Two camping places available
The route
Fly in and assemble bike
We start from the airport, heading north, We are following the Pilgrims route or National Route 7 and there will be plenty of cycle paths today.
Through Minnesund to follow a cycle path next to the railway, with Mjosa fjord on the left hand side. Into Tangen, there is a small heritage museum. There are areas of hard packed gravel and its along this through Ekeberg and into Hamar; home to a railway museum. Back alongside the water briefly to enter Brumunndal where there are plenty of services and we shall camp here for the night.
https://topcamp.no/en/topcamp-mjosa/accommodation
We leave Brumunddal behind heading along cycle paths towards Moelv where there are shops. For much of the rest of the day we will be following the valley adjacent to Lake Mjosa, mostly using cycle paths. There is a shorter stretch of hard packed gravel along the way. The main attraction today is Lillehammer, home of the winter Olympics in 1994. Much remains today including a museum and the ski jump, just outside of town. We finish our day at Topcamp Rustberg.
Starting from the campsite we head along the Gudbrandsdalslagen river to Tretten, where we cross the river to continue along the west bank of Losna Lake. Arriving at Favang we start our first long climb ascending 400metres to Brekkom. After this, the rest of the day is spent descending. The highlight of the day is Ringebu Stave Church. Dating from around 1220, it is one of 28 remaining Stave churches in the country. Our day finishes at a campsite close to Ringebu.
Leaving the campsite we continue along the valley, shared with the E6 and railway. Through Hundorp, passing a group of enormous blue statues to Vinstra to finish this section along the valley. The last part of the day climbs into the mountains where we finish at Skabu
Today is a day for mountains and lakes as we head into the wilds of Norway. Skabu gives a chance to stock up before we are into the wilderness ultilising hard packed gravel tracks passing forests, mountains and lakes including Lake Vinstre which we will cycle alongside. At Bygdin we are back on tarmac to head south, again surrounded by peaks to finish at the well serviced town of Beitostolen.
There are some gravel roads today. Most are firm, but there is a section where they are grass centred. The bonus is quiet roads and great views. From the campsite we head west and then south passing small lakes. At Hore we pass one of Norway’s few Stave churches, the second of the holiday. The main opportunity to resupply is at Ryfoss which is on the E16 and has a garage, shop and café. After that the terrain is very rural with lake and mountain views. We finish the day at Vaset camped close to a supermarket and small settlement.
We continue exploring the interior of Norway, following one of Norways National Cycle trails. Many of the trails are packed gravel used by cars and it’s an isolated beautiful area. We finish at Gol.
From the campsite we head to the small town of Gol, that has an open-air museum celebrating old buildings. We are in a popular winter skiing area with alpine views. The cycle route parallels route 7 which heads to Geilo, another popular ski resort. There are several pretty lakes on the way with the route criss crossing the main road. Geilo is the main town of the day after which we keep climbing with two small passes before arriving at Dagali for the night.
The cycle route avoids route 40 as much as it can today. The start takes us from Dagali along a hard packed track that heads east, then south, whereas the road goes south then east, we can choose on the day. Both will be pretty, through trees and hills. The morning stop will be at Rodberg before rejoining route 40, taking in the valley parallel to Numedalslagen and other long lakes. At Nore we cross over to take a quieter back road south next to more lakes, all very pretty. Through Veggli we follow the cycle paths to carry on down the valley to finish our day at Holman.
As we get closer to Oslo the cycling gets a little easier. Today we parallel route 40, along quieter roads through woods with lake views. We pass through the settlements of Lampeland, Svene and Kongsberg which is the largest settlement today. Heading towards Oslo now, we follow much of the cycleway to finish at Hoksund by the river.
Busier roads today as we cut head to the coast at Filvet.
We head along cycle route 7 along the coast and through the suburbs of Oslo to spend 2 nights in the capital of Norway.
A chance to explore the capital of Norway
We cycle out of Oslo for an easy day to the airport giving us time to disassemble the bikes for our flight home tomorrow.
A day to catch a flight home, I hope you enjoyed Norway.
Land Only - £850
A deposit of £350 per person is payable upon booking, with the final balance of £500 per person to be paid by 15th April 2025 (10 weeks before departure)
Written Notice Received:
Cancellation Charge:
Before 14/04/2025
£350 (deposit)
15/04/2025 to departure
£850 (100%)
Complete the online booking form. It is also very helpful to email neil at neilwheadon1@gmail.com when you book
The price of £850 is based on a minimum number of 5 people taking part in the holiday and is calculated at a rate of £1 = 14.06 Norwegian Kroner to £1 Sterling (based on exchange rates published https://www.xe.com on Saturday 14th December 2024; please note Booking Conditions). If there are insufficient bookings by Tuesday 15th April 2025, we will contact you and return all monies paid.
This Holiday is classed as Moderate
The terrain varies from flat cyclepaths to climbs through mountainous terrain in central Norway, north of Oslo
The tour starts and finishes in Oslo, we will be starting close to the airport for your convenience
Travel to the start and from the finish is not included in this holiday. It is very important that you note that neither your Tour Manager nor Bikexplore are responsible for you in any way until the appointed time at the designated meeting point. Should you fail to arrive at the appointed time for whatever reason, we will not be responsible for any additional expenses you may incur in order to meet up with the tour group. Before finalising travel arrangements, you should ensure that the tour is definitely going ahead.
