High above the beautiful Aurlandsdfjord on the western coast of Norway is where the spectacular Stegastein Viewpoint is located and after an easy/medium hike to Stegastein Viewpoint, you will be rewarded with the most incredible view!
Stegastein Viewpoint is one of the most scenic viewing platforms in the whole of Norway!
The viewpoint is a 30-metre long and 4-metre wide platform on the edge of a cliff, 640 metres above sea level. It opened in 2006 and is part of the national Norwegian scenic tourist routes.
From the viewing platform, you will get the most amazing views! The surrounding nature with deep fjords, steep mountains and small villages are nothing but stunning so this must be on your Norway itinerary!
In this blog post, we’re going to tell you how to do the Stegastein Viewpoint hike and information like how to get to Stegastein viewpoint and how to get from Flam to Stegastein viewpoint.
Stegastein Viewpoint
This guest post was written by Destination The World – a travel blog for independent travel adventures near and far.
Stegastein Viewpoint Hike
Most people visit Stegastein as a short stop by car en route to somewhere else in Western Norway, but for us, the best way to visit Stegastein is by hiking to the top.
If you have already done some hiking in Norway, you already know how beautiful the landscape can be!
This particular hike is on the easier side than other hikes in Norway and we’d say almost everyone can do it, even the most inexperienced hikers. The estimated time for this hike from the village of Aurlandsvangen to Stegastein Viewpoint is around 3-4 hours up and down again.
Please note: This hike is marked as a RED hike in Norway. This is one of the harder categories of hikes in Norway, and more strenuous hikes get this classification, however, due to its relatively short distance, based on our experience doing the hike to Stegastein viewing platform, we still would call it one of the easier hikes in Norway and our advice is don’t rush, and take your time!
Stegastein Viewpoint Map
Here is a map of where Stegastein Viewpoint is in Norway along with all of the places noted in this post to help you with getting to the Stegastein viewing platform and doing the Stegastein Viewpoint hike:
How to get to Stegastein Viewpoint
Aurland is the name of the surrounding municipality. To start the hike to Stegastein viewing platform you’ll need to get to the village below it called Aurlandsvangen.
When visiting Stegastein Viewpoint you’ll most likely be wondering how to get to Stegastein Viewpoint from bigger cities like Oslo or Bergen. Or, how to get to Stegastein Viewpoint from Flam since this is a popular tourist town nearby.
You can get to the area of Aurland and to Aurlandsvangen by car or by public transport.
From Oslo or Bergen, you can take the train and change to the Flåmsbanen railway to Flåm. From Flåm you can take the bus to Aurlandsvangen.
Flåmsbanen railway is voted one of the most spectacular train journeys in the world. Check VY for tickets and departure times.
You can also arrive in Aurland by boat. A boat trip to the fjords is one of the most popular things to do in Bergen. Between May and October, there are daily departures with Norled from Bergen to Aurland with Flåm as the end destination.
The journey takes five hours, and this was one of the highlights of our visit to the Norwegian fjords so we really recommend this way of getting to Flam.
Car hire in Norway
Hiring a car is certainly the best and easiest way to get around Norway, the country is amazing for road trips!!
We hired a car from Hertz via Rental Cars. We opted for an automatic which was handy for the long drives we did and a bigger engine which was definitely handy when going up the mountain roads.
Search Rental Cars here to get an idea of prices for your hire car in Norway!
Hiking From Aurlandsvangen to Stegastein Viewpoint
This hike starts in the village of Aurlandsvangen.
From the car park at Vangen church in Aulandsvangen village centre, follow Bjørgavegen to Doktorbrekka until you reach Rygg. This is the highest road in the residential area.
Follow this to the water pump house and continue beyond.
At the end of the road, there is a car turning point and there you will see a sign with Dagsturhytta. This is the trail you will follow all the way up to Stegatein.
Alternatively, start by the parking of the school – Aurland Skole. From here, walk the road Bakkane to Vinjavegen. Follow this road and you will find the trail from there.
The route is marked with red marks the whole way.
The hike can sometimes be steep and challenging. Especially if it’s wet it can be slippery, but with some short breaks en route, you will make it.
If it is wet and slippy when you do the Stegastein Viewpoint walk, it’s best to walk the road instead of the trail.
Harder Hike to Stegastein Viewpoint
If you are a hardcore hiker and think that this hike is just a light warm-up, you can continue. Around 2 kilometres from Stegastein Viewpoint, you will find the Kvammadal parking lot.
This is the starting point of a spectacular 2-3 hour hike to the mountain peak Prest – 1.478 metres above sea level. Hike here for incredible views over Aurlandsfjord and for a very challenging hike in Norway!
