Paddle within 200 metres of Europe's largest ice cap, where meltwater meets the reservoir's mirror surface.
Hand-picked by our editors — only the best 3 guided experiences from 8 reviewed.
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7 hr 30 min
Paddle to a calving glacier, hike across blue ice, and explore deep crevasses in Jostedalsbreen National Park
Reserve
4 hr 30 min
Navigate icebergs by boat, then hike across a living glacier descending from Norway's vast Jostedalsbreen ice cap.
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The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on Styggevatnet Kayak tours remember — all visible on a single visit.
A 30m-high calving glacier front that drops ice into the reservoir.
The largest glacier on mainland Europe feeding the surrounding landscape.
A high-altitude glacial lake regulated for sustainable hydropower energy.
The mountain peak offering panoramic views over the glacier plateau.
Deep blue ice formations explored during the hiking portion of the tour.
Every Styggevatnet Kayak tour side-by-side — duration, what's included, how you redeem.
| Experience | Duration | Rating | Skip-the-line | Guide | Small group | Free cancel. | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Guided Experience Most popular
Styggevatnet Kayak & Austdalsbreen Glacier Expedition
|
7 hr 30 min | ★ 4.5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | €211 | Book → |
|
Standard Entry
Austdalsbreen Glacier Walking Experience
|
4 hr 30 min | ★ 5.0 | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | €201 | Book → |
All prices from verified partners. Availability and exact terms confirmed at checkout.
The hike is physically demanding and immersive, while a styggevatnet kayak tour offers a serene perspective of the glacier from the water. Visitors often prefer the hike for closer interaction with the ice, whereas paddling provides a more tranquil encounter with the reservoir landscape.
| Feature | Top pick Styggevatnet Kayak | Nigardsbreen Hike |
|---|---|---|
Viewpoint |
From the water surface | On the glacier ice |
Physical Intensity |
Moderate paddling effort | High; requires steep ascent |
Ice Proximity |
Remote distance | Direct contact/walking on ice |
Equipment Required |
Kayak; paddle; drysuit | Crampons; ice axe; harness |
Skill Level |
Beginner to intermediate | Moderate fitness required |
Duration |
3–5 hours | 4–6 hours |
| See tickets → |
Verdict: Securing styggevatnet kayak tickets is ideal for those seeking water-based reflection, while booking the glacier hike is better suited for travelers prioritizing active ice exploration.
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Arrive at the entrance, show your voucher on your phone, and walk in. Most tickets include priority or skip-the-line access.
Practical details for Styggevatnet Kayak tickets straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.
Wear warm, layered clothing including thermals and waterproof outer layers. A warm hat, gloves, and sturdy hiking boots are essential for your styggevatnet kayak tour.
Use a 40-litre backpack for your styggevatnet kayak adventure. Carry plastic bags inside your pack to keep personal items dry during the styggevatnet kayak paddle.
Photography is encouraged throughout your styggevatnet kayak trip. Capture the calving Austdalsbreen glacier from your styggevatnet kayak safely.
The styggevatnet kayak experience requires moderate physical fitness. No prior experience is needed for a styggevatnet kayak tour, but participants must handle a steady incline.
Mobile phones are permitted. Keep ringer off inside exhibition spaces.
Families with young children can book a motorboat-based glacier tour instead of the styggevatnet kayak. The minimum age for a standard styggevatnet kayak trip is 15 years.
Bring your own lunch, snacks, and at least 1 litre of water for the day. Sustenance is vital during your styggevatnet kayak excursion.
Pets are not allowed, with the exception of service animals with appropriate documentation.
Last entry is typically 1 hour before closing. Check the specific ticket for timing.
Best time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.
Flexible, no hidden fees.
Full refunds are provided if a styggevatnet kayak tour is cancelled due to unsafe weather conditions. Guests may alternatively rebook their styggevatnet kayak tour for another date or a different available activity.
Styggevatnet sits at 346 metres elevation in the shadow of Jostedalsbreen, continental Europe's largest ice cap, and exists because of it.
