10 Amazing Things To Do In Olden – Everything You Need To Know!
We stopped in the small village of Olden as part of our road trip through western Norway. Our son hadn’t been to a glacier so we’d decided we wanted to visit the Briksdal Glacier. And then we heard great things about the view at the top of the Loen Skylift, and well, we just knew to had to add Olden in as a stop. As part of our visit we saw that there were some amazing things to do in Olden. This incredible little village actually has a lot going for it!
In the summer months it’s a popular destination because there are lots of beautiful places to explore nearby. From the glaciers to the panoramic views as well as kayaking excursions and via ferrata tours. If you’re arriving by cruise ship on a Norwegian fjords cruise then the port of Olden is a popular stop. That’s because of the different attractions it offers compared to some of the other ports.
We wish we’d had longer to spend there as it was such a great addition to our road trip itinerary. We’ll have to come back again because we have the zipline and via ferrata to do when the boys are older. In the meantime, here is our list of best things to do in Olden. If you see our ⭐T&T⭐ icon then you know it’s been tried and tested by us!
Best Things To Do In Olden – Discover Jostedalsbreen Glacier
Norway is home to the largest glacier in mainland Europe, the Jostedalsbreen (Jostedal) Glacier. One of the best things to do from Olden is to head out to one of the two glacier tongues that are nearby. You can pick from the Briksdalsbreen Glacier or the Kjenndalsbreen Glacier. A glacier tongue is the part that comes down from a valley from the main part of the glacier. The main Jostedalsbreen Glacier is up high in the mountains and only visible by plane or drone.
The glaciers and the glacier tongues regularly advance and retreat. Since 2007 they have both been in a rapid retreat. This means that, sadly, it is no longer possible to “blue ice hike” onto the glacier itself from Olden. That is becasue the glacier tongues are now high in the rocks. You’d need to head 3 hours away to the Nigardsbreen glacier to be able to do this. The retreating has also meant that these are not quite as impressive glaciers that they once were. Don’t get us wrong, they’re still great to see, however, you can’t get particularly close to them anymore.
1. Explore the Briksdal Glacier ⭐T&T⭐
A 30-minute scenic drive from Olden to Briksdal brings you to the start of the walk up to the glacier. The walk is 2.5km each way and takes about about 40-60 minutes to walk. There’s a walkway and steps so it’s a comfortable walk and can be done at your own pace. There are also plenty of areas to stop along the way. You’ll go past the stunning Kleivafossen waterfall on the way which thunders down next to you. At one point during the walk you cross a bridge close by – and yes, you do get a little wet!! At the end of the walk, you’ll come to the glacier lake. From there you’ll see the Briksdalsbreen Glacier on the mountainside at the end of the lake.
Top tip: To get to the Briksdal Glacier you can either drive there or book one of the shuttle buses from Olden port.
Riding up in a troll car
If you’re not up for the walk, or are perhaps running short of time, like we were, then there are these great troll cars you can get a ride up in. You can book a seat in them and they’ll take you most of the way up to the glacier on a track that is parallel to the walking trail. You can either book a one-way up to the Briksdal glacier or a return trip. This is particularly great way to get there if you have little kids with you and don’t fancy carrying or pushing them up. The trail is pram and wheelchair accessible. There’s a short walk where the troll cars drop you off to get to the glacier lake of about 10-15 minutes.
Top tip: The troll cars can be very busy in the high season, so make sure to book yours in advance. It’s also helpful to know that you can get a one-way trip up to the Briksdal Glacier and walk back.
Whilst the glacier might not be as impressive as it once was, it’s still a very cool experience to get up close to it. If you look into the edge of the lake you’ll see blocks of ice that have come from the glacier into the lake. They will eventually melt and move along into the waterfall. We headed in for a paddle in the lake, and wow, was it cold. We did see that some people taking a swim in it, but we weren’t that brave!
