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Hindsæter Hotel, Hindsæter

Where tranquillity & natural beauty reign supreme
 
For a superb Nordic winter experience, come to the historic Hindsæter Hotel with its far-reaching views and acclaimed cuisine. Learn cross-country skiing, head out on a guided snowshoe excursion, and walk through a frozen canyon to get a taste of winter holidays Norwegian style.
Hindsæter Hotel, Hindsæter. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Hindsæter Hotel, Hindsæter. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A winter holiday in Hindsæter,

an ideal first snow break
Two features strike visitors to Hindsæter in the mountains of central Norway: the serenity of its surroundings and the views. And what views they are, stretching uninterrupted across the valley towards the high peaks of the Jotunheimen National Park. We couldn’t think of a better backdrop for a holiday that introduces you to the magic of a Norwegian winter.

For – unusually for Norway – this is a holiday that’s about much more than cross-country skiing. There is the opportunity to learn how to ski, of course, but the focus is less on how many kilometres of trails surround Hindsæter and more on the myriad different ways to embrace the snow. Where else would you have the opportunity to combine skiing with a walk through a frozen ice canyon (much less scary than it sounds!), and to enjoy a snowshoe hike beneath the stars?
Your base for all this is the Hindsæter Hotel – a former farm whose conversion into a small mountain hotel has done nothing to detract from its authentic charm. The highlight of your stay – aside from the experience of spending a week in such a tranquil and secluded setting – is sure to be the food. The hoteliers take great care in sourcing ingredients that are as local as possible, and in preparing tasty and traditional dishes for you to enjoy.
 

Our expert says

“If you’re curious to experience winter in Norway, come to Hindsæter. This is the perfect introduction to snow holidays and to Norway in general – together, the cross-country ski lesson, snowshoeing, canyon walk and the delicious local cuisine offer a true Nordic experience.”
Rebecca Bruce, Inntravel snow holiday expert
 
Gallery
 

Winter activities

There is an included activity on most days; below we’ve detailed our suggested itinerary for the week, but the hotel will confirm the exact schedule in your welcome meeting after dinner on the Monday evening.
  • Arrival in Hindsæter
    You arrive in Hindsæter late in the afternoon, with time to settle into the hotel and enjoy a first delicious dinner before your activities begin the following morning.
  • An introduction to cross-country skiing
    Hire of classic cross-country skis and shoes is included for the week, and you will be fitted with your equipment before beginning this morning’s lesson. Over the course of one-and-a-half hours, your instructor will teach you the basics of how to glide effectively, as well as essential techniques for mastering the up- and downhill sections of the trails.

    One lesson should be sufficient to give you the confidence to head out independently, and in the afternoon you’ll have the chance to practise what you’ve learnt – although Hindsæter’s cross-country network is not as extensive as many Norwegian centres, there are more than enough trails from the door to satisfy those who are new to the sport.
    Learn to cross-country ski
  • Snowshoeing
    Snowshoe hire is also included for the duration of your stay and there is a choice of routes leading away from the hotel. Revel in the wonderful silence of the valley, before joining an evening snowshoe hike into the wilderness to gaze at the heavens and spot stars and galaxies. If you’re very lucky, you may also catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights!
    Snowshoeing by torchlight © Ngve Ask, Mountains of Norway
  • Ice-canyoning
    The highlight of the week is likely to be today’s guided walk through the River Sjoa’s canyon. As you head on foot through the canyon, you’ll pass huge icicles, detour behind frozen waterfalls and enter ice ‘caves’ to see winter at its most splendid.
    Ice canyon walk
  • Snowshoeing, skiing or dog-sledding
    Today is free to spend as you choose – continue to explore on snowshoes, work on honing your cross-country skills, or visit a nearby husky farm to experience the thrill of dog-sledding (pay locally).
    Snowshoeing
  • A torchlit sledge race
    Take on the challenge of reaching the area's most panoramic peak on snowshoes. A marked trail leads from the hotel and, having climbed 500 metres, offers superb views over the whole valley. In the evening, it's time for some fun: a sledge race on the hotel’s traditional toboggan.
    Enjoy the views on an independent snowshoe hike
    Exploring on snowshoes
  • A final day on the trails
    Enjoy another day of independent exploration – either on skis or snowshoes – or simply relax in the hotel, from where you may even spot elk in the distance from the panoramic lounge.
    Set off on skis from Hindsæter
 

