| In the morning, meet the SFIDA Cycling team at the Radisson Blue Airport hotel in Oslo. We will then drive for a couple of hours to Lillehammer.
After check-in at our hotel, we will have our usual day one routine, introduction meeting, build up bikes and lunch. In the afternoon we will have a short ride around Lillehammer, this town that hosted the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. A reminder – the modern ski was invented in the region of Telemark, also in Norway. We will have time to walk around this charming town before dinner |
Day 1
43km / 975m
HOTEL: Clarion Collection Hotel Hammer
Today we will ride from Lillehammer to Otta.
We will follow the E6 road, leaving a few times to ride on secondary roads that will allow us our first contact with rural Norway.
Along the Gudbrandsdalen valley, we will see small towns, and one of the most iconic churches in the country, the Stave Church in Ringebu. This is a wooden church built around 1220 and it’s the biggest of the remaining 28 wooden churches in Norway.
Most of our ride today will be near the Gudbrandsdal river, with great views of Otta, our final destination for today.
Day 2
119km / 2,120m.
HOTEL: Thon Hotel Otta
Leaving Otta, today is our longest ride. Following the Rauma valley, we will have steep mountains on both sides of the road for a while. This is a reminder that Norway is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe!
After 50km of riding, we will arrive at Dombas, time for a coffee stop. This town is also the start of the Rauma railway that goes all the way to Andalsness, this has been named Europe’s most beautiful rail line by Lonely Planet.
We will follow the same direction, but on the road, combining the main road with secondary roads. The first towns we will encounter after Dombas are small settlements serving as a centre for the farms in the area.
Andalsness, our final destination today is a lovely city in the heart of Romdalsfjord, one of the biggest fjords in Norway.
Day 3
131km / 2,200m
HOTEL: Grand Hotel Classic
If we could rate our rides like the hotel’s rating, today’s ride will be a 5-star ride…
Leaving Andalsness behind we will soon start climbing up to Trollstigen, this is an iconic 11-hairpin climb with amazing views.
Lush valleys, sheltered strawberry farms, precipitous mountains and viewpoints are guaranteed to make you dizzy with some of Norway’s most scenic views. Make sure your phone is charged and don’t hesitate to stop often to take photos!
After summiting Trollstigen, we will descend to reach Gudbransjuvet, a great place that has fantastic views of the gorge with the same name. It is a perfect place to stop for coffee and views!
Soon after, at km 58 we will arrive at Linge, this will be our first contact with a Fjord.
A fjord is a Norwegian word that means a long, narrow and deep body of seawater that reaches far inland. There are more than 1,000 fjords in Norway, some are very famous, and we will be visiting a few of them during our trip.
After crossing the Geiranger Fjord, we will reach Ornevegen, this is the top of the climb before we descend via another 11 hairy hairpins to Geiranger, our destination for the next couple of nights.
In Geiranger, Hotel Union Geiranger has hosted tourists since the mid-1850s, this is one of the most atmospheric hotels of the season in a remarkable location.
Day 4
87km / 2,100m
CLIMBS: Trollstigen 875m Ornevegen 622m
HOTEL: Hotel Union Geiranger
We could not help but spend a couple of nights in Geiranger. This is one of the most visited destinations in Norway and it is easy to understand why.
With stunning views all around, there’s a lot to see and ride…
Yesterday we arrived at Geiranger after descending the spectacular Ornevegen road, therefore, we felt obliged to let our clients climb up this road today, pretty sure everyone will agree…
After reaching the summit we will continue riding in the opposite direction as we did yesterday, taking the ferry back to Linge. Then we will ride west along the fjord, cross by ferry to Stranda and ride to Hellesylt.
This will be the end of our riding. From Hellesylt, we will take the ferry to Geiranger, this is a nice way to end our ride.
Day 5
74km / 1,820m
CLIMB: Ornevegen 622m
HOTEL:Hotel Union Geiranger
We are leaving idyllic Geiranger and climbing up to Dalsnibba, which is 21km long with 1,500m of climbing from sea level! Expect magnificent views up…
After early coffee in Dalsnibba, we will keep riding towards Lom, following road number 15, we will ride next to lakes and rivers most of the way until we reach Lom.
