Here we are in stunning Geiranger! We took the ferry from our home base in Hellesylt and had the entire day to explore the area. My original idea was to take the ferry and hike to Skagflȧ Farm. But the farm was closed due to flooding, and we had already seen the gorgeous sights on the ferry, so we needed to come up with Plan B!
That’s when we decided to hike up to the Flydalsjuvet Viewpoint. And it didn’t disappoint! Check it out!
How to Hike to Flydalsjuvet Viewpoint
From the ferry terminal, walk through town and follow the signs (there are plenty). You’ll notice you are heading out towards the camping area where there were a ton of RVs and campers when we were there.
The first part of the trail is right along a huge, rip-roaring waterfall. Take care climbing up the metal steps, and make sure you wear good shoes! The steps are wet, and because of the strong spray we were too! I had to pause a few times – there are a lot of steps!
Finally, the stairs come to an end, and you find yourself in another campground. There’s also a visitor center, thought we didn’t investigate that thoroughly. We were on a mission to the top!
This is where it was just a little confusing as we couldn’t find the sign immediately. But walking through the campground was enough to put us back on the trail!
Now, other sites will say you have to walk on the road to get to the viewpoint. This is false. There is a trail that cuts more in a straight line up to the viewpoint. You have to cross the road several times as it switches back and forth, and sometimes you have to walk a little ways on the road. But mostly the trail is independent through woods and grassy areas.
Do take care when crossing the road. There was a lot of traffic when we were there. And please be respectful of the trail – you are walking on people’s properties! Take your time and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
As you come out of the trees and back to the road once again, you’ll see an old hotel. Behind it, there is a monument commemorating the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II. It’s a good place to take in the emerging view and know you are almost there!
And just like that, 2.8 km and you’ve made it! There are actually two viewpoints (Upper and Lower). We did trek the short walk up the road to the upper viewpoint, but we found better views and less crowds down at the lower viewpoint. There are toilets near the parking lot.
We had a little picnic on the rocks while we took in the amazing view!
Take your time and wander on the rocks (taking proper care!) and appreciate the sight! And don’t forget to stop by the Fjordsetet (“the fjord seat”), opened by HRH Queen Sonja in 2003. It makes for an iconic photo.
And with that, we headed back down! It was much faster going downhill, and soon we were back in the cure town of Geiranger. And we knew just how to celebrate: a visit to Geirganger Sjokolade for an iced coffee!
And that’s that! If you’re in town, I highly recommend this short hike. I’m a slow, stair-climber, and I would say this whole excursion took around 4 hours including lunch at the top and many pauses for pictures. Plenty of time left to explore the town before catching the ferry back to Hellesylt.
Have you been to Geiranger? What do you recommend?