Lofoten Islands
3
Day Itinerary •
Norway
Three days in the Lofoten Islands take you to the most extraordinary archipelago in the Arctic, where jagged mountain peaks rise directly from the sea at 68 degrees north and the extraordinary red and yellow rorbuer fishing cabins of Reine and Hamnoy make the most photographed village in Norway. From Svolvaer's extraordinary harbour to the Reinebringen hike above the most spectacular fjord village in the world and the extraordinary preserved fishing heritage of Nusfjord. This route covers the essential Lofoten. Svolvaer's extraordinary harbour and the Svolvaergeita mountain, the extraordinary drive along the E10 through the most dramatic island scenery in Norway, the Reinebringen hike above Reine with its extraordinary 360-degree panorama, Hamnoy with its extraordinary bridge view, and the extraordinary Nusfjord fishing village museum.
Best Time To Visit
June to August for midnight sun. February for northern lights and snow.
Getting There
Fly into Svolvaer or Leknes from Oslo. Or ferry from Bodo overnight.
Getting Around
Car essential throughout. Hire at Svolvaer airport or ferry terminal.
Budget Per Day
Approx 1,200 to 2,000 NOK per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate. Reinebringen hike is steep but manageable.
DAY 1
SVOLVAER
MORNING
SVOLVAER HARBOUR AND THE MAGIC ICE BAR
Svolvaer is the most extraordinary Arctic harbour town in Norway, its extraordinary collection of rorbuer fishing cabins on the waterfront and the dramatic Svolvaergeita twin peaks rising directly above giving the finest single view in the Lofoten Islands. The extraordinary Lofoten War Museum tells the story of the German occupation and the extraordinary British commando raids of 1941 with remarkable original artefacts. The fish market on the harbour gives the finest fresh stockfish in the islands. Travel: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
THE E10 DRIVE THROUGH AUSTVAGOYA
The E10 Lofoten road from Svolvaer westward through Kabelvag, past the extraordinary Gimsoya island bridge and through the mountain tunnels gives the most extraordinary coastal driving in Norway. The extraordinary Henningsvaer village on its rocky island, known as the Lofoten Cathedral for its football pitch above the sea, is the finest detour. The drive from Svolvaer to the Vestfjord bridge gives views of the entire outer Lofoten wall of peaks above the sea. Travel: 1 hour drive to Reine
AFTERNOON
REINE AND THE HAMNOY VIEW
Reine is the most extraordinary village in Norway, its extraordinary cluster of red and yellow rorbuer on a flat island below the Reinebringen mountain reflected in the still water of the Reinefjord making it the most photographed village in the country. The extraordinary Hamnoy bridge view beside the E10 gives the most famous single photograph in the Lofoten Islands, the red rorbuer on the rocky islet with the mountain peaks behind.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Svolvaer Goat, the Svolvaergeita twin peaks at 764 metres directly above the town, is the most extraordinary mountain backdrop to any Norwegian harbour. The extraordinary rock climbers visible on the peaks from the harbour are a regular sight in summer. The view from the harbour at midnight sun in July with the peaks in gold is the finest in northern Norway.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Svolvaer harbour Coffee with the extraordinary Arctic harbour and the Svolvaergeita peaks above. | Lunch: Henningsvaer restaurant Outstanding village restaurant on its rocky island. Local cod and Lofoten shrimp. | Dinner: Rorbua Restaurant, Reine Outstanding rorbuer restaurant. Local stockfish, skrei cod and Arctic cloudberries.
