Hi! What is your favorite way to spend your holiday? I like to spend my holiday in a beach city, chilling by the beach and exploring local cuisine. Well, my mom loves exploring and hiking in nature. We’re quite different. My mom came to Norway to see my husband and me, so to spend some time together, we decided to join her on her hiking trips in Norway. Among many famous hiking trails in Norway that my mom wanted to hike (such as Trolltunga, Kjeragbolten, and Preikestolen), one of them was hiking the Bessegen Ridge.
Hiking Besseggen was the last part of her trip to Norway, and we had an amazing time. There were a few things that I learned on the trip that I wish I had known beforehand, so I want to share them with you all. Then let’s start!
The start of the Besseggen Ridge hike from Memurubu.
Besseggen Ridge | Tips & Tricks on Hiking | Cabin Trip Ideas
Besseggen Ridge is often considered one of the most beautiful hikes in Norway. My parents agreed, too! Besseggen Ridge has so many different looks—the mountains, rocks, hills, and waters—but it’s not so easy to get there.
We stayed in Beitosltølen, the mountain village in Innlandet County.
Finding Accommodation by Besseggen
This area rains a lot. So I strongly suggest you check the weather in Besseggen before planning your hike up here. I’ve tried hiking this mountain twice and we stayed nearly two weeks in total, and there was only one day that the weather in Besseggen was clear. Also, the weather changes a lot in Norway. You can’t be sure of the weather until just the day before the date. Therefore, I suggest you find some dates with nice weather and book a few more dates before and after. Then you are more prepared for the changing (and rainy) weather in Besseggen.
There are some 3-star hotels in Beitostølen, too.
Accommodations are limited near Besseggen, so be sure to check out some accommodations before you go there. Besseggen is a mountain ridge a part of Jotunheimen mountains that is in Jotunheimen National Park. It is located in Vågå Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is in the middle of Norway where there isn’t a lot of population. You’ll see why! Driving through Innladet County to Besseggen, we saw an endless scenery of rocks and a wide field of low bushes.
So here are some accommodation types near Besseggen.
There are many beautiful cabins on Airbnb in Beitostølen. I find it to be the best way to find accommodation near Besseggen.
1. Cabins on Airbnb
There are many cabins in the village called Beitostølen. I stayed in Beitostølen a year ago to hike Besseggen, but we couldn’t because it was raining nearly the whole time during our stay! But it was a beautiful cabin trip regardless. So I recommend that you find some beautiful cabins on Airbnb so you have an option to enjoy your stay even if the weather doesn’t allow you to hike up to Besseggen.
2. DNT Cabins
DNT is a Norwegian Tourist Association and they have cabins available across the country of Norway. There are Staffed lodges, self-service cabins, and no-service cabins you can rent from DNT Cabins.
There are DNT Cabins in Gjendesheim and Gjendebu which are right by Besseggen Ridges. They are perfect to stay in if you want to have a fresh and early start of hiking.
You can book DNT cabins and pay on the DNT Cabin Booking site.
3. Other Cabins
There are some other cabins such as Bessheim Fjellstue and Hytter nearby, but they are not easy to find. You’d have to go far to find any type of accommodation.
The picture of the cabin we stayed in Beitostølen. We found this beautiful place on Airbnb. The host was very helpful and kind!
Cabin Trips in Norway
We worked and chilled in the cabin in Beitostølen while waiting for the weather in Besseggen to get better.
While you are waiting for the weather in Besseggen to clear up, you can enjoy the cabin experience. One of the best ways to enjoy trips to Scandinavia is to go on a cabin trip. Light fire on a fireplace, pick wild berries in the forest in the summer, go for a walk in the forest (there are many easy yet beautiful hiking trails everywhere in Norway!), make some pizza in the oven, and drink some hot coffee, chocolate, or tea.
There are hiking trails everywhere in Norway. Go for a walk around your cabin. This was the trail we took near the cabin where we stayed.
You can check out my other posts on cabin trips to learn the cabin things.
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How to Get to Besseggen
1. Book a parking space & a bus
To get to Memurubu to start your Besseggen hike, you need to take a ferry from Gjendesheim Ferry Dock (Gjendesheim Gjendebåtene. Before the ferry dock, you will park your car and ride a bus.
Book your parking space and the bus in advance. It is 295 NOK for parking and a shuttle bus ride for up to 4 people.
You can read more about it and book on the Visit Gjende website.
The ferry ride to Memurubu was beautiful. I couldn’t believe the sight of turquoise-colored water in Norway.
