Where to stay in Norway: hotels, cabins, rorbu and camping – prices and rules

Updated 27.09.2026. Facts checked against NHO Reiseliv, Visit Norway, DNT, the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Norwegian Tax Administration and regjeringen.no.

Short answer: In Norway you can stay in hotels, hostels, a cabin or rorbu, at one of about 1,000 campsites, in DNT mountain huts or in a tent under the right to roam. An average hotel room cost NOK 1,444 per night in 2025 (excluding 12% VAT), NOK 1,596 in Oslo and NOK 1,875 in Tromsø. The cheapest options are tents and camping cabins: a tent pitch costs around NOK 150–350, a basic camping cabin from around NOK 500–800 per night. In open country you can pitch a tent for free for up to two nights, at least 150 metres from the nearest house or cabin. Book early in summer.

Key facts

Which part is for you?

• You want to know what a night costs: see hotel prices and cheap accommodation.
• You travel with a tent or motorhome: see camping and wild camping under the right to roam.
• You want something special: see cabins and rorbu, glamping and ice hotels.
• You want to see the northern lights: see where to stay in Tromsø.

Where can tourists stay in Norway?

• Hotels: from historic fjord hotels to city hotels (Visit Norway).
• Hostels, guesthouses and B&Bs: more than 300 budget places, many with a guest kitchen (Visit Norway). See hostels in Norway.
• Cabins and rorbu: staying in a cabin is an important part of the Norwegian way of life (Visit Norway). A rorbu is a traditional fisherman's house – see below.
• Campsites: tent, caravan, motorhome or camping cabin – see camping.
• DNT huts: mountain huts run by the Norwegian Trekking Association, staffed, self-service or unstaffed – see cheap accommodation.
• Unique stays: farm stays, treehouses, lighthouses, glamping and ice hotels (Visit Norway).

How much is a hotel in Norway per night?

A sold hotel room cost an average of NOK 1,444 in 2025, excluding VAT. That is the highest annual price on record. With 12% VAT it comes to about NOK 1,620 (our calculation). Average prices in the cities:

• Oslo: NOK 1,596 (about NOK 1,790 with VAT), occupancy 70.8%;
• Bergen: NOK 1,493 (about NOK 1,670 with VAT), occupancy 67.6%;
• Tromsø: NOK 1,875 (about NOK 2,100 with VAT), occupancy 69.4%.

Source: NHO Reiseliv, Hotelloversikten annual report 2025 (data from Benchmarking Alliance, about 75% of hotel rooms in Norway). The price is per room, not per person, and is an average for all hotels and the whole year. In summer and during big events prices are often higher.

Budget options in the capital: cheap hotels in Oslo. The best-known hotels: top hotels in Norway.

What is the cheapest accommodation in Norway?

• A tent in open country: free under the right to roam – see the rules.
• A tent pitch at a campsite: around NOK 150–350 for one or two people and a car, motorcycle or bicycle (Visit Norway).
• A camping cabin: from around NOK 500–800 per night for a basic cabin (Visit Norway). Bedding can often be hired, or bring your own. More: camping cabins.
• DNT huts: NOK 250–350 for a night in an unstaffed hut, around NOK 1,300 for full board in a staffed lodge (member price). Members pay less, and at self-service huts you register and pay in the DNT app (DNT). Bring a sleeping bag liner. More: remote DNT huts.
• Hostels: dorm beds or private rooms, often with a guest kitchen. Hostelling International members get 10% off (Visit Norway). See for example hostels in Bergen.

Prices are often lower outside the main season (Visit Norway).

Cabins and rorbu: what are they and what should you know?

A rorbu is a house in a fishing village where visiting fishermen lived during the big seasonal fisheries. Today rorbuer are commonly rented out to tourists (Store norske leksikon, updated 27.11.2024). Most of them are in Lofoten – see rorbu cabins in Lofoten and where to stay in Lofoten.

Cabins are rated with stars: a five-star cabin has hotel standard with its own kitchen, the simplest have one room. Cabin holidays are very popular, especially around major holidays, so book well ahead (Visit Norway).

How much does camping cost in Norway?

Norway has about 1,000 campsites for tents, caravans and motorhomes, many with camping cabins of varying standard (Visit Norway). Approximate prices per night:

• tent pitch: around NOK 150–350 for one or two people and a car, motorcycle or bicycle;
• motorhome or camper van: about NOK 330;
• basic camping cabin: from around NOK 500–800.

Book ahead in high season and in popular areas, or the campsite may be full (Visit Norway). With a motorhome you may park on the roadside shoulder along public roads by open country unless signs say otherwise, at least 150 metres from houses and cabins and for no more than two nights in one place without the landowner's permission (Visit Norway). More: campsites in Norway and motorhome parking, power and waste.

Can you camp for free in Norway?

