Kvitfjell ski resort is located about two hours drive from Oslo in the east of Norway. Spread over three separate towns it is a peaceful location, beautiful and with almost guaranteed snow from early in the season through to at least Easter. The resort was purpose built for the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, although has the feel of a scattering of Norwegian villages that have been in the hillsides for generations. The 39km of slopes are quiet, even at the height of the season and with the gentle Norwegian touch they’re a lovely place to spend time. There are a number of accommodation options which we give you below including the best Kvitfjell hotel and the sweetest self-catering log cabins in the hills. With its proximity to Oslo Kvitfjell is perfect for a ski trip with a city break tagged on the end for the best of both worlds from a winter holiday.
Read on to the bottom where there’s a feature all about our family trip to Kvitfjell. It includes a video of our time at the resort.
Read more:
Our ultimate guide to skiing with kids
The best ski resorts in Europe for families
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We have put together our ski guide based on our time spent there. You can use the headings to skip through to the bits that are useful to you or read it all for one big blast of Kvitfjell, Norway fun.
Table of Contents
Our ultimate guide to Kvitfjell ski resort, Norway – Getting to Kvitfjell and away
Kvitfjell is an easy drive from Oslo. Almost straight there on E6 (Oslo-Trondheim road) and it takes about two hours.
It’s also pretty easy on public transport. The trains leave straight from either Oslo Central Station or the train station that is located within Oslo airport.
Get out at Lillehammer which is around an hour’s drive further on to Kvitfjell (although be warned the taxi ride can run in to the hundreds, it’s not cheap).
You can get closer with a train on from Lillehammer to Ringebu station and Kvitfjell is around a 15-20 minute taxi ride from the station.
It’s worth noting that there aren’t any resort buses to get around and while you can make do with gondolas and skiing of course, having a car in the resort is probably useful. Especially to pick up shopping supplies.
What to do in Kvitfjell
This is a small resort but with good skiing for all levels.
It’s a great place to learn to ski with plenty of gentle runs but there are also more challenging runs for those who like more adventurous skiing.
The whole resort was built for the Olympics. So you can try your hand at Olympic black runs if you want a real challenge.
The resort is split into three areas – Mellomstasjon, Vest and Varden.
Mellomstasjon
This is the main area and home to the ski school, rental shop and that Olympic black run.
There are also plenty of easy runs here and it’s perfect for children or beginners.
The Kvitfjellparken terrain park is also here which is perfect for practising tricks and jumps.
For children there’s a fun Olympic run of their own. There’s also visits from the resort’s friendly mascot, Jøkul the yeti who turns up here and in Vest once through the week.
Vest
This is an ideal intermediates level with plenty of blue and red runs.
There is a kid’s area here with a fun treasure hunt to ski around. There’s hot berry juice to be had in the snow fort and snow cannons to really get kids’ imaginations fired up.
There’s also an area for jumps and kids can apply to be a park ranger and help out with safety for the day.
Varden
This is the quietest of the three areas, lots of gentle, easy runs through the trees, the perfect place to take in the beautiful scenery.
This is a great place for beginners to have a go on their own and feel confident on the slopes.
Outside of Kvitfjell ski resort
Outside of Kvitfjell, especially if you have a car, is also Lillehammer. This is a very pretty town with plenty of restaurants, great shopping and some interesting sights including one of northern Europe’s largest open-air museums at Maihaugen.
They also have husky dog sledding just outside at Sjusjøen Husky Tours.
Ski rental in Kvitfjell
There are two ski rental places run by Sport 1 Kvitfjell, which has outlets on both the West and East side.
Here you can pick up everything you need to ski or snowboard whether you want to rent or buy your own kit.
Where to stay in Kvitfjell
There are lots of accommodation options across the mountains from self catering to luxury hotels. Some of our favourites are –
Varden Fjellandsby Anneks – self catering
We stayed in these adorable log cabins in Varden.
They were peaceful, cosy, incredibly warm and jut the perfect winter retreat.
Our cabin was ski in ski out and just had the most amazing views across the scenery of white topped mountains and feathery, Nordic trees.
We had everything we needed to cook up a storm and they have sizes from four up to 10.
Read to the bototm of this feature for a full review of our stay in these log cabins.
Gudbrandsgard Hotell
This is a really unique hotel which looks almost fairytale like.
There are pools, saunas and hot tubs to enjoy alongside some great restaurants and cosy rooms. Find out more and book your own stay here.
Where to eat in Kvitfjell ski resort
For somewhere fairly small there are a surprising number of places to eat here and they are fantastic quality.
