It is located in the municipalities of Eidfjord and Ulvik in Vestland county.

Its lowest point is 1,050 m (3,440 ft) above sea level.

The thickest measurement of the glacier was 380 metres (1,250 ft) thick, but it has been getting thinner during the 20th century.

[4] The glacier can be accessed by skis from the north in the winter, from the village of Finse, which is only accessible by stopping at Finse Station on the Bergen Line railway.

The 1980 movie Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back used Hardangerjøkulen as a filming location, for scenes of the ice planet Hoth, although in the battle scene, miniatures were used on a set that used microscopic glass bubbles and baking soda to mimic the snowy territory.