3. Ride a ferry
Booking a ferry in advance is also important. Many people book a ferry on a clear day, so the spots might get sold out. The Gjendesheim ferry operates from June 8th until October 5th and costs 240 NOK per adult person, as of 2024.
Hiking Besseggen Ridge
Besseggen Ridge is 1634 m tall and is about 13 km hike.
According to the official Visit Norway website, hiking Besseggen Ridge takes 7-8 hours for most people. It took about a little longer than 6 hours to hike for my family.
Hiking Season
The hiking season in Bessegen is during summer: from late June to early September. Hikers from all over the world come to Besseggen to hike, and the number of hikers is around 60,000.
We stayed in Beitostølen and hiked the Besseggen Ridge in early August. The weather felt like autumn and it rained frequently, but we were lucky to have one whole day it was clear.
The sight when we arrived at Memurubu.
Two Ways to Hike
- From Memurubu to Gjendesheim: You take a ferry from Gjendesheim Ferry Dock to Memurubu. Then you hike from Memurubu to Gjendesheim. It is the most popular way, and we chose this route too. This route lets you climb up and then down, which feels more natural. More people climb here, so it is also easier to follow the track.
- From Gjendesheim to Memurubu: If you are unsure if you are able to complete the hike, but still want to see the great view, this is a great route to take. You can start any time of the day as you don’t have to think about the ferry time, and you can also come back if you can’t finish hiking the Besseggen Ridge.
What You Need to Bring
- Waterproof, warm clothing: There might likely be some raindrops even when the weather forecast says there won’t be rain. The temperature drops as you go higher in the mountain, so prepare some warm clothes. Bringing an extra light jacket is a good idea.
- Hiking shoes: This is no easy mountain! Please bring your hiking shoes that can protect you from sliding and hold your ankle well.
- Water, snacks, and food: Completing the Besseggen hike normally takes 7-8 hours. Please bring enough water, snacks, and food to recharge.
What You Need to Know Before Hiking Besseggen
1. It rains a lot.
It rains a lot in the area, as I mentioned many times! I recommend staying in the area for a week to go hiking in Besseggen in great weather. Please do not try to hike this place when it rains! There are steep heels and many rocks. Also, even on a clear day, please bring some waterproof clothing.
2. There is a strong wind.
The winds were quite strong, and it could feel uncomfortable if you were not used to the Norwegian wind. Toward the end of the hike when we were descending the downhill, I slid down on the gravel downhill because of the wind.
The picture of me, my mom, and my dad scrambling. My husband took this picture. He had been doing rock-climbing, so he was laughing at us from the top. It might not look like it, but this part was very steep and so windy. I was so scared!
3. There are some steep heels.
Some steep heels require you to scramble. That means you need some strength in your arms to hold onto the steep rocks. Not only that but there was some strong wind when we were scrambling. This is what the experts on Visit Norway say: people sensitive to heights should mentally prepare for a challenge.
My dad and I are afraid of heights, so we had one hell of a time!
Beautiful Scenery in Besseggen
I hope I didn’t scare you from hiking Besseggen Ridge with all the warnings and cautions! I just hope that you are well-prepared so you enjoy hiking in Besseggen to the fullest. I wasn’t prepared and I really wish I knew all this information, that’s why I am passionate about sharing this post with you all.
The waters from Besseggen Ridge were so beautiful that I was speechless.
But once you are prepared, hiking the Besseggen Ridge will make an unforgettable memory! All of my family loved it. My dad said there is so much beautiful scenery going along the Besseggen hike. Some hiking trails don’t offer spectacular scenery until you go up to the top. But not with Besseggen. There are many beautiful trails, and the different colors of the water are so interesting to look at. The waters glistening under the sunlight are stunning.
The video shot I took of two lakes
The breathtaking view of two lakes and the peak of Jotunheimen. The deep navy-blue-colored lake is Bessvatnet and the turquoise-colored lake is Gjende.
Do you see more elks in the background behind this huge elk with a bell around his neck?
We were also so lucky to see some elks. I suppose they were domesticated elks as one of the elks had a bell around his neck and they didn’t seem to be scared of people. They were so beautiful. Watching elks grazing by a stream in Besseggen was an amazing view I didn’t expect to see.
Towards the end of the hike, there was a hiking trail near the water. I touched the water just so I could feel it. It wasn’t as cold as I thought.
Summary of Besseggen Trip
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about the Besseggen Ridge trip and got yourself not only excited but also prepared. I had a wonderful time! I wish all of you a great trip up there as well.
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