Places
Trolltunga Hotels: Where to Stay in Tyssedal, Odda and Lofthus
The best base for Trolltunga is Tyssedal, the small village six km north of Odda where the road up to the trailhead at Skjeggedal begins. It has Tyssedal Hotel, a 1912 Art Nouveau building that De Historiske describes as the closest hotel to Trolltunga, as well as a hostel, an apartment hotel and a guesthouse that Visit Hardangerfjord lists as 6 km from the start of the hike. Odda, the nearest town, has the widest choice, including a hotel that is actually called Trolltunga Hotel, and Trolltunga AS puts the drive from Odda to Skjeggedal at about 30 minutes. Further north, Lofthus has a large fjord-side hotel, Hotel Ullensvang, about 30 minutes by car from the starting point according to Fjord Tours.
Whichever you pick, the hike decides the plan. From P2 Skjeggedal the round trip is 27 km and takes 8–12 hours, so you want to be at the trailhead early, rested and fed. The good news is that the summer shuttle from Odda to Skjeggedal stops near accommodation along the route. This article compares the three bases, describes the places that the local tourism board lists, explains the rules for campervans and camping, and suggests what to do on a rest day. We quote no room prices: they change by season and are best checked directly.
The short answer
- Closest to the hike: Tyssedal, with Tyssedal Hotel, Trolltunga Hostel, Trolltunga Aparthotel and Trolltunga Guesthouse.
- Most choice and services: Odda, with Trolltunga Hotel, Hardanger Hotel, apartments, treetop cabins and a campsite.
- A fjord resort: Lofthus, with Hotel Ullensvang.
- To the trailhead: about 30 minutes by car from Odda to Skjeggedal; the shuttle from Odda stops near accommodation on the way.
- Not allowed: overnight sleeping or camping at the P1 Tyssedal car park, and camping near the car parks or the trailhead.
Why your base matters for this hike
Trolltunga is a long day, and the logistics around it start the night before. Trolltunga AS gives the round trip as 27 km and 8–12 hours from P2 Skjeggedal, or 20 km and 7–10 hours if you start from P3 Mågelitopp, and it advises starting early so you return before dark.
There are two ways to reach the trailhead from your bed:
- By shuttle. A bus runs from Odda via P1 Tyssedal to P2 Skjeggedal, stopping at designated locations near accommodation along the route. In 2026 it ran from 15 May to 27 September. Tickets can be bought on boarding, but seats are limited, and Trolltunga AS strongly recommends booking online well in advance. A second shuttle runs on from P2 up to P3 Mågelitopp.
- By car. Follow the Rv13 to Tyssedal, 6 km from the centre of Odda, and then the signs to Trolltunga. Trolltunga AS puts the drive from Odda to Skjeggedal at about 30 minutes, and from P2 up to P3 at about 10 minutes. P3 is a private car park with space for only 30 vehicles and must be booked in advance.
Our guide to getting to Trolltunga covers the car parks, tolls and shuttle tickets in detail. For choosing where to sleep, the key point is simple: the closer you are to Tyssedal, the shorter the early-morning leg.
Tyssedal: the closest village
Store norske leksikon describes Tyssedal as lying at the mouth of the river Tysso on the east side of the Sørfjorden, six km north of Odda. It is small, with 596 inhabitants in 2025, and its history is tied to hydropower: the old power station is now Kraftmuseet, the museum of hydropower and industry. The P1 car park and the road up the valley to Skjeggedal both start here, which makes it the most convenient base for an early start.
Tyssedal Hotel
Tyssedal Hotel is the historic choice. De Historiske, the association of historic hotels it belongs to, describes it as an Art Nouveau building from 1912, built as an administrative hub for Norway’s groundbreaking hydropower projects. Today it has 27 individually styled rooms, a restaurant, a sauna and outdoor terraces. Visit Hardangerfjord adds that the hotel is open all year round, is known for its cuisine, and holds a collection of original art, with Nils Bergslien, Christian Krohg, Morten Müller and Hans Dahl among the painters represented. The hotel also exhibits the work of Geir Grung, one of Norway’s best-known modernist architects.
For hikers, two details matter. The hotel is near Kraftmuseet and not far from Skjeggedal, and through a partnership with the local guiding company Trolltunga Adventures it offers access to guided hikes and overnight tours to Trolltunga. If you want history and a proper dinner after the hike, this is the obvious pick.
Trolltunga Hostel
Trolltunga Hostel is the budget option in Tyssedal. Visit Hardangerfjord lists 26 beds spread across dormitories of 6 or 8 beds, all with private bathrooms, plus a fully equipped kitchen and charging for electric cars. Its location makes it easy to catch the shuttle bus to Skjeggedal in the early morning, which is what a hiker on a budget needs.
