of Galdhøpiggen. The climb starts at 558 metres above sea level, with 1,283 metres of elevation gain at an average gradient of 9.3%. The entire road is paved.

Day 4

Today’s route is approximately 75 km with around 700 metres of elevation gain
Today is an excursion day – or perhaps a day to relax, if you choose to enjoy Lustrafjorden from the hotel terrace in Skjolden.

If you join the cycling excursion, we follow Lustrafjorden on the northern side towards Gaupne. A superb ride between mountains and fjord. From Marifjøra, we climb a small ascent before reaching Solvorn, where it may be time for a cup of coffee at Walaker Hotel, Norway’s oldest hotel.

We continue by ferry to Urnes, where we visit the stave church, before cycling back along the extraordinarily beautiful fjord road to Skjolden.

The Little Extra:
Today’s route including the little extra is approximately 145 km with around 2,000 metres of elevation gain
From Gaupne, the route heads north along the Jostedøla River. The narrow valley leads up to the Breheim Centre at the foot of the Nigardsbreen glacier – a superb ride in impressive surroundings. The road to the Breheim Centre is paved.

Day 5

Today’s route is approximately 85 km with around 2,900 metres of elevation gain
Today is all about climbing and descending – and then climbing again – before a final descent.

We start from sea level and climb back up through the hairpin bends of Sognefjellsvegen. This time, we do not go all the way to the top; at Turtagrø we turn south and continue along Tindevegen. This road also ranks in Norway’s top ten: Tindevegen is the country’s ninth-highest road and runs at the foot of, among others, Store Skagadølstind on the way to Årdal. Photo stops along the way? Absolutely!

In Årdal, we are at the innermost part of Sognefjorden, and it is now time to turn our wheels eastwards. We climb once more, with Tyin as the next destination. At the lake, we descend towards Tyinkrysset, which is today’s final destination.

The Little Extra:
Today’s route including the little extra is approximately 125 km with around 3,300 metres of elevation gain
Today’s optional detour does not add an excessive amount of extra elevation gain, but instead offers a magnificent high-mountain experience.

From Tyin, you follow the road on the eastern side of the lake to Eidsbugarden at the end of Lake Bygdin – which we passed at the opposite end just a few days earlier on the way up towards Valdresflya. From there, return along Tyin and descend to Tyinkrysset. The road to Eidsbugarden is on gravel.

Day 6

Today’s route is approximately 85 km with around 1,300 metres of elevation gain
Soon the circle is complete.

From Tyinkrysset, we follow the E16 and the old Kongevegen westwards. We soon descend towards Lake Vangsmjøse, which we follow on the northern side via Vennisvegen. We may take a detour to Øye Stave Church, which has a particularly fascinating history.

We continue towards Ryfoss, cross to the lower side of the E16 and ride along the magnificent route south of Lake Slidrefjorden and Lake Strondafjorden, before finally reaching Leira. From here, only a few kilometres remain back to Fagernes – after six fantastic days of cycling through some of Norway’s most impressive landscapes.

If you wish, it is possible to stay overnight at Scandic Hotel Fagernes until Sunday. Weather permitting, we will organise a barbecue on the terrace.

The Little Extra:
Today’s route including the little extra is approximately 100 km with around 1,800 metres of elevation gain
If your legs are still eager for a final challenge, you can ride from Ryfoss southwest into the mountains towards Syndin. The route passes Nørdre, Midtre and Søre Syndin before continuing towards Vasetvannet and Panoramavegen, which brings you back to the route along Strondafjorden.

Parts of this route are on gravel.

Day 7

Individual departure from Fagernes if you have chosen to stay overnight from Saturday.

Practical Information

Vejledende rute

All the following is included:

Five nights’ accommodation in shared double rooms*
Lunch and dinner at the hotels during the tour (drinks at own expense)
Lunch from the support vehicle during the cycling stages**
Energy drink, fruit, etc. from the support vehicle during the cycling stages
Ferry Solvorn – Urnes
Cycling tour leader
Service staff
Support vehicle
Travel Guarantee Fund

* At Filefjellstuene, accommodation is provided in double rooms in cabins. Each room has a private bathroom.
** If you choose the little extra on one or more days, you may not be able to have lunch together with the rest of the group and must therefore make your own arrangements.

Price per Person: 1.875,- EUR

Optional Extras:

Single room: 375,- EUR

Extra night at Scandic Hotel Fagernes:
including dinner Sunday 27 July and Saturday 2 August (Price per person per night)

150,- EUR in shared double room
190,- EUR in single room

The tour is a guided group tour, but it is entirely possible to cycle individually. We do not ride in a peloton and keep a good distance from one another along the way. The cycling tour leaders ensure that everyone is included.

If you prefer to cycle individually or in a smaller group, you may bring a cycle computer and have the routes uploaded. You can also receive the route marked on a map. You will, of course, be given a phone number for contacting the tour leaders. Your luggage will still be waiting for you when you arrive at the hotel – and your time during the day is your own.

The basic setup of the tour is riding on road bikes, but you are also very welcome to participate on a gravel bike or mountain bike. The main route is almost entirely on asphalt, but on the little extra routes there are several sections of gravel. These can be ridden on a road bike if you use slightly wider and more puncture-resistant tyres (please feel free to contact us for advice and guidance).

Regardless of the bike you ride, it is essential to consider gearing. The tour includes some magnificent climbs, and the difference between a bike with climbing gears (lighter gearing) and one geared for flatter terrain can be very significant.

Please feel free to contact us for advice and input on this.

If you choose to ride a mountain bike, please ensure that it is suitable for longer distances.

We depart together each day. The tour leaders provide guidance on the route, and all stages will also be made available digitally for download by participants.

If you choose to ride the little extra, this is done independently – unless there are so many participants that one of the tour leaders also rides this route.

The support vehicle provides lunch in the form of food carried in the vehicle, meaning that we essentially enjoy picnic lunches along the way.

Occasionally, we pass cafés, ice-cream kiosks, etc., where it is natural to stop and purchase a coffee or an ice cream.

On several sections, it is possible to take a bus if you find the challenge a little too demanding.

Expectations of Participants

You arrive well prepared – both personally (with a reasonable level of training) and with a well-maintained bicycle
You are accustomed to cycling and comfortable with elevation gain and longer distances
You follow the instructions of the tour leaders
You look forward to meeting new cycling companions and contributing to the social atmosphere

It is important to emphasise that we do not ride against the clock, nor is there anything to be gained by arriving at the hotel first. The focus is on the experience and the friendships formed between cyclists.

During the tour, accommodation is provided at:

Scandic Hotel Fagernes
Bessheim
Fossheim Hotel
Skjolden Hotel (2 nights)
Filefjellstuene

Accommodation is in double rooms, with the option to book a single room. If you are travelling alone and wish to stay in a double room, you will be accommodated with a participant of the same gender.

If it is not possible to accommodate you with someone of the same gender, you will instead be accommodated in a single room and pay the corresponding supplement.

At Filefjellstuene, accommodation is provided in double rooms in cabins. Each room has a private bathroom.

Dinner is served at the hotels, and you can look forward to excellent dining experiences. Drinks with dinner are at your own expense.

Your bicycle must, of course, be prepared for the tour and be well maintained. We bring a toolbox and a selection of the most common spare parts. Spare parts are charged according to use.

Before the tour, you will receive a suggested packing list.

Your luggage is packed in a sports bag and transported by the support vehicle to the next hotel. In addition to the sports bag, you should bring a smaller bag for items you may need during the day. You will receive further information about this together with the packing list.