2. Discover Kjenndalsbreen Glacier
The Kjenndal Glacier is another glacier tongue in the area which is around 45 minutes drive from Olden past Loen. If you happen to already be in Loen then this could be a great option, because it tends to be quieter than the Briksdal Glacier. It’s just a 15-minute walk from the car park at Kjenndalsanden to the Kjenndal Glacier. You can also grab food and drink at the Kjenndalstova restaurant.
We only had time to visit one glacier during our stay in Olden. We opted for the Briksdal Glacier because we wanted to take the boys for a ride on the troll cars (yep, we fell for the fun name of them!). However, next time we will definitely make a trip out to the Kjenndal Glacier!
Top tip: There’s a great tour that you can take that combines the boat cruise across Loen Lake with transfers and guided tour to Kjenndal Glacier!
3. Take an open-bus tour to the glacier viewpoint
Heading out to see either Briksdal or Kjenndal Glacier is about a half day trip from Olden village. A great way to see the Briksdal Glacier is to take an open-top bus tour to the local viewing point which is just 12km away. This is a fantastic way if you want to skip the walk to them, as they both have a minimum of a 15 minute walk.
At the viewpoint you can spend 10 minutes enjoying the stunning views and lining up the perfect photo before returning back to Olden. The round trip takes only an hour and includes driving by Olden Lake as well as getting to see some of the rest of the surrounding area.
Best Things To Do In Olden – The Loen Skylift and Mount Hoven
Only 10 minutes drive from Olden is the fun town of Loen. As well as being home to the Loen Skylift with it’s amazing views, it’s got some of the best things to do in the area. Especially if you’re into adventure sports and fancy a little adrenaline rush. Such as the Loen Zipline and Loen Via Ferrata which are on Mount Hoven and accessed by the Loen Skylift. You can also cruise Loen Lake and head over to the Kjenndal Glacier.
Top tip: If you decide to head to Loen and don’t want to book a shore excursion then there are shuttle buses that run regularly between Olden cruise port and Loen.
4. Ride up on the Loen Skylift ⭐T&T⭐
The Loen Skylift cable car is one of the steepest cable cars in the world. It takes you from its base in Loen on the Nordfjord up to the top of Mount Hoven at 1011m high. At the top is a restaurant with bar as well as the Loen Zipline and Loen Via Ferrata.
We went up there because we’d read that the panoramic views were incredible, and they totally were! You can see all the way to the end of the Nordfjord. As well as have epic views of the Jostedalsbreen National Park centre to catch a glimpse of the Jostedal Glacier.
What’s good fun is that as well as the stunning views there are lots of other things to watch, look at and enjoy from the top of Mount Hoven. The day that we were there we watched several paragliders taking off. We watched as they rode the current down towards the fjord – which both our boys thought was great fun. One of the signs we saw said that it’s a popular base jumping spot, but there weren’t any that day! We also spent some time watching people flying on the Loen Zipline. Then we did some exploring at the top of Mount Hoven as there are several boardwalks you can enjoy.
5. Hiking and exploring the top of Mount Hoven ⭐T&T⭐
The Loen Skylift cable car takes you to the top of Mount Hoven. Up there you’ll find that there are several trails that you can hike. The great thing is that they are all clearly signposted and categorised by how difficult the hike is. You can pick from easy through to expert. One of the most popular hikes is up to the peak of Staurinibba which is 1379m high. It’s easy to walk there following the signs or, you can opt to take a guided tour with one of the local companies such as Loen Active.
We were short on time, so we decided to enjoy an hour on one of the easier trails exploring the panoramic views.
6. Flying across on the Loen Zipline
Next to the Loen Skylift cable car station is the Loen Zipline which is just a short 5-minute walk away. The zipline is actually made up of two ziplines which are 125m and 95m long and is 1000m high and cross the Tungejølet gorge.
We (the adults in the family!) love a good zipline. However, having the boys with us means that we’ll have to wait until next time. We’ve said the same about the ziplines in Flåm and Geiranger too!. This one looked lots of fun, and Cam really loved sitting on the edge of the path watching people zipping across the gorge – he’s definitely a future adventure seeker!
Top tip: If you get to the top and fancy a try of the Loen Zipline, then they have an office in the Loen Skylift cable car station. We were so tempted!
