View over Lake Pielinen in Koli National Park

Hiking in Scandinavia

From DNT huts to the Kungsleden: how to hike in the north

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Hiking

🥾 Hiking in the north

The Preikestolen rock plateau above the Lysefjord
Photo: Svein Magne Tunli · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

In Scandinavia you can hike anywhere: from a short walk to a viewpoint to multi-day trips from hut to hut. For each country we’ve set out where to walk, where to sleep and what you need to know, with the official source.

Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: DNT: questions about DNT cabins, Svenska Turistföreningen: Abisko–Nikkaluokta, Luontoon.fi (Metsähallitus): everyman’s rights · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page

  • By country: where to hike and sleep
  • DNT huts and the Kungsleden
  • Staying safe with each country’s weather service

Overview

📌 Hiking at a glance

Best timeSummer; staffed DNT huts are open ± late June–mid-September (source: DNT)
Where to sleepHuts, shelters or your tent under the right to roam (not in Denmark or Iceland)
SafetyEmergency number 112 in all five countries (source: European Commission)
CostsPrice: see the official website of the hut or park

By country

🥾 Hiking by country

The Besseggen ridge in Jotunheimen
Photo: Silverkey (Mickaël Delcey) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits
CountryWhere to hikeSleeping along the way
NorwayFjords and mountains, e.g. Preikestolen and the Besseggen ridge in JotunheimenDNT huts; for unstaffed huts you need a membership and a key (source: DNT)
SwedenThe Kungsleden from Abisko (source: Svenska Turistföreningen) and national parks such as Skuleskogen (source: Sveriges nationalparker)STF huts along the Kungsleden (source: Svenska Turistföreningen); a tent under the right to roam (source: Naturvårdsverket)
FinlandNational parks, close to Helsinki e.g. Nuuksio (source: Luontoon.fi)Shelters and fire pits in the parks (source: Luontoon.fi (Metsähallitus))
DenmarkCoast and dunes, e.g. Thy National Park (source: Nationalpark Thy) and Rubjerg Knude (source: Naturstyrelsen)Shelters and basic overnight spots (source: Naturstyrelsen)
IcelandWaterfalls and the highlands, e.g. LandmannalaugarCampsites and mountain huts; leave your travel plan with Safetravel (source: Safetravel.is (Icelandic rescue organisation))

Norway

🏠 DNT huts in Norway

Skogadalsbøen mountain hut in Jotunheimen, Norway
Photo: Frankemann · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

The Norwegian Trekking Association DNT runs a large network of huts in the mountains. Staffed huts are open from about late June to mid-September. For the unstaffed huts you need a DNT membership and the DNT key. (source: DNT)

Bookings and questions about the huts: see DNT. (source: DNT, Visit Norway)

Sweden

🌄 The Kungsleden in Sweden

A lake near Abisko
Photo: Ellen Lundkvist · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

The first stage of the Kungsleden runs from Abisko to the STF hut at Abiskojaure. According to STF that’s 15 km and 4 to 6 hours’ walking. (source: Svenska Turistföreningen)

Hikes

🎟️ Hikes and nature

Hikes and places we’ve already looked into; prices and times are always at the source.

🎯 Hike to Preikestolen

Location: Strand (Stavanger) Type: Hiking · nature

💶 Cost: car parking, per day (hikers): NOK 275 (± € 26) · parking < 2 hours: NOK 40 (± € 3.81) (source)

Preikestolen is a flat rock plateau 604 metres above the Lysefjord. The hike from the car park is 8 km there and back with about 500 metres of climbing, and takes around 4 hours. The path crosses boggy stretches, runs through forest and climbs stone steps.

More info

All prices: car parking, per day (hikers): NOK 275 (± € 26); parking < 2 hours: NOK 40 (± € 3.81); the hike itself: free (no entry price given)

Distance: ± 1,905 km from Utrecht (± 23.5 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 39 km from Stavanger (± 0.7 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: path open all year; busiest June–August

Suitable for: families with hiking experience, outdoor lovers

Avoid the crowds: start before 8 am or after 4 pm; Saturday and Sunday are busiest. (preikestolen365.com)

There are no toilets or bins along the path; toilets at the car park. (preikestolen365.com)

In winter: not with children under 5. (preikestolen365.com)

Car park P1 (1,000 cars) is open 24/7 with barriers; when it’s full you’re directed to P2. (preikestolen365.no)

The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide.

