Trip Guide: Beginner Cross Country Skiing Holiday in Norway

New to winter sports? Then cross-country skiing is where you should start. The learning curve is much faster than downhill skiing – you’ll make quick progress over just a few days, and it’s easier on the knees too.

Each day brings different trails and terrain as your skills develop on this trip, from easy lakeside loops on day two to full-day wilderness routes by the end of the week. Your instructor teaches technique as you go, building your confidence and stamina. Mid-week, trade skis for kayaks on Norway’s longest fjord before a final big mountain day.

This guide gives you everything you need to know to show up for your cross-country ski adventure prepared and ready to go.

Getting There

Tyin Filefjell sits at 1,000m above sea level between Oslo and Bergen. The hotel is in a remote mountain area, but getting here is easier than it looks. There are direct buses from both cities, and however you come, we collect you from Tyinkrysset at the end.

You have two straightforward routes: fly into Oslo Gardermoen, or fly into Bergen. Both have a direct bus to the resort, and both are covered below.

From Oslo

Direct airport bus: The Vy express bus (VY450) leaves from just outside Oslo Gardermoen and runs direct to Tyinkrysset in around four and a half hours, no changes. Current timings have it leaving the airport at 16:45 and arriving Tyinkrysset at 21:15.

Via Oslo city centre: If you’d rather break up the journey or spend time in the city, take the train from the airport into Oslo Central Station, then pick up a bus to Tyinkrysset from the terminal next door. Buses from the city run more often through the day, so you get more choice of times. There’s one easy change, and it’s simple to navigate.

Getting from Oslo Airport to city: There local trains run from the airport platforms every 10 to 15 minutes. Choose a standard local train rather than the pricier express, they reach the same station for a lot less. Oslo Central Station has coffee shops and places to sit if you have a wait, and the bus terminal is a few minutes’ walk away.

On the city-centre buses, look for services calling at Fagernes. These are timed to connect, so if one runs late the next usually waits, and if there’s ever a holdup you can change at Fagernes. There’s normally around a 15 minute gap between departures.

From Bergen

Bergen has a direct Vy express bus (VY450) to Tyinkrysset. On the way out the bus takes around five hours and ten minutes from Bergen bus station, so allow roughly six hours in total once you’ve added the airport-to-station connection. These services tend to leave earlier in the day, currently around 09:00 from Bergen. For the return, the direct bus from Tyinkrysset to Bergen currently leaves at 13:35 and arrives at 18:05, a little quicker at about four and a half hours. It’s worth planning your flights around these times.

To reach the bus station from Bergen Airport you have two easy options: the Bybanen light rail line runs from just outside the airport into the centre in around 40 minutes, every 10 minutes or so, and is the cheaper choice; or the Flybussen airport coach, which is quicker at around 16 minutes and runs frequently, but costs more. Both are simple to navigate.

Bergen is a lovely city in its own right, so it’s well worth a night either side if you can.

Your transfer to the hotel: However you travel, we collect you from Tyinkrysset and take you to the hotel. The group transfer meets the arrival bus at Tyinkrysset bus station at 21:15 on arrival day, and drops you back there at 09:45 on departure day to connect with your bus home. The transfer is included in your trip, and the times are fixed, so please book your buses to fit them. If you arrive outside these times, a private transfer between the bus stop and the hotel can be arranged for approximately NOK 80 (£6/€7) per person each way, a 5 to 10 minute drive.

A quick word on the buses: these are proper coaches, with comfortable reclining seats, a clean toilet on board and some of the best views you’ll get anywhere. It’s a genuinely comfortable, good-value way to travel, a world away from a UK coach.

Fitness & Skill Level

Fitness Level: Moderate

This trip is for complete beginners – no cross-country skiing experience needed. However, “beginner” doesn’t mean “easy”.  Learning anything new is physically and mentally demanding, especially cross-country skiing and especially over six consecutive days.

You’ll be active 6-7 hours daily, covering up to 15km by the end of the week – a distance that’s far harder on skis than if you hiked it.

What to Expect

• • Duration: 6-7 hours active daily, split into two sessions or occasional full days.
  • The Reality: Cross-country skiing feels like “running with skis on.” Long flat sections and (eventually) the uphill climbs and downhill slides – it’s fun, but physical.
  • Speed and Gliding: This sport is all about generating speed and momentum through gliding. You’ll pick up pace on gentle slopes. If sliding makes you nervous, this isn’t your sport.
  • Falling: You’ll take tumbles while learning, it’s part of the process! Falls are softer than alpine skiing, but you need to be comfortable hitting the snow and getting back up.
  • If You’ve Skied Before: It doesn’t matter if you’ve downhill/alpine skied before, cross-country skiing is a totally different sport. Even seasoned downhill skiers start as beginners here.

Who This Suits

If you want to learn a new winter sport in the middle of the Norwegian mountains with expert guides, this is for you. You need to be ready for consecutive active days, the ups and downs (literally) of learning something new and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.

