How to Get to Trolltunga: Odda, the P1–P3 Car Parks and Shuttle Buses
There is no road to Trolltunga. The rock ledge sits 1,180 metres above sea level, east of the village of Tyssedal, and the only way onto it is a long hike. What you can choose is where that hike starts. A private toll road climbs from Tyssedal to the main trailhead at P2 Skjeggedal, and in summer a second, narrower road continues to P3 Mågelitopp, which cuts the return walk from 27 km to 20 km.
So getting to Trolltunga comes down to three legs: reaching Odda, the nearest town (about 3 hours by road from Bergen, about 6 from Oslo); getting from Odda to P2 Skjeggedal by car, shuttle bus or taxi; and deciding whether to start at P2 or go on to P3, either on the shuttle bus or with a pre-booked parking space. This guide covers each leg with the prices and timetables Trolltunga AS published for the 2026 season. They change every year, so check before you go.
The three car parks at a glance
There are three main car parks: P1 Tyssedal, P2 Skjeggedal and P3 Mågelitopp. P1 is the lowest and P3 the highest, and the higher you start, the shorter the hike.
| P1 Tyssedal | P2 Skjeggedal | P3 Mågelitopp | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height above sea level | 144 m | 415 m | 860 m |
| Return hike to Trolltunga | 38 km | 27 km | 20 km |
| Estimated hiking time | 15 hours | 8–12 hours | 7–10 hours |
| Same-day fee, 2026 | NOK 330 | NOK 550, road toll included | NOK 600, plus NOK 220 road toll |
| Booking | Not needed, open all year | Not needed, open all year | Pre-booked only until 31 August |
| Season | All year | All year | 8 June to 30 September 2026 |
In practice almost nobody walks from P1. It is where coaches, camper vans and anything too big for the toll road have to stop, and where the shuttle bus from Odda also stops. P2 is the main trailhead, and P3 is a summer-only shortcut with limited room.
Where Trolltunga is
Trolltunga is in Ullensvang Municipality, in Vestland County, on the high ground above the inner Hardangerfjord. The nearest town is Odda. Six kilometres north of Odda, on route Rv13, is Tyssedal, where the road to the trailhead turns off and climbs into the valley of Skjeggedal. The ledge itself juts out 700 metres above the lake Ringedalsvatnet, at the far end of a high plateau.
The trail, the car parks at P1 and P2 and the shuttle arrangements are run by Trolltunga AS, a company owned by Ullensvang Municipality. Its website, trolltunga.com, is the place for current fees, timetables and trail conditions. It also keeps up the 5.4 km Skjeggedalsvegen, the narrow road between P1 and P2.
Getting to Odda from Bergen
Bergen is the usual starting point for visitors who fly in. By car the drive to Odda takes about 3 hours. Bergen Airport is also about 3 hours from Trolltunga by road; Haugesund airport, at about 2.5 hours, is the closest.
Without a car you have three options:
- Bus. Skyss runs the local buses in Bergen, Voss and Hardanger, and the destination company lists several daily bus services connecting the area with Bergen. The Bergen–Seljestad connection is Skyss line 930. Plan the exact journey to Odda in the Entur or Skyss journey planner, because departures vary through the year.
- Train and bus. The Bergen Line runs all year, and there are bus connections to Odda from the railway stations in Bergen and Voss.
- Boat and bus. The Hardangerfjord-Ekspressen speedboat runs year-round between Bergen and Rosendal. It leaves Strandkaiterminalen in central Bergen and stops at Flesland, so you can go straight from Bergen Airport Flesland to Rosendal. From Rosendal, connecting buses on route 760 run to Odda.
Whichever you choose, aim to arrive in Odda the day before your hike. The first shuttle buses leave very early, and the hike itself fills a full day.
Getting to Odda from Oslo
From Oslo the drive takes about 6 hours. If you are driving in the cold season, which in Norway runs from October to April, the destination company advises against it unless you are used to winter conditions: ice, snow, darkness and poor visibility are all normal on the mountain roads.
By public transport, the main option is NOR-WAY’s Haukeliekspressen express bus, which runs between Oslo and Haugesund/Bergen over the Haukeli mountain pass. Change at Seljestad for the bus to Odda. Two things to know before you book:
- The summer night buses on the Haukeliekspressen have no connection to Odda and Bergen, so use a daytime departure.
- The whole Oslo–Bergen run takes from 9.5 hours, and the Haukeli pass can mean delays or convoy driving in winter.
The alternative is the Bergen Line train to Voss or Bergen and a bus onward, or a flight to Bergen or Haugesund.
From Odda to the trailhead by car
Follow route Rv13 north to Tyssedal, 6 km from the centre of Odda, then turn off and follow the signs to Trolltunga. It takes about 30 minutes by car from Odda to Skjeggedal.
