The bus leaves Bergen while the city is still asleep. Ahead: the Hardangerfjord and a glacier.
The fjord boat cuts through still water. Mountains on both sides, snow on the peaks above.
The first step feels strange. By the third, you are walking on a glacier.
Lunch on the glacier — with the Hardangerfjord hundreds of metres below you and the North Sea far to the west.
Once you have stood up there, you understand why people have been coming back to this glacier for over a hundred years.
One day. A bus from Bergen, a fjord boat across the Hardangerfjord, and a guided hike on the blue ice of Folgefonna — Norway’s third-largest glacier. The whole trip is booked as one package, and you do not need a car.
The day starts early at Bergen bus station. The bus takes you through the western Norwegian landscape to Norheimsund, where you board the fjord boat that crosses the Hardangerfjord — the third-longest fjord in the world. The fjord narrows as you go, mountains rising on both sides, and the air cools.
From the quay in Herand, another bus takes you up the winding Folgefonna road — 19 km from the fjord to the old summer ski centre, nearly 1,200 metres above sea level. You pass waterfalls and mountain streams along the way, and the landscape shifts from lush fjordside to open mountain terrain in under half an hour. When you step off the bus, the air is colder and quieter. The Juklavass glacier lies ahead of you.
Folgefonni Breførarlag has been guiding people onto this ice since 1994. You get crampons, a harness, helmet, ice axe and mountain boots — all included. The first steps in crampons feel unfamiliar, but after a few minutes it clicks. The metal grips the ice, and you hear a low cracking beneath your feet.
The Juklavass glacier has both flat, easy-going ice plains and steeper sections with open crevasses where the blue colour of the ice is so dense it almost glows. Once the group is up on the glacier, the guides split people by fitness and preference: some go far and push themselves, others take it easier and spend their time looking around.
The hike itself takes about four hours. Halfway through, you sit down on the ice for lunch — with the Hardangerfjord far below, mountains all around and the Rosendal Alps to the south. On clear days, you can see the North Sea to the west. The guide shares how the ice has shaped the landscape, talks about climate and local history, and answers whatever you want to know.
After the hike, the bus takes you back down to Herand, and the fjord boat brings you across to Norheimsund. Here you have about fifty minutes to stretch your legs. If you walk to Steinsdalsfossen — one of the few waterfalls in Norway you can walk behind — you can catch the bus onward from there. Then it is the final leg back to Bergen, with the mountains and fjord in the evening light. You are back in Bergen by the evening — with a day you will not forget.
The minimum age is ten, and you do not need any glacier experience — just reasonable fitness and clothing that can handle the weather. Since the groups are split by fitness, the trip works for both the active hiker and those who prefer a gentler pace. Bring warm, windproof and waterproof layers, gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, food and drink, and a backpack with room for the gear. Packed lunches can be pre-ordered.
The day trip from Bergen is one way to experience Folgefonna. If you have your own car or want to stay overnight in Jondal, Folgefonni Breførarlag also offers glacier kayaking on a mountain lake right next to the glacier front, fjord kayaking on the Hardangerfjord, ice climbing with a private guide, and e-biking along the glacier road.
Prices, timetables and booking for the day trip from Bergen: bookhardanger.com
The Blue Ice Hike is a nature experience, not extreme sport. The hike on the ice takes about four hours, and the guides split participants by fitness and preference. The hardest part is the steep climb up the snowfield before you reach the glacier itself — after that it levels out. You do not need any glacier experience, just reasonable general fitness. The minimum age is ten, and families are a common sight on the ice. The trip is not recommended for wheelchair users, pregnant women past the third month, or people with heart or knee problems.
The most important thing is warm, windproof and waterproof outer layers. At 1,200 metres, it is cold on the glacier even in summer — and weather can change quickly. Dress in layers: a wool or synthetic base layer, a warm mid-layer, and a waterproof jacket and trousers on top. Bring gloves, a warm hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. If you do not have good outer layers, you can rent or buy them at the starting point.
Glacier ice turns blue when snow is compressed over thousands of years, squeezing out the air. The ice crystals become so dense they only let blue light through. On Folgefonna, how much blue ice you see depends on the season: early summer means more snow cover, while from mid-July onwards the blue ice comes through more clearly. Even with snow, you are walking on ancient ice — the glacier itself is thousands of years old.
Folgefonna is a coastal glacier, surrounded by the Hardangerfjord. That means you stand on ice with the fjord and mountains around you, and on clear days you can see out to the North Sea. The distances are short: you can go from the fjord to Norway’s third-largest glacier on the same day. Few places in the country have blue ice so easily accessible from the sea — and the day trip package from Bergen makes it possible without a car.
Yes. The minimum age is ten for the daily hikes, and families are common. The guides split the group by fitness, so children hike at their own pace with a guide who adjusts the route. Several Tripadvisor reviews mention families with children aged 10–14 having a great experience. Book a private guide if you have younger children.
On the way back from the day trip, you have about fifty minutes in Norheimsund — enough to visit Steinsdalsfossen, one of the few waterfalls in Norway you can walk behind. If you stay longer in Hardanger, Bondhusdalen and the Folgefonna National Park are a short drive from Jondal, Rosendal with the Barony is nearby, and the Hardangerfjord itself offers kayaking and boat trips.
The bus-and-boat package runs from 22 June to 9 August: you book everything as one trip through bookhardanger.com. After 9 August, you can still do the glacier hike — take bus line 930 from Bergen to Jondal and book the “Pick-up service” together with the hike. Return bus from Jondal at 18:20 (line 930). The glacier season lasts until winter returns, usually into October.
Yes. The starting point is Folgefonnvegen 1830, Jondal — about 30–40 minutes by car from Jondal village. There is parking at the summer ski centre where the hike starts. Ullensvang municipality charges NOK 150 in road toll for the glacier road. From Bergen, the drive takes just over two hours including the ferry. The road is narrow and winding but paved all the way.
The hike runs in almost all weather — weather is part of the experience, and the route is adjusted to conditions. Only strong wind or thunderstorms with lightning normally lead to cancellation. If the hike is cancelled, you get a full refund.
You can cancel up to 24 hours before the hike and receive a full refund. Later cancellations are not refunded. If Folgefonni Breførarlag has to cancel due to weather, you always get your money back.
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