Skiing Norway

Skiing Norway is generally for more adventurous Powderhounds looking for something completely different. Whether it is a traditional & fun ski resort near Oslo or Bergen, summer glacier skiing overlooking fjords, or remarkably wild & remote ski touring above the Arctic Circle at Lofoten Islands near Narvik, Lyngen Alps (Tromso), further along at Finnmark, & the island of Svalbard, Norway has it all.

Much of the best Norwegian ski experiences are later in the season from late February to the start of June, so you do not have to miss out on skiing your favourite resorts & backcountry areas during winter. Ski the Alps, Japan, Nth America, then come to Norway to top it all off. We did, and adored it so much, we will head back every season.

Norway Ski Resorts

Ski resorts in Norway are generally smaller and lower than those in the main European ski destinations of Austria, France, Italy or Switzerland. That said, there is no need for a ski resort to be high elevation this far north of the equator. You can breathe easy while skiing in Norway as most ski resorts summits top out at less than 1,250m above sea level. The highest lifted ski area is Hemsedal which tops out at only 1,450m above sea level.

Norway's largest ski resorts are all within a 400km radius of Oslo and the coastal city of Bergen. Trysil ski resort gets the chocolates for Norway's biggest (and busiest) skiing area. It has over 70km of ski trails and 30 modern lifts across its 700m skiable vertical. Second is Hemsedal ski resort with over 44km of trails, 18 lifts and a healthy vertical of 830m. Norefjell, closer to Oslo, has the highest traditonal skiable vertical of over 1,000m.

Perhaps Norway's snowiest ski resort, Roldal gets a not too shabby 11m of snow every year - enough for a snorkel to be required on occasions! But one of the 'go to' locations for powder seekers, Stranda (or Strandafjellet), is deep in the Sunnmøre region of western Norway and has all the attributes of a stunning ski resort. Overlooking the Storfjord (the entry waterway to the incredible Geirangerfjord), Stranda has a reliable snowpack, long skiable vertical, intriguing off-piste and modern ski lifts to go with the utterly gobs-smacking views across the classic Norwegian landscape.

Classic Norwegian ski resorts in the Telemark region near Rauland and north of the Winter Olympic host town of Lillehammer, including Hafjell, Kvitfjell, and Oppdal are worth a look too. East of Bergen are two great little ski resorts called Voss and Myrkdalen.

The longest 'lifted' skiable vertical of all the ski areas in Norway is at Gausta ski centre. Located 2½hr north of Oslo, above the more traditional lift-accessed part of the ski resort, a small funicular rises up through the bowels of the mountain to top out on the summit of Gaustatoppen at 1,883m. Descending the peak is all off-piste for the first 780m of vertical and can be quite challenging giving its exposure to the weather. The total skiable vert is potentially 1,180m. Gausta is at an elevation far higher than the norm for Norway, providing snowsure skiing from December to April.

Above the Arctic Circle in the land of the midnight sun and the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) the intriguing Narvikfjellet rises above the fjords in dramatic style. Narvik links in beautifully with several Swedish Lapland ski areas by train, and also with Norway's best ski touring regions.

One can even ski in summer at Galdhøpiggen Sommerskisenter or the Fonna Glacier ski resort. We use the term 'ski resort' loosely in relation to Galdhøpiggen and Fonna. In reality they are just a high altitude car park with a T-bar running up a glacier, but they are lots of fun allegedly!

Ski Touring, Splitboarding & Boat Skiing in Norway

To get the most out of Norway's ski terrain, long late Spring days & gorgeous coastal scenery, getting away from the ski lifts & into the backcountry is essential. Ski touring & splitboarding in Norway opens up countless mountains where solitude, beauty & unsullied powder from summit to sea reign supreme. Skiable vertical can be up to 1,800m (but mostly less than 1,500m!), all the way to the sea. All it takes is the human-powered determination to do it.

For the once in a lifetime experience and true ooooh aaaaah moments, a ski trip above the Arctic Circle in Norway will give one the chance to undertake the best skiing and also view the breathtaking Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights). A trip doing lodge or boat-based skiing/splitboarding from mountain summits down into the fjords and coast of the Lofoten Islands, Lyngen Alps & Finnmark is a true adventure. However, the biggest adventure of all (because you can get eaten!) is ski-touring in polar bear country on the incredible islands of Svalbard. Due to long, cold, dark winters, these regions are generally skied from March to June.