From Lom, we take the Sognefjellet scenic route, but today we will only do a short section as our hotel is Roisheim, just 15km from the start. Hotel Roisheim has hosted guests since 1858, this is one of the historical hotels of Norway.
Day 6
120km / 2,510m
CLIMB: Dalsnibba 1,437m
HOTEL: Rosheim Hotel
We keep riding on the Sognefjellet scenic route. For most of our ride today, we are in some of the most rugged and beautiful landscapes Norway has to offer. Today is one of the wildest rides of the year!
At km 53, we will leave the main road and ride on the Tindevegen Panorama road, this is a single-lane road, very scenic and at some points steep, but paved towards Ovre Ardal.
This is a 32km road with spectacular views, with hairpins included! Definitely one of the top rides in Norway. It is also referred to as the “roof of Norway” as we are quite high for some time.
Ovre Ardal is the end of our ride, afterwards, we will have a short transfer to our hotel in the Ardal lake and Sogne fjord.
Day 7
86km / 2250m
CLIMBS: Sognefjellet 1,433m Tindevegen 1322m
HOTEL:Laerdal Hotel
Today is another incredible day in Norway! We start riding from Laerdal up to Snovegen, this road is very scenic, with continuous climbing for 28km and a 1,500m elevation gain. From the top, it is a steep descent towards Aurland.
From Aurland it is a short and flat ride to Flam, this is the end of our riding today, a short day on the bike but with plenty to see in the afternoon.
Flam is the start of the short but spectacular train ride to Myrdal, this is a 20km train ride with a lot of photo opportunities in both directions. We will do a return trip back to Flam.
Back in Flam, we will take the ferry to Gundvagen. This ferry ride is across the Aurland and Noroy fjords, this is part of the UNESCO landscape sites in Norway…truly epic!
In Gundvagen, our final destination is on the shore of the Noroy fjord, a very idyllic location in Viking land.
Day 8
58km / 1,785m
CLIMBS: Snovegen 1,312m
HOTEL: Gundvagen Fjordtell
Of course, we could not miss out on the steepest road this country has to offer, whilst the Stalheimskleiva won’t be the hardest climb you will do with SFIDA Cycling it is certainly one of the most scenics. This is a short 2 km climb averaging 12% and a maximum gradient of 20%.
After we summit Stalheimskleiva, the rest of our ride is on a mix of small roads around different lakes and crossing through small towns until we reach Dale, the end of our ride today.
Dale is famous for its high-quality knitted woollen jerseys, sold under the Dale of Norway brand, established in 1879 the patterns of their jerseys are very original. We will visit the Dale Museum and outlet.
After our time in Dale, we will transfer to Bergen, where we will spend the next couple of nights.
Day 9
108km / 1,995m
CLIMB: Stalheimskleiva 373m
HOTEL: Bergen Bors Hotel
DAY 10: In Bergen, one of the nicest towns in Norway.
The 9-day trip ends today. For the riders short of time, it’s time to say goodbye to the SFIDA Norway trip and head back to Oslo. We are including a flight back to Oslo from Bergen on this option.
For the riders keen to stay for an extra 3 nights, great moments are still ahead.
We are proposing a day-free day in this beautiful city by the Atlantic Ocean.
Bergen, although being Norway’s second-biggest city has a small-town character and vibe. We will give you time to explore Bergen at your own pace. After such intense riding through some of the best Norway in the last days, it’s time to relax and enjoy a place like Bergen.
The only suggestion is not to miss Bryggen, a UNESCO Heritage site. This is the famous “Hanseatic Wharf”- it hosts a museum, galleries and restaurants and it’s the main focus for visitors to Bergen.
Nearby the Fishmarket, which has been operating since 1276 is another spot to visit. Besides fish, you can find vegetables, handicrafts and souvenirs.
We will meet for dinner and plan for our last couple of days, both with a highlight!
HOTEL: Bergen Bors Hotel
DAY 11: Travel to Preikestolen.
Today is transfer day, no riding but a short walk in Preikestolen in the afternoon.
