The Hike from Tufto by the Nærøyfjord to Rimstigen Viewpoint is very steep. The two kilometer long Rimstigen Trail starts down by the fjord and ends 725 meters above it. Map to use: Nærøyfjorden 1:50000.
A guided hike up to Rimstigen and back will take you around seven hours, and the prize is a fantastic view of the UNESCO Protected Nærøyfjord. A private guide will be with you and a light meal will be served in amazing surroundings. The guided hike includes transportation from Voss, Gudvangen or Flåm to where the hike starts.
Visit Sognefjord
Visit Sognefjord is the official destination company for the Sognefjord area.
Hotels and accommodation in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
Overview of hotels and other places where you can spend the night in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord.
About season and other important information
GRADING – Challenging. ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE – The hike starts down by the fjord and ends at the viewpoint at the top of Rimstigen, 725 masl.
GUIDE – We recommend you to join a Guided Tour up Rimstigen. You can book guided hikes up Rimstigen via Fjord Tours, see Fjord Tours website for information about season and the hike. A private guide will be with you and a light meal will be served in amazing surroundings. The guided hike includes transportation from Voss, Gudvangen or Flåm to where the hike starts.
SEASON – July to mid September, these are approximate dates that depends on the weather, temperature and the amount of snow in the mountains. This is a avalanche and landslide-prone area, always make your own evaluation about this danger before and during this hike.
SAFETY IN THE MOUNTAINS – You should follow the Norwegian Mountain Code when hiking in Norway. It can change from summer and sunny weather to winter and frost in minutes! Always check the Weather Forecast before you go hiking. For safety reasons it is recommended to avoid hiking in Thunderstorms, in fog, in bad weather and when it is snow and ice on the trail and in the mountain! Always bring good clothes and hiking shoes. And have enough food and water in your rucksack.
NOTE – This is a summer- and Autumn hike. We recommend to avoid this hike in the spring and during and after rainfall due to this gives a higher risk of avalanche and landslides.
NOTE – We recommend you to not hike if there are ice and snow on or above the trail. Keep in mind that if it is raining or wet on the ground, there is an extra risk of slipping and falling since the trail to Rimstigen is so steep!
NOTE – This hike is not suitable for children! This is a long, steep and demanding hike, you should be an experienced hiker to do this hike. There are several steep, narrow and exposed sections along the trail to Rimstigen.
NOTE – The road between Gudvangen and Bakka/Tufto is prone to landslides, especially in rainy and snowy weather. Some of the roads are particularly well-known for their high level of mass movements exposed over them. The road between Gudvangen and Bakka/Tufto is one of these exposed roads. Winter tires are required in winter. Read more about Tyre Requirements in Norway…
The Starting Point of the Rimstigen Hike
The Rimstigen Trail starts at Kvernaviki between Bakka and Tufto by the Nærøyfjord.
When we did the hike, we came from further out the Nærøyfjord in our kayaks, we had been staying overnight in our tent at Salthella Beach in the middle of the fjord.
The normal way is to drive five kilometers from Gudvangen at the innermost part of the Nærøyfjord towards Bakka further out the fjord.
There is a sign with directions and information about the hike just before you arrive the Tufteelvi River. There is a small parking lot at the starting point of the hike.
The Rimstigen Hike
The trail up to the Rimstigen Viewpoint is very steep, but the trail is normally in good condition with stairs of stones on parts of the trail. Due to the steep terrain, the trail goes in a zigzag pattern upwards on the south side of the Tufteelvi River which is a waterfall in the upper parts.
The trail are surrounded by forest in the lower part, but in some parts you can see the fjord. Further up there are less threes, and at the Rimstigen Viewpoint 725 meters above the fjord you are above the timberline. From there you have a fantastic view down to the Nærøyfjord and to the surrounding mountains.
The hike ends at the Rimstigen Viewpoint, and the return goes down on the same trail back to the starting point.
The hike to Rimstigen will take you around two to three hours one way. Remember to bring enough water, food and clothes on this hike. There are no rivers from where you can fill your bottles, it is too steep and dangerous terrain.
GUIDE – We recommend you to join a Guided Tour to Rimstigen. Fjord Tours arrange guided hikes to Rimstigen. See Fjord Tours website for booking and information about the hike and guiding season.
