[All information updated March 2023]
Are you coming to explore Norway in autumn or winter? Or maybe you are a sauna lover even in the summer months? Then you can’t miss what is so typical for Scandinavia – the sauna! Let’s have a look at our 10 best saunas in Norway. Whether it’s floating or has a great sea view, each is special in its own way. A map at the end.
Basic info for sauna use
- Use the sauna for 10-15 minutes intervals. Leave it immediately when you don’t feel comfortable.
- Bring your own towel, preferably two, because no towels are usually offered on-site. Sit on one and use the second to dry yourself.
- Have swimwear on if it’s required (well-washed of public pool water).
- Bring plenty of drinking water with you.
- Don’t drink alcohol.
- Bring flip-flops. Some saunas have separate changing rooms located even a few hundred meters away.
- Check the water level before you jump into the sea or lake!
Best saunas in Norway
Soria Moria
On your way from Oslofjord towards the western fjords, take a break in a mountain village called Dalen. A jewel lying on its lake Bandak is the sauna, Soria Moria. It is definitely one that must be on the list of best saunas in Norway! The wooden pier leads you to a nicely shaped architectural piece, inspired by surrounding mountains, covered with traditional shingles.
To book the sauna, you need to do so at least one-two week beforehand on the Soria Moria website. The price is low since it’s only 300 NOK per 2 hours and for a maximum of 5 people. Yes, your booked time is private, no one else can book the same. You will also find a shower and restrooms approximately 200 metres from the sauna. It is necessary to bring your own towels, swimwear and water.
Farsund
Wandering the southern coastline? You will find saunas here as well! Not far from the southernmost point of Norway – Lindesnes lighthouse, you will find Farsund public bathhouse. The bathhouse dates all the way back to the 1870′, however, was destroyed during the 2nd world war and rebuilt 10 years later. Farsund sauna was built only 7 years ago by enthusiastic locals. Enjoy the view of the sea through the glass wall in front of you.
To enter, buy a Farsund bathhouse day pass for 400 NOK which allows you to use the sauna and bathhouse. You will find there changing rooms, showers and restrooms.
Would you like to have an itinerary for your trip in Norway? It’s ready and waiting for you!
Heit Sørfjorden
Two friends, Oda and Guro, made their dream come true and built a sauna on the shore of the Sørfjord (an arm of Hardangerfjord). If the place sounds familiar to you, you are right, it’s where you hike to Trolltunga. Honestly, there is no better way to relax your muscles after such a demanding hike, than to heat them up in a sauna!
To book a sauna, use the Heit online booking system. The price slightly varies depending on the number of people. It’s 150 NOK/person for drop-in, or if 1-3 people are coming, the price is 1200 NOK per 1,5 hours. There is a changing room with restrooms and an outdoor shower.
Gausta
Spending time in the highest mountains of Telemark? Gaustablikk is a place loved especially by skiers in winter, yet by hikers and campers during summer too. Two floating saunas on a lake Kvitåvatn are the reward you get after your active day hiking/skiing. Definitely belongs to the best saunas in Norway!
To get into the sauna, you need to book through Gausta online booking system. For 600 NOK per 1 hour, you get one of the saunas only for yourself, for up to 6 people. There is a changing room right by the sauna, yet restrooms are found in a Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell, 200 metres away. Showering was not possible due to the corona situation in the winter of 2020.
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Eldmølla
This one is so special! Eldmølla sauna in Jotunheimen isn’t a place built only to attract more tourists. It is a passionate collaboration between the landowner and NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology). The desire to build something special made the students first learn to ski, so they can get to the place in winter.
The sauna is located in the Vang mountains, by a farm in Lerhol. It is named after a mountain that rises 100 meters above it – Eldmølla. Water flows from the ridge of the mountain and forms a beautiful waterfall Drøsja. That’s where the sauna sits, right on it.
To use the sauna, you should book it at least 2 days ahead. The price is 600 NOK for up to 5 people. It can be rented and used for 4 hours. More info is offered by hosts Knut and Kristin on the Eldmølla website.
