Trondheim to Bodo Road Trip – Crossing Norway’s Polar Circle

The journey from Trondheim to Bodø spans rolling hills, dense forests, and vast lakes, reaching up to the barren landscapes of the Arctic Circle. This route offers a quieter, understated beauty compared to Norway’s rugged southern regions.

You can explore on your own terms here, far from the usual tourist paths.

Bodø, recognized as one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024, is a hub for musical and cultural events. With Nordland featured on National Geographic’s ‘Cool List‘ for 2024, expect more visitors heading north to explore these unique landscapes.

Trondheim to Bodo Map: Scenic Route and Attractions

To use this map, expand it using the square symbol on the top right-hand side and then look to the key on the left-hand side. By clicking each location you will find the corresponding position on the map. 

• The Red line denotes the Helgelandskysten Norway Scenic Route;
• The Blue line is the actual driving route;
• Blue circles with a star denote an attraction;
• Green circles denote where we stayed overnight;
• Black circles denote churches;
• Purple circles denote the main towns.

This article is part of a series of Norwegian road trip articles that start in Stavanger and conclude in the Lofoten islands. We took these trips from south to north, but they can be taken in either direction.

These articles include iconic and off-the-beaten-path attractions. We visit the world-renowned mountains of Kjerag and Preikestolen and discover places completely off the tourist radar whilst driving many of Norway’s panoramic Scenic Routes.

Day 1: Trondheim

Trondheim

With its compelling mix of ancient history and lively modernity, Trondheim is a must-visit destination in Norway and one of our favourite cities in northern Norway. It’s a natural stop on a road trip south of Lofoten or north of Bergen.

Founded in 977 AD by King Olaf I, the city has much to be proud of, including the majestic Nidaros Cathedral, the charming Bakklandet in the old town, lined with colourful wooden houses and cozy cafés and, of course, the colourful warehouses that line the river Nidelva.

But there’s so much more …

Did you know that Trondheim was Norway’s first capital city?

The city’s vibrant atmosphere is further enriched by its status as an educational hub, home to a large student population. Whether you’re exploring its historic sites or strolling along the scenic Nidelva River, Trondheim offers the best of Norway’s past and present.

🔎 Explore more: ▶︎ Check out why we think Trondheim is worth visiting here.

Accommodation Option:

Day 2: Harran, Smalåsen, Torghatten

Harran

Prepare yourself for some driving. The route from Trondheim to Torghatten, the ‘hole in the mountain’, is roughly 450 kilometres. The most direct means is to follow the inland route, as shown.

This drive passes rather uninteresting plots of agricultural land until you reach the halfway point. Here you can find the pretty Harran Church.

This white, wooden church is a parish church built in 1874 to seat around 200 people. This stop is a good enough excuse to get out of the car and stretch your legs.

Smalåsen

Smalåsen is a very small village in the uppermost part of Namdalen Valley. It was once a popular place where families based themselves during the building of the railway and road systems.

The reason to stop briefly here is only to take a couple of photos of the Nord Norge overhead sign, and why not?

The bulk of the driving is behind you now. A nearby stone distance marker confirms the 304 km already completed from Trondheim.

Torghatten

Torghatten is a huge granite dome with a hole that passes all the way through the mountain, which is how it earned its nickname. To call it a hole is an understatement. It’s a 160 m-long tunnel.

After the turn-off onto Route 76, the scenery over this final 110-kilometre is nothing short of spectacular. Route 76 meanders in and around, up and down, following the contours of the hills and reflection-filled lakes.

To reach Torghatten, you’ll need to pass through the town of Brønnøysund, the administrative and commercial centre of Brønnøy Municipality. It’s a very well-serviced town, with department stores, popular fast food outlets and many conveniences that you would only expect in the cities.

From Brønnøysund, it’s possible to catch a first glimpse of Torghatten. The carpark at the base of this mountain is easy to find.

Wooden steps descend to a rock-strewn floor to start the 160-meter traverse of the hole. Exiting the hole at the western end, and arriving late afternoon, we were able to watch the sun’s setting rays over the many nearby islands.

