Chasing waterfalls: An unforgettable road trip through western Norway

By Signe Hansen

Unknown to many, Norway is home to some of the world’s highest waterfalls – and with spring offering the best conditions to experience them, there has never been a better excuse to take that Norwegian road trip you always dreamed of. Here, we present a spectacular route through and over fjords, fjells and forests, taking in ten awe-inspiring waterfalls – and two buzzing city destinations.

As spring warms the air, snow melts high in the mountains, rivers swell, and Norway’s many waterfalls roar back to life. From gentle soothing flows to breathtaking foaming cascades – surrounded by tall pines and with the earthy scent of wet moss and mist engulfing you, a tour through Norway’s waterfalls is sure to give you more than stunning pictures for your social media (though you are certain to get that too). It is the perfect way to fully exploit the meditative and restorative effect of nature and its powers.
Why? Because embarking on an improvised trip into the mountains might be just the thing for some, but most of us feel more at ease when we have a destination and purpose. A waterfall road trip offers just that with an inspiring itinerary through western Norway’s most spectacular natural landscapes – from roadside torrents to fjord-side icons, and hiking through pines and peaks.

Some natural displays are effortless, visible from the car, while others invite short walks or longer hikes through forest and valley terrain. Along the way, you will find cabins, farm stays, guesthouses and small fjord communities that allow you to slow down and fully immerse yourself in the soothing effect of the landscape. The route suggested here begins in Bergen and ends in Stavanger and totals roughly 25 hours of driving.

Bryggen in Bergen. Photo: Visit Bergen / Mathias Falcone – visitBergen.com

Bergen – a natural starting point

With a well-connected airport and a stunning perspective towards fjords and fjells, Bergen is an ideal place to begin your tour. A historic ambience, and a host of culture and culinary offers, combined with an enchanting edge-of-the-landscape setting, allow for the perfect warm-up before heading out to fjords and mountains. Plan at least one overnight stay here to savour the city’s charm and start slowing down. Tip: many hotels offer the option of making a packed lunch from the breakfast buffet. Take advantage of this to avoid wasting time looking for lunch on the way. This goes for all legs of the tour as the remoteness of many sites means that few have lunch options nearby.

Next stop: Laukelandsfossen – approx. 3 hours’ drive.

Laukelandsfossen. Photo: Visit FjordKysten and Sunnfjord

Laukelandsfossen – close to the road, full of force

With a stop at Laukelandsfossen in Dalsfjorden, you can start off your tour strong without overexerting yourself. Close to the road, the 135-metre-tall waterfall pours through a narrow gorge with a raw, immediate presence. It is an easy stop, and with a width of up to 100 metres at its peak, it can be seen from several viewpoints along the fjord. One of the viewpoints, from a bit further away, is the Heile Berget Parking just after the Dalsfjord Bridge, where you will also find an information board and the start of several stunning hikes. Bring your lunch and find a spot to take in the landscape before heading on.

Next stop: Huldefossen – approx. 1.5 hours’ drive.

Close by Huldefossen, travelers will find the stunningly located river suites at Jølstraholmen Nature Hotel. Photo: Visit FjordKysten and Sunnfjord

Huldefossen – quieter water, slower pace

At Huldefossen, approximately 20 minutes after the town of Førde, where you might enjoy a fresh cup of coffee or light meal at the local Conditori Olefine Hafstadgården, the rhythm shifts. The entry to the waterfall passes through the signed parking area of the Mo and Jølster Upper Secondary School, from which a 500-metre path follows the river through woodland and over a small wooden bridge, with smaller cascades and rushing sections of water making for an enchanting walk. The Hulde waterfall itself has a 90-metre-long fall and is one of the most photographed waterfalls in western Norway.

Just 15 minutes’ drive from the waterfall, you will find the stunningly located Jølstraholmen Nature Hotel and its Instagram-worthy River Suites, set right by the wild Jølstra River. Hotel facilities also include cabins and rooms as well as a restaurant and a riverside sauna to warm up after a refreshing dip in the river.