The road from P1 Tyssedal to P2 Skjeggedal is too narrow for buses, camper vans and minibuses. The maximum vehicle length is 5.2 m, and anything larger must park at P1. Motorhomes can park at P1 and use the shuttle bus from there.
Most of the road is single-track with passing places. The rule is simple: when two vehicles approach a passing place, the vehicle that arrives first must stop, whichever side of the road the passing place is on, and wait for the oncoming car. Parking in a passing place is not allowed.
A few practical points before you set off:
- Pay before you hike. Fees are paid at the parking machine, and you display the receipt on the driver’s side of the dashboard.
- Everyone pays. All vehicles must pay, including AutoPASS holders and rental cars.
- Charge in Odda. There are no EV charging points at the car parks.
- No camping. Camping is not permitted at any of the car parks.
The toll road and P2 Skjeggedal
P2 Skjeggedal is the main trailhead, on a private road. The road toll from P1 to P2 and the parking fee are paid together at P2. On the 2026 tariff:
- Same day (until midnight): NOK 550
- Two days: NOK 770
- Three days: NOK 990
- Motorcycles: half price
The destination company says the toll pays for building and maintaining the trails, signs and information boards, and two rescue shelters, as well as the mountain ranger service and the upkeep of the road.
If someone is only dropping you off at P2, they still pay the road toll, which the parking page gives as NOK 220 at the P2 machine. The FAQ on the same site still says NOK 200, so take whatever the machine asks.
From P2, at 415 metres above sea level, the return hike is 27 km. The net climb is 800 m, but counting every up along the way the total ascent is 1200 m, and the estimated hiking time is 8–12 hours. The first 4.3 km is the road up to P3, which is why the P3 shortcut exists. Our hiking guide describes the route section by section.
Road works in 2026: the night closure
In autumn 2026 Skjeggedalsvegen, the road between P1 Tyssedal and P2 Skjeggedal, reopened after a period of rockslide protection work. At the time of writing it is open daily from 06:00 to 21:00, with traffic control on site, and fully closed from 21:00 to 06:00 while the work continues. Walking through the construction area is not allowed at any time.
The closure changes how you plan the day. If you drive, you need to be back at your car and down the road before 21:00. If you rely on the shuttle bus, the timetable already fits inside those hours. Check the trolltunga.com front page before you travel, because notices like this one are posted there first.
P3 Mågelitopp: the pre-booked shortcut
P3 Mågelitopp is a private car park with 30 spaces, at 860 metres above sea level. Starting here instead of P2 saves 1–1.5 hours each way, and the return hike from P3 is 20 km, with a total ascent of 800 m, in an estimated 7–10 hours.
The rules are stricter than at P2:
- Booking. The P3 season in 2026 runs from 8 June to 30 September. Until 31 August it is pre-booked parking only; in September it takes both pre-bookings and drop-ins.
- Price. NOK 600 for the same day, until midnight. The road toll is not included: before driving up, you pay the NOK 220 toll at the P2 parking machine.
- Entry times. From 8 June to 31 August cars may enter the P3 road from P2 between 6:30 and 11am. In September the road opens to cars from 7am; the two websites give different closing times for September, so check yours when you book.
- Vehicles. The maximum vehicle height is 2 m, and no motorcycles or camper vans are allowed.
- The road. It is narrow and steep, with 17 hairpin turns and a 17% gradient in places. The drive from P2 takes about 10 minutes.
- No drop-offs. It is not permitted to drive up to P3 only to drop off or pick up passengers.
- Overnight. If you want to leave the car overnight, book two days.
- Cancellations. More than 48 hours before arrival, a cancellation costs 10% of the parking price; inside 48 hours there is no refund.
If you want the shortcut but not the drive, the shuttle bus covers the same road.
The shuttle bus from Odda and Tyssedal to P2
From Odda, a shuttle bus runs to P1 Tyssedal and P2 Skjeggedal, stopping near accommodation along the route. It is run by two companies, Odda Buss and Odda Taxi, and the 2026 season ran from 15 May to 27 September; check the dates for next season before you plan around it. The ride from Odda to P2 takes about 30 minutes.
Estimated 2026 fares, as the destination company listed them:
- Odda to P2 Skjeggedal: NOK 200 one way, or NOK 400 return (return tickets from Odda Buss only)
- P1 Tyssedal to P2 Skjeggedal: NOK 150 one way, or NOK 300 return
Round-trip tickets require you to travel with the same company both ways. You can buy a ticket when you board, but the buses have a limited number of seats, so book online well ahead in July and August. Odda Buss also reserves the right to cancel departures that have no bookings.