🔎 For more information, head over to our article on how to hike Torghatten.

Accommodation Option:

We stayed in the Corner Hotell and our time here was absolutely brilliant. Highly recommended.

Day 3: Torghatten

Torghatten

We visited Torghatten again early the next morning to capture everything in a completely different light. It was a beautiful panorama.

Follow the track down from the mountain to the ocean—views from here back to the hole, with the typical red-coloured Norwegian buildings and still waters.

You can judge for yourself if Torghatten is worth a visit.

From the seashore, continue the easy walk around the mountain base back to the car park.

Accommodation Option:

Day 4: Brønnøysund

In Brønnøysund, we stayed at the ‘Corner Hotel‘ for 2 nights, which included a fantastic buffet breakfast. A bonus for us was the washing machine and dryer you could access in the hotel.

As you wander the streets, keep an eye out for interesting statues in the town.

At the harbour entrance to Bronnøysund, and in the middle of the shipping lane, is the first of the Artscape Nordland works of art.

Artscape Nordland is an international art project that includes 36 works of art placed in the landscapes of 34 municipalities in Nordland, with two sculptures also in Troms. These are publically accessible works of art by some 18 international artists.

The artists were assigned a region each and completed a work of art based on their impressions of the area after assimilating with the culture and nature.

This Bronnøysund piece, ‘Steinar Breiflabb’, is an example of land art. The island has been arranged with stones to depict the shape of a fish. If you look closely at the image, an elevated fishing boat sits on top, adding to the nautical feel of the art.

We thought it looked more like a whale. This piece of art is not alone having three brothers located in France, England and Germany.

Breaking the skyline is the high, curving Brønnøysund Bridge that connects the southern part of Brønnøysund to the island of Torget. Its attractive curves fit in nicely with the prettiness of the surrounding landscape.

Day 5: Mosjøen, Mo I Rana, Arctic Circle Centre

Mosjøen

To reach Mosjøen from Torghatten, backtrack east on Route 65 and north for a total of two and a half hours. The town of Mosjøen is the oldest in the Helgeland municipality and where another of the Artscape Nordland sculptures can be found.

This one, named ‘Tre Eldar,’ depicts three tongues of flame. Three of these sculptures are grouped together and can be found in Vesnaparken, which is alongside the Vefsna River.

If you have time and energy, climb the 4000 stone steps of Helgeland Stairs to the top of Øyfjellet. This one climb is rated a moderate level of difficulty and is one of the longest stone stairs in the world.

Altitude gain is 818m and estimated 1 to 3 hours duration for the one-way trek.

At the top of the climb, enjoy a breathtaking 360-degree panorama. Interestingly, these stone steps were built by Sherpas from Nepal, much the same as Preikestolen. 

Mo I Rana

Mo I Rana is an easy one-hour drive north of Mosjøen. Here is the next piece of art from Nordland Artscape; this one is called ‘Havmannen‘.

An imposing, solitary figure sits in the tidal waters facing the open sea, representing a moment of reflection and being lost in thought. Large, colourful waterfront chairs at the shoreside make a great viewing point.

Arctic Circle Centre

Arriving at the Arctic Circle Centre heralds the crossing of the Arctic Circle into the land of the midnight sun; latitude 66°33’ N.

Note the opening times: May 01 to September. We had arrived too late. Other useful information concerning the centre can be found on their Facebook Page.

Also of interest is that the building of cairns (many of which can be seen behind the Arctic Circle Centre) is no longer allowed.

The monument image above has Saami symbols and the coat of arms of all 44 municipalities along its base. There are many different monuments near the centre.

Just behind the Arctic Circle Centre is a small hill that opens onto the vast, barren plain of Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park. This is yet another example of Norway’s contrasting scenery.

Over this hill and adding a complementary touch to an otherwise flat landscape, are many, many forms of balancing rock art built by other travellers, and surprisingly, don’t look out of place. As mentioned, building these cairns is no longer allowed.

As the day ended, we also saw our first reindeer grazing the surrounding hills. How fitting.