Where you stay

There’s nothing more to Hindsæter (altitude: 950m) than the hotel and a handful of summer farms, but it’s this seclusion and tranquillity that make it special – here you feel refreshingly removed from the everyday world.
Hindsæter Hotel

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel
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  • 7 nights: 04 February 2024 - 17 March 2024 & 02 February 2025 - 16 March 2025

    Start Sunday | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Adults
    04 Feb - 04 Feb 2024 £1735
    11 Feb - 11 Feb 2024 £1845
    18 Feb - 25 Feb 2024 £1735
    03 Mar - 10 Mar 2024 £1680

    Includes all elements of the holiday itself (accommodation, meals and any additional elements as described), plus flights (usually from London) and onward travel as described.

    Included travel: SAS Heathrow-Oslo (2h10) (out dep 1020, home arr 1830; hold luggage included), connecting journey by rail from Oslo Airport (3h) & transfer (1h).

    A supplement is payable for a single room – see 'Additional prices' below

    Prices are subject to availability and flight supplements may apply. Book early for Christmas, New Year and school holidays. We can also book different flight routes (see flight section below). Please contact us to discuss any pricing implications.

  • Room upgrades (supplement in £ per room per night)

    Hindsæter Hotel, Hindsæter
    'Alp' suite: 04 Feb - 17 Mar 2024 £104
    Single room: 04 Feb - 17 Mar 2024 £34
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Oslo (latest flight arrival time: 1330; earliest flight departure time: 1640)

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Oslo. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book onward flights and connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Oslo (Gardermoen) Loganair,  SAS 
    Aberdeen - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Amsterdam KLM 
    Aberdeen - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Bergen SAS 
    Aberdeen - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Copenhagen SAS 
    Aberdeen - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Stavanger SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Birmingham - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Birmingham - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Copenhagen) SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Oslo (Gardermoen) Norwegian 
    Edinburgh - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Humberside - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Oslo (Gardermoen) Norwegian 
    Gatwick - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Copenhagen) Norwegian 
    Gatwick - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Stockholm) Norwegian 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Oslo (Gardermoen) British Airways,  SAS 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Oslo (Gardermoen) Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Oslo (Gardermoen) Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Oslo (Gardermoen) Norwegian,  SAS 
    Manchester - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Manchester - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Copenhagen SAS 
    Manchester - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Heathrow SAS 
    Manchester - Oslo (Gardermoen), via Stockholm SAS 
    Manchster - Oslo (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Oslo Loganair 
    Newcastle - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Norwich - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Teesside International - Oslo (Gardermoen) (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Oslo. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of alternative flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated above, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice if you would prefer to fly via a different route to the one included in our standard arrangements. A supplement may be payable for other flights.

What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 7 dinners
    7 lunch packs
    7 breakfasts
  • cross-country ski lesson
  • guided snowshoe walk
    guided canyon walk
  • snowshoe and cross-country ski hire
  • detailed information about the area
  • flights from London (regional options available)
  • rail & taxi from/to Oslo
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 8 reviews
  • Ally
    05 March 2023

    Delightful hotel in a very remote valley with absolutely stunning scenery. Although we tried cross country skiing on the first day we decided to snowshoe for the rest of the week. Walking down the side of a frozen river in the sunshine was a real highlight.

  • Anon
    26 February 2023

    Scenery was stunning. Food very good although it should be mentioned that the dinner is a set menu and served at a set time. It was also a prolonged affair, usually lasting 1 hour 45 minutes. Fine if you want to savour the variety of beers and wines available, but not so good if you are prone to seizing up after a day of fairly vigorous exercise.

