The Hidden North
North European travel guide
self-guided road-trips
Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road
The Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road – also referred to as ‘the snow road’ – is a spectacular mountain crossing between Lærdal and Aurland. Don’t just come to visit Stegastein viewpoint – be sure to explore the entire road and enjoy some hikes.
What You Get
- Free interactive Google Map (with every place mentioned in the guide marked with an address) that can be loaded into your GPS, making finding that stave church or petrol station much easier.
- Detailed overviews of all the major points of interest on the road.
- Practical information (cafes, dining, museums, toilets, petrol, road-side rest areas, detours, alternate routes)
- Historic, modern and practical information for every city, town, village, and farm you pass through
- Modern and historic images of all the major points of interests
- Distance between points (in kilometres and miles)
- QR code & interactive links to museum websites, relevant pages on our website, ferry timetables, and more!
This guide is 5 pages and comes in a PDF format.
Why drive on this highway?
The Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road is a short but incredibly diverse mountain road between the villages of Lærdal and Aurland near Flåm in Western Norway. The road is 45km in total length, and it has earned the nickname ‘Snow Road’ because snow typically remains on the mountains all year round. With most of the tourist roads in Norway, you really can do them in either direction. For Aurlandsfjellet, however, I strongly recommend you start at Lærdal and head to Aurland. The reveal of the mountains and fjords is much more dramatic. Aurlandsfjellet was completed in 1967, and it used to be the main road between the two towns. Since 2000, however, the main highway E16 has gone through the new Lærdal Tunnel instead. The Lærdal Tunnel is 24.5km long, making it one of the longest tunnels in the world. You can take the tunnel, I mean it is quicker, but the Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road is much more fun!
Trip Highlights
- Stop at Stegastein Viewpoint
- Visit some lesser known but equally spectacular viewpoints
Distance
48km (30 miles)
Start Location
Lærdal
End Location
Ålesund
This drive can easily be done in either direction.
The Route
An interactive version of this map is available after purchase.
This guide will:
- Answer the question “How do people live here?”
- Provide you with historic images and stories relevant to where you are
- Give you practical tips such as – where’s the nearest toilet? When can I get a hot dog? You know, the important stuff.
- Show you interesting points where you can stop to stretch your legs or get beautiful photos of Norway
- Give you information about museums (including opening hours), attractions, and major points of interests that you can visit
This guide won’t:
- Drive for you (Sorry, we aren’t that advanced yet)
- Give you accommodation tips (this guide assumes you know where you are staying already). If you want accommodation tips, visit our (free) online travel guide https://thehiddennorth.com/norway
Example of what the guide looks like.
Resources for Aurlandsfjellet
Watch the drive on YouTube
I filmed a time-lapse across the Aurlandsfjellet Tourist Road in September 2020. Enjoy!