A Full Guide to Wild Camping in Norway + Wild Camping Tips

Everything you need to know about wild camping in Norway.

So you want to go wild camping in Norway. That great! But where to start? Is it even allowed? And where to pitch my tent?

I will give you all the answers in this full guide to wild camping in Norway.

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Is wild camping allowed in Norway?

Yes. Wild camping is allowed in Norway. As in Sweden and Finland.

It is allowed by the allemannsretten (loosely translated as ‘the right to roam’). This longstanding law exists because Norwegians think that everyone should be able to go out in nature without any restrictions.

This is super great, it makes that you can just go outside and pitch your tent or park your campervan and sleep! No more driving to campings, no more (expensive) accommodations. Just the freedom to sleep wherever you want!

However, there are some rules to this…

Wild camping rules

To keep the grounds clean and the Norwegians (and travelers) happy, there are some rules you have to commit to when going wild camping.

The right to roam only applies to uncultivated lands that are not fenced in. Like parking lots and fields.
Keep at least 150 meters distance to the next house or hut.
You can stay for 2 days in the same spot without permission. Make sure to move to another spot after these 2 days.
Keep the ‘’leave no trace’’ rule in mind. You should leave the site exactly how you found it.
Respect the ‘’no camping’’ signs.

The right to roam is only for non-motorized travelers. Campers or motorhomes should be parked on pitches, or at the roadside to preserve nature.

So, that’s about it.

Also…

There are some rules about fishing, berry picking, and campfires:

Fishing is allowed in salt water, the sea, and the fjords. If you want to go fishing in sweet water, you need a permit.
Mushrooms and berries can be picked as long as it’s not on private property. Norway has a lot of delicious raspberries in summer, make sure to pick some.
Fires are not allowed near forests from the 15th of April to the 15th of September.
No twigs, branches, or bark from living trees may be broken or sawn off.
In nature reserves and national parks, fire-making may be restricted or prohibited.

I know, I know, it’s a lot of rules. But please respect them, as they are there to keep nature intact.

Take a look at this beautiful drone shot my friend made of Norway’s mysterious landscape.

Campsites vs wild camping

Now, why should you go wild camping? I mean, you don’t have a toilet or shower, you can’t plug in, and you have to move every couple of days. Why would you do that to yourself?

The answer’s simple.

To get the best experience of Norway.

Yes, you can pay for a luxurious campsite where you can pee and poop on a normal toilet. And where you have electricity. And you don’t have to pitch your tent every single night.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Only it costs a lot of money.

Wild camping is great for being constantly in nature, developing yourself, and getting a real good taste of Norway, and it’s just a unique experience.

Whenever you go to the bathroom, it’s a whole new adventure. Every time you need to find a spot and you get another beautiful view.

And it’s free! What’s more important than that? Norway’s already crazy expensive, you can save big time going wild camping.

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How to go wild camping in Norway?

Wild camping in Norway is possible in a few different ways. You can go somewhere on foot and pitch your tent, or you can just park your motorhome or campervan and sleep. You can also go somewhere by car and pitch your tents next to your car. Or simply sleeping in your car. It is all allowed!

But of course, you need to find places to sleep. When you have a tent with you, it’s a bit harder, because you can’t just sleep in a parking lot, which you can do in a motorhome.

Luckily there are some handy apps for finding places. The only app we used in Norway was iOverlander. This app has some great sites, with reviews and all. However, some spots weren’t allowed to camp in anymore.

The hard work behind wild camping

I want to be as honest with you as possible. While wild camping is a lot of fun and such a unique experience, it’s hard.

Finding places

Finding a spot is not as easy as you may think. There are a lot of places that have camping bans and places where you can’t pitch a tent. Sometimes you have to sleep on the side of the road and other times you get a small island to yourself. It’s different every time.

It was so exhausting to find a new spot every night. One time we drove until dark to finally find something. We were so tired, we didn’t even look if there was a camping ban. Just pitched our tents and went to sleep. Luckily it was allowed in that exact spot.

