The Audacious Beauty Of Odda | Waterfalls, Glaciers, & Trails

Odda is a hidden gem in Norway, best known as being the closest town to Trolltunga, one of Norway’s most iconic hikes. It’s also known as the Valley of Waterfalls, with multiple waterfalls in close proximity, Norway’s third-largest glacier, its second-longest fjord, and other beauty. This small town, nestled between mountains and fjords, is most often visited by those hiking Trolltunga, but if you do, make sure to take time to explore its beauty while you’re here. In addition to hiking epic Trolltunga, you can hike up to a glacier, see multiple waterfalls, and beautiful lakes and fjords that reflect the lush landscape here. This post covers the beauty of Odda.

Odda

Odda is in western Norway, about 3 hours southeast of Bergen and about 3.5 hours northeast of Stavanger. Trolltunga, which attracts over 100,000 annual visitors to hike to its iconic peak, is about a 20-minute drive from central Odda. Few people, however, spend the time to discover the hidden gems of Odda itself: its waterfalls, its glacier, and other trails.

Hiking Trolltunga

Hiking to the unique tongue-like rock jutting out at the summit of Trolltunga, 2,300’ (700 m) over Ringedalsvatnet Lake is an incredibly rewarding challenge. This hike takes 7-10 hours in high mountain terrain, walking amidst rocks and boulders, past lakes and over streams, with views of the glaciers that formed this area thousands of years ago in the distance.

For more details on hiking here, see my post Hiking Trolltunga | Conquering Norway’s Iconic Cliff.

Buarbreen Glacier Hike

For another fascinating trail, hike the Buarbreen Glacier Hike. This glacier is an offshoot of the Folgefonna Glacier, the third largest glacier in Norway. It’s in Folgefanna National Park, about a 20-minute drive south west of central Odda.

This hike is rated as hard, due to the fact that some spots are steep and require the use of ropes and chains to pull yourself up. It’s 3.4 miles (5.5 km) out and back with 1,345’ (410 m) of elevation gain. It will take around 3-4 hours.

The trail takes you to the edge of the glacier, where it calves several times a day. Calving is when chunks of the ice break away. Because of this, it’s important to never walk on or near the glacier on your own. For guided hikes on the glacial ice, see buer.no.

I did not get a chance to do this hike, but have read that it’s beautiful with lush landscape and views of the glacier for most of the hike. There is parking here, for a fee, and a restaurant, Buer Restaurant.

Låtefossen

Odda is known as the Valley of Waterfalls, as there are multiple waterfalls in close proximity. Its most famous waterfall is Låtefossen. Låtefossen is a twin waterfall. It starts as two waterfalls, which come from Lotevatnet Lake, then merges into one waterfall as it crosses under the road that you view it from. Because of this, it’s a little challenging to get a photo. It’s much more beautiful in real life.

Låtefossen is about a 15-minute drive south of central Odda. There is a small parking area on the side of the road. These spaces, however, fill up quickly. Especially midday, so arrive early to get a spot.

Espelandsfossen

Espelandsfossen is close to Låtefossen, just a 3-minute walk down the street. It’s best to park at Låtefossen and walk to see it as there is not a place to pull off the road by this waterfall.

Strondsfossen

Strondsfossen is another pretty waterfall. It sits on the west side of Sandvinvatnet Lake, which is about 5-minute drive south of central Odda. This waterfall is fed by the Folgefanna Glacier.

I passed by it on my drive to Odda, for my hike at Trolltunga, but the weather was a little cloudy. On my drive back, it was such a beautiful sunny day, I was able to capture it mirrored in the lake.

There are an only few parking spots off the side of the road to stop and admire Strondsfossen, so again, it’s better to get here early in the morning.

There is also a trail at Strondsfossen, called the Strondsfossen Waterfall Trail. To get to this trail, you must drive to the opposite side of the lake, where the waterfall is. The trail is less than a mile (1.3 km) out and back, with an elevation gain of about 300’ (91 m).

Tjornadalsfossen

Tjornadalsfossen is also on the east side of Sandvinvatnet Lake, just a few minutes south of the view of Strondsfossen.

This waterfall also has a hike. It’s short, a half a mile (0.8 km) out and back. The elevation gain is 190’ (58 m).

Vidfossen

Vidfossen is located between Låtefossen and Strondsfossen, about a 10-minute drive south of central Odda.

This waterfall is also beautiful, but there is not a convenient place to pull off the road for a photo.

Langfossen

Langfossen is yet another waterfall, this one on the Åkrafjorden. It’s about a 40-minute drive southwest of Odda, so not actually part of Odda, but also not far. If you plan to drive to Odda from Stavanger, you will pass this along the way.

Langfossen is the fifth highest waterfall in Norway. The water drops 2,000’ (612 m) to the Åkrafjorden below. There is ample parking here, so it’s a good place to stop. From the bottom, you can’t see much of the waterfall. You can, however, feel the water pummeling the ground near your feet.

There is a trail to the top, however, it is 4 hours up and back. Note that there is currently construction going on along the trail, so check hours before hiking. As of this writing (September 2025) it is only open on Sundays and after 5:30 PM.

You can also take a cruise on the Åkrafjorden to see the waterfall (from Haugesand Port), as well a variety of other nature adventures. You can do a via ferrata, canyoneering, bungee jumping, kayaking, horseback riding, and more. See akrafjorden.no for details.

Hardangerfjord

The Hardangerfjord is northwest of Odda. It’s the second longest fjord in Norway. If you drive to Odda from Bergen, this will be along your route. You can drive along the road to see it, or you can take a small cruise from Jondal, which is about a 40-minute drive northwest of Odda. Otherwise, most cruises start from Bergen.

For more information on the scenic driving routes around Hardangerfjord, see Norwegian Scenic Routes. For the cruise of the Hardangerfjord that leaves from Jondal, offering views of waterfalls and the Folgefanna Glacier, visit Hardanger-fjordcruise.no.

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• Norway Travel Guide

Safe Travels!

Julie