Lake Bondhusvatnet
Bondhusvatnet glacier lake near Sundal in Kvinnherad is a popular destination and one of the most popular hikes in the Hardanger region. The hike is short and not demanding and you can do it all year round.
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About
Bondhusbrea and Bondhusvatnet have been a popular destination since the mid-1800s, and it has not become less popular over the years. Pictures of the photo-friendly glacier water appear more and more frequently on social media, and it is not without reason. The colors of the lake, the unique landscape, and the glacier in the background make Bondhusdalen one of the most beautiful valleys in Norway.
The hike up from the parking lot in Sundal is not demanding at all. Both strollers and wheelchairs, though with a powerful engine, can get up the valley to Bondhusvatnet. Walking at a normal pace, it is a 2-hour round trip. The innermost part of the valley, in towards the glacier itself, is closed during summer 2026 — see the notice above.
FAQ
Bondhusvatnet is a turquoise glacier lake in the Bondhusdalen valley near the village of Sundal, in Kvinnherad in the Hardanger region of western Norway. It lies at 190 metres above sea level at the foot of Bondhusbreen, an arm of the Folgefonna glacier, inside Folgefonna National Park. An easy 2.3 km gravel road leads up to the lake; it was built in 1863 to carry glacier ice down to the fjord for export, long before it became a walking route. The lake has drawn visitors since the mid-1800s, and Queen Sonja chose this spot to open Folgefonna National Park in 2005. You can read more about the valley at Folgefonna National Park.
Allow about 2 hours round trip to Bondhusvatnet. The walk is 4.6 km with only 135 metres of ascent on the gentle gravel road from the car park in Sundal up to the lake at 190 metres. You can walk a little further along the lake on a path, but as of summer 2026 you cannot go all the way in to the sandbank by Bondhusbreen: a glacial lake has formed up by the glacier and could drain suddenly and without warning. The police have banned access to this area until 1 September 2026, so you must not enter it. Follow the signage on site and current advice from Folgefonna National Park.
You can see Bondhusbreen, but from a distance. The glacier arm has retreated up into the mountain gully over the past hundred years, so from Bondhusvatnet it now appears mainly as a strip of ice at the head of the valley. If you want to see a glacier arm up close, Buarbreen near Odda is a better choice.
Due to glacial melting, Bondhusbreen has retreated so far that it is no longer possible to walk onto the glacier from Bondhusdalen. Folgefonni Breførarlag runs guided glacier hikes in the area, including a blue-ice hike and a crossing of Folgefonna from Sundal.
Drive to Sundal in Mauranger, Kvinnherad — about 20 minutes from Odda through the Folgefonn tunnel, or via the Jondal tunnel or the Årsnes ferry. From Sundal, follow the signs for about 500 metres to the car park at the entrance to Bondhusdalen. Parking is charged by automatic licence-plate recognition and costs NOK 125 per day for a car, covering the calendar day (00:01–23:59) rather than a 24-hour period. Buses also run to Sundal; check Skyss.no for timetables.
No, swimming in Bondhusvatnet is not allowed. The lake is the drinking-water source for Bondhus and Sundal, so both swimming and camping within 50 metres of the water are prohibited. If you want a swim, the Hardangerfjord itself further out is a better option.
Bring warm, windproof clothing — even in summer the lakeshore can be chilly and the weather can change quickly. There are no shops or cafés along the trail itself, but the farm restaurant Olaløo in Bondhus, near the trailhead, serves a good selection of local food, and in summer a mobile kiosk, "Olaløa på hjul", sells refreshments at the car park. There are stone picnic tables at Bondhusvatnet where you can sit with a packed lunch, and toilets are available at the Bondhusdalen car park.
Yes. The 2.3 km gravel road up to Bondhusvatnet is gentle and suitable for strollers, and there are picnic tables at the lake, making it one of the easiest glacier-lake walks in the Folgefonna area. Keep an eye on children near the fast-flowing Bondhuselva river beside the trail, and if you walk on past the lake, wear proper footwear and follow the signage, as the area by the glacier is closed off as of summer 2026.
Bondhusvatnet is an easy walk to a glacier lake, while the other Folgefonna experiences take you onto or closer to the ice. To stand near a glacier arm, head to Buarbreen near Odda; to walk on blue ice, join Folgefonni Breførarlag's blue-ice hike from Jondal; or paddle in towards the glacier on their Glacier Kayak trip from Møsevatnet in Kvinnherad.
