Photo: Anne Katrin Taagvold
Gjende Ridges – Knutshøe and Besseggen
4 Days | Self-guided | Autumn | Hiking | Jotunheimen
Immerse yourself in the wonderful autumn tones of Jotunheimen! Safely hike along the exposed ridges enjoying breathtaking views. After hiking, relax with local delicacies at your cozy accommodation. Experience the perfect blend of serenity and excitement as you explore fantastic places during the quieter time of the year.
Highlights
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2 famous and spectacular ridges
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Autumn colours
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Local food
Included
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Bus transport from/to Oslo
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Boat cruise
- Transfer to/from Knutshøe
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3x Accommodation incl. breakfast and bedlinen/towels
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3x Dinner
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3x Packed lunch
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JVB App with access to maps, tracks, vouchers and all necessary travel documents
- Organizational support and backup from our team
- CO2 compensation
Season and Price 2026
August – September
Daily departures
Last arrival day:
11 September 2026
Price
Adult (double room): NOK 9.500
Single room suppl.: NOK 2.000
Children (12-16 yrs): NOK 7.500
Autumn in Jotunheimen
Designed for outdoorsy adventurer, this trip let you experience two of the most beautiful ridges in Jotunheimen – Besseggen and Knutshøe. Autumn is an enchanting season in Norway and the perfect time of the year to visit this region: soft colours, quiet paths paired to snow-sprinkled tops. Shall we talk about the views? Peaks starting from 1517 up to 1743 m.a.s.l. paired with the lakes Gjende and Bessvatnet, 400 metres below; no wonder that the National Geographic has chosen this area as home to some of the best hikes in the world! Experience the perfect blend of serenity, physical exercise and excitement as you explore the fantastic landscape. This package ensures an extra touch of warmth, comfort, and alternative routes for steep sections, in case if the conditions become too challenging. An unforgettable autumn getaway for a long weekend in the mountains.
Map
This is the route:
Day to day
Practical information
Below you will find practical information about this trip.
Can not find what you are looking for? See our frequently asked questions page, or send us an email – we will help you!
Add on
Extra night in Oslo – Price on request
We recommend you starting your stay with a night in the Norwegian capital for a more relaxing start of your trip in addition to enjoying the vibrant city of Oslo. This gives you more flexibility in case of flight delay or missing suitcase. Let us know if you want us to take care about it.
Important details
To fully enjoy your hiking adventure in the mountains, it’s important to dress appropriately for the weather conditions and local temperatures. For a comfortable and enjoyable experience, we recommend wearing warm, waterproof clothing, sturdy mountain hiking boots that provide ankle support, sunscreen and sunglasses. It is not recommended to wear trail running shoes, everyday shoes or sneakers. You need to be prepared to walk in some snow in case of snowfall. We have also described alternative routes for the steepest parts if the exposure or conditions makes it uncountable. In September, normal temperature is between 0-10 degrees.
Accommodation
At the DNT-lodges, you will meet a traditional mountain atmosphere where the rooms have bunk beds and bathrooms and showers are in the hall.
Gjendesheim DNT-Lodge:
Gjendesheim Turisthytte has a history dating back to 1878, ten years after DNT was established. The hut is run by DNT and is located in the heart of the Norwegian mountains. Across the water from the restaurant you will see some old log cabins, one of them is Jo Gjende´s cabin. Jo Gjende (1794 – 27 February 1884) was a Norwegian outdoorsman and freethinker. He is believed to have been the model for Henrik Ibsen´s Peer Gynt. A famous photo of Jo is in the picture book.
Meals
Gjendesheim offers food based on local ingredients. For breakfast there will be buffet. Here you also need to make yourself a packed lunch that you bring to lunch for the day. It is possible to fill a thermos, check with the accommodation. Dinner will be served in the afternoon/evening.
Route
Our selected daily hikes are well-marked, and you will meet other hikers. The trails are narrow, often rocky, and sometimes you need to cross rivers and streams. Therefore, we recommend ankle-height mountain boots and hiking poles.
