When
May - September
Written by
Matthew Tolley
Distance
817km
Days
5-14
High point
342m
Difficulty
3/10
Unpaved
0%
Total Ascent
8553
Ferries
9
Tunnels
19
Welcome to the Coastal Route, or ‘Kystriksveien’ as it’s known in Norwegian. Running from Trondheim to Bodø, this long stretch of coast has been voted one of the finest road trips on the planet. Strangely, it remains one of Norway’s least-visited regions.
The shoreline is broken into more than 12,000 islands, with sharp, unmistakable mountains rising straight out of the fjords. It’s a landscape that keeps surprising you, hour after hour.
If you like the idea of sleeping on the Arctic Circle while the midnight sun skims the horizon, you’re in the right place. If you want remote islands, quiet roads, and summit hikes, you’ll find that too. When the weather settles, this is about as close to a cycling-holiday paradise as Norway offers.
Some photos on this page are provided with permission from VisitNorway.com
This stretch of Norway is a genuine journey into the unknown. Once you roll out of Trondheim, it doesn’t take long before you feel the pull of the frontier. The towns thin out, the noise disappears, and before you know it you’re pedalling through a landscape where only scattered farms remind you that anyone lives out here at all.
The small communities you pass carry the feel of an older, simpler Norway. You’ll see people fishing lakes and rivers that look unchanged for generations. By the time you reach Brønnøysund, you may even wonder if you’re still in the same country, the character of this region is completely different from both the north and the south. I call it “the forgotten Norway you won’t forget.”
Expect ferries, at least nine of them, all free, but all running on their own timetable. You either plan them properly or accept that a couple of hours on a quiet quayside is part of the deal. There are many tunnels too, but they’re mostly calm and straightforward (although some are long)! Traffic is low, kept in check by the ferry system, and you’ll have long stretches of road entirely to yourself.
Detours are part of the magic. The UNESCO-listed island of Vega is well worth the effort, and if you’ve got the time and the legs, there’s even the chance to ride right up to the edge of a glacier arm. Details are in the maps below.
The entire route is well signposted and fully paved, with reliable road conditions throughout. Fjords, glaciers and a broad mix of mountain peaks give you something new to look at every day. And if you camp on the Arctic Circle and watch the sun skim the horizon, you’ll understand why this stretch has become a bucket-list ride for long-distance cyclists.
Difficulty of the Route
This is one of the flattest regions to cycle in Norway. Early on, you’ll meet a few hills, with one climb topping out around 300 m. After that, the terrain settles down and becomes surprisingly gentle. Later in the trip, there’s another demanding 300 m-plus climb around a stunning fjord — tough, but worth every pedal stroke for the view from the top. Be prepared for strong winds on unsettled days, especially along the exposed coastal sections.
Although the route travels through a sparsely populated region, there are enough shops and campsites/hotels to ensure you won't have many logistical problems. The route is reasonably flat for large segments and comfortable for most levels.
The Vega Archipelago is a world heritage site and one of the wonders of this coastline. People have been fishing in these waters for over 10,000 years, and the main island Vega has some unique rock formations that date back to 2 billion years ago. If the weather is settled it's well worth the detour to cycle. Read more about the island here
A short detour from the main route will take you to one of the most famous glacier arms in Norway. The Svartisen glacier has daily summer boat services to the glacier and if you like you join a group and walk up the glacier. Book in advance
All nine ferries on the main route are free for cyclists. If you take additional ferries to the islands, expect to pay around 100–200 NOK per journey. Island ferry timetables are marked on the route map.
Note: If you don’t want to cycle the 13 km out of Trondheim to catch the first free ferry across the fjord, you can take the passenger-only ferry from Trondheim centre for a fee of around 175 NOK.
Trondheim – Vanvikan (AtB travel planner)
Tunnels
There are 19 tunnels on this route. Most are short, straightforward and sit on very quiet stretches of road. The notable ones are highlighted on the route map. Four tunnels are long enough to feel like a proper event: Sjonatunnelen (2796 m), Silatunnelen (2882 m), Straumdalstunnelen (3200 m) and Storvikskartunnelen (3100 m). You must ride through the first three — there’s no alternative — but they’re surprisingly quiet and almost enjoyable once you settle in. For Storvikskartunnelen, you can take the old mountain road, but in reality, it’s easier and quicker to ride through the tunnel.
The only tunnels I’d call unpleasant are grouped together about 100 km south of Bodø: Skauvolltunnelen (247 m), Vindviktunnelen (980 m) and Sundsfjordtunnelen (772 m). They sit on the RV17, which can have short bursts of traffic depending on ferry arrivals. They’re safe enough, but not exactly enjoyable if you happen to share the tunnel with cars.
Tip: Long tunnels (2–3 km) can be shockingly cold once you’re deep inside. Put on a layer before entering and keep gloves handy; your fingers will thank you.
Busy Roads
There are very few genuinely busy sections on this route. The ferry network naturally regulates traffic: every few hours a convoy of 20–30 vehicles will pass, then the road returns to near-silence. The only stretch that consistently feels a bit unpleasant is that same RV17 section roughly 100 km south of Bodø. Apart from that, the riding is calm.
The Weather
Summer conditions vary hugely. You can have warm, bright days where the sun never really sets, beautiful, but draining. With 24-hour daylight, tents heat up fast, often turning into ovens by 05:00 or 06:00. Sunscreen is essential from morning to evening. When Atlantic low-pressure systems arrive, temperatures can drop sharply, even in peak summer. Expect cold rain, mist and stubborn headwinds on exposed coastal stretches. Parts of the route are wide open to the sea, so wind direction can make or break your day.
Finnmark too has a certain mystique. Being about the same distance from Oslo as Istanbul, in some ways, it’s basically the last stop before the North Pole. The undoubted highlight of the journey is simply cycling the wild expanse of Europe’s last great wilderness. It will feel very lonely up here but isn’t that a reason to cycle it? The cycling heat maps of the world are full of well-ridden roads. Here you will join a small group of cyclists seeking something extraordinary. Passing wild herds of reindeer and perhaps not seeing another human for many hours is why you came – right? The ride comes to an end in the town of Kirkenes which has Russian road signs. This will indicate you have reached the boundaries of the Western world!
Finnmark too has a certain mystique. Being about the same distance from Oslo as Istanbul, in some ways, it’s basically the last stop before the North Pole. The undoubted highlight of the journey is simply cycling the wild expanse of Europe’s last great wilderness. It will feel very lonely up here but isn’t that a reason to cycle it? The cycling heat maps of the world are full of well-ridden roads. Here you will join a small group of cyclists seeking something extraordinary. Passing wild herds of reindeer and perhaps not seeing another human for many hours is why you came – right? The ride comes to an end in the town of Kirkenes which has Russian road signs. This will indicate you have reached the boundaries of the Western world!
All cycling routes published on CYCLENORWAY.com are simply a planning resource to be used as a point of inspiration in conjunction with your own due-diligence. All route guidelines were prepared under diligent research. However, we can never for certain insure the complete accuracy of the routes. Cycling in Norway is in general very safe. Nevertheless, should you choose to cycle this route you do so at your own risk.
Check out this helpful video to see how the routes can be uploaded onto your mobile device and cycling computer.
Cycling long distance is tough, and you should not attempt routes that are beyond your level.
If you discover any inaccuracies on this page, please let us know so we can correct them.
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