Stegastein Viewpoint Day Cabin – Vinjeåsenhytta Dagsturhytten
After hiking for a while you will come to a sign saying Dagsturhytten (meaning Day Trip Cabin in Norwegian).
Officially named Vinjeåsenhytta, this is a cabin where you can stop, have a rest, enjoy your lunch and have the most spectacular views.
The cabin is not staffed, but everyone is welcome to visit on a day trip to Stegastein Viewing platform – hence the name. You can not stay over in the cabin, but it is the perfect spot to have a break. You can visit inside, or sit on the outdoor terrace if you prefer.
After visiting the day trip cabin, go back to where you saw the sign to the cabin, and continue your hike to Stegastein Viewpoint.
Practical Information For Visiting Stegastein Viewpoint
Stegastein Viewpoint Return Hike:
After you arrived at the Stegastein viewing platform, you can take the same route back down again, or you can take the long trip back along the road.
We took the road, as the ground was a bit slippery due to the drizzle. It’s a bit longer to take the road, but all along the way, you will have a great view of the Norwegian fjords and the landscape around.
Stegastein Viewing Platform Toilets:
There are restrooms next to Stegastein viewing platform. These are clean and free to use. Even if you are in no need to use the restroom, you might want to visit anyway. Design Curial have voted this to be the 4th best public toilet in the world due to its design and location.
Stegastein Viewpoint cost:
The Stegastein Viewpoint price is nothing because the Stegastein Viewpoint is free of charge!
Best Time To Visit Stegastein Viewing Platform
Stegastein is one of the most popular sights in this part of the country, and many come here for this reason only.
Therefore, the viewing platform itself can get very busy and crowded. Be prepared to wait if you are looking for the perfect photos without other people.
The high season for tourism in Norway is between mid-June to mid-August. If you plan to visit Stegastein in this period, we recommend you to visit as early as possible during the day.
During the day, lots of cars stop by, and so do small and large buses with sometimes huge groups of visitors.
You can access Stegastein Viewpoint all year round, but be aware that hiking in the winter can be more challenging. Check with local authorities if it’s safe to hike if it’s snowing.
The best time to hike to Stegastein viewing platform is most likely in the late Spring, Summer and early August months.
If you are lucky, you will visit on a beautiful sunny day. We did our hike in light drizzle and fog, but as always in Norway, things can change quickly, and so it did.
Sometimes we had no view at all before we the next minute could see towards the end of the long fjords so remember to be patient and wait out for better weather!
Hiking in Norway – Basic Preparations
The weather in Norway is totally unpredictable, especially here on Norway’s West Coast. A sunny day can end in a storm and pouring rain, and the foggiest day might see sunshine within less than an hour.
Even though this is a short hike compared to many other hikes in Norway, we strongly recommend you to be prepared for all kinds of weather
If the weather is good, and you start your hike in short pants, it can still be a good idea to bring a wind -and/ or rain jacket and also weatherproof hiking pants should the weather change.
You will hike mostly uphill in hilly terrain where you have to pass rocks, roots and branches from big trees. For this hike, we recommend you wear hiking shoes or mountain boots with a good grip. Sports shoes might work as well, but you then take care in the more steep and slippery parts of the hike.
Before doing any hiking in Norway, check the weather forecast first. This will give you a rough idea of how the day will go but don’t trust it completely. Our experience is that changes in weather conditions can come very fast.
There are no places to purchase food or drinks along this hiking route. Bring a backpack with some food, snacks and enough water to drink.
We hope this has helped you plan your visit to Stegastein Viewpoint and do the Stegastein Viewpoint hike!
More of Norway blog posts to help you plan your trip:
Gerri
Monday 26th of June 2023
This was a stunning hike and we appreciated your instructions but we would not call it easy. It’s not technically difficult but we found the uphill climb exhausting. (It’s red for a reason!) Downhill was hard too because by that point our legs were jelly.
I realize everyone has different fitness levels. Our group was two moms in our late 50s and two daughters in their early 20s.
We are really glad we did this gorgeous hike but we definitely felt it. And it took us longer than two hours going up.
TheWanderingQuinn
Friday 30th of June 2023
Thank you for your feedback and your experience on the hike!
Jolanda
Friday 23rd of June 2023
Please don’t call this easy anymore… it was much much much harder than the Trolltunga!!
Ian
Saturday 28th of May 2022
Superbly useful and has given me the insight to attempt this on a day visit to Flam! Looking forward to seeing the 4th best toilets in the world - I wonder where the top 3 are?