Prices according to preikestolen365.no, preikestolen365.com, checked on 21 Oct 2026 · euro amounts ± converted at the Norges Bank rate on that day.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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🎯 Kungsleden, stage 1: Abisko–Abiskojaure

Location: Abisko Type: Hiking · nature

💶 Cost: hiking: free (right to roam); staying in an STF hut costs money (source)

The first stage of the Kungsleden runs from Abisko through birch forest along the Abiskojåkka river to the STF hut at Abiskojaure. According to STF it’s 15 km and 4 to 6 hours’ walking. At Abiskojaure there’s a little sandy beach where hikers like to dip their feet.

More info

Distance: ± 2,876 km from Utrecht (± 33.7 hrs drive, one way, no breaks) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: summer hiking season (see STF)

Suitable for: families with hiking experience (as a day trip: part of the route there and back), outdoor lovers

The full Abisko–Nikkaluokta trail is 107 km over 5–7 days; expect stony terrain and weather that turns quickly. (svenskaturistforeningen.se)

The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide.

Prices according to svenskaturistforeningen.se, checked on 21 Oct 2026.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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Nuuksio National Park
Photo: Stephan van Helden · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 Nuuksio National Park

Location: Espoo Type: Hiking · nature

💶 Cost: Price: see the official website (source)

Nuuksio is a national park of forests, rocks and lakes, about a 40 km drive from the centre of Helsinki. Trails from Haukkalampi include the Haukankierros, a 4 km loop. At the Haltia nature centre you can learn about Finnish nature.

More info

Distance: ± 3,338 km from Utrecht (± 39.6 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 39 km from Helsinki (± 0.8 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: all year

Large car park at Haukkalampi (94 spaces, Haukkalammentie 30); park only in marked spaces (according to Metsähallitus, luontoon.fi). (luontoon.fi)

The button goes to Helsinki: Nuuksio National Park Hike with Lunch & Pickup on GetYourGuide.

👉 See current prices & availability

Also via official website · location on the map

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The Rubjerg Knude lighthouse in the dune
Photo: Ansgar Koreng · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 Rubjerg Knude Fyr

Location: Løkken/Hjørring Type: Viewpoint · nature

💶 Cost: no entry price mentioned by Naturstyrelsen (source)

The Rubjerg Knude lighthouse stands in a shifting dune on the North Sea coast. In 2019 the tower was moved inland to save it from the eroding cliff. According to Naturstyrelsen it gets up to 200,000 visitors a year.

More info

Distance: ± 944 km from Utrecht (± 10.0 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 271 km from Billund (± 3.1 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: all year

Car parks on both sides of Rubjergvej at Fyrvejen, and smaller ones at Mårup Kirke. (naturstyrelsen.dk)

👉 See the official website & info

Location on the map

The Seljalandsfoss waterfall
Photo: Zoran Kurelić Rabko · CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

🎯 Seljalandsfoss

Location: South Coast Type: Waterfall · nature

💶 Cost: free entry · parking ISK 900 per day (car) (source)

Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall on Iceland’s south coast where a path lets you walk behind the falling water. The waterfall is close to the car park and the path to it is good.

More info

Distance: you can reach Iceland by car on the Smyril Line ferry from Hirtshals; ± 128 km from Reykjavík (± 2.0 h) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)

Season: all year

Number-plate camera: pay on the spot or afterwards; toilets are included in the parking fee. With a hire car, the rental company may charge extra if you don’t pay on the spot. (checkit.is)

👉 See the official website & info

Location on the map

Safety

🧭 Staying safe

A shelter with a fire pit in a Finnish national park
Photo: Outdoors Finland · CC BY 2.0 (cropped) · Photo credits

Before you set off, check the weather with the national weather service. In Iceland you can leave your travel plan with Safetravel. (source: Safetravel.is (Icelandic rescue organisation))

CountryWeather service
NorwayYr (Norwegian weather service with NRK)
SwedenSMHI (Swedish weather service)
FinlandIlmatieteen laitos (Finnish Meteorological Institute)
DenmarkDMI (Danish weather service)
IcelandVeðurstofa Íslands (Icelandic weather service)

What to bring: see our packing list and camping in rain and cold.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a DNT membership?

For the unstaffed DNT huts, yes: you then need a membership and the DNT key (DNT).

How long is the first stage of the Kungsleden?

According to STF, 15 km, 4 to 6 hours’ walking, from Abisko to Abiskojaure.

Can I pitch my tent while hiking?

In Norway, Sweden and Finland under the right to roam, with rules. In Denmark only at designated spots. See our wild camping and right to roam guide.

Read on

🧭 Also useful

Accountability

📚 Sources

Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.

View 19 sources

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