  • Ms V Sims
    Hemel Hempstead
    19 February 2023

    An absolutely excellent introduction to Nordic snow sports. The setting is stunning, the welcome warm and helpful, the food beautifully thought through, and the variety of activities on offer was just perfect: from dog sledding, to river walks, to snow shoeing, to skiing...topped off in our case with the perfect weather and snow conditions.  

  • SW IoM
    04 March 2022

    My experience of Inntravel lived up to its expectations of excellent organisation and friendly service. Despite the fact that we only booked the trip one week beforehand, everything was efficiently emailed to me and it all worked!

    The Hindsaeter Hotel was a very good base for cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing and also provided some fun extra activities: ice-canyon adventure (more adventurous than expected!), candlelit sledding down the hill behind the hotel and snow-shoe trekking through the woods by starlight! We also loved the husky-sledding trip. Carola, Andre and their staff are keen to provide great service and are always happy to give guidance. Set on a south-facing slope, the hotel's sunny balcony was popular in the afternoons, as was the (very reasonable) spa area. The hotel is rightly renowned for its amazing evening meals - fantastic local food, beautifully presented. Remember to save up if you want to add local cider, beer or wine though!

  • A.J.Wass Rutland
    03 March 2022

    Overall great holiday with slick arrangements, helped by Nordic precision eg train running exactly on time. The stay in Hindsaeter was excellent, the evening dinner alone is worth going for.....we are real foodies and without exaggeration would rate the dinners as some of the best we have ever had. We were blessed with sunshine and snow. It is not a location for beginners skiing, however the walking is spectacular, once you become accustomed to the fact you have the right to roam so can literally go anyway if you are lucky there will be a set of snow shoe tracks to follow. Very peaceful. 

  • Pat Northumberland
    27 February 2022

    Hindsaeter is set in the beautiful, quiet Sjoa valley with magnificent views.It's worth being up early to see the sunrise hit the mountains, the colours are amazing. The night walk, on a cloudless, moonless night showed the sky and Milky Way in all it's glory, and, with Karola's commentary, well worth going out for. The ice canyon walk can be strenuous in parts but there's plenty of help and it's great fun sliding like a child. Expert guidance meant I felt pefectly safe [especially as I am no spring chicken!] and, of course, it's beautiful. If like me your skiing is pre-novice level the snow shoe walks are many and varied with height and difficulty to suit. Karola and Andre, from hello to goodbye, cannot do enough to make your stay all you want. The atmosphere is that of a home and family with the staff a very happy, helpful group.The food lovingly provided by Andre's kitchen is consistently excellent,both in taste and presentation, wonderfully complemented by Karola's deep knowledge of local craft beers. Definitely not to be missed is the opportunity to drive/ride a dog sled at the nearby Sjodalen Hyttetun and don't miss their hot chocolate. Also not to be missed is the sledge race, great fun whatever your age.

  • DP North Yorkshire
    25 February 2022

    A really excellent holiday again at Hindsaeter. The meals were good in previous years, but have probably got even better. A very relaxed and friendly hotel, with a choice of really good snowshoeing routes from the door. We hope to return next winter.

  • Mrs T Been
    Warwick
    20 February 2022

    very friendly hotel with amazing norwegian food 

    beautiful views from bedroom and library which was a lovely place to relax at end of day

    good quality ski kit with very comfy boots and no blisters

    we were surprised (and saddened) that with climate change the snow had only just arrived- it was perfect for us and we were able to check which trails had just been made each morning
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • This is quite common in Norwegian hotels, and is essentially a DIY packed lunch – you take what you’d like from breakfast, and can even bring along a flask to fill up with coffee.
  • Living far from the capital ourselves, we know better than most that flying from London can be a bind, so we are very flexible with our travel arrangements. Call or email us, and one of the team will be happy to list the different options available to you, and any price implications.
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Norway, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). There is no need to apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) as this (and still-current EHICs) is not valid in Norway. However, should you need medical help, you can show your UK passport at the medical facility and treatment will be provided on the same terms as for Norwegian nationals. It is important that, if you already have travel insurance in place, the terms do not exclude medical cover, especially for existing conditions, in the absence of an EHIC.
  • The most widely spoken language is Norwegian. The currency is the Kroner. Norwegian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
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