Six trips you can take straight from Filefjellstuene – without a car

The King's Road over Filefjell is one of only five real kings' roads in Norway - built by hand in the 1790s, without dynamite, as the first horse-drawn carriage road between east and west. You can walk straight out the door at Filefjellstuene and follow the road, but if you want to do another leg, you can hop on the bus west - and get off at Sjurhaugen. From here, you follow the Galdane stretch 4.4 km along the Lærdalselvi down to Seltun - past the mythical Olavsklemma, the steep Laukebergbakken and the restored Galdane homestead, where you can still find traces of German defenses from the war. An easy, barely two to four-hour stretch through a landscape that has barely changed in 200 years.

Bus stop: Get off at Sjurhaugen and walk Galdane down to Seltun (which is also a bus stop). If you prefer to walk Vindhella, get off at Borgund Stave Church. Both stages can be extended all the way down to Lærdalsøyri – then take the bus to Lærdal Town Hall.

Read more

Do you want a view that few others can match? The tunnel road up to Tusenmeteren is considered by many to be one of Norway's most spectacular cycle routes. From the bus stop at Sletterust, you follow the old, airy mountain road up to the viewpoint at a thousand meters, with views of Hurrungane, Bøttejuvet and Utladalen. From here, most people cycle the same way back to Sletterust – it takes around three hours round trip.

This is a fantastic road with soul, but not a modern cycle path: parts are narrow, and it is best suited for experienced cyclists with good control of the bike and brakes. If you would like a guide to learn more about the history, please contact Bulder & Brak Opplevingar .

Tip: If you prefer to cycle all the way down, you can take the 26 hairpin bends to Øvre Årdal. It's fine – just be aware that you'll come out onto FV53 and cycle through traffic and some tunnels before you get down.

Bus stop: Get off – and get on again – at Sletterust (or home from Øvre Årdal shuttle bus station if you cycle all the way down). Remember to book a bike space on the bus – there are only a few spaces per departure.

The 1000-meter Road

The bus takes you all the way down to the Sognefjord's fjord arms, where Aurland and Flåm lie waiting between steep fjord sides.

A highlight is a round trip on the Flåm Railway, voted one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys. Board the train in Flåm and ride up to Myrdal station, 867 meters above the fjord – around an hour each way – through 20 tunnels and past sheer mountain sides, with a five-minute photo stop at the thundering Kjosfossen waterfall before the train rushes back down to the fjord. A round trip is perfect for a day trip: you’ll be back in Flåm in plenty of time for the bus home.

If you prefer to use your legs, the legendary Aurlandsstien goes with the fjord below you – or you can simply find a bench by the quay and let the day pass slowly. If you want something different, the bus also stops at dizzying Stegastein and at Gudvangen at the very heart of the Nærøyfjord.

Stop: Take an earlier bus from Filefjellstuene (07:45) via Øvre Årdal, or a later bus from Tyinkrysset/Filefjellstuene (09:54/10:03) via Lærdal. Get off in Aurland or Flåm – or Stegastein or Gudvangen. Return from the same stop.

Take the bus down to Lærdal, and in just a few minutes you'll be in the middle of one of Norway's best-preserved wooden townhouses. Here, the old houses are close together, as they have been for hundreds of years – small wooden houses with beautiful, period facades, and narrow, cozy alleys.

This is a town to stroll through. Take your time, let your gaze wander over the old arcades, and feel the atmosphere from the time when Lærdalsøyri was the meeting place where East and West traded with each other. Down by the water is also the old Løytnantsbrygga, reflected in the fjord.

Feel free to stop by the Norwegian Wild Animals Center to learn about life in Lærdalselvi, and find a café in one of the old houses for a cup of coffee and something tasty before taking the bus back.

Current bus stop: Lærdal Town Hall – in the middle of the old wooden house town.

Few buildings in Norway are more photographed than Borgund Stave Church, built around 1180. Buy a ticket at the visitor center and spend plenty of time looking at dragon heads, tar-covered walls and the exhibitions about medieval beliefs and the early Viking Age – here you will also find a café and museum shop.

But don't turn around at the gate: right behind the church starts one of the nicest short hikes on the entire Kongevegen. The Vindhella–Sverrestigen route is a round trip of around four kilometers – a couple of hours at a leisurely pace – that takes you along Sverrestigen, the path where King Sverre in 1177 sneaked behind the farmers who were ready with stones and logs to stop the Birkebeiner, and up the famous, high-walled bends in Vindhellaskaret – before you can take the Kyrkjestien path back down to Borgund. You have to expect a bit of climbing, and good shoes are recommended, but the reward is history and views at every turn.

Bus stop: Get off at Borgund visitor center, right by the stave church. Return from the same stop.

Read more about Borgund

Do you fancy a slightly longer day trip, with wild landscapes and waterfalls? Then head for Utladalen, one of the country's most spectacular valleys. The bus takes you to Øvre Årdal, where there is a transition to Hjelle and the entrance to the valley, where the Utla River roars between steep mountain slopes and lush forest. Many people walk in to Vetti Gard, about five kilometres each way, while those who want to stretch their legs further continue to Vettisfossen. 

Bus stop: Get off at Øvre Årdal bus station and take the transfer towards Hjelle. Home from Øvre Årdal, or from Hjelle (at 16:26) with transfer to bus VY450 to Tyinkrysset. This is the longest day trip, so check the departure and transfer times extra carefully.

Hiking to Vettisfossen