Geilo: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
The Bergen Railway climbs out of Geilo onto the bare high plateau, and this is the stretch that made it famous. You can drive the first part to Haugastøl, then leave the car and take the train or a bike: Finse has no road at all. Bring a warm layer even in July, because Finse is often snowy into summer. Plan a full day, and check the train times both ways before setting out.
A short history of Geilo
Until the beginning of the 20th century Geilo was a few farms on the mountain plateau between Oslo and Bergen. In 1909 the Bergen Line opened, and the station at Geilo brought the first holidaymakers, and with them skiing. Today it is a small ski town near the Hardangervidda, the largest plateau in northern Europe.
The ten best sights in Geilo
1Dr. Holms HotelHave a coffee in the lounge even if you sleep elsewhere — this is where Geilo began
2Hol Old ChurchA red timber church by the lake, 10 km up the valley; usually open in summer
3Hol BygdemuseumOld farm buildings moved onto one hillside at Hagafoss; a summer-only museum
4Torpo Stave ChurchHalf an hour east on Route 7; go inside for the painted ceiling
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5Gol Stave Church replica
A full-size copy of the church that now stands in Oslo; on the way in from the east
6Dagali MuseumOpen-air farm museum 20 minutes south, on the road towards Numedal
7RallarmuseetAt Finse station: the story of the men who dug the Bergen Railway
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8Geiloheisen Express
The main chairlift; in summer it carries hikers and bikes up the slope
9SlaattaheiseneGentle slopes right in the centre — the place for first days on skis
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10Vestlia
The ski area across the valley, with its own lifts and family slopes
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Geilo →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Geilo:
Free walking tours in Geilo
To the roof of the railway
The Bergen Railway climbs out of Geilo onto the bare high plateau, and this is the stretch that made it famous. You can drive the first part to Haugastøl, then leave the car and take the train or a bike: Finse has no road at all. Bring a warm layer even in July, because Finse is often snowy into summer. Plan a full day, and check the train times both ways before setting out.
- Geilo Station · The Bergen Railway between Oslo and Bergen opened on 27 November 1909, and Geilo grew from a farming hamlet into a resort around this station.
- Haugastøl Station · Haugastøl is kilometre zero of the Rallarvegen, the cycling road that runs about 80 km down to Flåm on the fjord.
- Rallarvegen · The road was built as a supply track for the construction of the railway, and it is named after the rallare, the navvies who built the line by hand and with dynamite.
- Finse Station · At 1,222 metres above sea level, Finse is the highest station on the Norwegian railway network.
- Rallarmuseet · The museum tells how thousands of workers spent years blasting tunnels and building snow sheds across the plateau, where winter lasts most of the year.
- Hardangerjøkulen · In 1979 the glacier and the snowfields around Finse stood in for the ice planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.
Lakes, ridge and plateau
West of Geilo the trees thin out and Route 7 climbs onto Hardangervidda, the open plateau of lakes and rock between the valley and the western fjords. This route follows the road from the town lake past the great ridge to the waterfall where the plateau falls away. It is a driving day of short stops, about an hour each way to the falls. In winter part of the road may close in storms, so check the road status first.
- Ustedalsfjorden · Geilo sits at the eastern end of this lake, which is fed by the river coming down from Ustevatn on the plateau.
- Prestholtseter · A seter is a summer mountain farm, where families once took their animals up to graze and made butter and cheese until autumn.
- Hallingskarvet National Park · The ridge is about 30 km long and rises to more than 1,900 metres; it became a national park in 2006.
- Ustaoset · In Norwegian place names os means the mouth or outlet of a river, and Ustaoset lies where the water leaves the lake Ustevatn.
- Hardangervidda National Park · Hardangervidda is the largest mountain plateau in Europe and home to the continent's largest herd of wild reindeer.
- Vøringsfossen · The river Bjoreio drops about 182 metres here into the Måbødalen gorge, with a free fall of around 145 metres.
Timber churches of Hallingdal
Geilo is the top of Hallingdal, a valley where people built in wood for nearly a thousand years. This route starts with the resort itself and then runs down the valley on Route 7, from a church first recorded in the Middle Ages to a stave church still standing from the 1100s. The churches are small and the visits short; most are open only in summer. It is an easy half day, or a good way to arrive from Oslo.