7. Have an adventure on the Via Ferrata Loen
This is definitely an activity for the adventure seekers or adrenaline junkies out there. Via Ferrata translates as “iron way” in Italian. That’s because it’s made up of metal cables, iron pins, foot holds, ladders and wire bridges that are all connected to the mountain to help mountaineers to ascend. We’ve read that Loen has some of the most incredible via ferrata routes in Norway. These include the hardest route called the Ragnarok Extreme. Unless you are experienced in via ferrata you’ll need to book in on a guided tour with Loen Active. They’ll take you from their base at the bottom of the Loen Skylift up the side of Mount Hoven.
I’ve done via ferrata in the Dolomites before and it was an incredible experience. What makes it such special experience is that not only do you get to enjoy the hike and the views, but you also have the mental challenge as you use each of the different elements of the via ferrata. Particularly if you’re scared of heights like I am! Our son Cam seemed very keen on the idea of giving it a go. However, he’ll need to wait until he’s 12 years old which is the minimum age.
8. Cruise on Loen Lake onboard the MS Kjenndal II
This fantastic scenic boat trip onboard MS Kjenndal II takes you from Sande at the lower end of the Loen Lake to Kjenndalsanden. As part of the cruise you’ll pass by the famous Utigardsfossen and Ramnefjell, which are 11th on the list of the ” World’s most Famous Waterfalls”. Once at Kjenndalsanden you can enjoy waffles and hot drinks at the Kjenndalstova restaurant.
We looked over at the Loen Lake from the Loen Skylift and it looked incredible! We only had time for one glacier on this visit to Olden. However, next time we’d definitely take the MS Kjenndal II over to Kjenndalsanden and transfer to see the Kjenndalsbreen Glacier.
Top tip: There is a great tour that combines the cruise on Loen Lake onboard MS Kjenndal II with visiting the Kjenndal glacier. They take you from Kjenndalsanden by transfer and guide you to the Kjenndal glacier. We’d definitely book this on our next visit!
Best Things To Do In Olden – Getting out on the water
9. Spend time in a kayak on the Nordfjord ⭐T&T⭐
There’s nothing quite like getting out in a kayak to appreciate Nordfjord. Seeing a fjord from the sea level is really quite incredible. That’s because it gives you a totally different perception of the fjord rock walls. We had our own kayak with us, and enjoy heading out on it as often as possible, because the boys enjoy it, and like we said it’s a great way to explore the fjords.
There are several companies that run tours from Olden cruise port out into the fjords. They start at 2.5 hours and can last longer. We loved seeing the fjords from a kayak and can’t recommend it enough, especially if you’ve arrived on a cruise ship and want to see them from the different perspective.
10. Take one of the high speed RIB boat tours onto the fjord
Taking a high speed RIB ride is another great way to see the Nordfjord. We’ve read that sometimes on these tours you have a chance to see sea eagles which is pretty impressive!
Sadly we didn’t have a chance to ride a RIB boat into the fjords because we had our baby with us, however, it’s definitely one to keep on our Norway bucket list!
FAQ’s Things To Do In Olden
Yes you can, it’s a 1km away and is 15 minute walk from Olden port to Olden village.
If you have a car then it’s easy to drive there. However, if you’re arriving on a cruise ship then there are three options. There is a public bus from Olden to Briksdal Glacier, however, the easiest and fastest way to get there is to take a shuttle bus. If you’re short on time or prefer the convenience of a taxi then you could book a taxi.
No, you’ll need to travel the 25 minutes from the small village of Olden up towards the entrance of the Briksdal glacier. From there it’s a 2.5km around 40-60 minutes walk up the walkways to the lake at the bottom of the glacier.
No, this will depend on your cruise line itinerary.
Final Thoughts On Things To Do In Olden
Visiting Olden as a family was an unforgettable experience! The combination of kayaking the fjord, seeing the Briksdal Glacier and exploring Mount Hoven from the Loen Skylife was incredible. There are loads of cool things that you can do in Olden and we hope that you enjoy reading our list of the best 10 things to do!