Yes, in open country (utmark) under the right to roam. The rules from the Norwegian Environment Agency:

• pitch your tent at least 150 metres from the nearest inhabited house or cabin;
• stay up to 2 nights in one place, longer in the high mountains or far from settlements;
• on cultivated land (fields, gardens, farmyards) you need the owner's permission;
• in some places camping is restricted – check local rules.

Visit Norway recommends using campsites in popular and vulnerable areas. More: camping rules in Norway, the right to roam and camping and the summer fire ban.

Video: the right to roam – nature is for everyone (Norsk Friluftsliv, 0:52)

A short film from 2018 about what you may do in Norwegian nature. The camping rules are in the section above.

What is glamping?

Glamping is camping with comfort: you stay in a tent, dome or cabin with a proper bed, often with heating. Visit Norway calls it a luxurious way to enjoy nature without sacrificing comfort. There is glamping in Hemsedal, Telemark and Voss, among other places, and glass igloos for the northern lights on Senja, in Lyngen and at Nord-Lenangen (Visit Norway). More: glamping in Norway.

Is there an ice hotel in Norway?

Yes. Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta calls itself the world's northernmost ice hotel. It is rebuilt every year from ice and snow and is open from 20 December to 31 March. Rooms cost from NOK 4,070 to 6,370 (sorrisniva.no, checked 27.09.2026). Snow Resort Kirkenes also has a snow hotel. More: ice hotels in Norway.

Where should you stay in Tromsø to see the northern lights?

The northern lights can be seen in Tromsø from late August to early April, but you need clear skies and darkness (Visit Tromsø). The city lies in the middle of the auroral zone. If you stay in the centre, it is easy to join a northern lights tour. Outside the city there is less light pollution. Hotel rooms in Tromsø are the most expensive of the big cities: NOK 1,875 on average in 2025, excluding VAT (NHO Reiseliv). More: Tromsø hotels for the northern lights and aurora forecast.

Where to stay in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Lofoten and by the fjords?

• Oslo: average price NOK 1,596 in 2025. Budget options: cheap hotels in Oslo and hostels in Oslo.
• Bergen: NOK 1,493 on average. See hotels in Bergen.
• Stavanger: see hotels in Stavanger and cabins and camping.
• Lofoten: a rorbu is the classic choice – see cabins and rorbu.
• By the fjords: hotels with fjord views.

Is there a tourist tax in Norway?

Not yet. The Storting passed the Visitor Levy Act on 5 June 2025: the levy is 3% of the accommodation price, excluding VAT (section 2-3). Municipalities under particularly heavy pressure from tourism can introduce the accommodation levy from 1 January 2027 (regjeringen.no, 28.05.2026). It covers hotels, hostels, cabins and private rentals of less than 30 days. Staying in your own caravan, motorhome or tent is exempt (regjeringen.no, updated 20.03.2026). Tromsø, Vågan in Lofoten, Lyngen, Karlsøy and Stranda have applied to introduce it (DinSide, 30.08.2026).

When and how should you book?

• Book in advance, especially in summer and in popular areas (Visit Norway).
• Cabins are popular at weekends, in school holidays and around public holidays.
• In camping cabins you can often hire bedding, or bring your own. In DNT huts you need a sleeping bag liner (Visit Norway).
• Check whether breakfast and final cleaning are included in the price.

Hotels, hostels, cabins and camping in your city

Photos: hotels, cabins and camping in Norway

People also ask

• Where can tourists stay in Norway?
• How much is a hotel in Oslo per night?
• What is the average hotel price per night in Norway?
• What is the cheapest accommodation in Norway?
• How much does a night in a DNT hut cost?
• What is a rorbu?
• Where to stay in Lofoten?
• How much does camping cost in Norway?
• Where can you pitch a tent in Norway?
• Can you camp for free in Norway?
• What is glamping?
• Is there an ice hotel in Norway?
• Where is the ice hotel in Norway?
• Where to stay in Tromsø for the northern lights?
• Where to stay in Stavanger?
• Is there a tourist tax in Norway?
• How do I find accommodation in Norway?

Sources

All links checked 27.09.2026.

• NHO Reiseliv: Hotelloversikten annual report 2025 (Norwegian)
• Norwegian Tax Administration: VAT rates
• Visit Norway: camping and caravanning
• Visit Norway: hostels and budget accommodation
• Visit Norway: cottages and cabins
• Visit Norway: unique accommodation
• DNT: cabin prices (Norwegian)
• Norwegian Environment Agency: where can I pitch a tent? (Norwegian)
• Store norske leksikon: rorbu (updated 27.11.2024, Norwegian)
• Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
• Visit Tromsø: northern lights
• The Storting: Visitor Levy Act (05.06.2025, Norwegian)
• Government: municipalities can introduce an accommodation levy from 2027 (28.05.2026, Norwegian)
• Government: questions and answers on the visitor levy (updated 20.03.2026, Norwegian)
• DinSide: five municipalities have applied for a tourist tax (30.08.2026, Norwegian)

Readers' experiences

Where did you stay in Norway, and what did it cost? Write in the comments at the bottom of the page. We use your experiences when we update this guide.