- Dr. Holms Hotel · Dr. Ingebrigt Christian Holm, a specialist in lung disease, opened the hotel in 1909 so that his patients could breathe the mountain air.
- Slaattaheisene · In 1980 Geilo hosted the second Winter Paralympics, after the first in Örnsköldsvik in Sweden four years earlier.
- Hol Church · The present church at Hagafoss was built in 1924 to designs by the architect Ole Stein.
- Hol Old Church · A document of 1328 describes a small stave church here; its rounded east end survives, and the rebuilding of 1798–99 gave the church its cross shape.
- Torpo Stave Church · A runic inscription inside names its builder, Torolf; the vault is painted with the legend of Saint Margaret.
- Gol Stave Church replica · The original Gol church was taken down in the 1880s and rebuilt at the folk museum in Oslo, so the valley later built this copy.
Getting to Geilo and getting around
- Geilo Station · Bergen Railway trains to Oslo and Bergen stop here; the platform is in the middle of town
- Haugastøl Station · Small mountain stop 20 km west; bike hire for the Rallarvegen starts here
- Geilo bus stop · Long-distance buses along Route 7 stop by the station
Cheap eats in Geilo
Norway eats simply on the go: a hot dog wrapped in a soft potato flatbread, a waffle with sweet brown cheese, a cinnamon bun with coffee. In a ski town like Geilo there is also pizza and soup after a day outside. Everything costs more than you expect, so a bakery breakfast and a supermarket picnic make the evening meal affordable.
- Highland Bakeri · Cinnamon buns and sandwiches, about 50-120 NOK
- Café Mocca · Coffee, cakes and light lunches in the centre, about 60-180 NOK
- Ro Kro · Simple café food by the main road, about 100-220 NOK
- Peppes Pizza · Norway's pizza chain; a shared pizza is about 250-400 NOK
- Taubanekroa · Café at the foot of the slopes for soup and waffles, about 60-200 NOK
- Halstensgård Kafé · Ski-in café by the western lifts, about 60-200 NOK
Museums in Geilo
- Rallarmuseet · Tools, photos and huts of the railway builders; by train to Finse
- Torpo Stave Church · Some of the oldest church paintings in Norway; summer only
- Hol Bygdemuseum · Old log houses of the valley on one hillside; summer only
- Dagali Museum · Open-air farm museum south of Geilo
- Hol Old Church · Painted timber church first recorded in 1328
Nature and day trips near Geilo
- Hallingskarvet National Park · Day hikes up the ridge from Prestholtseter; a long, steep climb
- Hardangerjøkulen · Glacier above Finse; walk on it only with a guide
- Ustedalsfjorden · Easy shore walk from town
- Skurdalsfjorden · Quiet lake south of town with cabins and fishing
- Vøringsfossen · Viewpoints on both sides of the gorge; an hour's drive west
Things to do in Geilo with kids
- Slaattaheisene · Beginner slopes and ski school right in town
- Finse Station · A train ride into the snow, with no road at the end
- Geiloheisen Express · A chairlift ride up the slope, also in summer
- Vestlia · Family slopes on the far side of the valley
- Rallarvegen · Bike the gentle first stretch from Haugastøl
Where to eat in Geilo
- Hallingstuene · Mountain dishes of reindeer, trout and lamb; book in season
- Dr. Holms Hotel · Historic dining room and bar; dress up a little
- Smakeriet · Relaxed dinner spot in the centre
- Friends Restaurant & Bar · Burgers, beer and a busy après-ski evening
- Geilo Sushi · Norwegian salmon as sushi, a change from mountain food
- Golden House · Asian dishes, a cheaper dinner by Norwegian standards
Frequently asked questions about Geilo
What is there to see in Geilo?
The top sights in Geilo are Dr. Holms Hotel, Hol Old Church and Hol Bygdemuseum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Geilo?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Geilo without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Geilo?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Geilo, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: To the roof of the railway.
How do you get to Geilo and get around?
The main ways are Geilo Station, Haugastøl Station and Geilo bus stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Geilo, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Geilo that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Geilo for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.