DAY 2
REINEBRINGEN AND REINE
MORNING
THE REINEBRINGEN HIKE
The Reinebringen hike from the Reine parking area rises 448 metres in 2.5km to the most extraordinary viewpoint in the Lofoten Islands, the summit giving a 360-degree panorama over the entire Reinefjord with its extraordinary ring of peaks, the red villages below and the open sea beyond. The hike has been made safer with steps cut into the steepest sections. Start before 7am in summer to avoid the queues. The summit view is the finest in the Lofoten Islands. Hike free. Travel: 30 min drive to Sakrisoy
MIDDAY
SAKRISOY AND THE YELLOW RORBUER
Sakrisoy is the most extraordinary single photographic viewpoint in Lofoten, its extraordinary cluster of yellow rorbuer on a rocky islet between Hamnoy and Reine giving the finest reflection in still water in the archipelago. The small village shop sells the finest fresh shrimp in Lofoten. The extraordinary view from the Sakrisoy bridge back toward Hamnoy with the mountain peaks above is the most extraordinary in the western islands. Travel: 20 min drive to Hamnoy
AFTERNOON
HAMNOY AND THE INNER REINEFJORD
Hamnoy is the most extraordinary small village in the Lofoten Islands, its extraordinary red rorbuer on the rocky islet below the E10 bridge the most photographed single scene in Norway. The extraordinary boat trip into the inner Reinefjord from the Reine quay gives the finest views of the surrounding peaks from the water. The extraordinary Kirkefjord inner arm is entirely inaccessible by road and gives the most unspoiled fjord experience in the islands.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Munkebu hut above the Reinefjord gives the most extraordinary overnight experience in the Lofoten Islands, the extraordinary DNT mountain hut at 398 metres accessible by a 3.5-hour hike from Vindstad, reached by inner fjord boat from Reine. The extraordinary view from the hut at midnight sun over the Reinefjord is the finest in Norway.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Rorbua Restaurant, Reine Outstanding morning coffee before the Reinebringen hike. Eat early. | Lunch: Sakrisoy village shop Fresh shrimp at the most extraordinary viewpoint in Lofoten. Eat on the rocks. | Dinner: Gammelbua, Hamnoy Outstanding converted boathouse restaurant. Local skrei cod and Arctic berries.
DAY 3
NUSFJORD AND FLAKSTADOYA
MORNING
NUSFJORD, THE UNESCO FISHING VILLAGE
Nusfjord on Flakstadoya is the most extraordinary preserved fishing village in the Lofoten Islands, its extraordinary collection of 19th-century rorbuer and fish warehouses in a narrow fjord giving the finest example of the traditional Norwegian fishing community in the world. The village was selected as a UNESCO European heritage pilot project and is entirely preserved. The extraordinary stockfish drying racks, the old shop and the boat shed museum tell the complete story of Lofoten fishing. Travel: 30 min drive to Flakstad
MIDDAY
FLAKSTAD CHURCH AND THE WHITE SAND BEACHES
Flakstad Church, the extraordinary red 18th-century wooden church on the Flakstadoya shore, is the finest historic building in the western Lofoten Islands, its remarkable driftwood timber construction an extraordinary adaptation to the treeless island environment. The extraordinary white sand beaches of Ramberg and Flakstad give the most unexpected landscape in the Arctic, their extraordinary turquoise water and white sand beaches entirely unlike the Norwegian fjord coast. Travel: 45 min drive back to Svolvaer
AFTERNOON
THE E10 RETURN DRIVE AND DEPARTURE
The drive from the western islands back to Svolvaer along the extraordinary E10 gives the finest farewell to the Lofoten Islands, the entire wall of mountain peaks above the sea visible as the road crosses the bridges from island to island. The extraordinary Austvagoya mountain scenery east of Henningsvaer and the final view of the Svolvaer harbour with the Svolvaergeita above is the finest farewell to the archipelago.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Kvalvika beach on Moskenesoya is the most extraordinary hidden beach in the Lofoten Islands, accessible only by a 1.5-hour hike over the mountain from Fredvang, its extraordinary white sand and turquoise water entirely inaccessible by road. The extraordinary mountain amphitheatre around the beach gives the finest wild camping in Norway. Entirely free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Reine Coffee before the drive to Nusfjord. | Lunch: Nusfjord village cafe Outstanding fish soup in the extraordinary UNESCO fishing village. Local stockfish. | Dinner: Svolvaer harbour restaurant Outstanding farewell dinner in the Arctic harbour. Local skrei and cloudberry dessert.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Svolvaer, Night 1 Svinoya Rorbuer or Anker Brygge Hotel. Harbour location. Approx 1,200 to 2,500 NOK. Reine, Night 2 Reine Rorbuer or Sakrisoy Rorbuer. In the village itself. Approx 1,500 to 3,000 NOK.
Top Tips
1. Hire a car at Svolvaer. The Lofoten road scenery is so extraordinary it needs to be experienced by car, not bus.
2. The Reinebringen hike starts before 7am to avoid the crowds. The summit view at dawn is extraordinary.
3. Staying in a traditional rorbuer fishing cabin is the finest experience in Lofoten. Book months in advance.
4. The Midnight Sun runs from late May to late July. The light at midnight on the peaks is extraordinary.
5. Northern lights are visible September to March when skies are clear. Check yr.no for forecasts.
6. Fresh stockfish is the finest food in Lofoten. Buy directly from the fish racks at the harbour villages.
Total Budget
1,200 to 2,000 NOK/day