Project Travel is fully bonded and licenced by the Irish Government, #TA0619

Summer in Geilo - the heart of Norway

If you want to enjoy a walking holiday in Norway, hike the Norwegian fjords, fish the lakes or take a cycling holiday, Geilo is the perfect base. One of only 5 designated 'National Park Villages' in Norway, Geilo is located in the mountains half way between Oslo and Bergen, and is Norway's biggest destination for health and relaxation. It is the perfect place to start a hiking trip in the mountains, to the town's two very famous landmarks, Hallingskarvet National Park or Hardangervidda, Northern Europe's largest high mountain plateau and a National Park in its own right.

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Photo Credits: Terje Rakke, Nancy Bundt, Johan Wildhagen & Jens Henrik Nybo/Innovation Norway

There are many activities in Geilo in the summer including fishing, rafting, cycling, horseback riding, walking & hiking and even family-friendly extreme safaris where you can get up close with arctic foxes, reindeer, moose, wolf and lynx! For those interested in history and culture, there are several museums and churches to visit.

At Geilolia Climbing Park you can find everything from trails for kids to challenges for people with absolutely no fear of heights. Try out trapezoids, ladders, tunnels, lianes and other exciting obstacles. 

At Numedalslågen there are several rafting opportunities. Choose from family rafting, extreme rafting, from normal tours to the extreme.

 

All year round Geilo offers a big variety of restaurants both in the hotels and in the town centre. Enjoy the experience of well-being on one of Geilo’s beautiful spas. One can also find pubs, bars, a range of different clothing stores and public services such as bank and post facilities, hairdresser, and gas stations.

Project Travel can arrange flights and accommodation for you in the mountain village of Geilo ranging from self-catering chalets to 5* luxury hotels and everything in between. See below for details of some of the options on offer. We include transfers from Oslo by road and/or rail and if you want to combine a visit to Oslo, the fjords and/or Bergen for a few days we can arrange that too.

We can help you in planning your activities whether you want to tour by car, on foot, by boat or bike. Of course, if you want to just relax and experience some of the wonderful spas in Geilo, that is possible too!

Walking Holidays in Norway

The Norwegian Trekking Association has one of Europe's largest network of marked hiking trails (20,000 km). Geilo is ideally placed as a base for a walking holiday in Norway since it is on a major railway line and most of the area around the town is mountainous wilderness. The village has Hallingskarvet National Park as a backbone and Hardangervidda, Northern Europe's largest high mountain plateau, as its nearest neighbour.

Hardangervidda is a popular spot for many challenging outdoor activities. The great polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, both used Hardangervidda to plan and prepare their many expeditions. There is an abundance of well-marked routes for walking, hiking, cycling and in winter, cross-country skiing.

Even though the furrowed face of the plateau dominates, there are extremes of mountain topography. The western part of the plateau has a more of an alpine character that plunges into narrow valleys and the Sørfjord, and in the northwest lies one of Norway's largest glaciers, Hardangerjøkulen. Hårteigen peak in the centre of the plateau is the signpost. With its 1,690 metre summit elevation and characteristic hat shape, it can be seen from almost everywhere on the plateau.

Popular hiking routes

  • Kinsarvik to Stavali (Husedalen)
  • Hjølmo to Hadlaskard (Veigdalen)
  • Trondsbu/Tinnhølen to Sandhaug
  • Tuva to Heinseter
  • Haukeliseter to Hellevassbu and Litlos
  • Finse to Blåisen
  • Stavsro to Gaustatoppen

A network of roads and trails has been in existence in Geilo from early times. However, it is important to bear in mind that mountain weather can be deceptive. It is important to bring proper clothing and equipment, including a map and compass.

Norwegian Trekking Association routes developed in part from older thoroughfares and local footpaths and in part in response to the needs of trekkers. They serve both to guide trekkers and to protect plant and animal life by serving as limited channels for most human foot traffic in the great outdoors.

All routes are clearly waymarked at intervals sufficiently short so you can see from one waymark to the next, even in fog and rain. Footpaths in the mountains are waymarked with the red letter T painted on cairns and rock walls. 

Cycling Holidays in Norway

Geilo boasts a great variety of bicycling tours. Several biking routes meet at Geilo and the mountain roads in the local environment are well suited for shorter trips. One is the Ustedalsfjorden Tour, a cultural and scenic trail which is popular for the whole family which the Geilo-Prestholtseter Tour is also a magical experience.

There is Bike Train (a train that transports bicycle)s on the Bergen Railway which runs from Oslo to Bergen and stops in Geilo. During the high season a train leaves daily from Geilo and an ideal half-day cycle tours is to take the train to Finse and cycle back to Geilo, a distance of 27 km. Explore Eventyrvegen (The Adventure Road), The Numedal Route, the mountain roads towards Prestholtseter, Tuva or around the Ustedals Fjord.

More adventurous bikers can enjoy cross-country, trail biking and downhill cycling. Slightly more challenging, these routes utilise gravel and cart roads. A number of trails in Geilo are just challenging enough, without being too difficult. For more experienced cross country cycling we recommend a trip to Urundberget and then to Tuftelia.

Geilolia Summer Park has a open chair lift in the summer for downhill biking. It is open each day from 26th June to 15th August, between 11am and 4pm. Choose from easy family tracks to challenging tracks for the more experienced, such as that shown in the video.

