The hike to Trolltunga is an incredible experience. It’s one of the most famous hikes in the entire world and for good reason! The Trolltunga hike was on our travel bucket list for a long time and there’s a good chance it’s on yours as well. We are proud to say we checked that one off in the summer of 2022 with our toddler in tow!
We’ve hiked all over the world! From Mount Cook New Zealand and Banff Canada, to Oahu and Kauai, yet Trolltunga ranks near the top of our favorite hikes we’ve ever done. Many of these incredible hikes we’ve done with our baby on our back and have lots of tips for how to hike with a baby.
You might be wondering if the Trolltunga hike is possible with a baby or toddler. We are proof that it is! In this blog we will go over what and where Trolltunga is, how to get to Trolltunga, helpful hike details and our tips for completing this bucket list hike with a toddler.
What is the Trolltunga Hike
Trolltunga is an incredible and well known rock formation in Norway! In fact, it may be the most famous rock formation in the entire country!
You’ve probably seen photos of people standing on this rock formation. It’s a thin piece of rock that jets out hundreds of meters above a gorgeous blue lake, surrounded by peaceful snowcapped mountains. Trolltunga translates to “Trolls Tongue” because that is exactly what it looks like.
Many people visit Norway just to complete this hike. This hike was on our bucket list for years and there’s a good chance it’s on yours too. If you are visiting Norway, the Trolltunga hike absolutely deserves a spot on your Norway itinerary.
Where is the Trolltunga Hike
Trolltunga trailhead starts in the tiny town of Skjeggedal, Norway. The biggest city near Trolltunga is Odda. From Odda, you’ll drive to Tyssedal before turning towards Skjeggedal and finding the Trolltunga parking lots.
How to get to Trolltunga
When visiting Norway, most people will fly into Oslo or Bergen. The easiest way to reach Trolltunga is to rent a car and drive yourself to the trailhead. This way saves a lot of time and allows you to be on your own schedule. Bergen to Trolltunga is a 4 hour drive and Oslo to Trolltunga is a 6.5 hour drive.
However, don’t worry if you won’t have a car in Norway. It is still possible to hike Trolltunga without renting a car. It just takes more time and planning.
Bergen to Trolltunga
Driving from Bergen to Trolltunga will take about 4 hours if you rent your own car.
Using public transportation to go from Bergen to Trolltunga will take about 5 hours.
The first option is to take a train from Bergen to Voss. This will take 1-1.5 hours. From there, transfer to a bus that will bring you to the city of Odda. Lastly, transfer to a different bus or schedule a private transfer to bring you from Odda to Trolltunga.
Additionally, there is a bus that goes directly from Bergen to Odda that takes about 3 hours. This option only saves a little bit of time but might save some confusion since you don’t need to worry about transferring.
Oslo to Trolltunga
Driving from Oslo to Trolltunga will take about 6.5 hours if you rent your own car.
Using public transportation to go from Oslo to Trolltunga will take about 9 hours.
From the Oslo train station you can take a train directly to Voss. The train runs 3-5 times a day or you can catch an overnight train which will drop you off in Odda early in the morning. Either option will take about 5.5-6 hours.
From there, catch a bus to the town of Odda and then transfer to a different bus, or hire a private transfer, to finish the journey to Trolltunga. The buses run frequently so it’s easy to coordinate with the trains arrival. The bus to Odda will take about 2 hours and the bus to Trolltunga will take an additional 1.5 hours.
Trolltunga Hike Details
Difficulty Level:
Expert
Trailhead:
There are 3 trailheads and parking lots for the Trolltunga hike, P1, P2 and P3. Each one cuts some time and distance off your hike. The route turns into a toll road after P1 which costs 200 NOK.
- P1 will be the first one you come to as you drive from Tyssedal.
- Spaces available: 220
- Reservation required: NO
- Parking fee: 300 NOK for same day until midnight
- Distance to Trolltunga: 23 miles
- There is a shuttle bus that will take you to Skjeggedal and the P2 parking lot. The cost is 100 NOK per person.
- P2 is the next parking lot you will come to as you drive up the mountain.
