Before the trip
Espedalen
A night or two to slow down before or after the trip - we can arrange a hand-picked stay through the same operator network.
Add to my enquiry →
Cross-country skiing · Western Gudbrandsdalen, central NorwayCross-country skiing on the Peer Gynt high plateau, hotel to hotel on prepared track
Cross-country on the Peer Gynt ski route - Espedalen to Skeikampen
The classic Norwegian wide-track week: long blue afternoons, snow-quiet mountain hotels, and properly broken-in trails.
Photo: Tone B Haugerud ·
◷
Duration
8 days · 7 nights
⤳
On the move
about 60 km cross-country across three moving days
△
Region
Peer Gynt upland, western Gudbrandsdalen
⌂
Lodges
4 substantial mountain hotels
◆
Style
Self-guided · luggage moved · rest days at each base
Fixed departures
This journey runs on set dates.
The operator runs this on the weeks below. Other dates are not available.
- Open30 Jan - 6 Feb 2027
- Open13-20 Feb 2027Route variant: starts at Fefor and runs via Kvitfjell; single supplement NOK 4,000
- Sold out20-27 Feb 2027
- Sold out22 Feb - 1 Mar 2027
- Sold out8-15 Mar 2027
- Sold out13-20 Mar 2027
- Sold out20-27 Mar 2027
The journey
Cross-country skiing on the Peer Gynt high plateau, hotel to hotel on prepared track.
The Peer Gynt route is not what British skiers usually picture when they hear 'ski touring'. It is the Norwegian classic: groomed cross-country track, day after day, between four mountain hotels on the upland west of Gudbrandsdalen. The skis are skinny, the climbs are gentle, the views are properly large.
We arrange it with a Norwegian operator who looks after the route notes, the hotel bookings, and the luggage transfer. You ski with a small daypack; you arrive each evening to a proper Norwegian dinner and a hot shower.
A good fit for fit walkers with a little cross-country experience who are happy to spend several hours on skis several days in a row. The moving days are moderate, and covering up to 28 kilometres quietly through fjell snow is worth every bit of the effort.
Is this for you?
Who this trip is - and isn't - for.
A good fit if
- ✓Cross-country skiers comfortable with prepared-track skiing on rolling upland terrain at recreational pace
- ✓Travelers who want a moving ski week with substantial hotel-quality accommodation rather than mountain huts
- ✓Couples, small groups of friends and solo skiers happy with built-in rest days between moving stages
- ✓Anyone with a literary interest in the Peer Gynt landscape
Less good fit
- ·Beginners on cross-country - basic technique on tracked loipe is assumed
- ·Skate-skiers looking for high-mileage flat training - these are forest and upland loops
- ·Travelers wanting fully-guided group format with an instructor each day
The route
Numbered pins mark the day the night is spent. Tap a pin for details.Where the week takes you.
Day by day
The shape of the week.
8 days · 60 km
You take the included afternoon train from Oslo Airport to Vinstra (around three hours up the Gudbrandsdalen valley), with an onward hotel transfer up to Dalseter Fjellhotell in the Espedalen valley.
Included
What is in the price.
- Return train + hotel transfer between Oslo Airport and the route
- 7 nights at four substantial mountain hotels
- Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner each day
- Luggage transfer between all overnight stops
- Maps and the all-in-one travel app
Not included
And what is not.
- Travel and cancellation insurance (we strongly recommend both)
- Drinks with meals and any extra snacks
- Cross-country ski rental (NOK 2,100 per person for the week, including return transport of skis)
Where you sleep
Lodges and stays along the way.
Dalseter Fjellhotell
Substantial mountain hotel in the Espedalen valley with the 220 km local loipe network at the door.
Nights
2
Fefor Høifjellshotell
Long-running upland hotel on the Peer Gynt loipe.
Nights
2
Gålå Høgfjellshotell
Family-run mountain hotel at the edge of the high plateau.
Nights
2
Thon Hotel Skeikampen
Upland resort hotel at about 800 m on the eastern flank of the Peer Gynt country.
Nights
1
Extend your stay
Bookend the trip with a city stay.
Most travellers add a night or two at the start or end. We arrange these through the same operator network with the same single line of contact - write to us with your preference and we will fold it into your enquiry.
After the trip
Lillehammer
A morning at the Maihaugen open-air museum and a walk along Storgata before continuing onward.
Add to my enquiry →Before you come
Know-before-you-go.
Practical Norway
- Visa
- Schengen - most Western travelers visa-free for 90 days.
- Currency
- Norwegian krone (NOK). Cards accepted almost everywhere; cash rarely needed.
- Plugs
- Type F (European two-pin), 230 V / 50 Hz.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Round up if service was exceptional.