One of the most popular cycling holidays in Europe is Norway's Rallar Road or Rallarvegen. which roughly translates as 'Navvy Road'. It was built at the same time as the railroad and goes goes from Haugastøl to Myrdal and Flåm, and from Upsete to Voss. The mainly car free road is a total of 123 km long and is one of the country's most popular cycling stretches during the season which is approximately mid July - end September depending on the winter snow conditions. To cycle the entire route takes 2 - 3 days when you pass through some of Norway's most remarkable high mountain peaks to the fertile Western Norway.

Bike Rental
In Geilo you can hire bicycles in all categories including downhill bikes and cross-country bikes. In addition you can rent saddlebag, pump, baggage cart, safety equipment and child seat. A cycling helmet is included in the price.

Hotel Accommodation Options in Geilo

3* Thon Hotel Highland is centrally located in Geilo. The hotel was recently renovated, and boasts a new SPA with tempting therapies on offer and a new swimming pool. It also offer friendly places to eat, a library and, not least, the Alpinisten Bar & Utsikt, which features entertainment and a good atmosphere.

All rooms feature a private bathroom, with shower and/ or bathtub, hairdryer and toiletries. Free wireless internet access, phone, mini-bar, and TV with a variety of channels, as well as movies.

Sample package: 4 nights B&B including return flight Dublin/Oslo from 543 pp sharing.
Coach or train transfer to Geilo paid locally (approx 55 pp).

 

3* Thon Hotel Vestlia was comletely renovated in 2005-2006 and is beautifully decorated in a warm, comfortable lodge style. The family rooms were all renovated in 2008. Wireless Internet is available in all of the hotel's rooms. Vestlia Resort features one of Norway’s most exclusive spas, with a square kilometre large facility for body and soul. Offering a variety of suites and rooms all with private bathroom, with shower, hairdryer and toiletries, phone, mini-bar and TV with a variety of channels.

 

5* Dr Holms Hotel is situated in the heart of the beautiful mountain scenery of Geilo. The rooms in Dr Holms Hotel are uniquely appointed. If you prefer the romantic,English style, you would enjoy the classic atmosphere of the original section of the hotel. If you are attracted to the modern and minimalist style, enjoy the clean simplicity of the brightly decorated rooms in the new section which also offers connecting rooms suitable for families. All rooms feature cable and pay-TV, minibar, telephone, hairdryer and wireless internet access. The hotel has its own Health Centre which includes Dr. Holms Shiseido Spa, swimming pool, kids pool,sauna, steamer bath and exercise room. The hotel even boasts Norway's highest altitute bowling alley!

Sample package: 4 nights Half Board including return flight Dublin/Oslo from 678 pp sharing. Coach or train transfer to Geilo paid locally (approx 55 pp).
Dr Holms is a member of hotels and restaurants. These are not ”ordinary” hotels. They are landed estates, country houses, manors, large and small timber-built hotels in pseudo-Swiss and Jugend (Art Nouveau) style, old coaching inns and many more historic buildings that have been transformed into beautiful, small, romantic hotels and restaurants throughout Norway.

 

Self-Catering Accommodation Options in Geilo
Minimum Stay: 7 nights, Minimum 4 people sharing.

Geilolia Ferieleiligheter has 26 comfortable apartments for rent in the centre of Geilo. Terraces were added to each apartment for the 2010 season. Facilities include TV room, play room for the children, table tennis, sun bed, sauna, laundry room, drying room and a comfortable lobby lounge. Free broadband access. The apartments have two separate bedrooms; one with double bed and one with a bunk bed, cosy livingroom with cable tv and comfortable sofa and chairs, bathroom and fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher. For larger groups there is also a suite of 114 sq.m. with three bedrooms and also some apartments with six beds (two bed rooms).

Sample package: 7 nights self catering including return flight Dublin/Oslo from 485 pp based on 4 sharing. Includes bed linen and departure clearning service. Coach or train transfer to Geilo paid locally (approx 55 pp).

 

Geilolia Hyttetun offers high standard wilderness style cabins - located just by the slopes at Geilolia Ski Resort.  Cabins are available to sleep 6 (three bedrooms), 10 (four bedrooms) and 12 (five bedrooms). The idyllic cabin village is located 1 km from the centre of Geilo. Here you are close to biking and tracking routes, Ustedalsfjorden and fishing lakes.

Cabin facilities include:

  • Livingroom with pine furniture, fireplace and TV
  • Fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, fridge/freezer and stove
  • Two baths with shower and toilet.
  • Sauna
  • Large entry hall with heated floor and storage room
  • Lockable ski hall and woodshed
  • Parking outside the cabin
  • Open area between the kitchen and the living room
  • Terrace with table and chairs
  • Free broadband access in all cabins

In 2006 & 2007 UK travel agency, Neilson, named Geilolia Hyttetun the "Best Cabins in the World".

Sample package: 7 nights self catering including return flight Dublin/Oslo from 485 pp based on 6 sharing. Includes bed linen and departure clearning service. Coach or train transfer to Geilo paid locally (approx 55 pp).

 

There are plenty of other options available and Project Travel is familiar with them all. Give us a call on 01-210 8391 to discuss your requirements and we will guide you towards the most appropriate options. We can also put you in touch with guides, equipment suppliers, and information for suggested route maps.

PROJECT TRAVEL, 65 Roebuck Castle, Dublin 14, Ireland. Tel: + 353 (0)1 210 8391
Guy Tominaga t/a Project Travel & Aloha Holidays is fully bonded and licenced by the Irish Government, #TA0619