Christopher Seymour´s hike up Rimstigen
Christopher Seymour´s own words: – Join me as I hike to the top of Nærøyfjord on an exhausting and breathtaking trail. I fought through cold rain, intense elevation, blistering wind and I was rewarded by some of nature’s best views. This video is a true testament to hard-fought goals and the heart of landscape photography. Video: Christopher Seymour.
Gudvangen – Where the Vikings still live
Gudvangen is the innermost village by the beautiful and wild Nærøyfjord and is a perfect starting point for many great adventures in beautiful and wild nature.
Gudvangen is a perfect starting point for many great adventures in beautiful and wild nature. Gudvangen is a tiny village where the Nærøyfjord ends. The Nærøyfjord is a perfect base for adventures and nature experiences.
If you include the nearby area on and around the Aurlandsfjord, you can stay there for weeks and discover new and wonderful adventures every day.
Today you can visit the Viking Village Njardarheimr in Gudvangen and experience the real history and culture of the Viking age.
Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord – What to See and Do
Flåm, Aurland and Gudvangen are perfect starting points for experiences in and around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, two of the world’s most beautiful and dramatic fjords. On 14 July 2005, the Nærøyfjord together with the Geirangerfjord became part of our common UNESCO’s world heritage.
From Flåm you can take part in a fjord safari or a fjord cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord. You can take this fjord cruise as a round trip (both ways) or one way combined with bus between Flåm and Gudvangen. See the great view from Stegastein viewpoint, 650 meters above Aurland. Taste the local goat’s cheese in Undredal or in Skjerdal, two villages by the Aurlandsfjord.
Flåm Railway is the train journey from fjord to mountain, perhaps the most beautiful railway in the world. You can combine this train journey with cycling along Rallarvegen which goes from the high mountains via Flåmsdalen Valley to Flåm. Aurlandsdalen Valley is one of Norway’s most popular hikes. The lower part of Aurlandsdalen, which is also the most popular, starts from Østerbø and ends at Vassbygdi in Aurland.
The Flåm Valley is a beautiful adventure. The valley between Myrdal (866.8 masl) and Flåm by the Aurlandsfjord is 18 kilometer long. The valley is narrow and the mountains are steep, and there are waterfalls and rivers wherever you turn around. Flåm Valley is a great place for hiking and biking. Flåm Zipline sends you off at over 100 kilometers per hour, you are just hanging in a thin steel wire high above the valley.
By the Nærøyfjord, we have the small villages of Gudvangen, Bakka, Styvi and Dyrdal. Styvi is the only place without permanent inhabitants during the winter, and is together with Dyrdal without road connection. Gudvangen is one of two ports where the iconic ferry trip along the inner part of the Sognefjord departs and arrives. Visit the Viking village Njardarheimr in Gudvangen and experience the history and culture of the Viking Age.
The Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord are both part of the 204 kilometer long Sognefjord which is located in the northern part of the county of Vestland, in the middle of Western Norway.
Hotels and accommodation in the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
Overview of hotels and other places where you can spend the night in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord.
Sakte – Stay and Explore the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord
“Sakte” is a collaboration between companies that provide adventures, accommodation, dining and short-travelled food- and products. “Sakte” are located in the area around the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord and is an offer for those who want to contribute to a sustainable society in the world heritage area.
How to travel to the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord area
It is easy to travel to Flåm and Aurland, the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord. Almost “all roads” go to Flåm and Aurland, and you can also travel there by train, bus and boat. It is only a short distance between the two neighboring villages of Flåm and Aurland.
You can start this fjord adventure by train from Oslo or Bergen to Myrdal station. Then you get to experience the Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen and Flåm Railway, one of Norway’s most spectacular railway lines, from Myrdal station to Flåm, which is located down by the Aurlandsfjord. If you take Flåm Railway, you get to experience the beautiful Flåmsdalen valley at the same time.
There are several daily bus departures between Oslo/Bergen and Flåm.
The nearest airport is Sogndal Airport at Haukåsen near Kaupanger. Most flights that go to and from Sogndal Airport come from and go to Oslo and Bergen. From the airport to Flåm, it is 70 kilometers by road, including a wonderful crossing of the Sognefjord by ferry.