7-day round trip through Norway with kids: useful tips and facts

Tips & Tricks

Tips from our team:

  • Choose an SUV with a rooftop tent for your 7-day road trip: the best way to experience Norway with kids.
  • Take your time to explore: A road trip through Norway calls for a slow pace; the slower you travel, the more you see. Let your kids count the clouds, search for waterfalls, or discover reindeer tracks…
  • Plan short drives and plenty of stops: In Norway, the journey itself is an experience. Make the road trip fun for kids by keeping distances short and taking spontaneous breaks at every fjord, waterfall, or picnic spot.
  • Trust our experts: Our routes are designed to help you experience the best of Norway without stress. All you need to do is start the engine and enjoy the journey.
  • Use stories to keep the magic alive: Share tales of trolls, thunder gods, and forest creatures living among the spruces along the way. Kids experience the landscape differently when it's filled with stories. It makes your family trip through Norway even richer and more playful.
7-day tour through Norway - Fjords of Norway

Tips for an unforgettable family trip:

Traveling with the family can sometimes feel like a logistical challenge even before the adventure has truly begun. Suitcases, naps, unexpected stops, different rhythms and wishes at every age… How do you combine relaxation with discovery without anyone getting exhausted or bored? The secret often lies in a small shift in perspective, in applying two simple reflexes: adapt and delegate.

Adapting means following the family's rhythm, embracing each moment as it comes, and making every break a shared moment. Delegating is about daring to trust experts who already know the roads, fjords, and best camping spots in Norway, so you can just enjoy. Because those who dare to let go of planning travel lighter, freer, and with an open heart.

And that’s exactly what Norway invites you to do. This country naturally asks you to slow down. Here, you learn to let go of planning and just look, breathe, and feel. A ray of sunshine after the rain, a reindeer unexpectedly crossing the road, a fjord suddenly opening up between two mountains… Every moment becomes a little revelation. The kids often lead the way: they know how to look in wonder, how to turn a puddle into an adventure, and a dewy meadow into a fairytale land.

The true wealth of a family trip? Not having everything under control, but experiencing everything. Together. Without haste, without noise. Just the nature, the freedom, and the joy of discovery.

1. Travel slower, enjoy together.

In Norway, everything invites you to slow down. The roads wind between the mountains, following the rhythm of the fjords, gradually rising to dizzying passes and gently descending back to the sea. The journey becomes a breath, a natural rhythm, almost a form of meditation. Here, you don't just cross the landscape; you become a part of it.

With kids, that slow pace becomes a true treasure. It's no longer about seeing everything but experiencing what comes your way. A break by the lake to skip stones can mean more than the most famous viewpoint. A field full of flowers, a curious sheep, or a waterfall suddenly appearing around a bend—it's those little moments of wonder that no travel guide mentions.

That's the beauty of a road trip through Norway with the family: accepting that the travel schedule shifts with giggles and naps, sudden ideas and unexpected detours. If the kids are happy where you are, why move on to see something else? In Norway, that “something” is everywhere: in the changing light, the wind sweeping through the valley, the simple joy of being together, here, now.

Sleeping in a roof tent enhances that feeling of freedom even more. You stop where the landscape touches you, fall asleep to the sound of the wind, and wake up to a fjord sparkling in the morning light. Each leg of the journey becomes a small adventure, a story of the day that the kids will recount later, a memory woven from gentle rain and golden sun. The secret? Making the journey itself the destination.

Norway road trip by car - Attractions

2. Turn the journey into a game.

What often makes family trips challenging are those typical “Mom, are we there yet?” moments, the little arguments in the backseat, and the feeling that the journey just goes on forever. But during a road trip through Norway, kids don’t have to be just passengers; they can become real explorers. In Norway, distances aren’t measured in kilometers but in wonder. The roads wind along fjords, mountains, and waterfalls; around every bend, a new landscape awaits to be seen, discussed, or imagined.

To keep the journey from feeling long, a little imagination is all it takes. Turn the ride itself into a game. Download some Norwegian fairy tales or some music (Norway Nomads can help with that too), so the stories of the land travel along with you. Keep binoculars handy and let the kids observe for themselves: reindeer crossing the plains, sheep standing in the middle of the road, or a waterfall cascading in the distance—there’s always something to discover.

