Ultimate Guide to the Lyngen Alps (Arctic Norway)
October 14, 2026
Norway’s Lyngen Alps are the perfect place to experience scenic, rugged mountains meeting the sea. Read on for fjord-side saunas, cozy cabins, and the best hiking trails in the Lyngen Alps.
Why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy and I’ve been working as an outdoor guide and writer since 2018. With hands-on experience working as a guide in the outdoors, I’ve made it my mission to help connect travelers like you to the best possible adventures for your skill and comfort level through honest reviews, on the ground experience, and well-researched guides
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Ultimate Guide to Norway’s Lyngen Alps
The Lyngen Alps are located about three hours from Tromsø, with an option to take a ferry from Breidvik to Svensby. If you’re flying to Tromsø, you will likely need to rent a car to explore Lyngen. Keep in mind that Lyngen is less touristy than many other areas of Northern Norway. I recommend planning to pack your own lunches and booking a cabin with a kitchen.
Overall, in my two week road trip through Northern Norway, the Lyngen Alps were my favorite place to visit. The Lyngen Alps are perfect for travelers looking for quiet adventure and solitude in the Norwegian wilderness off the beaten path.
1) Hike Blåisvatnet (The Blue Lake)
Blåisvatnet, or “The Blue Lake” is easily one of the most popular hikes in Northern Norway, and for good reason. You’ll hike around 4.5 miles (8 kilometers) of gradually increasing elevation to a stunning blue lake nestled between mountains with a glacier hanging above. Yes, it really is that blue.
This is one of the few places is Lyngen where you will most definietly share the trail with other hikers. The hike up can be muddy and near the end becomes a hike over loose stones and larger boulders. Find the Blue Lake parking lot here, and remember to stay on the trail as you hike, and pack out everything that comes in with you (trash, toilet paper, banana peels, ect).
Pro Tip: Parking in Norway
Download the EasyPark app to allow you to easily pay for parking throughout Norway. Many hikes, including Blåisvatnet, have paid parking lots to help fund the lovely toilets at the trailhead and maintenance of the popular trails. These parking lots typically charge per the amount of time you are present and EasyPark allows you to pay via your cell phone. For this to work, you may need to purchase an eSim for international cell service.
READ ALSO: Ultimate Guide to Visiting Tromsø, Norway
2) Stay at Aurora Distillery Cabins
If you’re looking for a quiet place to stay right on the fjord, I highly recommend the Aurora Distillery Cabins north of Lyngseidet. For us, this was the perfect basecamp for exploring the area and a comfortable place in a small cabin to crash at the end of the day. The view was unbeatable. The last morning here, I sat on the couch with a cup of coffee journalling and a pod of 20 or so harbor porpoises came by.
Each cabin has a small kitchen, a large couch, a small dining table, a bathroom with a nice shower and a bedroom for two. Several cabins also have a private hot tub or sauna. This place was so nice it was genuinely hard to convince ourselves to leave to go explore, and I think of all the places we visited on our two-week road trip through Norway, this is likely the one we’ll come back to in the future.
While here, you can book a tour of the world’s Northern most distillery.
3) Hike the Gorsa Bridge and Waterfall
Across Lyngenfjord and just inland from the town of Birtavarre, you can find a short hike to a stunning bridge over 500-foot (153-meter) deep canyon and the impressive waterfall that tumbles off the edge of the valley and deep into the canyon below.
This waterfall and the bridge over it is genuinely one of the most impressive places I’ve ever been. It feels as if you’re deep off-the-beaten-path in Norway, and standing on the bridge looking down at the rushing water free-falling is dizzying and magical. It’s the sort of place that almost isn’t worth photographing — it would be impossible to capture what it is to stand there in something as simple as a photo.
Truly, when I say photos don’t do it justice, believe me. This is the sort of place meant to be experienced not captured. Highly recommend. Andy and I visited in late September and had the whole place to ourselves. It truly felt magical, like we’d stumbled upon some sort of porthole to another world, and while these certainly aren’t the most stunning photos I took in Norway, we will talk about this place until we’re old and gray.
Personally, I think it’s made all the more special for how hard it is to capture and that you had to be there experience. Find the trailhead here; you will also use the EasyPark app in this region.
READ: Best Hiking Boots & Shoes
4) Visit the Center of Northern Peoples in Manndalen
When my husband and I travel, I’m usually in charge of choosing the places to stay and places to eat, while he’s in charge of finding unique hikes and museums. This works out really well for us, and it was his mission to get off the tourist track that took us to the Center of Northern Peoples in Manndalen.
This was one of my favorite museums we visited, rivaling the museums of Tromsø. The museum focuses on the history and culture of the local Indigenous Sea Sámi. My two favorite parts were the thick, woven wool rugs on display (I’m in to fiber arts myself!) and an interactive display on the history of the village itself.
5) Cruise the fjord
One of the best ways to experience the Lyngen Alps is simply to cruise the fjord, checking out mountain waterfalls at roadside pullouts and scenic views of the fjord. While the Lyngen Peninsula is home to the most jagged and dramatic mountains in the area, these mountains are actually perhaps best viewed from the opposite side of the fjord.
Take the ferry across between Lyngseidet and Olderdalen to reach the far side of the fjord, or drive to Oteren then around.
READ ALSO: Ultimate One Week Northern Norway Road Trip
6) Hike to a glacier
If you’re looking for an excellent, longer full-day trek to a glacier, check out the Steindalsbreen hike. Expect to hike 8 miles (12.4 km). Stay on the trail as you hike, and pack out everything that comes in with you (trash, toilet paper, banana peels, ect). Importantly, do not hike on the glacier! This is extremely dangerous and should only be done with trained professionals.
Find the pin for where to park linked here.
7) Sauna & Swim in the Arctic Ocean
When in Norway, there’s nothing more quintessential than a sauna and a jump in the Arctic Ocean! For maximum effect, I recommend booking a sunset sauna after a long day out hiking. We booked at the contactless sauna in Svensby – Lyngen for a two hour session.
I would definietly recommend this location, which has room for a maximum of 8-10 people and easy access for a dip in the fjord.
8) Go Tidepooling
The Lyngen Alps are a place where the mountains tumble directly into the sea. One morning in my stay here in Lyngen, I got up early at low tide to walk along the rocks and see what I could see. As I walked, I could see snow on mountain peaks all around me, and in the water spot anemones, sea urchins, small fish and sea stars.
I sat out on a little rocky point for a while with my binoculars and spotted a pod of 25 or so porpoises in the distance. They would dive, one by one, then all surface at once, tiny dorsal fins breaking the surface of the water. In Lyngen, I saw harbor porpoises on four separate occasions — once on this walk, once from the cabin, and twice while driving.
If you’re looking to spot porpoises, dolphins, and whales my advice is to look closely, look lots, and be patient! Look for tiny disturbances in the water in the distance or the telltale spouting water from blowholes. A good pair of travel-ready binoculars helps, and these cute critters are definietly out there!
READ ALSO: Ultimate Guide to Exploring Norway’s Senja Island
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