Norway Cycling Tour
Riding Days
6
Number of Nights
5
Total Distance
580km
Total Climbing
7,000 metres
Difficulty
3/5
At a Glance
Norway Cycling Tour La Fuga have been running for eight years and have acquired a wealth of experience in this ever-more popular cycling destination. We’ve created a route taking in the must-ride climbs and roads. Whether you’re riding the impressive ‘Atlantic road’ with its myriad of swirling bridges spanning small rocky islands, the spectacular switchbacks of the Trollstigen or looking down at the Geiranger fjord you’ll come away from your trip to Norway with some vistas and memories that will last forever.
We are looking forward to welcoming you on your Norway Cycling Tour - the name given to a place-to-place ride. We are committed to providing you with an unforgettable experience on the greatest cycling roads in the world.
Tour Highlights
Our Norway Raid is a truly unique cycle tour. Travelling over mountain passes, through tiny fishing villages and rolling by jaw dropping fjords, our Norway Raid from Trondheim to Alesund is a once in a lifetime trip. A real bucket list destination for any road cyclist.
Tour Highlights:
- Ride the unique Atlantic Road Highway
- Climb the magnificent Trollstigen
- Discover the most beautiful and inspiring roads to ride by bike
Book Tour
€2,500.00 – €4,050.00
Overview
Norway Cycling Tour - The region & the challenges
“… Sweden is a one-dimensional forest. Denmark is flat and boring. Norway, south of the line from Stavanger to Oslo, is uninteresting. But there are routes and places in Norway that are more stunning and more beautiful than anything you will have ever done or will ever do. You must go there. Do not fail to do this…”
– Johann Koss
The Norwegian winter lasts nine months; there is no light for half of the year and then no dark for the other half. When it comes to the weather, the locals understand what makes their country green. During the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, they said: ‘It’s not about the cold and wet, it’s about your clothing.’ And out of an Olympic year, what do they say? ‘That there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.’ Testing conditions like these, no doubt, lend themselves to the adventurous, travelling spirit of the Norse and keep other prospectors out.
Fortunately for us, this has left Norway a relatively undisturbed, yet dramatic and extraordinary country to visit. More than a thousand miles long from North to South and with almost fifteen thousand miles of coastline, Norway is the sleeping giant of Europe.
A place to escape
Thankfully, with the experience of running many trips to Norway, we have handpicked a fantastic two-wheeled escape for you, which showcases the best of the beautifully rugged Norwegian mountains and jaw-dropping landscapes. The mid-summer date should also bring fine weather.
You’ll start your journey in Orkanger, renowned for its panoramic views, creating dramatic displays of changing colours and contrasts in the shifting light throughout the day. You will also experience the unique Atlantic Ocean Road, take in the charm of the fishing villages en route and let your legs bring new landscapes into view. Your journey will then take you on to the snaking switchbacks of the Trollstigen, the ‘Troll Road’ followed by the Geiranger fjord, home to breath-taking waterfalls and stunning views. Challenging, beautiful and incomparable, this is Norway!
Climate
Gearing
Details
What's Included
- 5 nights of accommodation
- Breakfasts & evening meals at hotels and restaurants*
- 2 x La Fuga guides (1 ride guide – 1 support staff - mechanic/driver)
- Airport transfers – for designated transfer times
- Ferry journeys (during planned routes)
- 1 x support vehicle to follow riders
- Roadside lunch stops
- Detailed GPX files for use on Navigation Devices and daily route cards
- Complimentary Sports Nutrition
- Photos taken and sent to all riders during the trip
- Welcome pack
*Meals are included up to a specific budget after which a supplement will be applied
What's not Included
- Flights
- Restaurant lunches stop and coffee stops
- All drinks with meals
- Excess meal prices over budget
- Bike rental
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Incidental Expenses
- Parts and spares used during the trip
- Tips and gratuities
- Massages
- Bike Rental option available during the checkout
Itinerary
Your La Fuga guides will meet you at arrivals in Trondheim airport and transfer you to the first hotel in Orkanger – drive time is approximately 1 hour.