- Spaces available: 180
- Reservation required: NO
- Parking fee: 500 NOK for same day until midnight
- Additional toll road fee: 200 NOK
- Distance to Trolltunga: 17.4 miles
- P3 is the last parking lot. Driving from P2 to P3
- Spaces available: 30
- Reservation required: YES and many days in advance
- Parking fee: 600 NOK for 1 day until midnight
- Additional toll road fee: 200 NOK
- Distance to Trolltunga: 12.4 miles.
Distance and Elevation:
From P2 in Skjeggedal – 17.4 miles (28 km) round trip with an ascent of 2624 feet (800 meters). From P3 in Mågelitopp – 12.4 miles (20 km) round trip with an ascent of 1050 feet (320 meters).
Time:
From P2 the average estimated hiking time is 8-12hours. From P3 the average estimated hiking time is 7-10 hours.
The Best Time to do the Trolltunga Hike
The best time of the year to visit Norway and hike Trolltunga is from mid June to early September. This is when the weather will be most pleasant for hiking. All the parking lots will be open and shuttle busses will be running. However, it gets very crowded up there during peak season.
We hiked it in early June and although we had great weather the trail was still 80% snow covered, making it a bit more difficult. We also completed it on the first weekend they opened the P3 parking lot.
P3 is closed for the off season so if you plan to do Trolltunga in Fall, Winter or Spring be prepared to add some miles.
It is recommended to hike with a guide if you’d like to do the hike during off season. While the trail will be much less crowded and peaceful, the conditions will make it much more difficult.
Trolltunga with a Toddler
When we went to Norway we were traveling with our daughter who was 16 months at the time. Trolltunga had been on our bucket list for years and we did not want to go all the way to Norway and NOT check it off!! We were determined to do it!
Of course hiking Trolltunga with a busy toddler adds its own set of challenges but we are here to tell you that it can be done. We prepped more for this hike than any hike we’ve ever done and we are glad we did.
Next we will share all our tips on how to complete the Trolltunga hike with a toddler. But first we need to be completely transparent.
We attempted this hike twice. The first time we drove up to P2, paid to park and then found out the conditions at Trolltunga were very cold and snowy. We packed our butts right back in the car and drove back down and decided it wouldn’t be a smart decision to hike it that day.
But, the P3 parking lot was opening the following weekend so we were hoping for better weather and we’d give it another shot.
The weather was looking hopeful so we made a reservation for the P3 parking lot for the next Saturday. Even though it was hard to fork up the hefty fee, we knew it would increase our chances of completing it.
Tips to Complete the Trolltunga Hike with a Toddler
Our first tip is to splurge for the P3 reservation! It may feel a bit like cheating but this will save you time and miles which is super important when you have an active and heavy toddler on your back. This also means we’d recommend hiking it during peak season because that’s the only time the P3 parking lot is open.
Dress your toddler in appropriate layers! Remember your toddler is not moving like you are and therefore they will be much colder than you. We found an awesome full body snow suit (like this one) that covered her hands, feet and head as well. Underneath she had a wool base layer on and a fleece layer on.
Use a comfortable hiking back pack! We love the Osprey Poco LT.
Pack just the essentials. For a toddler this includes diapers, wipes, favorite snacks (lots of snacks), water and toys. We also packed enough food for 2 meals since we did not know how long the hike would take us with a toddler.
Utilize nap time. We timed our hike so we starting hiking right at her first nap of the day. She napped for a majority of the way, then we spent her wake window at the top and started heading back to the car at the start of her second nap.
As a last resort, have some videos and playlists with their favorites downloaded on your phone and throw some candy in your bag.
For some peace of mind, there are a few camping huts throughout the hike. If we needed a break to let her stretch her legs we would have stopped at one of those. Fortunately we didn’t need to do that but it was a good piece of information to know.
Enjoy your Hike
You are now prepared for the Trolltunga hike. With or without a toddler in tow it is an absolute must do if you are traveling to Norway. We hope you have a wonderful time hiking Trolltunga and your toddler enjoys it too! We hope you found this guide helpful. Please use the below images to Pin It to Pinterest and save it for later.
