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Hiker with blue backpack walking on dirt trail through golden autumn landscape in Dovre National Park with mountains in distance.

Walking holiday on the Saint Olav Way - Pilgrim Path

- Hiking holidays in the Norwegian Highlands -

New tour!
6 Days / 5 Nights
Moderate to Challenging
New tour!
Hiker with blue backpack walking on dirt trail through golden autumn landscape in Dovre National Park with mountains in distance.

The essentials at a glance

Self-guided walking tour along the historic Saint Olav Way pilgrimage route through Norway's Dovrefjell mountains. The route covers approximately 71 km over 4 hiking days, crossing above the tree line with stunning mountain views including Snøhetta. Stay at historic mountain lodges including Hjerkinn and Kongsvold Fjellstue, built by King Eystein for pilgrims. Moderate to challenging difficulty with significant elevation changes. Includes breakfast and dinner daily, luggage transfers, and GPS navigation.

Walk the finest part of the Norwegian St Olav Pilgrimage Route. Olav pilgrimage route over the legendary Dovrefjelde. The journey will take you back in time, for there are layers of history in these mountains. Along the trail you'll find reindeer traps, some of which are more than 2,000 years old. At Vesle-Hjerkinn, ruins of a Viking-era house have been found, which probably provided shelter for travellers over the mountains and was home to reindeer hunters. When St Olav was canonised in 1031, the route over Dovrefjell became a pilgrimage route, with countless pilgrims travelling across the Norwegian Highlands.
The Skt. The St Olav Routes are a series of pilgrimage routes that all end at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. The routes total 3000km through beautiful Nordic nature.

Snow-capped mountain peak in Dovre National Park with wooden boardwalk path leading through green vegetation in foreground under colorful sky.
Gray stone milestone marked '208 KM TIL NIDAROS' with Celtic cross design, standing in Norwegian tundra with mountains in background.
Large stone cairn on tundra plateau with colorful autumn vegetation. Mountains visible in background under blue sky with white clouds.
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Snow-capped mountain peak in Dovre National Park with wooden boardwalk path leading through green vegetation in foreground under colorful sky.
Gray stone milestone marked '208 KM TIL NIDAROS' with Celtic cross design, standing in Norwegian tundra with mountains in background.
Large stone cairn on tundra plateau with colorful autumn vegetation. Mountains visible in background under blue sky with white clouds.

The route

The tour starts in the beautiful Gudbrandsdalen valley and soon takes you above the tree line with stunning views in all directions. You'll find yourself surrounded by mountains on the path that pilgrims and travellers have walked for centuries. King Eystein built soul houses, including Hjerkinn and Kongsvold, to provide safety and shelter for pilgrims and travellers, and you'll spend the night at both these historic sites. The iconic views of Snøhetta Mountain can be both inspiring and overwhelming in this magnificent setting.

See the elevation profile
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Itinerary

See the day-by-day itinerary below.

Arrival at Toftemo Tourist Centre and check-in. You are in Dovre in the great valley of Gudbrandsdalen, where many pilgrims have rested before the uphill trek up to the highlands and over the mountains towards Nidaros.

After breakfast at Toftemo Tourist Centre, you can pack a lunch before driving to nearby Budsjord, where your pilgrimage begins. You start in farmland and pass some small farms with livestock. As you get higher, the farming stops and eventually you'll find yourself above the tree line with stunning views of mountains and valleys. At the highest point is the historic Allmannsrøysa, where for centuries pilgrims have laid a stone for safe passage over the mountains.

Here in the Nordic Highlands, your hike continues along the tree line, sometimes in birch forest, sometimes with great views of the mountains. Along the trail, informative signs will tell you about the past and present history of the mountains and guide you to some of the many historical sites along the trail. Enjoy your stay at the beautiful Hjerkinn Mountain Lodge.

Today the trail takes you over the mountain Hjerkinnhø. This part of the pilgrim trail was made into a royal road in the 1600s, when the French principle of straight roads had reached the Nordic countries. Both pilgrims and kings have crossed these mountains, which offer fantastic views of the Snøhetta mountain range and towards Folldalen and the Rondane mountain range. The first half is above the tree line, while the second half is in the birch forest. Overnight in the historic Kongsvold Fjellstue, where some buildings date back to the 17th century.

From Kongsvold, Drivdalen is steep and narrow with the wild river in the centre. The pilgrimage route therefore goes up the mountainside to higher, more walkable terrain. The steep part of this trail is called Vårstigen and is notorious for its difficulty. Just imagine kings and queens with their entire entourage on horseback and in carriages passing this section to understand why Vårstigen has gained its reputation. Your hike ends at Ryphus, as you will be picked up from here to your accommodation in Oppdal.

The tour is now over. You checked out of the hotel during the morning.