We’ll set up the bikes before maybe opening the legs up on a short ride. Your guide will brief you on the following days riding and what will expect to see. You’ll then be left to enjoy your first dinner in Norway and soak up the culture and lifestyle of this unique country.
The town of Orkanger lies on the junction of two fjords, the Orkdalsfjorden and the Tronheimsfjord, the views are incredible for your first night in Norway and you’ll really settle into the slow rhythm as you try to get used to the long days and being surrounded by water almost where ever you look.
You’ll start from the hotel and experience a small bit of gravel on the way out of town taking you into lush green pastures. Your first ride heads west from Orkanger in the Sør-Trøndelag region and out towards the coast of Møre og Romsdal. A great introduction to the roads of Norway. You’ll immediately be immersed in beautiful riding beside the fjords, featuring a ferry crossing, stunning views and quiet roads.
Most of the climbing for the day is done within the first 50km where we come down to meet the edge of Snillfjorden. You’ll traverse from one island to the next taking small bridges which link the islands and cross the Fjords. You’ll finish your day on the island of Tustna. The first of the trips ferry rides comes as you leave the island towards Kristiansund. A journey of around 35 minutes.
A day with one big climb, coming towards the end of the route. A 5km tunnel necessitates a short drive to the start point of this ride but, from here until the finish, we’ll be uninterrupted by ferries or tunnels.
The highlight of today’s ride has to be the Atlantic Road, beginning at 22km in and spanning an archipelago of small islets across the mouth of Kvernesfjorden with graceful, arcing bridges that have to be seen to be believed. Completed in 1989 and variously described as ‘the world’s best road trip’ and ‘Norwegian Construction of the Century’, the bridges are short but steep.
Today’s focus is the Trollstigen – or ‘Troll Ladder’. The day begins with a short drive to negotiate a sub-fjord tunnel out of Molde and a ferry ride which takes you over to the town of Afarnes at the mouth of the Landfjorden, You’ll soon be rolling and heading for more incredible scenery. Your route then tracks the edge of Romsdalfjorden before turning inland at Andalsnes on the way towards the base of Trollstigen.
The climb itself has been dubbed ‘the Norwegian Stelvio’ in recognition of its incredible switchbacks that take the road high up to an impressive visitor centre where we’ll probably break for lunch. Payback time comes with a long, gradual descent of around 35km to our second ferry ride of the day at Linge.
A second climb awaits, straight off the ferry, up to a plateau before the incredible view at Ørnesvingen (Eagle’swing) and a last, steeper descent down to fjord level at Geiranger, right at the top of Geirangerfjord.
Today ride is a clockwise, circular route. We begin with a climb straight from the hotel around the base of Dalsnibba mountain and around the shore of the lake at Djupvatnet, which was still completely frozen over when La Fuga were last there. A mountain plateau road follows as we cross briefly from Romsdal into Oppland region.
Our road turns right and climbs gently on a hard-packed surface to the ski resort of Stryn Sommerski before a winding descent down to the water at Oppstryn. We then return into Romsdal and to the opposite end of Geirangerfjord before a ferry ride through the steep-sided cliffs back to Geiranger.
It is your final day on the Norway Cycling Tour and the chance to ride to the very top of Dalsnibba and take in the incredible view of the fjords below from the highest fjord-view point in Norway at 1400m. A very early start is required if you’re to fit this ride in before we head for the airport in Alesund. An early alarm call will be worth it for the empty, perfectly surfaced road from Geiranger to the summit.
For a taste of the descent from Dalsnibba, be sure to watch this video. A dirt road until it was resurfaced in 2013, the final few kilometres are a barrier toll road, ensuring we’ll have the place to enjoy.
After a well-earned descent (image below looks over the road, with Geiranger in the far distance), we’ll be back at the hotel in time for lunch. Drive time from Geiranger to Alesund is around 2 ¼ hrs.
