The Serene Hardangerfjord

Day 1  Voss
Arrive in Voss at any time.  

Day 2  Voss
In fine weather, walking the high moorland circuit from the top of the Voss gondola can’t be beaten, offering exceptional views and ambience, without significant climbing. Located a three-minute train ride north-east of Voss, the Håmyrane reserve is a protected marsh and lake region surrounded by forest and farmland. This circuit takes you to its heart – a tranquil area to picnic or spot wildlife – before returning to Voss on foot or by bus.

Day 3  Voss to Ulvik
Today you travel by bus from Voss to Granvin. You can either stay on the bus all the way to Ulvik, or get off here and walk. From Granvin you join the route of the old post road as it winds through forests, pasture and high moorland, passing isolated farms and the picturesque lake at Vatnaset before descending to the village of Ulvik.

Day 4  Ulvik
Head out through the orchards of the cider farms to the east of Ulvik before climbing gently through meadows and forest to Jobykse, a viewpoint high above the Osafjord. On your return, sample the produce at one of the cider farms. West from the hotel, this route climbs from the fjordside, first on a track and then a beautiful path to reach the mountain lake of Frystetjørn, where you can picnic or even brave a swim. The onward route descends north, with views of the 1,000-metre Mount Kvasshovden, dropping gently back to the fjord and your hotel.

Day 5  Ulvik to Lofthus
From Ulvik you travel by morning boat or bus along the fjord to Lofthus. You have the option to head out on one of the following two short walks in the afternoon. A relaxed amble along lanes through the orchards of Lofthus gives wonderful fjord views and a lesson in fruit-growing thanks to comprehensive information panels along the way. You can extend the walk by climbing alongside the river Opo, for views of the high Skrikjo Falls. Or ascend to the extraordinary viewpoint at Hoveden overlooking striking Hardangerfjord. This walk can be extended with a foray up the famous ‘Monks’ Steps’ (the return route of one of tomorrow’s walks).

Day 6  Lofthus
There is a choice of walks from Lofthus. After taking a bus or boat (20mins, pay locally) to Kinsarvik, walk up Husedalen, a steep, pine-clad valley boasting four thundering waterfalls. Or take a ferry (30mins, pay locally) across the fjord from Lofthus to Nå, a cider-producing hamlet on the west side of the Sørfjord. The walk climbs to head parallel to the shore, crossing a forested shelf beneath huge cliffs and passing hidden lakes, before descending through farming country to Aga. There is more cider, and a beautiful folk museum of village houses which are entirely integrated into their surroundings. Return to Lofthus by ferry. For a literal highlight, there’s no better walk than the Queen’s Trail. You are rewarded with views over the Sørfjord to the glaciers of the Folgefonna National Park before a steep descent of the spectacular Monks’ Steps, 616 stone steps built in the 13th century.

Days 7-8  Lofthus
You have most of the day in Lofthus, so there is time to head out on whichever of the two routes suggested for Day 5 you have not yet walked. Your final views of the week’s memorable landscapes are from the water as you journey by boat to Norheimsund, and then on to Bergen by bus. Norway’s second-largest city is set in a wonderful location on the western fjords. On day 8 your tour comes to an end.