Should there be insufficient bookings or pandemic travel restrictions are re-imposed, we reserve the right to cancel the tour at any time. It is therefore recommended that you book fully flexible and refundable transport and accommodation or wait until you have been told the tour will go ahead. In the event of the tour being cancelled we will not be responsible for any losses incurred outside what you pay us.
We will use WhatsApp to communicate details like café stops, meal arrangements, places of interest and any emergencies on route. Ideally everyone will bring a smart phone and be happy to be included in the group.
The maximum number of participants will be 10 including the Tour Manager.
We will be camping throughout the holiday aside from the first and last night where we will be staying close to Oslo airport.
Camping equipement is not supplied.
Meals - We will be catering for ourselves throughout the holiday. We will source and pay for meals ourselves.
We will frequently be travelling through rural areas and will stop at cafes during the rides whenever possible but you should buy and carry sufficient food and drink for lunch in case of emergencies. In the information, I have highlighted places to buy food and these are at least once a day, even in rural parts of Norway.
Check which meals are provided in the Payment Schedule and ensure you have access to sufficient monies to cover any meals you will need to buy.
Check that you have informed the Tour Organiser of any dietary requirements in your Booking Form.
Please remember to pack any medications that you need to take regularly.
Health – please check the current Foreign Office advice for Norway:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/norway/health
A touring cycle, hybrid, gravel, mountain bike or tandem will be suitable for this holiday. There are gravel tracks on the majority of cycling days. These are mostly hard packed used by vehicles, but there will be occasional rougher tracks, but these are part of the Norwegian Cycling Network.
You should ensure your cycle is well maintained, paying particular attention to wheels, tyres and brakes.
A low bottom gear (eg. small chainring the same size or smaller than the largest cog on your rear wheel) is recommended; if unsure about gears, please talk to the Bikexplore Leader about them.
Mudguards are optional but demonstrate respect to those who are following you in wet weather.
Lights are recommended in the very unlikely event of arriving back late and useful if walking outdoors at night. A bell is advised and bring a bike lock for security. Water bottles are required to ensure you are hydrated at all times.
You will be expected to carry sufficient spares and tools to deal with punctures and minor repairs, including two inner tubes, a spare gear cable, split link and spare brake pads. There may not be many bike shops on route and they are never when you need them.
You are advised to use 30mm tyres, or larger, to suit the variable terrain.
You will be carrying you own luggage and therefore you must ensure that your panniers, or bike packing bags, are of sound construction and are secure to the bicycle.
Before the holiday you are advised to have a trial run with the weight on board to ensure that you are happy with the handling and that the equipment is suitable. Do not over pack as you will have to carry this for the whole tour. It is suggested that the overall luggage weight should be no more than 10-12kg, which is usually sufficient for any holiday, washing spare clothes each night. If you need advice please contact the Bikexplore Organiser.
The holiday is for 16 days and has 1 rest day.
This is a moving on holiday staying in a different location each night.
Most of the roads are minor but used by traffic and will be hilly in parts. We may need to use some busier roads at times but avoid them as much as possible.
Part of the route will be utilizing hard packed gravel tracks.
We will be following many of Norways National Cycle network. As a result there will be many cyclepaths separate from traffic.
Most of each cycling day will be spent cycling. People will be expected to ride at their own pace and often in loose groups, at around 16-24km/h on the flat, slower up hills, usually meeting up at cafes for lunch and refreshment breaks. You will be notified of the two or three available or recommended refreshment stops each day.
It is expected that you may want to stop for photographs, look at the view or explore. You are on holiday.
Inevitably, you might consider parts of the route hilly, and there is no back-up vehicle to carry your luggage, so you need to be fit to get the most out of this tour.
It is essential to get out on your bike and do some 80 km rides before the tour starts.
There may be steep descents too, so you should be able to negotiate these safely.
Please note it may not always be possible to follow the itinerary exactly due to road works or weather etc, as things do not always go as planned. In these circumstances, you will be advised of alternative arrangements.
The Leader will not always be at the front of the group but may be anywhere within it, as circumstances require, so you will need to be aware of the route and likely stopping places each day.
Waterproof clothing, suitable for a range of temperatures is needed and warmer clothing for the evenings.
Sun cream, lip balm and sun glasses are recommended along with insect repellant and bite cream.
The temperature in July is likely to be between 9 degrees and 16 degrees. On average some rainfall can be expected on 10 days of the tour with an average total of 160 mm of rain.
The weather can be variable, with a possibility of both heat waves and cold wet weather, so be prepared for all possibilities including storms.
Culture– please check current Foreign Office advice for Norway:-
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/norway
A gpx of each day’s route and detailed route notes, will be provided before the start of the tour.
Recommended paper maps are Cappelens Kart 2 which covers the majority of the tour
For UK nationals traveling abroad, travel insurance is essential. Please check if your insurer has requirements for cyclists eg wearing a helmet.
Current Covid and Influenza vaccinations are recommended for participants of 75 years of age and over and those deemed medically vulnerable.
It is recommended that you are vaccinated against MMR. You should contact your doctor at least 3 months prior to travel to obtain these vaccinations and the latest advice for travelers. For advice see
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/168/norway#Vaccine_Recommendations
UK citizens must hold a passport that is still valid for at least six months at the end of the tour.
Holders of non-UK passports are advised to check whether they require a visa.
UK citizens do not need a visa
The local currency is the Kroner
Tour Organiser: Neil Wheadon.
Email :- neilwheadon1@gmail.com
Mobile 07577 701230 – Email contact is preferred
I have led over 80 tours for CTC Holidays and now Bikexplore to many countries all over the world. I have organised 3 tours to Norway before.