Fôr Restaurant
Do not miss this restaurant.
Set on the side of Vest from the outside it looks so cosy and its amber glow is so warming.
Inside you will find the most imaginative menu with a real emphasis on local ingredients and good food. Let them know any dietary requirements in advance and they will create the most amazing menu for you.
This is one of those places I would normally say to visit at the end of a trip as a last special meal to celebrate a great ski trip but don’t leave this one that long. You might just want to visit more than once.
(Don’t miss the restaurant’s on site bakery where they have wonderful bread and cinnamon buns for sale too).
Check their website for more details here.
Varden Restaurant
Right next to the gondola station in Varden is the Varden restaurant which is open in the day time.
It is such a beautiful, stylish space with lovely little touches like warm blankets to pull over knees and fluffy rugs to sit on.
They have lovely hot chocolate with thick cream on top, pancakes with jam and open sandwiches including smoked salmon and scrambled egg.
It’s the perfect retreat from the cold for a while and a lovely space to relax in to.
Where to shop – Kvitfjell ski resort
There aren’t a huge numbers of shops in Kvitfjell.
In Mellomstasjon there is a small shop where you can pick up some clothes, ski related items and a few souvenirs.
There’s a small shop in Vest for shopping supplies but if you’re going self catering you might just want to stop off in Fåvang where there are a couple of very good supermarkets.
Kvitfjell ski resort video
I hope you’ve enjoyed our guide to Kvitfjell, we absolutely loved our time there. Check out our bumper guide to family friendly ski resorts across Europe here, our ultimate guide to skiing with kids here.
Skiing in Kvitfjell Norway – a family ski trip
There’s something about skiing in Scandinavia that is just unique. Is it that the mountain air feels more pure somehow, is there a gentleness in the manner of the people, is the food more interesting or different, is the scenery just breathtakingly beautiful? I think it’s all of these things and more besides. Our wonderful week skiing in Kvitfjell Norway was just a joy to the senses and has convinced us that skiing in this part of the world is something so special and something we are determined to continue. We were staying deep in Norway, in a log cabin in the hills with snow falling thick and fast and yet, with gadget loving kids absolutely none of them wanted to leave the simplicity of life we enjoyed there.
Getting to Kvitfjell Norway
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We flew in to Oslo airport and thanks to the country’s fantastic rail service and a train station which is inside the airport terminal, we were quickly on our way heading out and north.
Any concerns over the lack of snow visible in Oslo faded as we sped across a landscape that became whiter the further we got.
We passed over frozen rivers, their milky blue waters paralysed beneath a hard sheet of ice.
Dark red barns stood large behind cottages which glowed with warming lamps in a way only the Norwegians are able to achieve light and cosiness.
We pulled in to Lillehammer station after two hours.
The town here looked almost chocolate box like, unreal, like a fairytale.
There was no time to linger though as we transferred the further forty minutes in taxi, through roads that looked more like a toboggan run but were expertly taken by our driver.
Staying in Kvitfjell Norway on a family ski trip
When we arrived at our log cabin night had already set in.
We were staying in Varden at the idyllic log cabins of Varden Fjellandsby Anneks which were in the most beautiful setting.
As we pulled the door open, it sent a scattering of snow flurrying in to the air and we hurried inside to the warmth.
We had a log burner which was perfect for evenings in, gently glowing and warming up the whole space.
Skiing in Kvitfjell Norway
Our first day was spent getting our bearings.
We travelled down the hill to the main resort which was an easy ski from the cabin or a chair lift and gondola ride down.
Then we got kitted out in the town’s ski shop where all our skis and boots were waiting for us.
We picked up ski passes and were ready to go.
Our days in Kvitfjell were spent simply and perfectly.
Each morning we would ski on the gentle runs around Varden. Side by side with other families, out for a trip together.
Ski school when skiing in Kvitfjell
After lunch in the cabin we would head down to the main resort to drop the children at their ski school.
Run with English speaking instructors (and some English instructors) they had the calm, positive, encouraging manner I love in Scandinavia.
The younger two were off learning techniques and skiing up a storm in no time.
They loved their time here in the lessons which helped them become more confident and competent.
Our older son, at 13, had decided to try his hand at snowboarding and was wary but excited to see how it went.
Even in the height of the season when we visited, February half term, the slopes and ski school were so quiet.
All of the children had small numbers in their groups, at times only a couple of other children. It was the perfect environment to help them learn and grow.
Eating out – Kvitfjell ski resort
As evening beckoned we would travel back to our log cabin.
