Vøringsfossen Waterfall in Måbødalen is Norway’s most famous waterfall and is visible from the road between Eidfjord by the Hardangerfjord and the Hardangervidda Mountain Plateau. Map to use: Eidfjord 1:50000.
You can drive to the view points and see the waterfall from above, or you can do a short hike and experience it from below. Usually the hike takes one hour each way.
Visit Hardangerfjord – Visit Sunnhordland
Visit Hardangerfjord and Visit Sunnhordland are the official destination companies for the Hardangerfjord area.
About season and other important information
GRADING HIKE – Challenging. ALTITUDE DIFFERENCE – This hike starts at approximately 500 masl (Parking at Storegjel). Highest point at approximately 500 masl, lowest point at approximately 400 masl.
GUIDE – We recommend you to join a Guided Tour.
SEASON – July to August, these are approximate dates that depends on the weather, temperature and the amount of snow in the mountains. This is a 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 hike is not suitable for children! The trail is rocky and can be slippery and difficult to walk on, and there are several steep, narrow and exposed sections on this hike.
The hike to Vøringsfossen – See the waterfall from below
To see the Vøringsfossen Waterfall from below you must hike along the bottom of the Måbødalen Valley. The distance is approximately one kilometer and the normal time to use is one hour each way.
The hike to Vøringsfossen Waterfall can start from the parking lot by the road (if there is available parking space), at Storegjel on the eastern side of the Måbøtunnelen Tunnel. The parking lot is only open during summer and autumn, it is closed in the winter due to snow and ice on the road.
Follow an old and abandoned (closed) road for around 300 meters where you leave the abandoned road (see sign where the trail starts) and continue along the trail in the forest and then eastwards along the Måbødalen Valley, on the south side of the river Bjoreio.
The trail is rocky and the terrain is rugged and hilly, and it can be slippery and difficult to walk in rainy weather or after it has been raining. After about one kilometer, you arrive at the suspension bridge. Here the trail and the rocks are slippery due to the moisture coming from the waterfall. Be careful. This is where the hike ends.
From the south side of the bridge, there is a great view further into the valley and to Vøringsfossen and the other waterfalls cascading down from the vertical cliffs. It is a wonderful experience to be down in the valley and experience, feel and hear the raw nature up close. Here it is not only the waterfalls that are rushing, you can also feel the blood rushing when you are in these elements.
The Vøringsfossen Waterfall has a vertical drop of 145 meters and a total drop of 182 meters. The hike back from the suspension bridge is on the same scenic trail as you came.
NOTE – The suspension bridge is now closed due to safety, it is unsafe and forbidden to cross the bridge!
Vøringsfossen Viewpoint – See the waterfall from above
The Måbødalen Valley and Vøringsfossen Waterfall are two tourist attractions visible from the road.
You can drive to the view points and see the Vøringsfossen Waterfall from above. Park the car at the parking lot on the south side of Fossli Hotel.
A new viewing platform and a viewing bridge above the Vøringsfossen Waterfall has been constructed in conjunction with the Hardangervidda National Tourist Route. There is a short walk to both of those viewpoints from the parking lot.
SEASON – June – September, depending on temperature and snow. NOTE – You should never walk on the viewing platforms and the bridge if there are snow and ice, this is not safe!
The Hardangerfjord Area – What to See and Do
The Hardangerfjord area, the orchard of Norway, is known for Summer Skiing at Folgefonna Glacier and a spectacular fruit tree blossoming in spring.
Lake Bondhusvatnet and the Bondhusbreen Glacier in Kvinnherad was one of the first places the English tourists visited when they discovered Norway in the mid 1800´s.
Drive in the Hardanger area and see the Vøringsfossen Waterfall in Måbødalen in Eidfjord, the Låtefoss Waterfall in Oddadalen and all the other great waterfalls in the Hardangerfjord area.
In summer, you can take part in a Cider Cruise on the Hardangerfjord, where you can combine a fjord cruise in beautiful nature with a visit to some of the local farms along the fjord. Remember that if you want to visit local cider producers, you must book this in advance.
Odda, in the heart of Sørfjorden, has now transformed from an industrial town into an adventure town. Trolltunga Active and Trolltunga Adventures are based at Odda, and offers guiding and equipment rental. Some of the adventures they offer are Trolltunga hikes, the Dronningstien hike, Via Ferrata Trolltunga and Tyssedal, Fjord Adventures and Winter Adventures.
Combine a fjord cruise on the Hardangerfjord with a trip to Måbødalen to see the mighty Vøringsfossen Waterfall from the new viewing platform and viewing bridge built in connection with the Hardangervidda National Tourist Route.
The Hardangerfjord is located in the county of Vestland, near Bergen, in the middle of Western Norway. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway and is known as The Gateway to the Fjords. Bergen is also the gateway to the Hardangerfjord.
Hotels and Accommodation in Eidfjord and by Vøringsfossen
Hotel Vøringsfoss – Eidfjord
Eidfjord Fjell & Fjord Hotel – Eidfjord
Vik Pensjonat – Eidfjord
Fossli Hotel above Vøringsfossen