Next stop: Seven Sisters (Geirangerfjord) – approx. 4 hours’ drive, with several scenic stops along the way.

The Seven Sisters Waterfalls are best viewed from the water. Photo: Visit Ålesund & Geiranger / Oddgeir Visnes

Seven Sisters – the fjord classic

The Seven Sisters are the most famous of the spectacular waterfalls that define Geirangerfjord, creating a breathtaking sight best experienced from the water. No fewer than seven separate streams plunge dramatically down the steep mountainside, falling around 250 metres into the fjord below. The falls lie near Knivsflå, an abandoned mountain farm clinging to the cliffs above the fjord, adding an extra sense of drama to the landscape.

Boat trips on Geirangerfjord provide the best vantage point and run regularly from the town of Geiranger, with most excursions lasting around 90 minutes. Geiranger also offers plenty of options to rest your head before embarking on next day’s adventure, many of which, like the Grande Fjord Hotel, with stunning views.

Next stop: Volefossen – approx. 3 hours’ drive.

Volefossen and Skjulka Waterfall – a glimpse of Jostedalsbreen National Park

Among the many waterfalls that characterise the landscapes around Jostedalsbreen National Park, Volefossen and Sulkja Waterfall offer two contrasting ways to experience the valley. Volefossen is the easy showstopper, cascading powerfully just beside the Briksdalsbreen parking area, where visitors first enter this glacier-carved landscape. Fed by meltwater, the falls deliver an immediate sense of scale and energy without requiring any hiking, making them a natural stop en route to the glacier. For those wanting to venture a little further into the mountains, Sulkja Waterfall provides a more active extension to the day. Reached via a hike of roughly 1.5 hours, the trail climbs through lush terrain and quieter surroundings, rewarding walkers with a more secluded and immersive waterfall experience.

Next stop: Vettisfossen – approx. 3.5 hour’s drive.

Vettisfossen, Årdal, Sognefjord. Photo: Eric James Ryan Veri Media

Vettisfossen – an unregulated giant

Just outside Jostedalsbreen National Park, in the dramatic Utladalen valley near Årdal, lies Vettisfossen, widely regarded as one of Norway’s most spectacular waterfalls. With a free fall of 275 metres, it is Northern Europe’s highest unregulated waterfall and was recently voted Norway’s most beautiful. A newly built viewing platform now allows hikers to experience the full vertical drop safely and in extraordinary detail. Reaching it requires a hike through Utladalen, beginning from the car park at Hjellefossen, following a scenic gravel road for about five kilometres to Vetti Gard before climbing roughly an hour up the mountainside to the viewpoint. The roundtrip with stops will take 4-5 hours and get your pulse up. It will also provide an experience you will not soon forget, with several smaller waterfalls along the route and Vettisfossen providing a spectacular finale. After this hike, you might want to head straight for bed, and one option for doing so is the Vetti Gard, a farm turned tourist station with simple accommodation and meals (during summer months). Another possibility is Utladalen Camping & Svalheim Gard, which offers simple cabins and camping facilities. A bit further away Klingeberg Hotel offers a nice location and hotel service with fjord location.

Next stop: Vøringsfossen – approx. 2 hours’ drive.

Vøringsfossen – Norway’s classic waterfall

Vøringsfossen is the classic headline waterfall – and for many, the most beautiful in Norway. Here, vast quantities of water plunge 182 metres from the Hardangervidda plateau into the dramatic Måbødalen valley, creating a truly cinematic scene. Spectacular viewing platforms near the historic Fossli Hotel offer sweeping views into the gorge, while a striking step bridge crossing the river above the waterfall allows visitors to experience the scale and power from multiple angles. New walkways and viewing points continue all the way down towards Fossatromma, making the landscape accessible without losing its wild character. Before heading on, enjoy a relaxed lunch in the hotel’s cafeteria, weather permitting, on the terrace with a view of the waterfall (hotel and cafe opens mid-May)

Next stop: Steinsdalsfossen – approx. 1.5 hour’s drive.

