Before the trip
Høvringen
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 →
Walking · Rondane, central NorwayA gentle hut-to-hut introduction to Norway's oldest national park
A gentle hut-to-hut walk through Rondane National Park
A short, family-friendly hut-to-hut walking holiday through Rondane National Park - Norway's first, established in 1962 - with three traditional fjellstuer and a route that flexes to your pace each day.
Photo: Esben Bratlie / Visitnorway.com · Rondane
◷
Duration
4 days · 3 nights
⤳
On the move
21-36 km in total · short or long route each day
△
Region
Rondane National Park
⌂
Lodges
3 traditional fjellstuer with private bathrooms
◆
Style
Self-guided · luggage moved · flexible daily distance
Available on request
Arranged on the dates you choose, within the July - September window.
The journey
A gentle hut-to-hut introduction to Norway's oldest national park.
Rondane is the easiest Norwegian fjell country a British walker can sensibly start with. Rolling, rounded summits, ten of them above 2,000 metres, broad open plateaux between them, the country's famously dry light, and a network of clear T-marked paths that runs the whole park. The walking is straightforward - no scree fields, no glaciers, no exposure - and the lodges are properly comfortable.
We arrange this as a self-guided three-day hut-to-hut loop from Høvringen via Putten Seter and Smuksjøseter and back. Each day offers a short and a long option (roughly 6 km gentle or 12-14 km full) so you can flex to weather, fitness or how the morning feels. Luggage is moved between the fjellstuer for you. Private bathrooms throughout, full board, the standard Norwegian three-course dinner.
Good as a first Norwegian hut-to-hut trip for any reasonably fit walker, and a particularly sensible choice for a family with mixed walking strengths, or a couple where one of you has more recent miles than the other.
Is this for you?
Who this trip is - and isn't - for.
A good fit if
- ✓Walkers wanting an easy first taste of Norwegian mountain country with built-in flexibility on daily distance
- ✓Families, including those with younger children (one child under 12 travels free and a second at half price, sharing a room with two full-paying adults), multi-generation groups, or anyone walking in mixed-fitness company
- ✓Travelers happy to walk on open marked tundra at altitudes of 1,000-1,400 m
- ✓Anyone drawn to the particular silence and clarity of light of Rondane
Less good fit
- ·Walkers seeking sustained alpine effort or technical terrain - this is rolling marked-trail country
- ·Travelers wanting a fully-guided group format with a leader on the trail each day
- ·Anyone requiring four-star hotel comfort - these are working mountain inns
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.
4 days · 36 km
You make your own way to Høvringen, the small mountain village at the western entrance to Rondane National Park - easiest by car, or by train to Otta and a paid hotel transfer for the final stretch. Check in at Høvringen Fjellstue, one of the oldest tourist businesses at Høvringen and beautifully placed at the edge of the park, in time for dinner.
Included
What is in the price.
- 3 nights at three traditional fjellstuer with prepared beds and private bathrooms
- Breakfast, packed lunch and three-course dinner each day
- Luggage transfer between the three lodges
- Detailed walking route description with short and long options for each day
Not included
And what is not.
- Travel to and from Høvringen (train tickets to Otta on request; hotel transfer Otta-Høvringen NOK 750 return per person)
- Travel and cancellation insurance (we strongly recommend both)
- Drinks with meals and any extra snacks
Where you sleep
Lodges and stays along the way.
Høvringen Fjellstue
One of the oldest tourist businesses at Høvringen, beautifully placed at the western entrance to Rondane.
Nights
1
Putten Seter
Once a small summer farm, now a fjellstue with traditional cabins, apartments and rooms, and views to Gudbrandsdalen and Jotunheimen.
Nights
1
Smuksjøseter Fjellstue
Traditional fjellstue close to the boundary of Rondane National Park.
Nights
1
Extend your stay
A few extra days in Høvringen.
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.
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
Norwegian summer days are long and the light lasts late. Expect mixed weather even in July: 15-22 °C is typical at lower elevations, with the chance of rain and sub-10 °C days higher up. The weather can change inside an hour - pack for it.
What to pack - for this trip
The five-to-seven things most travelers underpack for a Norwegian hiking week.
Underfoot
- Mid-cut waterproof hiking boots, broken in (the single most underpacked item)
- Two pairs of merino hiking socks plus a thin liner pair
Layers
- Merino base layer (long sleeve) - worth more than any single-piece down jacket
- Lightweight fleece or wool mid-layer
- Waterproof shell jacket and trousers (Gore-Tex or equivalent - not a poncho)
- Light puffer for evenings at the lodges
In the daypack
- 25-30 L daypack with a rain cover
- Refillable water bottle (Norwegian tap water is excellent)
- Sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen - UV is strong above the treeline
- Buff or light beanie, even in summer
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: Scanout.Com
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photography credits as shown on each image.
Practical questions
How is the booking arranged?
We refer you to one of our long-standing Norwegian partners who runs this journey. The booking, the contract, the prepayment and the 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 additional cost to you.
Can the itinerary be modified?
Yes, within limits. The operator can start the walk at any of the three fjellstuer or change the order to fit availability, and can add extra nights at the lodges (NOK 1,970 per person in a double room, including dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch). Tell us what you have in mind in the first conversation.
What is the booking lead time?
The season runs from July to September and the lodges are small, so ask early. After you book, the operator confirms all the accommodation within a few hours to three working days; wait for that confirmation before you book train tickets or transfers.
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 · 10 min read
Hut-to-hut walking with DNT: how the Norwegian system works
Norway has around 600 mountain huts run by a federation founded in 1868, opened with a standard key, paid for on your phone, and largely run on trust. For a British walker used to commercial walking holidays this is a different country. Here is how it actually works.
Field Notes · 11 min read
For Munro-baggers: Galdhøpiggen, Glittertind and the Norwegian tops
A British walker who knows their way around the Munros will find a great deal that is familiar in the Norwegian fjell, and a few things that are not. Here is how the two ranges really compare.
If this isn't quite right
See more journeys →You might also consider...
Five days on foot along the old pilgrim road to Nidaros, across the open Dovrefjell plateauWalking
Dovrefjell pilgrim trail
Dovrefjell, central Norway
5 days · ModerateFrom NOK 10 400
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
Walking
Hardanger hiking week
Hardanger, Western Norway
8 days · ModerateFrom NOK 27 200
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.