Vang Sauna
NTNU students work hard on their Live Studio projects. They plan and build many constructions all around the country, yet this sauna isn’t too far from the previous one. The sauna in the village Vang i Valdres serves the public and the public takes care of it. Self-operation and trust are keywords for the sauna and its surrounding area. Among the sauna, you can find a training area, fire pits, benches and a tiny beach.
Sauna lies on the shore of the lake Vangmjøse in the centre of Vang i Valdres, right below the town hall. There is no booking system. You must come and see if there is someone, if you can join or if you have to heat it up yourself. Feel free to use the wood in place for both the sauna and fire pit or you can bring your own. It would be nice if you send a donation for the wood you have used.
SALT Árdna
Nomadic project overlooking the Opera House in Oslo is not only a sauna, but a place to meet, enjoy good music, art, food and drinks. Wooden constructions are shaped as traditional racks for drying fish that can be found around coastal Norway. In Árdna, the main sauna, which is one of the biggest in the world, you can experience sauna rituals with another 80 people! However the main sauna is open only on weekends, there are other saunas heated up on weekdays as well.
To book your seat in the sauna, visit the SALT website to do so. I recommend doing so at least a few days in advance. The ordinary ticket is 195 NOK, however, on weekends, the price is 245 NOK. The ticket will guarantee you 2,5 h of hot happiness in whether Árdna or Skroget and cold baths in fresh or saltwater. There are wardrobes (bring your own padlock) and outdoor showers – one cold and one warm.
Hov Gård
Sauna session on the beach under a dancing aurora in the sky? Let’s heat up the Hov sauna on Lofoten sandy beach. Hov Gård is a farm on the Gimsøya island, offering horseback riding, a restaurant and a beautiful camping ground. So if you drive our campervan to the Lofoten, this is the place where you can camp with the campervan on the beach right next to the sauna!
Booking is available online on the Hov website. The price is 800 NOK for 2 hours for up to four people in the private sauna. You get towels included and there is also a shower and restrooms only for you. Enjoy!
Trevarefabrikken
Another sauna facing the mountains of Lofoten is by Trevarefabrikken in Henningsvær. This is a place to meet great people with tasty meals, good coffee, music and games. Sauna stands on the pier behind the Trevarefabrikken building, facing the sea with a glass wall.
Book your time online on their website for a price from 400 NOK per 1,5 h and for the two of you. The price changes with the number of guests. There is an outdoor shower with cold water and the ocean is right there. Be careful, the waves are usually strong and there are a lot of big rocks.
Pust Tromsø
The similarly shaped sauna as a wooden fish-drying rack can be found in the northernmost student city – Tromsø. Pust means breath in Norwegian, which is quite apt, don’t you think? The sauna is located in a city harbour, so you can jump right into the sea.
As usual, booking needs to be done a few days beforehand on the Pust website. Check the times of private and drop-in options carefully. Even if you are just a drop-in you must book.
For the price of 225 NOK/h, you get one place out of 12 in the sauna. There is also the possibility to book it all for yourself, which costs 2500 NOK per 2 hours. There are changing rooms and indoor and outdoor showers (all cold) where it is forbidden to use soap.
BONUS: Snytindhytta
As a bonus to the saunas accessible by car, I add this special one in the heart of Møysalen National Park. Snytindhytta is an unattended DNT (Norwegian Tourist Association) hut that accommodates hikers all year round. Since it’s a favourite ski destination, a sauna by the cabin is absolutely appropriate idea.
The sauna is self-operated, runs on wood and the whole operation depends on the agreement with others. It is located in a smaller hut, not the main one. There is a lake right by the cabin for a fresh bath. To access the cabin and sauna, you need to book a night there on the DNT website.
As you can see, a sauna is definitely part of the Scandinavian culture. It’s a place where people come to relax, but also meet and spend time together. It’s not rare that you will see children sitting there with their parents, or 80 years old pensioners jumping into ice-cold water to cool down.
I hope that you found some great saunas during your campervan trip. My last tip to those reading to the very end: there is plenty of “hidden” saunas all over the country. Look for public swimming pools, mountain hotels or camping grounds. You never know where you find a sauna for 40kr all for yourself! Good luck!