Down south near Stranda ski resort, the broader Sunnmøre region is also a ski-touring and backcountry mecca.

Check out the video from Alexander Skau in the header of this page for a taste test of skiing the Norwegian backcountry & a massive dose of inspiration! Check out all the available Norway Guided Ski Tours ->

Travel To & Around Norway

Travelling in Norway during winter can be an epic adventure in & of itself. From Norway's international gateway airport at Oslo-Gardermoen (OSL) (45 km north of the capital Oslo) a few 1,000km of remote mountains, deep valleys, rivers, lakes and fjords extend toward the Arctic. The geography of Norway can make the shortest of journeys a lifetime memory. Sometimes in Norway, travel by trains, planes & ferries easily trump car & buses.

Oslo airport receives direct daily flights from most European, UK & USA origin cities (fly direct from Las Vegas - go figure!) plus less frequent flights originating from the Middle East & Asia (Bangkok). The airport has its own train station providing connections to the city every 10 to 20min, plus ski resorts to the north on the Trondheim line.

From Oslo, all of Norway's regional airport destinations can be reached. Some of the most important (for Powderhounds anyway!) include Harstad-Narvik airport at Evenes (EVE) for Narvikfjellet & the Lofoten Islands, Alta (ALF) for Finnmark, plus Tromsø (TOS) airport for access to Lyngen Alps (& Finnmark!). Flights to Tromso also come direct from useful origins like London-Gatwick (LGW) and Frankfurt (FRA). Search & book for great flight deals to Norwegian destinations.

Flight connections to other parts of Norway may require an overnight stay near the OSL airport. Within strolling distance of the main terminal via a sheltered walkway, the Radisson Hotel (and its various off-shoots) provides convenient overnight lodgings at the airport, particularly if catching an early flight the next day.

By train, the Oslo-Trondheim railway line includes access to several ski resorts directly from OSL airport. Ski areas on the train line include Kvitfjell & Hafjell near Lillehammer, plus Oppdal further along. Åre in Sweden can also be reached by train from Trondheim. Voss ski resort is on the spectacular Oslo-Bergen railway line, surely one of world's great train journeys.

For those with some time on their hands, travelling by train to Narvikfjellet ski resort is via Sweden and requires an overnight train from Stockholm crossing the Arctic Circle, entering Norway via the brilliant Swedish ski resort, Riksgränsen & then onto the coast at Narvik. A journey of at least 20hr.

Due to limited public transport in remote parts of Norway, unless undertaking a boat-based ski experience, locations like Lofoten Islands and Lyngen Alps are best explored from land with the use of a rental car. Fully winterised car rentals are available from all the regional airports. We have successfully completed a ski safari throughout Arctic Norway & Sweden using a compact SUV rental from Evenes airport. It came complete with studded winter tyres and was fantastic in all road conditions.

More Reasons to Ski Norway

If you want to be blown away by a winter visit to a country, come to Norway. Whilst a little expensive, the payoff is a perfectly ordered, exceedingly friendly & polite nation where everything works, but one still has freedom to enjoy the vast winter wilderness as they see fit. The landscapes along the coastal fjords & islands are astounding in their beauty. The backcountry ski-touring experience is better than anywhere else in the world. And you can eat delicious fish & tasty reindeer, try waffles & brown cheese (yum!) and go sliding on the icy roads & footpaths on a spark kicksled! And then of course up north the aurora borealis (northern lights) makes you understand how small we really are .....

Review

The Powderhounds reviewed several locations in northern Norway during late March in 2023 and late March/early April 2024. We were stunned but its beauty, incredible landscapes & wonderful people. We skied powder at Narvikfjellet, Lofoten Islands & Lyngen Alps and will be returning to visit Stranda, the ski resorts along the Oslo-Trondheim train line, the Telemark region & Finnmark. Read our impressions via the specific ski area overview pages.

See how the Norwegian ski resorts & backcountry ski areas compare on the Norway ski resort ratings page and to the rest of the European ski resorts on the Europe ski resort ratings page.

Follow Powderhounds Europe on Instagram to see where we are currently skiing. Follow our main Powderhounds page on Facebook to stay in touch with up-to-date info, tours, and discussions.