11 Things To Do In Lofoten Islands Norway

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Situated in the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway, sits the Lofoten Islands. A stunning landscape of jagged mountain peaks, mind blowing fjords and the cutest little villages you have ever seen.

The Lofoten Islands are a playground for those who love the outdoors and vacations where adventure is the main theme. You could spend months road-tripping around these gorgeous landscapes, hiking and exploring your heart out.

I spent two weeks road tripping through this gorgeous part of the world in the beginning of July- right during the peak of the midnight sun! Every turn of the road revealed another gorgeous overlook, cute town and unreal mountain view. Even within 2 weeks I did not do everything I wanted, and I just know I will be back!

Here are 11 Things To Do In Lofoten Islands, Norway!

Table Of Contents:

1. Things To Do In The Lofoten Islands

2. Lofoten Islands Information

3. Lofoten Islands Map

4. How To Get To The Lofoten Islands

5. When To Visit The Lofoten Islands

6. Where To Stay In The Lofoten Islands

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11 Things To Do In Lofoten Islands

#1 Explore The Town of Reine, Norway

The town of Reine is a stunningly gorgeous fishing village situated in the heart of the Lofoten Islands. It is one of the most scenic places I have ever set foot in. It is definitely worth a day or two of your time, you could even base yourself here for the majority of your trip!

Dotted by red cottages and beautiful sailboats, Reine is made up of multiple islands all connected by gorgeous bridges. Here you can find beautiful hikes, lovely cottages you can rent for the night- right on the sea and unreal views!

The famous hike- Reinebringen sits in this little village and you can also find some of the most famous views here!

#2 Hike Reinebringen

If you followed my first suggestion on this list- explore the village of Reine- you will be in the perfect position to do this world famous hike.

This hike is a moderately challenging route that snakes its way up steep stairs to the top of a beautiful mountain that overlooks the entire town and fjords in Reine.

This hike is absolutely stunning and allows you to see the entire landscape from a high up view- showcasing the scale of the town and the unreal mountains that surround it.

You can find more information on this trail here.

READ MORE: Explore This Arctic Paradise In Lyngenfjord Norway

#3 Try Arctic Surfing At Unstad Beach

One of the most exciting, and daring things I tried while visiting the Lofoten Islands in July was going surfing at Unstad Beach.

This stunning beach is cradled by two mountains. While I have actually never surfed before, there were still some baby waves that I could catch and I felt super safe out there!

We rented our surfboards from a little hut right down the beach and surfed under the midnight sun until 2am in the morning- definitely a night I will remember forever!

You can rent your surfboards at Arctic Surf.

#4 Hike The Ryten Hike

Ryten is one of the most beautiful and dramatic hikes in the Lofoten Islands- a stunning cliff overlooks a gorgeous beach and giant cliffs. This was by far my favorite hike we did in the Lofoten Islands.

To get here you have to park at a farm in Fredvang Norway where they charge $100 NOK or $10 USD to park there. Here you begin your hike up the cliff side to the top of Ryten peak.

If you want to make this longer or backpack it- you can head to Kvalvika Beach where you can camp! This is the beach right below the cliff that you hike up!

This is a bit longer of a hike and does have quite a bit of elevation gain but it is well worth it!

You can find more trail information here.

READ MORE: 15 Unreal Places To Stay In Norway

#5 Have A Beach Bonfire In Front Of The Iconic Red Cabin on Ramberg Beach

This gorgeous little red hut is one definitely an iconic scene here in the Lofoten Islands. If you are a photographer this scene is not to be missed- gorgeous at any time of the day!

We found ourselves having a bonfire on the beach right in front of the hut and it was definitely a wonderful way to watch sunset.

#6 Eat Fish and Chips At One Of The Many Taverns

The amount of times I had fish and chips on this trip to Norway- I truly cannot even remember. Cozy up and have a beer and some food (maybe try fish soup- another popular item here!) at one of the many taverns in the Lofoten Islands. We stopped at Tapperiet Bistro in Reine that was wonderful (and had great pizza!)

#7 Hike Offersøykammen Trail

Another stunning trail in the Lofoten Islands! This is a much shorter trail, but again still quite steep.

You can find this hike around 4 miles from Leknes on the E-10 running north. The parking lot is located off of the E-10 and the trail begins through the forest across the street- you do have to walk a couple hundred feet on the other side of the highway before crossing over to the start of the trail.

This short trail gives you a beautiful overlook of the Vestvågøya flats to the east and the mountains on the island of Flakstadøya to the west. It is a beautiful 360 view from the top and totally worth the climb it took to get there!

You can find more trail information here.

#8 Explore The Waters on A Kyaking Tour

One of the most wonderful ways to see the Lofoten Islands is to take a kayak out on the water! You can find kayak tours in many of the main towns! This is a lovely way to see the views and get some activity in. If you are lucky you might even run into some Orca whales (my dream!!)

#9 Explore The Village of Nusfjord

Another of Norway’s wonderful little villages is Nusfjord- located a drive up from Reine you will find Nusfjord at the end of a long, scenic drive through the mountains.

It is one of the oldest, and best preserved villages in Norway! You can even stay at the Nusfjord Arctic Resort– which would make for a gorgeous experience! It is beautifully designed in the lovely Norwegian style of modern but cozy.

Wander around the fishing villages, oggle at all the dried fish laying around here and take in the gorgeous scenery.

