Geilo

Located halfway between Bergen and Oslo, Geilo is one of Norway’s most popular family ski destinations and is home to 34km of tree-lined slopes.

weather Forecast today: Mainly cloudy

Max temp: 6.5 °c
Min temp: 3.3 °c
Last snowed: Thu 26 Mar

Last Updated: Wed 01 Apr

weather Forecast today: Mainly cloudy

Max temp: 6.5 °c
Min temp: 3.3 °c
Last snowed: Thu 26 Mar

Last Updated: Wed 01 Apr

23%Easy

30%Beginner

35%Intermediate

12%Advanced

The vertical may be modest – you pick up a maximum descent of 275m – but an efficient lift system and two varied pods of trails mean that Geilo punches above its weight.

It is one of the best Norwegian destinations for families, but also freestyle skiers and boarders, whilst several racecourses are set to make the ski day a more interesting proposition.

The town itself is focused around the train station (catching the train is definitely the best way to arrive), around which ten mid-sized hotels provide much of the catered accommodation – but if self-catering is your thing then there is a good range of cabins to choose from – quite a number of which are ski-in-ski-out.

Beginner
Fast lifts
Intermediate
Resort Activities
Advanced
Aprés
Snow
Value

Pros and cons

Good lift system and a surprising variety of terrain
Train ride in from Bergen is part of the holiday itself – the scenery is epic
Loads to do off the slopes, especially if you like cross country skiing

Two separate areas require a bus ride to get between the two
Modest vertical and few challenges for experts away from the terrain parks
Norwegian food and drink prices are much higher than average

On the Slopes

Of the two ski areas, the north side of the valley at Geiloheisen is the quickest to access from town. There is a fantastic beginner area at Slaatta, although progression on to longer greens requires getting across to the other side of the valley or tackling a blue down to Havsdalen. Most of the other terrain is rated red or blue, but there are some steeper challenges in the form of four marked blacks and a red run (number 22) that is left to mogul up throughout the winter.

Getting between Havsdalen and Geilosiden is currently not simple but for the 2020/21 season the old Arne lift in Havsdalen will be demolished and replaced by a new lift that will go from the bottom of the Arne lift to Sonjaløypa, significantly improving the connection between Havsdalen and Geilosiden.

A short bus ride over the other side of town is Vestlia. Here there is another great learner area at the base of the mountain, but better progression on to longer greens, including a top to bottom descent (piste 51) that allows you to clock up some decent mileage. The six-seater Kikutheisen Express then serves another nice pod of runs, which includes so great freestyle terrain.

In the Resort

You have two main options in Geilo, either stay at one of the well-appointed hotels in the town centre, or branch out and book your stay in one of the self- catered cabins in the woods either side of the town centre. If you choose the former then arriving by train is definitely the best option – fly to Bergen and get the train from there to experience the most impressive views, although the Oslo route isn’t bad either! Self caterers may want to hire a car to get to their accommodation and to and from the centrally located supermarkets, but if you’re close enough to town, picking up supplies is easy enough on foot.
The centre of town has several restaurants and bars, which do become lively on busy weekends – especially the Havdalskroa après ski bar – but otherwise Geilo is a mostly relaxed place. Off slope activities are plentiful here as they are in the rest of Norway and cross country skiing in particular is extremely popular – the area around Geilo is home to an astonishing 550km of marked trails. There is also tobogganing, reindeer treks, dog-sledding and ice skating.

Getting to Geilo

As mentioned, the best way to arrive is by train, either from Bergen (3.5 hours) or Oslo (4 hours). The former is definitely more scenic, but both journeys are pretty epic. Driving is also possible, expect similar travel times to those by train.

Bergen airport: 3.5 hours
Oslo airport: 4 hours

Season Dates

Opens: Sunday 1 December 2024
Closes: Sunday 27 April 2025

Geilo Piste Map

Top (1178m)

	Wed 1 Apr			Thu 2 Apr			Fri 3 Apr			Sat 4 Apr			Sun 5 Apr			Mon 6 Apr			Tue 7 Apr			Wed 8 Apr			Thu 9 Apr			Fri 10 Apr
	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night	AM	PM	Night
Weather	Mainly cloudy	Mainly cloudy	Light drizzle	Occasional snow	Occasional snow	Generally clear	Broken clouds	Snow grains	Light snow	Generally clear	Generally clear	Occasional snow	Occasional snow	Snow grains	Snow grains	Snow grains	Partly cloudy	Rather cloudy	Partly cloudy	Some drizzle	Rain/Snow shower	Rain/Snow shower	Occasional rain	Light rain/snow	Light rain/snow	Occasional rain	Rain/Snow shower	Light rain/snow	Occasional rain	Light rain/snow
Wind
Snow expected	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0.6 cm	0.2 cm	0.1 cm	0.1 cm	1.2 cm	3.3 cm	0.2 cm	0.1 cm	0.4 cm	0.2 cm	0.2 cm	0.6 cm	0.1 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm	0 cm
Max temp	6.5°c	6.4°c	4.9°c	0.8°c	0.7°c	-1.6°c	0°c	0.2°c	-0.3°c	1.6°c	1.7°c	-0.2°c	2.6°c	2.4°c	0.4°c	2.1°c	2.4°c	1.4°c	4.9°c	5.4°c	4.2°c	4.5°c	4.6°c	3.3°c	3.8°c	4°c	3°c	3.8°c	4.2°c	2.9°c
Min temp	4.2°c	4.9°c	3.3°c	0.6°c	-1.6°c	-6°c	-6.7°c	-0.3°c	-1.2°c	-1.7°c	-0.2°c	-1.4°c	0.6°c	0.4°c	-0.3°c	-0.4°c	1.4°c	-0.2°c	0°c	4.2°c	2.4°c	2.5°c	3.3°c	1.2°c	1.1°c	3°c	2.1°c	1.8°c	2.9°c	1.4°c
Feels like temp	1.5°c	3.2°c	2.2°c	0.5°c	-3.8°c	-1.6°c	-6.7°c	-4.3°c	-4.1°c	-5.1°c	-3°c	-0.2°c	-3°c	-3.1°c	-5°c	-5.4°c	-3.5°c	-2.1°c	0°c	1.6°c	1.9°c	2.3°c	0.8°c	0.7°c	-1.3°c	-0.5°c	-0.1°c	1.7°c	-0.1°c	0.1°c