Fitness Requirements

• • Regular cardio at least three times per week (running, gym classes, cycling, swimming)
  • Core and balance work helps (yoga, Pilates, squats, lunges)
  • Mental readiness for physical challenge

If you’re active and love a physical challenge, this is for you. If back-to-back active days sound draining, it isn’t.

Sleep & Eat

A newly renovated mountain hotel at 900m above sea level with 28 rooms and 15 apartments. Each room has a comfortable bed, private bathroom with shower, mountain views from the windows and free WiFi.

The hotel has a restaurant, terrace, and is steps from the trails.

Twin rooms and private rooms are available (private rooms include standard private rooms and superior private rooms).

The food here is a real highlight. The hotel chefs use local ingredients from the nearby Valdres region.

• • Breakfast: Mountain breakfast buffet each morning to fuel your days
  • Lunch: Packed lunches for the trails
  • Dinner: Three-course dinners served in the restaurant each evening

Expect hearty Norwegian mountain food designed to refuel after a day on the trails such as warming soups, local meat, fresh fish.

Weather

Temperatures shift across the December to April season. Deep winter, December through February, is the coldest, with daytime temperatures typically around -10 to -3°C and colder nights. March and April are milder, often around -5 to 5°C in the day, with longer, brighter days and snow still reliable. It’s a dry cold throughout, so it feels less harsh than the damp UK cold at the same reading, and you’ll warm up fast once you’re moving.

Be prepared for snow, wind or sunshine depending on conditions. Tyin is one of Southern Norway’s snowiest areas, so snow is reliable right through to spring.

Good to Know

Money: Norway uses Norwegian Krone (NOK), but most places accept credit or debit cards, including the hotel and resort. You can bring a small amount of local currency for personal expenses or tips if you want, but it’s not needed.

All meals are included, so you’re mainly budgeting for drinks, extra snacks or souvenirs if you want them.

Tipping: Tipping is not compulsory on our adventures, but if you’ve had a great trip and brilliant service, a tip for your guide or host is always appreciated. We recommend giving 200-300 NOK, or whatever you can or feel is the right amount.

Communication: The hotel has free WiFi. Phone coverage also works in the village but you’ll be offline on the trails.

Your Gutsy Girls host is your main contact throughout. For family emergencies, give them the hotel contact details.

Packing List

What We Provide

• • Cross-Country Ski Equipment: All included.
  • Cross-country skis
  • Cross-country ski boots
  • Cross-country ski poles
  • Kayaking Equipment: For mid-week kayaking day.
  • Kayak
  • Paddle
  • Dry suit
  • Buoyancy aid

We’ll fit everything on arrival and make sure it’s working correctly.

What You Need to Bring

Base Layers (Next to Skin)

• • Moisture-wicking thermals – tops and bottoms made of merino wool or synthetic equivalents. Bring at least two sets to rotate. Never wear cotton – it stays wet and cold.
  • Mid Layers
  • A thin fleece or lightweight layer for warmth. You’ll shed this when working hard, and add it back during breaks.

Outer Layers

• • Windproof, breathable shell jacket (not a puffy downhill ski jacket)
  • Windproof, water-repellent soft shell trousers or leggings

Insulated Layer

• • Pack a warm, insulated jacket in your daypack for rest stops.

Accessories

• • Sunglasses (UV protection)
  • Sunscreen for face and lips (SPF 30+)
  • Waterproof gloves (two pairs – one will get wet)
  • Glove liners
  • Warm socks (merino or synthetic, multiple pairs)
  • Buff or neck gaiter
  • Warm hat

Personal Kit

• • Daypack (around 25L) for water, snacks, layers
  • Water bottle
  • Warm boots for being outside off skis
  • Personal meds and first aid items
  • Yoga/comfortable clothing for yoga sessions
  • Swimwear for saunas and kayaking

Packing Tips

Layering: Cross-country means constant movement, which means you’re generating heat even in freezing temperatures. You’ll get hot and sweaty while gliding, then cool down fast when you stop, and in a group you’ll stop more often than you would skiing solo, so those temperature swings hit harder.

Leave the downhill ski gear at home, because all that padding and insulation is designed for sitting still on chairlifts. What you want is a base layer, a thin mid-layer and a windproof shell, all of which you can ski in without overheating. The one insulated layer you do need is a jacket in your daypack, which stays there until you stop for a break and goes straight back in when you set off again.

Fabric choices: Merino wool handles sweat better and won’t smell after multiple days. Synthetic materials work too, but you’ll notice the difference by day three. Cotton stays wet and cold, so avoid it completely.

Gloves: You’ll get snow in your gloves and they’ll get wet, so bring two pairs. Thin liner gloves underneath also help.

Hand luggage essentials: If you’ve checked a bag and it doesn’t join you in Norway right away, keep the things you can’t ski without in your hand luggage: base layers, one warm layer, spare gloves and anything else you’d struggle to replace out there.

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