The 1600 meter high Bitihorn is the gateway to the Jotunheimen National Park and is located near the Besseggen ridge. The hike through the grass and bog landscape to the summit impresses with the wide view and panorama of Lake Bygdin. Behind the lake the peaks rise from the tundra and form a rocky cliff on the horizon.
Hi Guys!
We are Sabrina and Andreas, two adventurous travelers who never miss an opportunity to discover the world. Whether by plane to distant countries or with our campervan Bruno, we just love to travel. We hope to give you helpful tips for your next trip on our blog.
Sabrina & Andreas Globetrotters, Travelers, Adventurers
Hotel Recommendation close to Jotunheimen National Park
Stay in a traditional Norwegian Wooden House with Modern Rooms
In Vågåmo you can really have a good time in the SOV Lodge*. From the outside, the accommodation is rather unassuming, like a normal Norwegian log cabin.
But the interior is just a beautiful mix of modern and traditional. There is also a super delicious breakfast. Feel free to plan the next 2-3 nights here.
Modern und traditionell in Vågåmo übernachten*
Arrival to Bitihorn
To start the hike, park in the parking lot marked below, which is directly opposite the Samen tent with the souvenirs. You can also see the exact location here on Google Streetview. There is a sign on the parking lot that says something about a 5€ fee in Norwegian. But since we couldn’t imagine how to pay this fee – since there was no parking attendant running around – we just parked our car and started walking.
Hike on the Bitihorn
Apart from the impressive panorama, what impressed us about the hike up the Bitihorn, just like the Knutshoe hike, was the fact that we were almost alone. We could enjoy the view, the wool grasses blowing in the wind, the mixture of orange, red and green mosses and grasses all by ourselves and soak up the impressions.
After starting from the parking lot, the hike up Bitihorn begins for about 1 km across a flat plain to a high reindeer fence. The path is clearly marked. After the fence begins the slight ascent of the mountain, from where you have a good view of the lake Bygdin.
In general, on the way to the summit of Bitihorn, the view to the rear is usually the more beautiful, as you spend most of the time looking at the dramatic landscape of lakes and snow-covered mountains, while to the front you always have the steeply rising peak in front of you.
In just under 2 hours you will have climbed the summit and from the top, with good visibility, you will have a wonderful all-round view of the high peaks in the south and the entire Jotunheimen National Park. During the hike you have to fight against the often strong wind in the area.
But the view from the top compensates for the effort. Even though the 8 km long trail is not difficult to hike, you don’t have to worry about meeting too many other tourists.
Unfortunately we didn’t make it to the top, because halfway up the wind was blowing pretty hard, but we still enjoyed the great view (from almost the top). We had a very wide overview of a part of the Jotunheimen National Park and we could see from above even almost our car on the parking lot. Really a great panorama!
Facts about the Hike
- Length: 8 km (there and back)
- Circular route: No
- Duration: about 4 hours (there and back)
- Difficulty: easy-medium
- Season: July – August
Boat Trip on the lake Bygdin
If you have some time left after the mountain climb, you can take a boat trip with the M/B Bitihorn boat on Lake Bygdin to see the panorama again from a different perspective. The M/B Bitihorn offers two departures per day in each direction and sails between Eidsbugarden, Torfinnsbu and Bygdin. A route across the entire lake takes about 2 hours. All information about the timetable and prices can be found at www.jvb.no/bitihorn.
Have you already climbed the Bitihorn? Or can you recommend other hikes in Jotunheimen National Park? Then leave us a comment.