The little town of Odda, perched at the end of the impressive Hardangerfjord, was a wonderful stop on our road trip through Norway. The town itself is cute, but the real beauty lies in the region surrounding Odda, including some of the best accommodation, waterfalls and hikes we have ever seen. This is not a complete guide, but it does give you a few pointers and a couple of must-do things when you visit Odda. We share some great photo highlights from our stay and hope they inspire future travel for you!
Thing to do when you visit Odda
This is a list based upon our experiences during our visit to Odda. We think there’s a few must do things on there to help you enjoy your road trip visit!
Stay at the Woodnest:
This was definitely the highlight of our visit to Odda, and one of the best things we did in Norway as a whole. We stayed in the luxury treehouse perched on the mountain overlooking Odda and Hardangerfjord. To reach this little treehouse we had to hike 30-45minutes up the mountain with all our gear and food. This might seem a lot of effort for a place to spend the night.. well it was worth it! The views were incredible, and the architecurally designed accommodation was phenomenal. It’s definitely a ‘luxury’ experience and is priced as such, but something we thoroughly enjoyed and urge you to take a look at booking (book early). See our tips and guide on the Woodnest here.
Enjoy the amazing waterfalls nearby!
Odda located withing great proximity to some of the best waterfalls in the region. We visited a few, and drove past many more (yes, the roads here are phenomenally beautiful!).
The powerful Latefossen blew us away and we can easily say it’s one of the best waterfalls we have ever seen. Located around 15 minutes drive from the heart of Odda, this waterfall is very unique, with two seperate falls merging into one and passing under a bridge into the river below. The sheer amount of water and the force in which it feel contributed to it’s impressiveness. A must do in Odda!
We also enjoyed the short walk up to Tjørnadalsfossen, around a 5 minute trail through nature to see the beautiful waterfall.
There are also so many more waterfalls (we lost count) littered along the roads and coming down from the mountains. We urge you to be on alert for opportunities to stop and explore the waterfalls along your road trip.
Stop at one of the fruit farms along Hardangerfjord:
The Hardangerfjord region, including Odda, is well known for it’s fruit orchards and farms, including apple orchards, strawberries, cherries, plums and more. We stopped along our road trip into a liny little boutique farm and purchased some strawberries (which were delicious). A great activity in the region!
Hike the famous Trolltunga:
This is the most famous reason to visit Odda, the Trolltunga hike! We weighed up this for awhile, but ended up deciding against doing it purely due to lack of time. The hike itself take 10-12 hours, reaches elevation of over 1000m, and you reach the impressive (and insta-famous) ‘trolls tongue’, a sheer bit of rock reaching over the Hardangerfjord. Total distance is 27kms, so it’s one of the fit travellers! See more info here and here about Trolltunga if interested.
Hike tO BONDHUSVATNET:
Another hike that got away from us is the beautiful Bondhusvatnet Lake hike. A 2-3 hour round trip on an easy trail, it’s a great stop on the way from Bergen to Odda. We decided against it purely to give ourselves more time at the Woodnest, a decision we don’t regret. However, it’s something we’d recommend considering during your visit to the region! See more here.
Enjoy the view at Opo River View Point:
This is a great little stop for a view of the rushing Opo River, Odda and the Hardangerfjord. It’s also a good spot to snap a few photos! Definitely worth a stop in Odda.
A few other great things to do around Odda:
- Walk the Odda boardwalk promenade for amazing fjord views!
- Get coffee at Kafe Pause (probably the best in the town.. don’t expect city quality).
- Play chess at the outdoor chess set in Odda’s town.
- Do a workout at the impressive outdoor calisthenics gym near the school in Odda. This was one of the most impressive views we’ve ever had while doing a few chin ups.
- Stop at Sandvin for great views and a cute but tiny, tiny town.
Getting to Odda?
The easiest way to reach Odda is with a car. We recommend starting in Bergen where the drive will take you around 2.5-3 hours. There’s some great stops on the way like Norheimsund, waterfalls and hikes! You also get to cross the fjord on a car ferry, Torvikbygd to Jonal, which was a unique experience. The ferry tolls are just added to the cars toll ‘account’ and the whole process is seamless. You don’t need to book, even in peak season we had no wait time. Driving from Oslo will take around 5 hours. You can catch a bus from Bergen which will take around 3 hours, but we recommend a car to allow you to visit all of the great attractions around Odda.
Keen to travel more around Norway? See a few of our guides below..
- Our guide to the colourful seaside town of Bergen
- Our guide to Oslo, a great Scandi city break!
- See why the Woodnest in Odda is one of the best accommodation stays in the world!
- Our road trip stop at the picturesque Stalheim!
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