Norway · Fjord Norway · Premium route guide
Norwegian Fjords Loop (Trollstigen + Geiranger + Atlantic Road)
Three of the most-photographed roads in Norway in one loop. 415 kilometres from Åndalsnes over Trollstigen, ferry to Eidsdal, down the Eagle Road to Geiranger, up to Molde, and out across the Atlantic Ocean Road to Kristiansund. Full route on the map, a GPX for your GPS, and motorcycle-friendly stays at each overnight point.
- Distance
- 415.5 km
- Peak elevation
- 1,437 m
- Elevation gain
- 6,627 m
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
The route
This is the trip most riders picture when they think of Norway. Åndalsnes → Trollstigen → Valldal → ferry to Eidsdal → the Ørnesvingen (Eagle Road) down to Geiranger → back up and north through Stordal and Ørskog to Molde → out via Bud to the Atlanterhavsvegen and Kristiansund. Two ferries, three world-famous roads, and enough fjords in between to fill a memory card. Pins are motorcycle-friendly stays other riders have vetted along the loop.
Interactive map needs cookie consent.
Accept cookies at the bottom of the page to load OpenStreetMap tiles for this route.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route — how to load this into your GPS
What you're downloading is a GPX track — a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It's not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zūmo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner → new trip from track) if you want turn-by-turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive — it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it doesn't re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour — Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these don't read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX-capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line — pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~0 m at the base to 1437 m at the top — 6,627 m of total climbing across the route.
Three days minimum. Åndalsnes and Trollstigen on day one, Geiranger and back up to Molde on day two, Atlantic Ocean Road and Kristiansund on day three. Four days is better and lets you take the Dalsnibba spur above Geiranger (a 1,500 m climb on tarmac to a 1,500 m viewing platform) without rushing.
The ferries are a feature, not a friction — small, frequent, roll-on/roll-off, and priced per bike + rider. Book nothing in advance for the Linge–Eidsdal crossing (it runs every 30 minutes in summer); just ride to the front of the queue. The Fjord1 app has live schedules for everything.
The road, honestly
Every leg of this loop is a set-piece: Trollstigen is 11 hairpins and a waterfall, the Eagle Road down to Geiranger is another 11 switchbacks with the Seven Sisters waterfall opposite, and the Atlanterhavsvegen is an eight-bridge causeway through open ocean. In between is standard Norwegian fjord riding — meaning tarmac carved into cliffsides above water that changes colour every kilometre. It's ridiculous, honestly.
The trade-off is season and weather. This entire loop is closed for winter — Trollstigen typically opens late May, and the Geiranger spurs (Ørnevegen and Dalsnibba) open a few weeks after that. Summer months you'll share the roads with camper vans; ride early and take the alternate ferry-side back roads where the map shows them.
How to break it into days
Three-day plan: Åndalsnes → Valldal (Trollstigen, ~65 km), Valldal → Molde (via Geiranger and Ørskog, ~150 km), Molde → Kristiansund (via Atlanterhavsvegen and Averøy, ~130 km). Book a rider-friendly bed at each stop; Molde has the most options.
Four-day plan adds a Geiranger overnight. Sleep in Geiranger, ride the Dalsnibba spur in the morning before the coaches, then continue north to Molde in the afternoon. This is the single biggest upgrade you can make to the loop.
Ferries, fuel and what to pack
Two ferries on the mapped route: Linge–Eidsdal (10 min, every 30 min in summer, ~65 NOK for bike + rider) and Molde–Vestnes if you're returning south to Åndalsnes to close the loop. Both take card at the gate. Timetables at fjord1.no.
Fuel: Åndalsnes, Valldal, Geiranger, Molde, Bud and Kristiansund all have stations. Nothing on the passes. Cell coverage is generally good along the coast, patchy in the mountains — download offline maps.
Weather: pack for cold and wet, even in July. 6°C at Trollstigen and Dalsnibba is normal; sun and drizzle can alternate hourly. Waterproofs, thermal layer, and something that keeps its shape after two days of rain.
What to see along the way
- Trollstigen (700 m) — See the dedicated Trollstigen guide for the full detail. On this loop it's day one.
- Linge–Eidsdal ferry — 10-minute crossing, runs every 30 minutes in summer. Ride to the front, pay at the gate.
- Ørnesvingen (Eagle Road) — Eleven switchbacks descending to Geiranger, with the Seven Sisters waterfall across the fjord. Viewing platform partway down.
- Geiranger — UNESCO fjord village. Overnight stop on the four-day plan. Cruise ships arrive from 9am so ride the Dalsnibba spur first thing.
- Dalsnibba (1,500 m) — Toll spur (~160 NOK for bike) up a tarmac road to a platform 1,500 m directly above Geiranger. If it's clear, do it.
- Molde — Panoramaic "town of roses" and the main overnight between Geiranger and the Atlantic Road. 222 mountain peaks visible from the Varden viewpoint above town.
- Bud — Small fishing village at the start of the Atlanterhavsvegen. Coffee stop and the WWII coastal fort if you have an hour.
- Storseisundet Bridge — The iconic bridge of the Atlantic Ocean Road. Every Norwegian tourism brochure ever printed uses this photo.
- Kristiansund — End of the loop. Three-island town linked by bridges and the sub-sea Atlanterhavstunnelen. Fly out or ride south via E39.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Norwegian Fjords Loop (Trollstigen + Geiranger + Atlantic Road)
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Åndalsnes / Molde / Kristiansund — change it if you're basing elsewhere.
Rentals powered by BikesBooking. StayToRide may earn a small commission — no extra cost to you.
Rider-verified stays within 30 km
Automatically selected by proximity to the traced route — no editorial cherry-picking. Sorted by how close they are to the road.
No rider-verified stays within 30 km yet.
Been through here? Add a stay — this list fills in one rider at a time.
Ridden this road and stayed somewhere great?
This whole directory grows one rider recommendation at a time. Add a stay and it'll appear on this guide automatically if it's within 30 km of the route.
Suggest a stay