You will receive an access to our JVB-app before travelling. This one contains GPX-files, itineraries description and detailed information for your trip.
Difficulty
Medium
Kilometer: up to 15 kilometers
Ascent: up to 1000 ascent meter
Terrain: Varied trail, where longer sections are hilly and rocky, there may also be sections with exposed terrain.
On these trips, there is mountainous terrain, and there can be long ascents and descents. The tours are usually around 5-7 hours. It can be rocky and demanding surfaces, which require that you are in normal to good physical shape. On some of the tours, there may be exposed parties, but most of these are possible to avoid by choosing another variant.
Equipment list
When you book with us, we’ll provide you with a packing list to ensure you have all the necessary clothing and gear.
Transport
Travel green. Enjoy the trip from the big city towards Valdres and Jotunheimen! The express buses take you straight from the capital to the heart of Norway. On the way you will pass mountains, valleys, rivers, and beautiful farms.
Experience the convenience of choosing from various departure times and travel destinations along our express bus routes. Share your travel plans with us, and we’ll take care of the arrangements, ensuring a stress-free experience for you.
See more of our autumn hikes
Opplev Jotunheimen med oss!
Day to day
Practical information
Below you will find practical information about this trip.
Can not find what you are looking for? See our frequently asked questions page, or send us an email – we will help you!
Departures from Oslo
Monday-Wednesday
8.30 am – 1.05 pm
Thursdays
8.30 am – 1.05 pm
3.05 pm – 7.05 pm
5.00 pm – 9.05 pm
5.20 pm – 9.03 pm (Directly from Oslo Airport)
Friday
8.30 am - 1.05 pm
1.05 pm – 5.45 pm
5.20 pm – 9.03 pm (Directly from Oslo Airport)
Saturday
8.30 am - 1.05 pm
10.20 am – 1.35 pm
Sunday
10.20 am – 1.35 pm
12.20 pm – 4.50 pm
5.20 pm – 9.03 pm (Directly from Oslo Airport)
Luggage transport
We will send your luggage from cabin to cabin, so you only need to bring a daypack.
Departures from Gjendesheim
Monday-Friday
2.00 pm – 6.35 pm
Saturday
10.00 am – 2.45 pm
2.00 pm – 6.35 pm
Sunday
10.00 am – 2.45 pm
10.00 am -2.21 pm (Directly to Oslo Airport)
4.00 pm – 8.20 pm
5.35 pm – 10.00 pm
Meals
All restaurants offer food based on local ingredients. For breakfast, there will be a buffet. Here you also need to make yourself a packed lunch that you bring to lunch for the day. Use your beewax food wrap. It is possible to fill a thermos, check with the accommodation. Dinner will be served in the afternoon/evening.
Accomodation
Gjendesheim Turisthytte DNT:
Gjendesheim Turisthytte has a history dating back to 1878. The hut is run by DNT and is located in the heart of the Norwegian mountains, with Besseggen Ridge as a neighbor.
Gjendebu Turisthytte DNT:
At 990 masl at the west end of Gjende Lake, you will find Gjendebu. The DNT cabin offers a traditional and historic atmosphere, with good local food – and is the oldest cabin of DNT, built in 1871.
Memurubu Turisthytte:
Memurubu is a tourist hut at the end or start of the famous Besseggen hiking trail. Memurubu is originally an old mountain pasture dating back to 1872, but has had tourists for just as long. Cows are still grazing around the tourist hut, which lies at the mouth of the river Muru in the valley Memurudalen.
Trails and weather
The conditions in the autumn are wonderful, but it can also give some challenges. You need to be prepared to walk in the snow in case of snowfall. We have also described alternative routes for the steepest parts if the exposure or conditions makes it uncountable. In September, normal temperature is between 0-10 degrees.
All the paths are well-marked. The terrain varies from flat and easy to rocky and hilly. All the hikes as a short steep, exposed crux where you will have to use both legs and arms. Thou these sections can be avoided by walking an alternative route around.
Equipment list
We will send you equipment-list when ordering.
Opplev Jotunheimen med oss!







