Wondering which tourist routes to take on your road trip to Norway ? You’ve come to the right place!
Norway is famous for its scenic roads that offer spectacular views over a variety of landscapes, from majestic fjords to towering mountains and rugged coastlines.
To help you make your choice, we present the 6 most beautiful roads (in our opinion) that we visited during our stay in Norway. For each route, we’ve listed the points of interest you shouldn’t miss, plus a few tips as always!
What is a scenic route in Norway?
In Norway, a scenic route (or “Nasjonal turistveg” in Norwegian) is a road renowned for its spectacular scenery and breathtaking views. These roads are specially designated by theNorwegian Public Roads Administration and are designed to offer visitors unique driving experiences through some of the country’s most beautiful natural landscapes.
Scenic routes take in majestic fjords, towering mountains, glaciers, verdant valleys and often picturesque villages. These routes are also equipped with rest areas, viewpoints, information panels and sometimes special works of art and architecture.
➡️ Overall, all the roads in Norway are beautiful, and we drove several thousand kilometers without realizing it. One wonders how the organization managed to sort out all these roads, each more beautiful than the last.
Our 6 favourite tourist routes on our map
We spent 2 months on a road trip in Norway. We took a few detours to cover many of the country’s 18 scenic routes.
Our interactive map shows the most beautiful tourist routes (in our opinion). Let’s be honest, it wasn’t easy to decide between them!
Here are our tips for exploring them.
1. From Geiranger to Trollstigen: between fjord and mountain
- Location: from Sogge Bru (Romsdalen) to Langvatnet (Strynefjellet). total distance: 104km
- Description: This is a tourist route that we took in its entirety. The two most interesting areas in our opinion are the area near Geirangerfjord (also known as the Eagle Route) and the famous Trollstigen (Troll Route). A winding road with 11 hairpin bends, offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valley. Before reaching the platform, we drove over a magnificent plateau from the south.
- PPN Tip: For the Troll Road: we recommend that you get to the visitor center around 12 noon and then take the road around 1 p.m. to avoid the many tourist buses.
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| – Free observation platforms: Trollstigen, Flydalsjuvet, and Ørnesvingen – Geirangerfjord: theUNESCO World Heritage fjord |
Find out more about this route in our 2 dedicated articles: Route des Trolls: all our tips and Visit Geiranger and its fjord
2. The Aurlandsfjellet scenic route
- Location: 47 km from Aurlandsvangen to Lærdalsøyri, E16. This road lies to the north of the city of Bergen.
- Description: this route offers breathtaking views, especially from the Stegastein viewpoint, where a footbridge has been built to enjoy a sublime view of theAurlandsfjord. One of the most beautiful fjords to visit around Bergen. Beware: the road is narrow and can be difficult to cross, especially for motorhomes.
- PPN tip : Before reaching Stegastein, we drove through the world’s longest road tunnel, 24 km long, which is also free of charge. A must-do experience!
Bergen can also be visited in winter!
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| – Free Stegastein observation platform – Aurlandsfjord – Longest road tunnel in Europe |
3. The Senja route: the most northerly
- Location: Senja Island, north of the Lofoten Islands. The road is located in the north of the island, stretching between the 2 ports of Botnhamn and Gryllefjord (102km).
- Description: One of our favorite spots in Norway, Senja is nicknamed the little sister of the Lofoten Islands. If you like to get off the beaten tourist track, this is the island for you. The scenic route through Norway’s second-largest island offers views of mountains, fjords and jagged coastlines.
See our best places to stay in Senja.
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| – Free Tungeneset and Bergsbotn platforms – Ersfjord white sand beach (one of the most beautiful in Norway) |
4. The incredible Lofoten tourist route
- Location: Lofoten Archipelago: from Raftsundet to A 230km, E10
- Description: This route crosses the archipelago, skirting the most beautiful beaches of the Lofoten Islands. On the menu: rugged mountains, white sandy beaches and picturesque fishing villages. We took this route in its entirety during our 1 week road trip to the Lofoten Islands.
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| – Everything! It passes through all the little villages A, Reine, Hamn… As well as the most beautiful beaches of Rambergstranda, Flakstad and Haukland! A real treat for the retina! |
5. Sognefjellet: Norway’s most beautiful fjord
- Location: Between Lom and Gaupne 108km, route 55
- Description: This road is particularly remarkable as it crosses a plateau with a snow-covered steppe landscape at the end of its route. The contrast is striking: in the space of a few kilometers, we’ve gone from a summer outfit on the edge of the fjord to a snowball fight.
This radical change of scenery highlights the diversity and richness of the Norwegian landscape. We rode hard and never got bored.
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– Sognefjord: One of Norway’s most beautiful fjords – Jostedalbreen National Park (with one of the world’s largest glaciers) |
6. The Atlantic Road: its photogenic bridges
- Location: from Kårvåg to Bud 8.3 km, one of the smallest
- Description: linking 17 islands and islets with bridges, this road is an engineering masterpiece offering breathtaking views over the Atlantic Ocean. The curves of the bridges are highly photogenic, a perfect spot for photography enthusiasts.
We recommend adding the colorful nearby town of Trondheim.
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| – To be done in both directions – The sensation of rolling on water – Fishing spots on one of the bridges – Bud’s smokehouse |
Road closures in Norway
In Norway, before hitting the road, we advise you to consult the Vegvesen Trafikk website or mobile app (the Norwegian Public Roads Administration), which offer regular, accurate updates. You can change the language of the site at the bottom of the page, then click on the map to see if the route you want to take is open.
Particularly in winter, when the landscape is transformed into a snowy fairytale, but also brings its own set of challenges. Heavy snow, storms and poor visibility can lead to road closures. They can be temporary, lasting from a few hours to several days, depending on the severity of the weather.
In June and July, we didn’t have any road closures, but we did come across a number of roadworks. The car to be followed when there’s roadworks bears the sign “Ledebil – Flog meg”, which obviously made us laugh a lot!
Find out more about the 18 tourist routes on the Nasjonaleturistveger website.
If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. We spent 2 months in Norway, so check out our other articles about this incredible country.
Don’t hesitate to leave us a note or 5 stars below, to let us know if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, below we’ll answer you with great pleasure. You can check out our Instagram stories from our Norway trip, to give you a taste of what’s in store!