Pictures from the tour

A hiker with backpack stands on rocky terrain overlooking a vast Norwegian mountain landscape with snow-capped peaks under a cloudy blue sky.
Expansive Norwegian tundra with rolling hills, autumn colors, and a straight dirt road cutting through the landscape under cloudy skies.
Golden autumn birch trees scattered across tundra landscape with snow-capped Dovrefjell mountains in background under blue sky.
Modern hotel lounge with stone fireplace, burning fire, stacked firewood, plaid armchairs, leather sofa, and coffee table with candle.
Modern hotel double room with gray headboard, white bedding, blue pillows, and large window overlooking snowy Norwegian mountains.
Aerial view of Kongsvoll Fjeldstue with red and white buildings beside a road through the green Dovrefjell valley in Norway.
Aerial view of Kongsvold Fjeldstue with traditional Norwegian buildings including red wooden structures and white buildings surrounded by green hills.
Traditional dining room at Kongsvold Fjeldstue with wooden chairs around tables, ornate green painted cabinet, Persian rugs, and historic decor.
Kongsvold Fjeldstue mountain lodge complex with red wooden buildings and white main building nestled in Norwegian valley landscape.
Close-up of a curved antler door handle attached to a white door with brass hardware at Kongsvold Fjeldstue, Norway.
Herd of brown horses grazing in front of Hjerkinn Fjellstue, traditional Norwegian mountain lodge with red and white buildings.
Wooden balcony with white railing overlooking green valley and mountains. Small table with flowers and chairs visible on deck.
Golden autumn birch tree in foreground with Snøhetta mountain and barren landscape in Dovrefjell under blue sky with white clouds.

Prices and dates

Prices per person in EUR

Price includes

ACCOMMODATION

  • 1 night at Toftemo Turiststasjon
  • 1 night at Dovrefjell Lodge
  • 1 night at Hjerkinn Fjellstue
  • 1 night at Kongsvold Fjellstue
  • 1 night at Skifer Hotel in Oppdal

 

FOOD & DRINKS

  • Breakfast included every day
  • Dinner included every day
  • Possibility to prepare packed lunches at all accommodations

 

HIKING

  • 4 days of hiking (approx. 71 km in total)
  • Detailed descriptions of the carefully selected routes (route maps, route descriptions, information about relevant tourist attractions, and important phone numbers – in English)
  • Access to the route in our GPS app, which also works offline (one access per person)
  • Option to receive GPX files for use in your own GPS

TRANSPORT

  • Luggage transfer between the accommodations

 

OTHER

GENERAL

  • Transport to/from Norway
  • Travel insurance
  • Handling fee (€25)

 

REQUIRED AND PAID LOCALLY

  • Any tourist taxes charged by the hotels

Use the button "Calculate price" on this page to see what the tour will cost with your wanted inclusions.

PARKING
It is possible to park at the first hotel or nearby. Parking cannot be reserved in advance and must be arranged directly with the hotel (expect a cost of approximately €10–20 per day).

Practical information

Here you can get answers to various questions about the trip
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Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:

  1. Choose your desired start date
  2. Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
  3. Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).

 

Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.

The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.

Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.

The Flight to Oslo or Trondheim are not included in the price of the trip. We recommend that you find the flights yourself, for example via momondo
We recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your journey before arranging transport.

Here's how it works:

  •     You book the journey with us
  •     We confirm your journey (usually within 5-8 business days)
  •     You arrange your transport

Get a quote
If you need us to organise your flight for you, you can request a quote for the trip including flights. It often takes about two days to get a quote. Please note that we charge a handling fee of DKK 350 per ticket, which means you'll get the flight cheaper by booking it yourself.

You'll stay in hotels and mountain lodges along the way. Everywhere you have a private room with your own shower/toilet.

Breakfast and dinner are included every day. It is possible to make packed lunches in connection with breakfast.

Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.

Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.

Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 20kg each.

Hiking in mountainous terrain such as the Dolomites and the Alps requires good preparation and respect for nature.

  • Be in basic good physical shape before the trip
  • Wear proper hiking shoes or boots
  • Bring plenty of water and some food or snacks for the hike
  • Dress appropriately for the conditions
  • Use the provided map or GPS information (for example via the Bering Travel app) and stay on marked trails
  • Bring a fully charged phone and a power bank
  • Always check the weather forecast and the route before setting out as conditions can change quickly and your own safety should always come before reaching impressive viewpoints

We recommend taking out travel insurance that covers at least illness, accident, repatriation, lost holiday, luggage and liability. As a customer, you are responsible for taking out the necessary travel insurance to cover these costs.

Before taking out insurance, you should check whether you are already covered by travel or cancellation insurance through your home insurance company, credit card or similar - please note that there may be differences in insurance coverage.

After booking this trip, you get access to various discount schemes.

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When you book a trip with us, we plant a tree in Kenya.

Bering Travel partners with Growing Trees Network, which has been planting trees in Kenya since 2020 in collaboration with Seniorer uden Grænser (Seniors Without Borders). The trees are planted with small-scale local farmers in the Mount Kenya region, as well as at schools, where the fruit helps supplement students’ diets and is incorporated into their learning.

The trees are planted using the shamba method – a sustainable approach that combines reforestation with agricultural crops. This keeps the soil covered with vegetation throughout the year, helping to prevent nutrient loss and reduce erosion.

The contribution to tree planting comes directly from Bering Travel’s own earnings and is not added to the price of your trip.

This initiative is not intended as a carbon offset for travel, but as a way to make a positive contribution.

Read more

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