- Language
- Norwegian. English is widespread and fluent - you will not need a phrasebook.
- Tap water
- Some of the cleanest in the world. Refill, do not buy bottled.
Typical conditions
The cross-country weeks run from February into April, with the days lengthening fast through the season. Daytime temperatures are typically between about −10 and 5 °C, coldest in February; evenings drop further. Mountain weather can still close a stretch of track or change a plan at short notice, and the hosts at each lodge can advise on the day.
What to pack - for this trip
The five-to-seven things most travelers underpack for a Norwegian ski-touring week.
Skiing kit
- Classic cross-country skis with NNN bindings, boots and poles - or rent them through the operator where the trip offers it
- A small daypack for the packed lunch, a thermos and a spare layer
- Cross-country boots you have skied in before - not new for the trip
Layers
- Heavy merino base layer (top and bottom)
- Insulated mid-layer (synthetic or down) for breaks
- Hardshell jacket and trousers - Norwegian winter weather is no joke
- Spare warm gloves (you will get one wet)
In the pack
- Your own thermos - the lodges refill it on the winter trips, and plastic bottles freeze
- Goggles plus sunglasses (high-altitude sun on snow burns fast)
- Light headlamp for the early starts and late returns
The operator gives you access to its travel app about a month before departure; the app includes a suggested packing list for the trip.
The country
What the week looks like.
Photo: Tone B Haugerud
Photo: Tone B Haugerud
Photo: Tone B Haugerud
Photography credits as shown on each image.
Practical questions
How much skiing experience do I need?
Some cross-country experience, and being comfortable with several hours on skis several days in a row. The loipe is prepared for classic skiing and the moving days are moderate, but weather and snow conditions can make them feel harder.
How is the booking arranged?
We refer you to one of our long-standing Norwegian partners who runs this journey. The booking, contract, prepayment and consumer protection (under Norway's Reisegarantifondet) sit with the operator. The price is the same as booking the operator directly; we are paid a small referral commission and there is no extra cost to you.
When is the best time?
Mid-February through mid-March - reliable snow on the prepared loipe and increasing daylight. The Norwegian school break in late February is the busiest week.
What is the booking lead time?
The operator takes bookings up to 30 days before departure, but the mountain hotels are popular with Norwegian winter holidaymakers and the late-February weeks book out early. Note that the 13-20 February 2027 departure follows a different route: it starts at Fefor, includes Kvitfjell, and has a single supplement of NOK 4,000.
Is travel insurance included?
No. We strongly recommend booking comprehensive travel and cancellation insurance separately, ideally at the time of booking the trip. The operator can suggest Norwegian providers if useful.
Further reading
See all Field Notes →Background reading on this kind of trip.
Regions Compared · 12 min read
Lofoten vs Jotunheimen vs Hardangervidda: which Norwegian region suits you?
Three regions, three different trips. Lofoten is Arctic islands at sea level. Jotunheimen is the high alpine country with the DNT lodge network. Hardangervidda is the open plateau. Here is the comparison we wish someone had written first.
Field Notes · 9 min read
When is the best season for walking in Norway?
July is not always the right answer. September sometimes is. Here is the regional, month-by-month version, written for a walker with one good week and a strong preference for being told the truth.
Field Notes · 12 min read
The Lofoten Islands: a travel guide for British visitors
Five main islands and one road, roughly 130 km from Svolvær to Å. Most planning mistakes come from treating Lofoten as a single place rather than a line.
If this isn't quite right
See more journeys →You might also consider...
A week on cross-country skis across the southern Trolløypa, from the Venabygdsfjellet uplands down to LillehammerCross-country skiing
Southern Trolløypa
Venabygdsfjellet to Lillehammer, central Norway
7 days · ModerateFrom NOK 18 900(indicative)
Cross-country skiing
Jotunheimenløypa
Sjodalen & Jotunheimen, central Norway
8 days · ModerateFrom NOK 21 300
A winter week in the fells that works just as well on snowshoesCross-country skiing
Rondane winter week
Rondane, central Norway
7 days · EasyFrom NOK 16 100
Start a conversation
If this looks like your kind of week, write to us.
Tell us when you are thinking of travelling and how you would like to shape it. A curator will reply within one working day with a considered first option, the operator we would arrange it through, and an honest pricing range for your specific dates.
Travel Guarantee Fund memberFluent English support
Refined by Nordic Curator from a journey by one of our long-standing Norwegian partners. The booking, the contract and the consumer protection (under the Norwegian Travel Guarantee Fund, Reisegarantifondet) sit with the operator. We are paid a small referral commission and there is no additional cost to you. The price is the same as booking the operator directly. How we work.