On the 2026 timetable, morning shuttles reached P2 Skjeggedal at 06:15, 07:30, 08:10 and 10:20, and buses back to Odda left P2 at 13:15, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00 and 19:15. The earliest departure is the one to aim for if you want to walk from P2: it leaves you the whole day.
The shuttle bus from P2 to P3
The second shuttle, run by Trolltunga-Road Bus, climbs the private road from P2 Skjeggedal to P3 Mågelitopp. In 2026 it ran from 8 June to 27 September, weather permitting, and the road closes in case of snow or ice.
There is no fixed timetable: buses run continuously between the first and last times, roughly every 10–30 minutes, so you simply turn up and take the next one.
| Direction | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| Up, P2 to P3 | 06:30 to 11:00 (from 07:00 in September) | 14:45 to 18:45, drop-in only |
| Down, P3 to P2 | 06:45 to 11:15 | 14:30 to the last bus at 19:00 |
Fares in 2026 were NOK 150 one way uphill for adults and NOK 100 downhill, with children paying NOK 50. Pre-booking applies only to departures from P2; more tickets are sold on site than online, but there can be queues. You cannot pre-book the ride down: queue at P3, ride down and pay at the P2 ticket office when you arrive.
Note the midday break, when no buses run. An afternoon ride up is not recommended unless you plan to stay overnight near Trolltunga. The descent often feels longer and harder than expected, so the destination company recommends taking the shuttle back down too.
Taxis
Odda Taxi takes bookings between 6am and midnight, and there is no night service. If you need a ride at 5am, book it the day before. Odda is a small town and taxis are limited, especially in the evening.
On the 2026 price list, a standard taxi for up to four people costs NOK 800 one way from Odda to P2 Skjeggedal and NOK 1,400 from Odda to P3 Mågelitopp. During the shuttle season, Trolltunga-Road Bus has exclusive rights on the P2–P3 road, so a taxi can go up only when the bus is not running.
Planning the day around the last bus
The timings above add up to a fairly fixed shape for the day. A sensible plan for a summer hike from P3 looks like this:
- Morning. Take one of the early shuttles from Odda to P2, then the shuttle up to P3, or drive up to P3 with your booking inside the morning entry window.
- On the trail. Allow the full 7–10 hours the destination company quotes, plus time for the photo queue on the ledge, which can be 30–45 minutes on a weekday and longer on Saturdays.
- Afternoon. Be back at P3 in time for the shuttle down, whose last bus leaves at 19:00, and then for a bus to Odda from P2.
If you miss the last shuttle at P3, you face the 4.3 km road down to P2 on foot at the end of a long day. If you are driving from P2, remember that the road below closes at 21:00 while the rockslide work lasts.
The plan that tends to go wrong is a late start. The destination company’s advice is blunt: start early to be sure of the last bus down, because Odda has few taxis in the evening.
When a guided tour is simpler
A guided tour solves most of the logistics in one booking. The guided summer hikes from Skjeggedal include the shuttle to P3 and back when the weather allows, so you only need to reach the meeting point at P2. Most overnight tours start from the same meeting point in Skjeggedal and add a night on the mountain, with the return the next afternoon.
Outside the summer season a guide is not a convenience but a recommendation: from October through May the destination company advises hiking only with a guide, and in winter the road to Skjeggedal itself needs good winter tyres, spikes or chains. Our guide to via ferrata, overnight and winter tours compares what each format includes, and the tours page lists the current options.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive to Trolltunga?
No. You can drive to P2 Skjeggedal, the main trailhead, or in summer to P3 Mågelitopp with a pre-booked space. From there the return hike is 27 km from P2 or 20 km from P3.
How much does parking at Trolltunga cost?
On the 2026 tariff, P2 Skjeggedal costs NOK 550 for the same day, including the road toll. P3 Mågelitopp costs NOK 600, plus the NOK 220 road toll paid at P2. P1 Tyssedal costs NOK 330. Check the current prices before you go.
Is there a bus from Odda to Trolltunga?
Yes. In 2026 a shuttle bus ran from Odda via P1 Tyssedal to P2 Skjeggedal from 15 May to 27 September, taking about 30 minutes. A second shuttle runs from P2 up to P3 in summer.
Do I need to book P3 Mågelitopp?
Yes, until 31 August it is pre-booked parking only, with 30 spaces. In September it also takes drop-ins. You cannot drive up to P3 just to drop someone off.
How long does it take to get to Trolltunga from Bergen?
About 3 hours by car to the Odda area, then about 30 minutes from Odda to Skjeggedal. By bus or boat it takes longer, so most visitors stay in Odda or Tyssedal the night before.
What time is the last shuttle bus down from P3?
In summer 2026 the last bus down from P3 Mågelitopp left at 19:00. Plan your hike so that you are back at P3 well before then.