Glacier
Folgefonna glacier: the ice above the Hardangerfjord
On the peninsula between the Hardangerfjord and the sea sits Folgefonna, the third largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland. Beneath it, at the end of a walking track, is Bondhus lake — a body of water the colour of antifreeze, coloured by rock flour ground off the mountain by the ice above it.
Quick answer
The Folgefonna day from Bergen costs $207 and takes about ten and a half hours. It includes transport, a guided walk to the Bondhus lake beneath the glacier, and the drive along the Hardangerfjord in both directions. With 896 reviews at 4.9 it is the most-reviewed trip on this site — and it is a walking and driving day rather than a boat trip.
Folgefonna, at a glance
- What it is
- A plateau glacierthird largest on the Norwegian mainland
- Where
- Above the fjord’s south sideon the Folgefonna peninsula
- National park
- YesFolgefonna National Park
- The lake
- Bondhusvatnetturquoise, from glacial rock flour
- The walk
- A track from Sunndalabout an hour each way, easy going
- The tour
- $207from Bergen, 10.5 hours
- Reviews
- 896at 4.9 — the most here
- Season
- Summerthe track is a snow route in winter
- What it is not
- A boat tripthe fjord is the drive, not the activity
- Cancellation
- Free to 24 hlike everything here
Why the lake is that colour
Rock flour, and light that has nowhere else to go
Powdered rock suspended in meltwater, scattering blue and green back at you.
Glaciers grind. A moving ice sheet drags rock across rock and produces a powder of particles so fine they stay suspended in water instead of settling — geologists call it rock flour.
Meltwater carrying that powder scatters light differently from clear water. Longer wavelengths are absorbed; the blue and green are scattered back out. The result is the turquoise that looks artificial in photographs and looks even more artificial in person. Bondhusvatnet is one of the better examples in Norway.
The walk to it from Sunndal is straightforward: a track through farmland, then birch, then up beside the river. About an hour each way at a gentle pace, no scrambling, and the glacier front visible above the far end of the lake.
The glacier itself is retreating, like almost every glacier in Norway, and the guides say so. Photographs in the visitor material from twenty years ago show ice where there is now rock, and that is part of what you are looking at.
Doing the glacier day
Five practical notes
It is a long day and an easy walk.
- It is a walking day, not a boat day
The fjord is the drive there and back. If you want water, book a RIB safari as well.
- Wear proper shoes
The track is easy but it is a mountain track: stones, roots and wet ground in places.
- Take layers
It is noticeably colder at the lake than at the fjord, and glaciers generate their own weather.
- Do not walk onto the ice
Glacier walking is a guided activity with equipment. The lake track is not that, and the front is not a viewing platform.
- Summer only
The track is a snow route outside the season and the tour does not run in winter.
If you want the fjord itself rather than the ice above it, the RIB safaris are an hour and a fraction of the price.
Hardangerfjord boat tours→Other ways to see the glacier
Five options besides the Bondhus walk
From a lay-by to a full guided crossing.
- The summer ski centre
Fonna glacier ski resort operates on the ice in summer, which is a strange and cheerful thing to do in July.
- Guided glacier walking
With crampons and a guide, from several operators on the peninsula. Not the same as the lake walk.
- From the fjord
The ice is visible from the water on the south side, and from the road along it.
- Bondhusvatnet, on your own
The track from Sunndal is public. An hour each way, and free.
- From the air
Sightseeing flights operate from Bergen in summer, at a very different price.
Common questions
Folgefonna, answered
What is Folgefonna?
A plateau glacier on the peninsula between the Hardangerfjord and the sea, and the third largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland. It sits inside Folgefonna National Park.
Why is Bondhus lake turquoise?
Rock flour — extremely fine particles ground off the mountain by the glacier — stays suspended in the meltwater and scatters blue and green light back out.
How long is the walk?
About an hour each way on an easy track from Sunndal, with the glacier front visible above the far end of the lake.
Is the tour from Bergen worth it?
It is the most-reviewed trip on this site, at 4.9 across 896 ratings. It is a ten and a half hour day of which a lot is driving, and the walk and the lake are the point.
Can you walk on the glacier?
Not on this tour. Glacier walking is a separate guided activity with crampons and ropes.
Does it run in winter?
No. The track is a snow route outside the summer season.
Go deeper
More on the Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjord boat tours
What the trips are, where they leave from and what you see.
The verdictWhich trip is best
Seven trips ranked, and which village to start from.
From BergenFrom Bergen
Two hours by road, and what actually fits into a day.
NorheimsundNorheimsund
The village with the waterfall you can walk behind.
FyksesundFyksesund
The narrow arm, the bridge and why the boats go in.
EidfjordEidfjord
The inner end, under the plateau and Vøringsfossen.