At Steinsdalsfossen visitors can experience the roaring power of the waterfall, walking safely behind the curtain. Photo: Visit Bergen / Espen Bakketun – visitBergen.com

Steinsdalsfossen – behind the curtain

Just west of Norheimsund, Steinsdalsfossen is one of Norway’s most accessible and enjoyable waterfall experiences. Easily reached from Route 7, the falls are impossible to miss, tumbling dramatically beside the road and inviting travellers to stop. A large car park sits directly opposite, and from there it is only a two-minute walk to the main attraction: a path that passes safely behind the curtain of water. Here, visitors can feel the force and hear the roar at close range while remaining surprisingly dry, making the experience both thrilling and family-friendly. Over the years, the area has been developed with concrete walkways and viewing platforms to handle the steady flow of visitors, giving it a more managed feel than many of Norway’s wilder waterfalls. Even so, Steinsdalsfossen remains a worthwhile stop.

Next stop: Låtefossen – approx. 40 minutes’ drive

Låtefossen – mist, stone and roadside power

Låtefoss is a roadside classic, where twin streams crash down beneath an old stone bridge. It is the kind of stop that requires no planning – you simply pull over, step out, and feel the spray. In spring, it often delivers the full experience, from misty air to roaring sound.

Next stop: Langfossen – approx. 20 minutes’ drive.

A hike to the top of Langefossen provides stunning views of Årkafjorden. Photo: Magnus Raldset Furset

Langfossen – fjord-side spectacle

Langfossen is one of Norway’s true showstoppers, tumbling more than 600 metres from the mountainside into the waters of Åkrafjorden below. Frequently listed among the world’s most beautiful waterfalls, its immense scale is immediately striking – especially in spring and early summer, when meltwater turns the cascade into a roaring white ribbon stretching almost from peak to fjord. The waterfall is easily admired from the roadside along E134, where parking areas allow visitors to stop and feel the spray up close, but those wanting a deeper experience can continue all the way to the top. A demanding but rewarding hike climbs steeply above the falls, opening views across fjord and mountains that feel far removed from the traffic below.

Just eight minutes’ drive from Langfossen, you will find the stunningly located Fivelandsneset Fjordhytter, two exclusive micro cabins perched on the cliffs above Åkrafjorden, offering panoramic views and stylish interiors.

Next stop: Månafossen – approx. 3.5 hours’ drive.

Månafossen. Photo: itswaterful.com © AldenteMoxey | Chasing waterfalls: An unforgettable road trip through western Norway

Månafossen – a rewarding hike

Månafossen, the largest waterfall in Rogaland, drops 92 metres in a powerful free fall. The hike is moderately demanding but only takes about 20-30 minutes with several viewpoints along the way providing plenty of motivation. The arrival feels like a small revelation – the waterfall appears suddenly and dramatically, spilling out of the cliff into the landscape below. A lot of people combine visiting the enormous Månafossen with a visit to the beautiful Lysefjorden and Preikestolen. The starting point to Månafossen is well signed from Eikeskog.

Next stop: Stavanger – approx. 1 hour’s drive.

Stavanger – an urban overnight

If your tour through the breathtaking fjords, national parks, and forests or Western Norway has left you missing any comforts, Stavanger is sure to make amends. With approximately 120,000 inhabitants, the city is the fourth biggest in Norway and presents an intriguing combination of new and old, with sights including its 10th century the cathedral and its historic neighbourhood. Known as Norway’s oil capital, the city boosts a vibrant cultural and culinary scene and an international vibe with hotels in all price ranges.

Of course any part of this route can be extended, shortened or skipped – whether you want to just take a couple of short drives from your city getaway to admire the beauty of the water cascading from the roadside, walk right into the stream or pack your backpack to get the silence and distance of a mountain peak, Norway’s waterfalls are sure to give you a taste for the powers of nature.