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Rustad Hotel, Sjusjøen

Tranquil yet dramatic scenery above Lillehammer
 
With fantastic trails from the door for all levels, the family-run Rustad Hotel is an ideal base for a cross-country skiing holiday.
Rustad Hotel, Sjusjøen. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Rustad Hotel, Sjusjøen. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A winter holiday in Sjusjøen,

a cross-country skier’s paradise
Situated high on the fjells above Lillehammer – a town which has successfully maintained its Olympic legacy – Sjusjøen is a small settlement renowned for its excellent cross-country skiing. It’s a popular training ground for ski teams, as well as an easy weekend escape from Oslo: the many kilometres of well-maintained trails which run alongside frozen lakes, through forests and over moorland feel completely removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The timber-built Rustad Hotel is the only hotel in the village, and is still run by the Rustad family. The typically Norwegian décor, great sense of tradition and first-rate hospitality ensure a very relaxing stay – right from the moment you first step through the door.
 

Our expert says

“Sjusjøen’s focus is very definitely on cross-country skiing – you can ski from the door and spend all day on the trails. It’s a must for intermediate and advanced skiers, but beginners are also very welcome here, with the flat terrain around the hotel the perfect place to master the basics.”
Rebecca Bruce, Inntravel snow holiday expert
 
Gallery
 

Inclusive value

Holidays starting 6-27 January and 2-23 March 2024 include 6 days’ classic ski hire.
 
 

Winter activities

There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of the trails and explore at a pace that suits you. 
  • 300km; suited to all levels
    Sjusjøen – along with the wider Lillehammer region – is acknowledged as one of the best cross-country skiing regions in Europe. In recent years, it has also been voted as Norway’s number one area – quite an endorsement, considering the votes were cast by Norwegians themselves!

    Trails start from right outside the hotel, where the sheltered lakeside routes are perfect for beginners or those seeking their ski legs.

    More advanced skiers, meanwhile, can tackle the various routes that link the neighbouring settlements, or even attempt some of the famous Birkebeiner Trail. Each year in mid-March, this 54-kilometre trail provides the course for Norway’s oldest and most challenging ski event; all participants must race carrying a 3.5kg backpack that symbolises the weight of a young Norwegian prince who was rescued along this route.

    Here are some of our favourite options:

    Around the lake: 9km
    This beautiful route can be enjoyed by skiers of all abilities: the initial lakeside section is completely flat – great for perfecting your technique – with the trail beginning to undulate gently as you round the lake and return to the hotel.

    Sjusjøen to Nordseter: 12-14km
    From Sjusjøen, this trail passes through the trees to reach Nordseter and its café-bakery, which serves a good selection of homemade cakes and bread. When the time comes to return, you can either choose to retrace your route – recommended for beginners – or opt instead to ski back over Lunkefjell on a longer, more challenging trail that offers superb views over Sjusjøen and the lake.

    Down to Lillehammer: 15-20km
    This route follows part of the renowned Birkebeiner Trail and features a number of excellent downhill sections. There is a choice of ways to approach the former Olympic town of Lillehammer, from where you return to Sjusjøen by regular, local bus.
    Beautiful trails
  • Dog-sledding
    Cross-country skiing is the main activity in Sjusjøen, with visitors coming to immerse themselves in unspoiled nature while out on the trails. One other activity you may like to experience during your stay is dog-sledding: a local company offers both 15km and 30km tours throughout the winter.
    Dog-sledding
  • Special events
    There are traditional Norwegian celebrations at Christmas, including a special dinner on Christmas Eve, carol singing and music around the Christmas tree. At New Year, you can enjoy a gala dinner, live music and fireworks.
 

Where you stay

Sjusjøen (altitude: 900m) is a small hamlet surrounded by forest and moorland. Despite the various mountain cabins dotted among the woods – which create the illusion the area is quite well developed – this is an extremely tranquil corner of the country. Aside from the hotel, the hamlet is made up of a small supermarket, a pub and a couple of sports shops.
Rustad Hotel

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel
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  • 7 nights: 21 December 2023 - 06 April 2024 & 21 December 2024 - 05 April 2025

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

    Starting Adults
    21 Dec - 23 Dec 2023 £1845
    29 Dec - 30 Dec 2023 £1705
    06 Jan - 06 Jan 2024 £1635
    13 Jan - 27 Jan 2024 £1760
    03 Feb - 24 Feb 2024 £1885
    02 Mar - 16 Mar 2024 £1710
    23 Mar - 23 Mar 2024 £1835
    30 Mar - 30 Mar 2024 £1565
    Single traveller supplement £95

    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 1625; hold luggage included), connecting journey by rail from Oslo Airport (2h) & transfer (0h45)

    The 'Single traveller supplement' applies for solo travellers.

    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)

    Rustad Hotel, Sjusjøen
    Balcony: 21 Dec - 13 Apr 2024 £28
    Single room: 21 Dec - 13 Apr 2024 £0
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Oslo (latest flight arrival time: 1630; earliest flight departure time: 1300)

    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
  • use of cross-country trails
  • detailed information about the area
  • flights from London (regional flights 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 7 reviews
  • Mrs P Tindle
    Callander
    31 January 2023

    The travel aspects were perfect and worry free

    The staff at the hotel were excellent

    You can ski from the door

    As a single traveller check if the room has tea/coffee making facilities

     

  • Sally from Devon
    21 January 2023

    Thank you for the most amazing week, this is our third visit to Sjusjøen and we will definitely return next year. The friendlines of the hotel and all the staff, the fabulous food and Michael's attention to detail in looking after the skis are seeing to none. It is very friendly too and all the different nationalities staying make for interesting conversation! We were extremely lucky with the weather too. 

  • Mr P Dutton
    Settle
    08 January 2023

    We will not hesitate to travel with Inntravel again. After airline cancelled our flight Inntravel quickly reorganised our travel arrangements, including a hotel overnight despite it being out of office hours. That really reduced the stress of the airline flight changes late at night. Rustad hotel opened the hotel ski store out of normal hours to get us out on the trails when we finally arrived which we appreciated. Recommend speaking to the hotel ski store (usually Michael) after breakfast about which trails to ski and which wax to use.

  • Anon
    26 March 2022

    Scenic & peaceful with a great variety of trials. yet close enough to Lillehammer with a direct bus link if fancy a days rest from skiing;  friendly & accommodating staff. A great break.

  • Anon
    14 February 2022

    Sjusjoen is a fantastic classic skiing area with lots of beautiful and mainly undemanding ski tracks. The Rustad Hotel provides excellent hospitality.

  • Anon
    29 January 2022

    The trails are really pretty and well prepared. Rustad Hotel is very cosy, friendly and has excellent, helpful staff. We have been several times and will go again. This year, we were a bit rusty in terms of skiing prowess and in retrospect should have booked a refresher lesson for day 1 or 2.

     

     

  • Ms A Appleton
    Leeds
    29 January 2022

    A superb area for cross-country skiing and a perfect small hotel; we would definitely revisit. The ease of having ski hire within the hotel and the easy access to ski trails was great. 
 

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.
  • If you are travelling over Christmas or New Year, or during school holidays, you should definitely pre-book lessons. After you’ve booked your holiday with us, we’ll send you a link to a list of options that we can arrange for you in advance.
    Sometimes we can’t make bookings on your behalf. In these cases you should phone or email the ski school well before your holiday to arrange a date and time; do not wait until you are on holiday to make arrangements. 

    More about Inntravel's pre-booking service >
  • Yes. After you’ve booked your holiday with us, we’ll send you a link to a list of options that we can arrange for you in advance.

    More about Inntravel's pre-booking service >
  • 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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