We will leave Bergen after breakfast. Travelling by road is still very scenic, so on our drive to Preikestolen, we will make a few stops for coffee, photos, lunch and more photos.
We aim to arrive early afternoon at our accommodation at Preikestolen Base Camp and hike the 6km return to Pulpit Rock. This is one of the most memorable photo opportunities in Norway!
Day 11 No riding today.
HOTEL: Preikestolen Mountain Lodge
DAY 12: Lysebotn…29 hairpins to glory!.
Another memorable day to end an incredible SFIDA Cycling trip.
We take pride in taking our clients to the most amazing places to ride and Lysebotn is certainly one of the tops on our list.
After an early breakfast, we ride to the ferry terminal that will take us to Lysebotn, this ferry ride is one of the most spectacular in this part of Norway. All along the Lysefjord, on both sides, we have steep mountains.
Once in Lysebotn, time for a coffee before we start today’s ride. The Lysebotn climb is nearly 11km long with 29 hairpins (one of them completely in a tunnel), and with an elevation gain of 900mts, there is bound to be a steep section at some point.
This is one of the most iconic climbs on sites like Instagram, you can see why when you start gaining some altitude, the views over the fjord are incredible.
Once at the top we will continue our ride to Sirdal, these kilometres are some of the most fascinating you will ever ride! most of the ride will be on a plateau between 700-1,000m high.
Sirdal is the end of our trip before our transfer to Oslo tomorrow morning.
Day 12
40km / 1,600m
CLIMB: Lysebotn 938m
HOTEL: Sirdal Hotel
DAY 13: Transfer to Oslo and Farvel!
After breakfast transfer by van to Oslo airport. We plan to get there early afternoon, so plan your flights accordingly. Check with us if needed.
MORE INFORMATION
PRICES:
12 Day option
TWIN room: 6,750 Euros pp
SINGLE Supplement: 1,550 Euros
Rental bike: 850 Euros
Rental E-bike: 950 Euros
9 Day option
TWIN room: 5,550 Euros pp
SINGLE Supplement: 1,250 Euros
Rental bike: 750 Euros
Rental E-bike: 850 Euros
PAYMENT TERMS:
1,000 Euros when making the booking. Balance to be paid 90 days before the trip starts.
INCLUDED:
12 nights accommodation between 3 – 4 Stars.
or 9 nights accommodation between 3-4 Stars.
ALL MEALS INCLUDED. In both the 12 and 9 days options.
breakfasts.
lunches, picnic-style on longer days.
dinners, including wine.
NOT INCLUDED:
International flights.
Travel insurance.
Hotel extras: mini-bar, spa, massage.
Tips for the staff.
SUPPORT:
We will have ride leaders and at least one mechanic on our trip.
Our staff/client ratio is 1:4 staff.
Our passenger vans come fully equipped with all the necessary to give the best support during the rides.
We carry gels, energy bars, powder mix, water, fruit, riding food, tools, pumps, spare tubes and tyres to make sure our first-class support helps you through the trip.
Professional first aid kit.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Adapting to our current COVID-19 pandemic, and incoordination, with most of the hotel’s terms and conditions, we are adjusting our cancellation policy accordingly as follows:
If there’s a travel ban from your country to travel to the country you are doing a trip with us, you will receive a full refund on any payments you have made to SFIDA Cycling.
For any other reasons not related to COVID-19, the following will apply:
61 days before the trip starts – the return of your deposit.
60 days before the trip starts – the return of the full amount of the trip less the 600 Euros cancellation fee, plus any amount that we can’t recover from Hotels and other costs that we have already incurred in the trip preparation.
Less than 30 days before the trip starts – no amount will be refunded. We will, however, try to credit as much as possible towards a future trip. This depends on the amount that we can get back from the hotels and other costs that we have already incurred in the trip preparation.
We understand that it is difficult to commit too much in advance given the situation we are all living in.
For this reason, we won’t be holding any spots until the full deposit has been paid.
Hotels are now more strict with how many rooms they are willing to have on hold for groups, so until deposit payments are made we won’t be able to confirm your spot.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.