Accommodation Option (Near the Arctic Circle Centre):

Day 6:  Arctic Circle Centre, Misvær, Saltstraumen

Arctic Circle Centre

We overnighted in our car close to the Artic Centre Center, and with the sky so clear, we managed to see and photograph our first Northern Lights.

Returning to the centre at dawn, we could again walk the surroundings for a final lap before heading north.

Misvær

Our next stop was near the small village of Misvær, chasing yet another of Artscape Nordland’s sculptures. This one, ‘Protractus‘, is a 3m high granite sculpture shaped like a protractor.

It is said to represent a future and distant time. Look for this interesting piece of art on a bridge over Støvset Misvær Fjord, where it faces the distant mountains.

Saltstraumen

Arriving late in the evening, we didn’t get to cast our eyes on the maelstroms of Saltstraumen. We would have to wait until the next day to see what a current of up to 18 knots could do.

We did, however, get to witness a magical sunset over Saltstraumen.

If, like me, you didn’t know what a maelstrom meant, this definition will save the day; it’s a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river.

Accommodation Option:

Day 7: Saltstraumen, Bodo

Saltstraumen

To get the best views of Saltstraumen’s maelstroms, walk to the top of Saltstraumen Bridge. This bridge towers over Saltstraumen itself. Ample parking is found on the south side of the bridge.

From the top of the bridge, it’s obvious that an island in the centre of the river forces the body water to split around it, resulting in these maelstroms. It’s interesting to watch some of the small cruise boats struggle with the current when trying to get a closer look at the maelstroms.

Don’t miss out on walking down to the rocky bank, and then you can fully appreciate the sheer volume and speed of this body of water.

Check out this 1-minute video showing the strength of Saltstraumen’s incoming tide.

Saltstraumen Video: 18-Knot Tidal Current

Saltstraumen is also known to be a great fishing spot around the turn of the tide. I did try my luck but the fishing gods did not favour me that day.

Saltstraumen Tide Tables

Hopefully, you can do better than me on the fishing statistics with this link to a Norwegian tide tables site, Barents.No.

Bodo (Bodø)

Bodo lies just 28 km from Saltstraummen and is the final stop on this Trondheim to Bodo 7-day road trip. From Bodø, a car fairy crosses the Norwegian Sea to land at Å, but that’s covered in our next road article.

However, before departing Bodo, a final discovery lays in wait. Discover one more of the Artscape Nordland sculptures at the marina pier near the centre of Bodo. The sculpture consists of seven pieces of perforated granite rocks.

Unfortunately, our timing was tight with the ferry departure, so we missed this one, but we hope you get to enjoy it.

Accommodation Option:

Trondheim to Bodo Travel Options

Travel by Car

Both Trondheim and Bodo have international airports, but if you first fly into Norway’s capital, Oslo, you have more flight options.

Travel by Campervan or Motorhome

Norway is perfect for motorhoming, and many Norwegians travel this way. There’s no need to worry about booking accommodation when you have your own house on wheels.

Travel by Train

Enjoy a 10-hour train trip between Trondheim and Bodo. Select either a day or night train to journey the 729 km, leaving you to just sit back and absorb all that beauty.

The night trains offer 2-berth sleeper cabins, which include high-quality mattresses, quilts, and pillows, and if your trip is in winter, you may even get to see the mesmerising Northern Lights.

The day train passes some of the best scenery in Nordland, Norway. You can book tickets from Scandinavian Rail. 

Trondheim to Bodo Road Trip … That’s a Wrap

This article has unveiled a less-travelled facet of Norway’s stunning landscape through our seven-day journey from Trondheim to Bodø. We explored some breathtaking natural wonders well beyond the usual tourist paths.

We hope this road trip inspires you to embark on your own adventure and experience the unique beauty of this route as we did.

Have you travelled this route? Any favourite attractions? Drop us a comment, we’d love to hear about your experiences.

👉 Before you go, grab our free road trip planner here.

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Read More:

• Norway Destination Travel Guide
• Photographing Lofoten’s Northern Lights
• Norway’s Land of the Viking Kings