🚲 Norway's best cycling routes — in brief
- Rallarvegen: a gravel ‘builders' road’ along the Bergen Railway — Finse → Haugastøl/Voss/Flåm, 57–82 km, season usually July–September.
- Lofoten via E10: Moskenes → Reine → Svolvær → Ramberg/Unstad, 170–220 km in 3–7 days, beaches and fishing villages, changeable winds.
- Arctic coastline Tromsø → Nordkapp: 500–700 km, 7–12 days, long stretches, underwater Nordkapp Tunnel, midnight sun in summer.
- Oslo Fjord Ring: Oslo → Drøbak → Moss ⇢ ferry ⇢ Horten → Tønsberg → Drammen → Oslo, 250–300 km in 2–4 days, gentle terrain.
- Circle around Lake Mjøsa (Mjøstråkk): Lillehammer/Hamar → Gjøvik → Minnesund → Eidsvoll → back, ~250 km in 2–4 days.
- The coast of Stavanger: Solastranden — Hellevåg — Borestranden — Jaren, 40–80 km per day, ideal for a day trip/weekend.
- Fjord Norway: Hardanger Fjord (Eidsfjord — Ulvik — Loftus) and the islands west of Bergen (Sotra/Oygarden) — ribbons of bridges, viewpoints and gardens.
- For the experienced: the Atlantic Road ↔ Trollstigen route — short but intense: wind, bridges, long serpentines.
🧭 TOP routes — comparison (tabs)
🧩 Selection by time, level and season
🌅 Ring around Oslo Fjord — how to organise it
Route: Oslo → Drobak → Moss ⇢ ferry ⇢ Horten → Tønsberg/Åsgårdstrand → Drammen → Oslo, 250–300 km, 2–3(4) days.
Where to stay: campsites/guest houses along the coast.
Bike sharing: Oslo City Bike for the city part; for the long circle — a touring/gravel bike.
Tips: bike lanes in the metropolitan area, coastal promenades, keep an eye on the ferry schedule and allow for wind delays.
🧩 Oslofjordring planner
🚴 Lofoten by bike — independent route
Rental base: Svolvær/Leknes/Mosknes.
Accommodation: campsites, hostels, rorbu.
4/5/7-day itineraries:
Day 2: Ramberg → Borg / Unstad.
Day 3: Leknes → Henningsvær.
Day 4: Henningsvær → Svolvær.
Km/day: ~35–65.
Tips: wind is the main factor; take wind protection, check tunnels, use official pockets for photos, do not stop on bridges.
🧊 Rallarvegen — from the plateau to the fjords
Formats:
- Finse → Myrdal → Flåm: classic with the option of descending to the fjord (depending on weather/road conditions).
- Haugastøl → Finse → Myrdal: longer and calmer, more ‘plateau’.
- Surface: gravel/crushed stone, ruts and water after rain. Time: 1–2 days.
- Season: more often from July (after the snow melts) to the end of September.
- Bikes: touring/gravel; road bikes with thin tyres are uncomfortable.
🌊 Tromsø → North Cape by bike
Length: 500–700 km (options).
Pros: midnight sun in summer, Arctic nature.
Difficulties: wind/storms, long stretches without service, Nordkapp Tunnel (steep slopes — bright lights are a must).
Logic: Tromsø → Alta → Olderfjord → Honningsvåg → North Cape → (back/by bus).
🏖️ Stavanger coast — ideal for a day trip
Minimum route (~50 km): Stavanger → Solastranden → Hellesøy → Borestranden → back.
Flat and undulating terrain, cafés by the beaches, take photos of the ‘long water’ on the boardwalks.
🌸 Fjord Norway by bike
- Hardanger Fjord: Eidfjord — Øystese — Nordheimsund — Ulvik, gardens, waterfalls, embankments; undulating terrain.
- Bergen Islands: Sotra/Oygarden — bridges, lighthouses, skerries, wind. Choose loops of 40–100 km.
🌊 Circle around Mjøsa (Mjøstråkk)
Start: Lillehammer or Hamar.
Length: ~250 km, 2–4 days.
Rural roads/embankments, developed infrastructure. Divide the day into 60–90 km, stay overnight in Gjøvik/Eidsvoll/Hamar.
⏱️ Time and effort calculator
🎒 Cycling trip checklist
🛡️ Important safety and infrastructure information
- Tunnels: Some are closed to bicycles, while others have steep gradients. Always check for alternatives/detours on the map and bring bright lights/reflectors.
- Wind and rain: the main ‘enemy’ is headwind/crosswind. Plan a short day for storms, use layers and gloves even in summer.
- Ferries and bridges: take into account the schedule and gusts of wind on bridges; stop only at official sites.
- Road surface: gravel/crushed stone on Rallarvegen — sturdy 32–42 mm tyres will make life easier.
- E-bike: convenient on undulating sections; keep an eye on the charge (power points are not always nearby in the fjords).
Conclusion: if you want a ‘first encounter’ — choose Oslo Fjord or Mjøsa; if you want ‘icons’ and the sea — Lofoten; if you dream of gravel and glaciers, choose Rallarvegen; if you are ready for a challenge, choose Tromsø → Nordkapp or the combination of Atlantic Road ↔ Trollstigen. The season, wind and road surface are the three keys to a good plan; everything else is a matter of the right pace and layers of clothing.
❓FAQ
Yes, but choose short days (25–45 km), avoid strong winds and plan to stay overnight closer to beaches/villages. Keep a steady trajectory on bridges.
It is possible, but uncomfortable: gravel and ruts. Gravel/touring bikes with 35–42 mm tyres and lower pressure than road bikes are better.
In summer, the wind often blows from the south-west, so it is more pleasant to go north. But the wind changes: leave some spare days for storms and logistics ‘rearrangements’.
Classically, Moss ⇢ Horten. Then go along the west coast through Tønsberg and return to Oslo via Drammen.
Bright front/rear lights, reflectors, a steady pace on the climb, warm layers (it's cool in the tunnel), stay close to the edge.
After the snow melts — usually from July to the end of September. At the beginning of the season, some sections may be wet or have snow remaining.
Shorten the day, choose an ‘urban’ section or islands with shelters, and wait out the storm in a café or hut. Wind is more important than rain — it ‘eats away’ at your mileage.
For touring with luggage, allow 60–90 km on asphalt, 40–70 km on gravel/in windy conditions. Our calculator above takes into account gear changes and breaks.
Cities/towns along the routes often have workshops and stands with tools. Keep a repair kit and 2 inner tubes with you so you don't have to depend on service.
In Lofoten — Hamnøy/Reine, the beaches of Haukland/Uttafjord; on Rallarvegen — the panoramas at Finse and the serpentine roads to Myrdal; on the Oslo Fjord — the piers of Tønsberg; near Stavanger — the boardwalks of Bore Strand; on the Arctic line — the approaches to Nordkapp.
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