Don’t underestimate the time it’ll take to find a spot. And make sure to use iOverlander.

get good tents — I absolutely adore our easy-to-set-up tent!

Cooking

Another thing that’ll take some time is cooking. And getting groceries for your meals. Cooking isn’t as easy as it is in your own kitchen. You’ll constantly be searching for spatulas, spices, cutlery, and plates. So unless you’re really tidy, it’ll be a mess.

And of course, you need to do dishes after eating, without having a sink.

cooking wild camping — Me happily cooking with my eyes closed…

All this is for when you don’t have a campervan or motorhome. If you do, you’re lucky. We went in our unconverted van with 5 people. We slept in 2 or 3 tents every night. We cooked almost every night. Had to do (a lot of) dishes every night. It was exhausting.

Just keep in mind that it’ll take time to get your groceries and cook.

Pitching tents

Again, something that’ll take you a bit of time. Pitching tents. Over time it’ll get easier and faster. I love that we had a tent with us that was less than 5 minutes to pitch.

Make sure you buy or take a tent with you that’s easy to pitch every night. Because if it takes you over 30 minutes every night, you’ll end up loathing your tent and (maybe) loathing wild camping.

And we don’t want that to happen.

We brought our Jack Wolfskin Lighthouse 2 RT (got it at a discount). This tent was super easy and comfortable, I highly recommend getting a tent like this.

Note: It’s important to wild camping safely. Check out these camping safety tips!

Gear you’ll need to go wild camping

You’ll be needing some gear to go wild camping.

For cooking you’ll need:

A gas stove
Pots and pans
Spatula’s
Plates and cutlery
A good multi-purpose knife. Mora knives are a good and cheap option.
A cutting board
A camping mug

For recreation you’ll need:

A table
Chairs
Some games

For sleeping you’ll need:

An excellent and easy-to-pitch tent (I recommend this Jack Wolfskin tent. But if you’re on a budget, this tent is a great option.)
A sleeping mat
A sleeping bag
Thermos clothing, as it can get really cold at night (even in summer)
A headlight (and a normal light like this one)
A pillow

Things that you shouldn’t do whilst wild camping

Don’t ever leave your toilet paper on the ground or in the bushes

It’s gross and it harms nature. Put your used toilet paper in a trash bag and throw it away. Or buy some non-toxic toilet paper and bury it in the ground.

We bought some toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap and buried it after use. It doesn’t harm the ground or animals and it doesn’t leave a mess.

Never leave trash behind

Even if it’s just a bottle cap or a Coke tin. Yes, these are some small things, but everyone thinks it’s just a small thing. And before you know it, a place is filled with plastic and trash. Please take every single thing with you.

Don’t spit your toothpaste on the ground

Another toxic thing to do is spit your toothpaste on the ground. Again, this harms nature and animals, due to microplastics in toothpaste. So spit it out in a bag or buy 100% natural toothpaste.

This also goes for any hair or skin products your use. Even if it’s just shower gel. Only use 100% natural products in nature.

Extra wild camping tips

Don’t take too many things with you

Make sure you only bring a backpack and only essentials. No outfits, only matching. You’ll have enough gear with you that you can’t afford to take extra stuff. Learn about more packing hacks.

Make sure you’re prepared

Make sure you’re prepared for everything. For driving through the night, for cold nights, for sickness, for bears, for everything. Be prepared!

Embrace every minute of wild camping

Because one day you’ll look back and say ‘’remember that time we slept in the car because our tents nearly flew away?’’. Yes, these things suck. They suck a lot. But you must embrace them because they will become the best memories.

We actually had to clear our tents in the middle of the night because of the stormy weather. Our tent did fine, but our friends’ tent almost flew away. We couldn’t sleep anyway and all 5 of us slept in the van for the rest of the night.

Final thoughts on wild camping in Norway

Now that you’re informed about wild camping, it’s time to plan your trip! Check out this awesome Norway itinerary!

Happy travels!