Trolltunga Aparthotel and Trolltunga Guesthouse
If you want your own kitchen, Tyssedal has two apartment hotels. Trolltunga Aparthotel offers 15 apartments with balconies and fully equipped kitchens, with the restaurant of Tyssedal Hotel nearby for an evening meal. Trolltunga Guesthouse is listed as 6 km from the start of the hike, with 13 apartments in total: 8 with a separate bedroom and 5 studios, all with a kitchen and an en-suite bathroom. Both suit groups and families who want to cook a big breakfast before a long day.
Slottet Apartments and Stana gard
The Trolltunga AS accommodation list, supplied by Visit Hardangerfjord, also includes Slottet Apartments, with fjord views in Tyssedal, and Stana gard, a farmhouse by the fjord with its own quay at Stana. Both are self-catering and worth checking when the larger places are full.
Odda: more choice, a short drive further
Odda is the town at the head of the Sørfjorden and the starting point of the shuttle. It has shops, restaurants and a bus station, and more room types than Tyssedal, from dormitories to family apartments. The trade-off is the extra distance: about 30 minutes by car to Skjeggedal, or a longer shuttle ride.
Trolltunga Hotel
If you searched for “Trolltunga hotel”, you may have meant this one. Trolltunga Hotel is in Odda, in a villa building from 1928 that was renovated in 2017 and expanded in 2021 with more rooms and a much larger restaurant. Visit Hardangerfjord describes it as a nature hotel with a focus on environmental friendliness, where every room looks out on mountains, waterfalls and glacier water. The range of rooms is wide: PLUS rooms in the new building, standard rooms, and cheaper alternatives such as rooms with shared bathrooms or dormitories. Downstairs, the restaurant has a glass extension and serves an à la carte menu based on local produce.
The hotel works closely with the activity company Trolltunga Active, which runs guided hikes, so it is a natural base if you plan to hike with a guide.
Hardanger Hotel
Hardanger Hotel is the practical town-centre option. Visit Hardangerfjord lists 50 rooms with a fjord view or a view of the mountains around Odda, a breakfast restaurant and free parking. It is within walking distance of the bus station, shops and restaurants, and the shuttle bus between Odda centre and Skjeggedal stops nearby, which makes a car-free trip easy.
Apartments and something different
- Blue House Odda: a renovated Art Nouveau building in Bakkegata, with 5 apartments and a dormitory, suited to couples, families and groups.
- Vikinghaug Apartments: large apartments with three to four bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room, with views of water, waterfalls, mountains and glaciers.
- Woodnest – Odda Treehouse: four treetop huts overlooking the Sørfjorden, each 15 square metres, with a toilet and four beds; the two newest also have a bath tub and a double bed that lowers from the ceiling. It is a stay to remember in its own right.
Camping, campervans and nights on the mountain
Trolltunga Camping
Trolltunga Camping lies beside the lake Sandvinvatnet at the end of the Odda valley. Visit Hardangerfjord lists it as only 2 km from the fjord and Odda town centre and 15 km from the start of the Trolltunga hike, which guests can reach by car or, in high season, by the shuttle bus. It offers apartments, cabins and rooms as well as pitches for tents and motorhomes, which can be prebooked, with grass and electricity on the motorhome pitches. Canoes and SUP boards can be hired for a lazy day on the lake.
Campervans and the car parks
If you are travelling in a campervan, plan to sleep at a campsite and take the shuttle. Trolltunga AS says the road from P1 Tyssedal to P2 Skjeggedal is too narrow for buses, camper vans and minivans, with a maximum vehicle length of 5.2 m. Larger vehicles must park at P1 Tyssedal, and there is no overnight sleeping, camping, barbecues or open fires at that car park.
Camping on the mountain
Some hikers skip the hotel altogether and spend a night near the rock. Trolltunga AS allows this, with conditions:
- No camping is allowed near the parking lots or the trailhead.
- Pitch your tent at one of the sites marked with a tent symbol on the trail map, downhill from the trail and away from streams and lakes.
- Camping closer than 150 metres to an occupied house or cabin is forbidden, under the Hardanger code of conduct.
- Open fires are prohibited between 15 April and 15 September.
Professional equipment can be hired from Trolltunga Active in Skjeggedal. If you would rather not carry it, Trolltunga Active and Trolltunga Adventures both offer a guided hike with an overnight stay at their camp. Our guide to the via ferrata and guided tours explains what those trips include.
Lofthus: the fjord hotel option
For a more relaxed stay, Lofthus sits on the east shore of the Sørfjorden north of Tyssedal, in the heart of Hardanger’s fruit-growing country. Its landmark is Hotel Ullensvang, which Visit Hardangerfjord describes as standing directly by the fjord, with views over the Hardangerfjord and the Folgefonna glacier. It is a big hotel, with 344 beds in 170 rooms, a sauna with a panoramic fjord view, and indoor and outdoor pools. Edvard Grieg’s original composer’s hut stands in the garden.
