ADV Motorcycle Tours by Region: Best Routes in Norway
A motorcycle tour is one of the best ways to see the world. While you can certainly plan your own route and itinerary, guided tours take all the guesswork out of it so all you have to do is show up, bring gear, and ride.
And yes, motorcycle rentals are often included.
While Europe understandably gets a lot of attention for its moto-tourism, Norway (and Scandinavia in general) is often forgotten as a motorcyclist’s destination. This is really too bad, as Norway has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
Making the ride even more unique is the opportunity to see the sun 24 hours a day. Because of its latitude, it’s possible to ride literally all day in Norway and never see nightfall. This in itself can be reason enough to visit the country.
Here, we’re going to highlight a few of the epic tours available in Norway. This time, however, things will be a little different than normal. Usually, we highlight routes especially of interest to adventure riders and those who like to ride off-road.
Norway’s appeal is largely found on paved roads, some of which are absolutely epic. Others, while maybe not as heart-pumping, are lined with tranquil sights and sounds you’ll want to capture and remember forever.
If you’re thinking about visiting this amazing landscape before you book any travel arrangements, double-check Norway is even allowing outside visitors at this time. With pandemic restrictions affecting each country differently, it would be a shame to make plans and purchase tickets only to discover you can’t actually go.
So without further ado, let’s explore some of the best tours in Norway.
Ayres Adventures
The Norwegian Midnight Sun tour offered by Ayres Adventures is a great way to start things off. This tour is mega – covering about 2,500 miles, the capital of Oslo is where you’ll start and immediately head north.
How far north? All the way to the North Cape – 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle! You’re basically on top of the world at this point, and when you’re this high north the sun never sets. Welcome to 24 hours of sunlight.
From Ayres Adventures: Ride along the Norwegian fjord–dotted coastline, cross the Lofoten Islands and the never-ending plains of Lappland up to the border of Russia. Join us on a whale safari and watch the Midnight Sun! This tour is about challenging and experiencing mother nature with all its facets and riding the roads that lead you to where Europe ends – The North Cape.
Discover more at Ayres Adventures.
Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures
Beach’s has been in the motorcycle tour business since 1972, and its Trail of the Trolls tour will take you through scenic landscapes in both Norway and Sweden. Beginning in Oslo and basically following the Norwegian coastline – one of the longest coastlines in the world – north, this tour guides you through everything Norway has to offer.
You’ll cross fjords, ride the 9-mile long Ryfast tunnel and its 7% grades, tackle the postcard-famous Trollstigen road, cruise over The Atlantic Road, and of course – experience sunlight at midnight. In fact, Beach’s itinerary is such that it will be five whole days before you see the sunset again!
In all, the tour lasts 20 days and covers 3425 miles, with Oslo both your start and endpoint. Learn more at Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures.
Hub Riding
This one goes against everything adventure motorcyclists stand for, but since we’ve already broken the mold with this list by naming paved routes exclusively (hey, blame Norway, not us), let’s take things one step further.
HubRiding.no is a concept by the Straand line of hotels in Norway, where you can either drive, ride, or bicycle through a series of routes all across the country. The name comes from the type of accommodation you’ll stay in each night:
Hotels. Relatively nice hotels, too. This is about as opposite from tent camping as it comes, but every now and then it’s nice to treat yourself to the finer things in life, right?
Each hotel is a hub that becomes your gateway to the next route the following day (or you can choose to stay awhile before continuing on).
Unlike some of the other tours which feature some boring straight-line roads to get to scenic destinations, the Hub Riding method places the roads themselves as the scenic destination. From the moment you leave the hotel you’ll be graced with fun and curvy roads that will get your heart pumping before your morning coffee has a chance to kick in.
They’ve really thought this through, with multiple routes to follow at each hub and plenty of things to see and do after you’re done riding for the day.
Edelweiss Bike Travel
No tour of any country is complete if Edelweiss hasn’t been there. The leader in global motorcycle tours, Edelweiss’ aptly named “The Viking Experience” sounds fierce. Indeed, this tour is a 10-day trip with eight days of riding.
In that time you’ll cover up to 1,450 miles and visit Oslo, Lysefjord, Bergen, Jotunheimen National Park, Geirangerfjord, Trollstigen, and Ålesund along the way. If you aren’t familiar with any of those places, you’ll never forget them by the time you leave.
Oslo is your start point for the tour, which then heads west towards Norway's famous fjords. After crossing bridges and hopping on ferries, the tour heads to Jostedalsbreen National Park, home to continental Europe’s largest glacier.
Afterward, Scandinavia’s highest road awaits, followed by more fjords, legendary switchbacks, and the Troll Wall – Europe’s highest rock wall. The tour ends in the northern coastal town of Ålesund, where you can depart for home. But not before filling your heart, and your camera, with endless memories.
Get more information at Edelweiss Bike Travel.
If these tours haven’t excited you enough to want to take a moto-trip to Norway, I don’t know what will. With so much to offer, you’re bound to make memories, and friends, that will last a lifetime.
No, you won’t get much in the way of dirt roads this time, but Norway has so much to offer we think you’ll get over the lack of dirt fairly quickly. So what are you waiting for?