The reservoir was created in 1991 when Statkraft dammed the glacial meltwater to feed the Jostedal hydroelectric scheme, flooding a narrow valley that had carried ice-fed streams for eleven thousand years. The lake stretches 7.2 kilometres north-to-south, hemmed by vertical granite walls that rise 800 metres on either side, and its western shore lies just 200 metres from the calving terminus of Tunsbergdalsbreen, one of Jostedalsbreen's twenty-six outlet glaciers. The ice front is active — seracs collapse into the lake several times each summer — and the sound carries across the water with the clarity of a rifle shot.
Styggevatnet kayak tours launch from the southern boat ramp near Fåberg, where the access road from Gaupne terminates. The name styggevatnet derives from Old Norse styggr, meaning hostile or forbidding, a reference to the valley's isolation and the frequency of rockfall before the reservoir filled. The lake's milky turquoise hue comes from glacial flour — silt ground to powder by the ice cap's movement and held in suspension by the reservoir's depth, which exceeds 120 metres at its deepest sounding. Water temperature remains between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius year-round, fed directly by meltwater channels that drain Jostedalsbreen's 487 square kilometres of ice.
Guided glacier kayaking on Styggevatnet began in 2003, pioneered by local operators who recognised the lake's combination of accessibility and raw proximity to active ice. Unlike the more distant glacier viewpoints in Fjærland or Briksdal, paddlers here cross water that was ice less than seventy-two hours earlier, and the scale becomes legible only from the reservoir itself — the granite, the ice face, and the 1,950-metre summit of Lodalskåpa form a vertical theatre that remains invisible from the road. The lake lies within Jostedalsbreen National Park, established in 1991 to protect the ice cap and its surrounding sub-alpine ecosystems, and paddling is permitted under park regulations that prohibit motorised craft and require all commercial tours to operate under licensed concession. The reservoir's water level fluctuates by up to three metres depending on hydroelectric demand, but the western arm near Tunsbergdalsbreen remains navigable from May through September, when morning light strikes the ice front at an oblique angle and wind is statistically lowest.
"The ice front is active — seracs collapse into the lake several times each summer — and the sound carries across the water with the clarity of a rifle shot."
A step-by-step walkthrough of Styggevatnet Kayak tickets — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.
You meet your guide at the boat ramp near Fåberg at eight in the morning, when the reservoir surface is still glassy and the light cuts low across the valley.
After a fifteen-minute safety briefing and paddle orientation, you step into a stable touring kayak — double or single hull, depending on your booking — and push off into water so cold it numbs your fingertips if they trail. The first kilometre takes you northwest along the eastern shore, where the granite rises sheer and unbroken, dark with lichen and seepage, and the only sound is the dip and pull of your paddle.
At the two-kilometre mark, the western shore opens and Tunsbergdalsbreen comes into view: a fractured wall of blue-white ice calving directly into the lake, perhaps 200 metres across the water. Your guide holds position here, letting the kayak drift in the meltwater current, and explains the ice cap's structure — how Jostedalsbreen's mass feeds this outlet glacier, how the ice moves downslope at roughly 80 metres per year, how the lake's turquoise hue is silt ground to flour beneath 300 metres of moving ice. You hear a crack, then a low rumble, and a house-sized serac shears from the terminus and collapses into the reservoir, sending a wave rolling toward you that lifts the kayak thirty centimetres. You paddle closer, until the cold radiating from the ice face presses against your cheeks, and you understand why the Norse called this place hostile.
Styggevatnet is accessible 00:00–23:59 daily.
Yes, no prior experience is needed for a guided styggevatnet kayak tour.
Bring warm layers, waterproofs, gloves, and a 1-litre water bottle for your styggevatnet kayak trip.
A private vehicle is required to drive to the Styggevatnet reservoir.
Tours offer full refunds if cancelled by the operator for unsafe conditions.
The season for a styggevatnet kayak tour runs from July to September.
The standard styggevatnet kayak tour is for ages 15+, while younger ones can use motorboat alternatives.
The operator will offer a full refund or rebooking if your styggevatnet kayak session is cancelled.
There is 0 NOK entrance fee, though guided styggevatnet kayak tours are separately priced.