The blossom season, from approximately mid-May until mid-June, is when Lofthus is at its prettiest. The hotel lists its travel times as 2.5 hours from Bergen, 3.5 hours from Stavanger, 2.5 hours from Haugesund and 2 hours from Geilo. Fjord Tours says the Trolltunga starting point is about 30 minutes by car from Lofthus. Lofthus lies beyond the Odda, Tyssedal and Skjeggedal shuttle route, so plan to drive, and check the timing against your start, as an early morning on the road adds up.
Tyssedal, Odda or Lofthus? A comparison
| Base | Where to stay | To the trailhead | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyssedal | Tyssedal Hotel, Trolltunga Hostel, Trolltunga Aparthotel, Trolltunga Guesthouse | the closest base; the guesthouse is listed as 6 km from the start | the earliest start, history, a short shuttle ride |
| Odda | Trolltunga Hotel, Hardanger Hotel, Blue House, Vikinghaug, Woodnest, Trolltunga Camping | about 30 minutes by car to Skjeggedal; the shuttle starts here | the widest choice of rooms, shops and restaurants, car-free trips |
| Lofthus | Hotel Ullensvang | about 30 minutes by car, according to Fjord Tours | a fjord-side stay as part of a longer Hardanger trip |
When to book
Demand follows the hiking season. Trolltunga AS’s summer season for hiking on your own runs from 1 June to 30 September, and the trail is busiest between 12:00 and 15:00 from about 20 June to 20 August. In that window, book early for July and the first weeks of August, especially in Tyssedal, where the choice is smallest.
Two tactics help. First, hike on a weekday if you can: Trolltunga AS puts the wait for the famous photo at 30–45 minutes on weekdays and often around 60 minutes on Saturdays. Second, book one night more than you need. The weather often decides the hike, and Trolltunga AS says never to go in strong wind, heavy rain or fog; a spare night lets you wait for a better day. Our article on Trolltunga weather and the best time to go explains how the months compare.
Outside the summer season the choice narrows and the hike becomes a guided trip. Tyssedal Hotel is open all year round, which makes it a useful base for winter and spring tours.
Rest days nearby
A day before or after the hike is well spent nearby, and none of these needs a long drive.
- Kraftmuseet, Tyssedal. The Norwegian museum of hydropower and industry occupies the old Tysso I power station, which ran from 1908 to 1989. It explains why the valley below Trolltunga looks the way it does. Our article on the Troll Tongue and its history tells the story.
- Låtefossen. A twin waterfall with a total drop of about 165 metres, right beside National Road 13, around 15 minutes’ drive from Odda. Its old stone bridge was completed in 1859, when tourists came out from Odda by horse and carriage, and an old road climbs to a viewpoint above the falls. The parking area is small and busy in summer.
- Buer and Buarbreen. From Trolltunga Camping it is 5 km to Buer, where the trail starts towards Buarbreen, an arm of the Folgefonna glacier.
- Ringedalsdammen. The granite-clad dam at Skjeggedal, completed in 1918 and 520 metres long, stands near the trailhead and is easy to see on the way up or down.
- Lofthus orchards. In blossom season, from about mid-May to mid-June, the fruit farms around Lofthus are a gentle contrast to the high mountains.
Letting a guide handle the logistics
If arranging transport, gear and timing feels like too much, a guided trip takes most of it off your hands. Both local guiding companies have links to the hotels: Tyssedal Hotel works with Trolltunga Adventures, and Trolltunga Hotel with Trolltunga Active. Both companies offer overnight trips with a night at their camp on the mountain, so you can treat the tent as one of your nights’ accommodation. Our tours page lists current options.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest hotel to Trolltunga?
De Historiske describes Tyssedal Hotel, in the village of Tyssedal, as the closest hotel to Trolltunga. It is near Kraftmuseet and not far from Skjeggedal, where the main trail starts. Trolltunga Guesthouse in Tyssedal is listed as 6 km from the start of the hike.
Is there a hotel called Trolltunga Hotel?
Yes. Trolltunga Hotel is in Odda, in a villa from 1928 renovated in 2017 and expanded in 2021. It offers rooms from PLUS rooms to dormitories and works closely with the guiding company Trolltunga Active.
Should I stay in Odda or Tyssedal for Trolltunga?
Tyssedal is closer to the trailhead and makes the early start easier. Odda, about 30 minutes by car from Skjeggedal, has more hotels, shops and restaurants, and is where the shuttle starts. Both are on the shuttle route to P2 Skjeggedal in summer.
Can I sleep in my campervan at the Trolltunga car parks?
No. Vehicles longer than 5.2 m must park at P1 Tyssedal, where overnight sleeping, camping, barbecues and open fires are not allowed. Stay at a campsite such as Trolltunga Camping in Odda and take the shuttle instead.
Can I camp at the Trolltunga trailhead?
No. Trolltunga AS does not allow camping near the parking lots or the trailhead. On the mountain, you can pitch a tent at the sites marked with a tent symbol on the trail map, away from streams and lakes.