Let the kids get involved too. Have them guess where the next fjord will appear, count the tunnels, or predict what lies behind the next mountain. This way, they become active travelers, not just passengers. Slowly, the road transforms from a mere transition to an experience in itself, a succession of laughter, discoveries, and little challenges that set the rhythm of the journey.

During a family trip through Norway, the magic isn’t just in the sights, but in every moment in between. The road itself becomes the journey...

3. Enjoy your rooftop tent, freedom in its purest form.

When evening falls and the golden light stretches over the mountains, bivouacking in Norway transforms into a way of traveling that you truly experience. Sleeping in a roof tent is already a adventure in itself, especially for kids. Their “treehouse in the sky” becomes a secret hideout, a nest from which they marvel at the world with wide eyes. They climb up, roll out their sleeping bags, follow the clouds drifting by, and giggle at every rustle in the woods. From up there, everything seems bigger, softer, more magical. The mountains watch over you, the fjords shimmer like mirrors, and at night, the stars seem so close you could almost touch them.

This way of traveling promises freedom. You stop when your heart says so, dine with a view of the mountains, and listen to the song of a river as you drift off to sleep. Each bivouac becomes a little world of its own: a moment to share a simple meal together, to let the kids come up with their own stories by the light of a headlamp, while the silence of Norway envelops everything around you.

The roof tent turns your 7-day road trip through Norway into a living experience. It blurs the line between home and nature, between comfort and adventure. For families, it’s a lesson in simplicity, in slowing down, in living outdoors together. Cooking outside, laughing together, breathing in the fresh air, and learning to unwind again—that is the true luxury of a family trip through Norway. Here, in the rhythm of nature, every night under the stars becomes a memory you carry with you long after the tent has been packed away.

Norway road trip by car - Norwegian fjords

4. Live to the Norwegian rhythm

In Norway, everything invites you to go outside, take a deep breath, and savor the world at a leisurely pace. The Norwegians have a beautiful word for it: friluftsliv, literally “the life outdoors.” It's not just a hobby or an activity; it's a philosophy of life, a gentle way of being where you feel good outside, no matter the weather. Here, people don’t try to escape the rain; they listen to it. They don’t wait for the sun; they appreciate its rarity.

Let this northern wisdom inspire you during your 7-day trip through Norway. Turn meals into true moments of togetherness in the open air: a picnic by the edge of a fjord, a steaming cup of coffee on a sun-warmed rock, fresh vafler (Norwegian waffles), and a handful of wild berries picked along the path. Norwegians don’t just eat outside; they celebrate nature. Even under a moody sky, with a well-stocked thermos and a blanket on the grass, the world suddenly seems softer, slower, simpler. In that spirit, even a simple freeze-dried meal (which you can reserve through Norway Nomads) tastes better than a dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Even the bensinstasjon, the gas stations you encounter along the way, are part of this way of life. You’ll always find coffee, ice cream, pølse (hotdogs), and sometimes even a terrace with a view of the fjords. Perfect for a spontaneous break, a laugh, and then to continue on without a hurry.

Embracing the Norwegian rhythm means learning to be content with little and to savor the moment as it comes. It's about showing your kids that nature isn’t just a backdrop, but a place to live, eat, and play. And when you allow that, Norway becomes more than just a destination… It becomes a way of life, a rhythm that slowly takes over, from picnic to sunset, step by step.

5. Share stories and turn every stop into a fairy tale.

To make your summer road trip through Norway even more magical – for both young and old – you can turn each leg into a living story.

Along these roads, lined with fjords and mountains, the landscapes are enough to enchant adults on their own. After a week traveling around Norway, you'll feel small in the face of such greatness: the deep fjords, the mist-covered mountain tops, the villages nestled by the water. But for kids, a grand landscape is sometimes not enough. They need something extra, a touch of magic, stories filled with creatures hiding in the woods, and gods thundering among the clouds.