It came with jars full of candles, woollen blankets to pull over shoulders and heated floors to keep us all feeling toasty.
The small kitchen allowed us to cook up hot dinners and we would enjoy our breakfasts sat watching yet more snow fall outside the windows.
We went out for a meal one evening, across the other side of the mountain from Varden in the absolutely wonderful Fôr Restaurant.
Here the food was delightful and the atmosphere just so lovely.
We ate deliciously spiced cauliflower soup and creamy mushroom risotto, packed full of fresh flavours and so warming and comforting.
We loved this restaurant.
Exploring Kvitfjell Norway
Our week skiing in Kvitfjell felt like simplicity at its best.
Snow fell thick and fast, the children spent hours outside.
They rolled in it, built snowmen, created snow forts and snow horses and didn’t want to come inside. Until their cheeks rosy and their eyes bright led them back in to fresh cinnamon buns and mugs of hot chocolate.
We explored the snowy forests that surrounded us and visited the lovely little mountaintop cafe of Varden Restaurant where we feasted on pancakes and hot coffee. And stared out at the winter wonderland that enveloped us.
What did we thinking of skiing in Kvitfjell Norway?
When our week was up we shut the door to our little log cabin, wishing we could spend so much longer cocooned in its warmth. A space that had become our haven.
It was time to leave though and we travelled back to Lillehammer and retraced our steps to Oslo.
There’s something about Norway which is so special. It’s magical, life-affirming and always leaves us wanting to stay and explore more.
We can’t wait to return and we wouldn’t hesitate for that to be back to Kvitfjell. It has a very special place in all of our hearts.
Find out more about visiting Kvitfjell here and don’t forget to check out our ultimate guide to skiing with kids and our post about resorts kids will love for lots more inspiration. And see our video below all about our time skiing in Kvitfjell –
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Varden Fjellandsby Anneks – a perfect log cabin in Kvitfjell, Norway
Is there anything more romantic than the idea of a log cabin in the Norwegian hills in the midst of a snow filled winter? With snow falling (and piled up against the windows), we had a log burner, blankets and candles to burn to stay cosy meaning a winters stay in Kvitjfell really feels complete in Varden Fjellandsby Anneks, a perfect log cabin in Kvitfjell, Norway. We checked in for a week of skiing, snow fun and time to really relax.
Varden Fjellandsby is a gorgeous collection of wooden cabins in the hills overlooking Kvitfjell.
They have a whole variety of cabins available right up to those for ten people that include a sauna and four bedrooms.
We stayed in one of their small cabins which are probably best suited to four people or less but worked well for our family of five.
It’s easy to get from here to the main ski area in Kvitfjell with a six person chair lift going all the way there, a road snaking down the hill if you’ve arrived by car and a snowy track to walk down if you’re feeling energetic. It is also ski in and ski out.
Sleeps
Our cabin had a small lounge area with large sofa, TV and a whole stack of new board games and puzzles to dig in to.
There were some lovely touches such as a knitted blanket to pull over us in the evening and a whole jar full of tealight candles to light for cosy evenings in.
This space was open plan with a small dining table with four chairs and a really well kitted out kitchen with fridge-freezer, oven, microwave and dishwasher.
There was everything we needed for a self catering week in.
Best of all this space also had a lovely log burner which kept the whole place lovely and warm.
There was one bedroom with a bunkbed and double bed. Our youngest two doubled up head to toe on the bottom bunk.
There was a bathroom with shower.
As I said this space is probably best suited to a family of four but it’s good to book early if you want one of the bigger properties as they go fast.
The best bits of Varden Fjellandsby Anneks – Kvitfjell ski resort
This property really does play out all those dreams of a Norwegian log cabin in the forest.
It was ideal for the children to run outside and build snowmen, throw snowballs and have fun. And we could sit in the warm when we wanted to and watch them from the large windows.
This was a really cosy, warm space with a log burner and heated floors throughout we never felt cold.
Worth bearing in mind
While you can certainly get here without hiring a car, which we did – taking a taxi from the rain station and then not having one while we stayed in the cabin, I would say it is probably useful if you do have one.
It’s much easier to get around with transportation and especially to pick up supplies for cooking in.
Ready to book Varden Fjellandsby Anneks – Kvitfjell ski resort?
We really enjoyed our time at Varden Fjellandsby Anneks and wouldn’t hesitate to return. Find out more about the cabins and book your own stay here and don’t forget to check out our bumper guide to skiing with kids for more inspiration and tips.
