Gausta Ski Holidays

Norway

One of Norway's best-kept secrets, Gausta is an up-and-coming ski resort offering truly unique skiing and sightseeing experiences you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
  • Family Friendly
  • Culture
  • Honeymoons
  • Learn to Ski
  • Luxury
  • Non-Ski Activities
  • Off the Beaten Track
  • Once-in-a-Lifetime
  • Powder
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

Gausta ski holidays offer everything you'd expect in Norway - exceedingly high levels of service, ski-in ski-out accommodation, family-friendly facilities, a long, snow-sure season, terrain for all abilities, and an excellent ski school.

But there are a few things that set it apart from the rest...

Towering 1,883m into the sky, the iconic Gaustatoppen mountain comes into view as you approach the resort and never leaves your sight. The views up are impressive, but from the top they are astoundingly beautiful. And the best way to get there is up through the mountain itself!

Take a train 850m into the centre of the mountain before changing to a funicular for a 1,000m, 39° ascent. Originally built as a top-secret military listening post to spy on the Russians during the Cold War, it is a phenomenal feat of engineering that would take pride of place in any Bond villain’s lair. In keeping with the theme, once you reach the top, the best way down is the ski down from the summit, enjoying Bond-style off-piste with epic scenery.

If you’re interested in history, Gausta is located in the Telemark region of Norway, widely regarded as the birthplace of both modern skiing techniques and equipment. The area also played a pivotal role in the Second World War when Norway was occupied by the Germans.

The key site of which was the hydroelectric power plant at Vemork, a UNESCO Industrial Heritage Site just down the road from Gausta. As well as a marvel of engineering, the daring story about the 1943 sabotage of the heavy water plant here featured in the 1965 film 'The Heroes of Telemark', starring Kirk Douglas.

The founder of Gausta Ski Resort, Olav Svartdal, starred as Kirk Douglas’s stunt double in all the skiing scenes that feature in the film. With the proceeds from this, he was able to build the main hotel in the resort which was recently refurbished to a high standard in 2022.

The hotel and resort continue to honour Olav Svartdal’s original values: warm hospitality and sharing the area with those who love nature and skiing.

It's easy to extend your Guasta ski holiday with a city add-on in nearby Oslo or the arctic city of Tromsø.

"Gausta deserves a place on every accomplished skier’s bucket list and those aspiring to be too. It’s accessible to all levels: from never ever skied to freerider ready for a new adventure. I highly recommend the train ride - inside the mountain - to either access views from the Gaustatoppen summit or the freeride area, it’s a unique experience you’ll never forget."

Ski Gausta with Ski Safari

Duration: 0:52

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Our Prices

Every holiday is tailor-made, just for you.

To give you the most choice and best value, we create every holiday from scratch. This means that the quotation you receive is unique, based on your preferred departure dates, group size and holiday preferences.

We save you time and get the most for your money.

We sift through the prices and promotions for every airline, hotel and resort, exploring all options. We don’t publish all our prices online. Instead, we give personal quotations within 1-2 days of receiving your request.

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Resort Guide

Season
December to May
Nearest airport
Oslo Gardermoen
Flight time
2 hours
Direct flight
Yes
Transfer time
3 hours 15 minutes (1 hour 45 min on train to Kongsberg + 1 hour 30 min taxi transfer)
Transport
Train & taxi / car hire
Elevation
1,883 metres
Vertical drop
550 metres (up to 1,650m in the off piste area)
Avg snowfall
2.5 metres
Ski area
45km downhill slopes & 85km cross-country
Ski lifts
13
Runs
36
Grade
15% advanced 45% intermediate 40% beginner
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