Fortunately, Norway seems made for imagination. Every spot invites a story. On the way to Trollstigen, you can tell them that the trolls that didn't flee from the sun in time turned to stone... and let your kids guess which rock was once a giant that woke up too late. In the forests of Valdres, you can whisper that there might be a Huldra roaming around, a woman with a golden mane and a fox tail, who watches over travelers who respect nature.

So every bend becomes an adventure, every stop a new chapter in a Norwegian fairy tale. By blending reality and fantasy, the road itself becomes a story. Kids remember the most beautiful places in Norway not just because they saw them, but because they believed in them, even if just for a moment. And as you watch them smile and dream, you might rediscover that piece of childlike wonder in yourself that makes travel so precious.

Let these ancient Norse legends guide you. Behind every waterfall, every peak or valley, lingers an old story waiting to be told again. And maybe, somewhere between the fjords of Norway, you'll also write a little bit of your own...

Norway road trip by car - Most beautiful spots in Norway - red houses and waterfalls

And what if you both set off on an adventure together anyway?

At the end of the Norwegian roads, there’s always something that transcends words. Perhaps a light, that soft, golden light that glides over the fjords at sunset. There’s also a scent, that of rain on moss, of warm coffee shared in silence with a view of the mountains. And then there are the giggles of children, those little explorers who come up with a new story at every turn: trolls hiding behind the rocks, waterfalls whispering in a language from somewhere far away.

Traveling through Norway with kids means learning to see through their eyes. Allowing wonder for no reason, slowing down without guilt. It’s a journey that connects, serving as a lesson in freedom, in slowing down, in being together. The roads become stories, the stops memories, and each landscape a chapter of a fairy tale that you write together.

Norway doesn’t need extra decor to be magical; it is all of it. But once you bring imagination into play, the legends of trolls and thunder gods, the forests full of whispers, your summer road trip through Norway transforms into an unforgettable adventure. An odyssey tailored for kids, where true happiness lies in sharing little moments.

For in this land, you feel alive, calm, connected. Here, you understand, somewhere between a fjord and a valley, that the wealth of a journey is not measured in kilometers, but in shared wonder.

Ready to write your own story among the fjords, where freedom and imagination meet?

Frequently asked questions:

What is the best time for a road trip in Norway?

Each season has its charm. Summer (June-August) is ideal: long days and bright fjords. Spring and autumn are calm, perfect for discovering hidden spots. Winter offers snow, tranquility, and the Northern Lights. Also, check out our complete article on this.

Is Norway suitable for a road trip with kids?

Absolutely! Norway is safe, calm, and full of nature to explore. With short drives, plenty of stops, and a rooftop tent, every day becomes an adventure for the whole family. Just keep in mind, traveling around Norway with kids is not the same as doing it solo.

Which routes are best suited for a 7-day road trip in Norway?

Our routes combine fjords, mountains, and picturesque villages, perfect for families. They feature short rides, beautiful views, and spots where kids can play and explore.

How long do we drive on average per day?

We plan an average of 2 to 4 hours of driving per day. This way, there's plenty of time for games, hikes, and unexpected stops at fjords, waterfalls, or viewpoints.

Can I explore Norway independently with a rooftop tent?

Yes! With an SUV and rooftop tent, you're completely flexible. You choose where to stop and how long to stay, while sleeping safely and comfortably in the midst of nature. Traveling with Norway Nomads means exploring independently and at your own pace, but without worries, because we take care of everything for you!

What about food and drinks along the way?

You can have a picnic by the fjords, buy fresh produce in local villages, or prepare simple meals at your rooftop tent. Kids will find it an adventure in itself. To make life a bit easier for you, you can choose a food pack with Norway Nomads. This way, you won’t have to think about what to prepare, and everything will be ready in just a few minutes.

Should I be worried about the weather?

No, as long as you bring layers: breathable base layers, a warm sweater, a waterproof jacket, and sturdy shoes. This way, you'll be prepared for rain, wind, or sun — it makes your road trip even more special.

Which places should I not miss with kids?

The fjords of Western Norway, short hikes by waterfalls, mountains with viewpoints, and picturesque villages like Bergen and Snøhetta. Our routes combine all of this into one carefree family trip through Norway.

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