This seven-night guided walking holiday is set in Venabu in central Norway, on the edge of the Rondane National Park, looking down on the Gudbrandsdalen Valley, just north of Lillehammer. The landscape is dramatic and full of contrasts from spectacular gorges and lofty peaks to pretty fells and verdant valleys that extend as far as the eye can see. This is Norway's vast yet beautiful, untouched wilderness at its very best.
Your hosts for the week - assisted by knowledgeable local guide, Joy O'Flanagan - are the Tvete family, who have been looking after guests at the Venabu Fjellhotel for over 50 years. Birgit and Arvid Tvete built the hotel from scratch, choosing the original plot because of its tremendous views. Now run with daughter Line in charge, it has developed into a friendly, relaxing 'home from home' in a fabulous setting. The dining room in particular - which offers traditional Scandinavian cuisine - affords glorious panoramic vistas out across the mountains.
Your guide will run through the week's activities before dinner. Your evening meal is included every night for the week, as are picnic lunches.
Today sets the scene for the rest of the week's walking. After a short transfer, we climb steadily to the summit of Dynjefjellet for superb 360-degree views of the wild yet beautiful Venabygd plateau, with the high peaks of Rondane visible in the distance. Wild reindeer have lived here since the last Ice Age and still roam freely on these untamed lands.
We start off by crossing the pretty Atna river and making our way through pine forest and past amber coloured cloudberries, to Bjornhollia in the heart of the Rondane National Park. At this traditional Norwegian cabin, we enjoy coffee and Frasvafflor - deliciously soft, heart shaped waffles. On our way back to the hotel, there's time to stop off at Sohlbergplassen with its magnificent and famous view of the Rondane peaks.
Today, we follow St Olav's Pilgrim Road above the wide river valley of Gudbrandsdalen. Scandinavian painted farmhouses dot the landscape as we climb to the remains of a 4th to 6th century hillfort, where we learn more about the life of St Olav. We end the day with a visit to one of Norway's last remaining medieval stave churches.
Setting off from Holterseter, savour the contrasting views of the open, lush river valley to the rocky lichen-covered peaks of Venabygdsfjellet. We reach the summer farm set in the pastures below Forbundsfjellet in time for a traditional Norwegian lunch, regaled by stories of local folklore. We return via farmland and meadows to our hotel. This evening after dinner, there is the option to join the moose safari.
We walk past vibrant berry bushes and verdant lichen through the wilderness to the dramatic canyons of the Dora and Mya, created as the glaciers retreated millions of years ago. Admire the pure gushing waterfalls of Dorfallet and Myfallet, whose waters tumble down to the vast mountain plateau below.
We end the week with a fantastic walk to the crystal clear lakes of Finnsjøvola, with far reaching vistas to the Rondane massif and the graceful curves of Atnasjøen lake. We visit the unusual and delightful Sollia church before returning to the hotel for our final dinner.
This single-centre holiday is based at the following hotel. If you'd like to extend your stay here, or upgrade your room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Room upgrades: West Wing Single Room, West Wing Twin / Double room or West Wing Corner
West Wing rooms are more spacious than the East Wing ones. The West Wing Twin rooms have got Scandinavian beds (single beds with end to end). West Wing Single rooms are effectively West Wing Twin rooms so double for sole occupancy with 2 beds (single beds with end to end). The single supplement is included in the room upgrade supplement for the applicable weeks. West Wing Corner rooms have got double beds.
If you'd like to extend your trip with extra nights at the start or end, or if you'd like to arrange a stop off point en-route, then we recommend the following hotels.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
The Hotel Cecil is a modern 3 star hotel situated next to the parliament and is in an ideal location for exploring the city centre. All rooms are light and airy with full en-suite facilities. They also come equipped with direct dial telephone, cable television and air-conditioning. Breakfast is buffet style and there is a selection of restaurants within walking distance for your evening meal.
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Transfers can be arranged from Oslo Gardermoen airport at 13:30, and back to Oslo Gardermoen airport at 09.15.
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 1-800-267-3347 or email us at usa@exodustravels.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Here at Headwater we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can continue to develop, and where necessary improve, our services and ensure our holidays continue to be the best they can be. However, as this is a relatively new holiday, we don't yet have any customer reviews available.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night guided walking holiday includes:
Single-centre accommodation in a hotel
All buffet breakfasts, 6 picnics including filled flasks and buffet evening meals
Management by local hotelier
Services of an experienced walking guide
Complimentary tea and coffee at the hotel
All walk transfers
Group transfer from Oslo airport
How to book:
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
To enquire about this holiday, or for further information, call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
Children
Please contact us for child prices.
Holiday type
Guided walking Managed locally by hotelier.
Departures
Meals
All buffet breakfasts, 6 picnics including filled flasks and buffet evening meals
Tour only
Transfers can be arranged from Oslo Gardermoen airport at 13:30, and back to Oslo Gardermoen airport at 09.15.
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 1-800-267-3347 or email us at usa@exodustravels.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
