A hike from Myrdal to Flåm, Norway

The hike from Myrdal to Flåm takes you through a checklist of Norwegian scenery: fjords, waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, cheerful red houses in sweeping green fields…

The view from the Flåm zipline platform

A fast-flowing river snakes alongside much of the path, its water crystal clear and glacially cold. You will pass waterfalls of all sizes – meltwater from the snowy mountains above you – some just a trickle and some a great rush of sound, emitting icy droplets as they splash into the river. The edges of the path are flecked by bright buttercups and purple geraniums. The air is fresh and clear.

Buttercups and geraniums along the route

How long is the hike?

The hike is about 12 miles. It slopes gently downhill all the way, other than a steep zigzagging section at the beginning. It took us about six hours at a fairly leisurely pace, including a stop for a picnic lunch.

Preparing for the hike

What to wear: this is a fairly long hike so you should wear comfortable clothes, if not sports clothes. As for shoes, I wore walking boots but the ground is generally either paved or stony so you could do it in trainers if you don’t have space to pack your walking boots. If it’s wet, bring a waterproof, and if it’s cold bring a fleece. But make sure you can carry them for any parts of the hike you don’t need them.

What to bring: you will need to bring food with you as there is nowhere to stop along the way other than a goat farm towards the start. That doesn’t open until 11am so if you are intending to start the hike early it will still be closed when you pass it. What’s more, Myrdal does not have any shops either so you will need to be super prepared. We bought our food in a supermarket in Bergen the day before and brought it on the train with us to Myrdal.

What to download: the route is easy to follow but I would suggest downloading an offline Google map of the area just in case. If you use AllTrails, you could ensure the map has loaded (or download it if you have a subscription).

The river's clear water

What to see along the hike

Flåm zipline viewpoint: you start the hike by passing the top of the Flåm zipline. This zipline is 1300m long and is the longest in Scandinavia. At the zipline station is a viewpoint from which you can see the river bending its way through the valley, marking the route for the hike. The morning air is fresh and clean.

Twenty-one bends: next, you descend a steep, narrow road, swerving around twenty-one hairpin bends. The road is shaded by tall trees on either side of the road. Occasionally a quadbike passes, shuttling between the top and bottom of the zipline.

Goat farm: near the end of the zipline is a goat farm. The goats roam around freely and there is a small café which sells various goats cheeses.

Kårdalsfossen: you then cross the river on a steel bridge above Kårdalsfossen, a shallow waterfall. Its depth is not to be taken lightly though – white spray is sent flying by the force of the river.

Høgabru cave waterfall: this does what it says on the tin. It’s a waterfall from part of the river which passes through a cave. In fairness, it’s an unusual sight and another example of how Norway’s nature doesn’t do things by halves.

Berekvam station: there’s nothing of note here other than toilets! Various toilets are marked on Google maps but we didn’t actually see any along the way other than the ones at this station. So they were a welcome find!

Flåm church

Flåm kyrkje: you will know you are nearing Flåm when you pass Flåm church, a tiny building constructed of brown wooden slats, with a tower shaped rather like a witch’s hat, pointing high into the air. The church is surrounded by neat rows of gravestones enclosed by a fence and it sits slightly outside Flåm. In fact, from the church it is another hour’s walk or so into central Flåm.

Final thoughts

Although the Myrdal to Flåm hike is a popular route, meaning it’s unlikely you will have the path to yourself, in my opinion it ticks all the boxes for a perfect hike. It’s long enough that it’s a whole day’s activity but it’s not too strenuous due to sloping downwards all the way. The scenery is unrelentingly beautiful. It’s a truly wholesome day out.