#10 Go Rock Climbing

If you are looking for a more extreme adventure in the Lofoten Islands then you may want to consider rock climbing! You can hire a guide who will take you on some beautiful routes.

Take a look at ExploreShare for more info!

If you are more experienced of a climber just know that there are tons of gorgeous multi-pitches in this area. With unreal views, sheer cliffs and in the Summer, light all day for climbing- this could arguably be one of the best places in the world for rock climbing.

#11 Hike To See Unreal Views At Haen

The Haen Hike is a gorgeous hike that overlooks one of the most unreal views in the area. A giant mountain peninsula that juts out in front of you!

Regrettably, I did not have time to do this hike in the Lofoten Islands but just know it is at the top of my list when I come back!

It is located on Værøy island and is only 2 miles each way-making it well worth the effort!

You can find more information on the trail here.

Extra Tip! Road-trip to Senja and Backpack Hesten Peak

Ski touring is a huge hit here in the Lyngen Alps. The mountains here rise majestically out of the Arctic Sea and feature “immaculate snow conditions” AND one of the longest ski seasons! You can even do a “sail to ski” expedition where you live aboard a sailboat!

This is a wonderful place to explore for advanced back country skiers- with beautiful weather, snow and the chance to see the Northern lights, it’s hard to ask for more!

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Lofoten Islands Norway Information

Where Are The Lofoten Islands?

The Lygenfjord sits in the Arctic circle at the top of Norway. East of the city of Tromso the grand fjord is a beautiful destination. Drive any farther North and you’ve just about made it to Finnmark- the very top of Norway!

You can find a variety of little towns here such as Skervoy, Storslett and Olderdalen.

The Lyngen Alps make up much of the Lyngenfjord area and are about 56 miles long and 9 miles wide. There are 140 glaciers in the Lygen Alps and is a huge attraction to those who ski tour

The area has a wonderful mix of adventures, as well as lovely coastal towns and a great place to view the northern lights!

Lofoten Islands Map

How To Get To The Lofoten Islands

If you are coming from outside the country the best place to fly into is Oslo, Bergen or Bodo from there you can find a variety of way’s to travel North to the Lofoten Islands.

Fly To Lofoten

Once you arrive in Oslo you have a variety of options of where to fly into for the Lofoten Islands. The cheapest option would be to fly North of the Lofoten Islands to Harstad where you would rent a car and begin your road-trip South.

If you want to fly directly into Lofoten there are two smaller airports (super small!) Leknes and Svolvæ.

Ferry Boat To Lofoten

If you want to take a more interesting route to Lofoten you can fly, train or drive North of Olso to the town of Bergen or Bodo.

From Bergen you can take a beautiful cruise ride to see the stunning West Fjords of Norway. This boat takes 4 Days and you can find that option here.

Bodo is the largest city in the North of Norway and the perfect jumping off point for your trip to the Lofoten Islands. In Bodo you can rent a car at the airport and then take a car ferry North to the Lofoten Islands. Depending on where you want to get off the ferry boat takes 4-7 hours. Check out this helpful article here.

Drive To Lofoten

Another option is to road-trip to Lofoten. You can begin in either Bodo or Harstad!

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When To Visit The Lofoten Islands?

The Lofoten Islands area a stunning place to visit- in many seasons! Of course there are better seasons depending on what type of trip you want to take and the sights you want to see. Read below to find out which season would be best for you!

Lofoten In Summer

May-September

I visited in the Summer, at the height of the midnight sun. This far north, the sun never sank below the horizon and thus there was never any darkness. This makes for some stunning sunsets and sunrises (that last for hours at a time!) but can make it quite difficult to sleep.

During the Summer you can hike your heart out, camp outdoors, go backpacking, surf in the Arctic, go rock-climbing and experience the midnight sun. It is the busiest time of year in the Lofoten Islands but since it is so large it is easy to find places all for yourself!

I would recommend Summer in the Lofoten Islands for most travelers! It is stunning, the sunsets last for hours and you get the best opportunity to explore off the beaten tracks.

Midnight sun starts end of May and ends mid July.

Lofoten In Winter

Mid January-March

Winter is also a huge hit here in the North, yet for a very different type of traveler. The Winter is great for those who are interested in seeing the Northern Lights, photographing the pretty red cabins in snow and skiing!

When Not To Go

Mid October- Early January

This time period notoriously has the worst weather -cold, dark, icy and stormy. I would personally avoid these time periods.

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Where To Stay In Lofoten

In Lofoten you won’t find many hotels. Instead it is much more normal to find cute cabins for rent perched on the water- you can even stay in the famous red huts in some of the beautiful villages!

Below you will find 6 options that I think would be beautiful places to stay while visiting Lofoten Islands, Norway.

Eliassen Rorbuer: Stay in one of the famous red cabins in the idyllic village of Reine, Norway! These stunning cabins sit on a dock overlooking some insanely beautiful views and are decorated with minimal yet cozy vibes.

Nusfjord Arctic Resort: These beautiful cabins are located in the Nusfjord Village in Lofoten Islands- a well preserved fishing village sitting amongst giant cliffs and unbelievable views. You will be well taken care of at this resort- with saunas, an outdoor hot tub that overlooks the gorgeous views and beautiful Nordic interior design.

Sakrisøy Rorbuer: Looking for an alternative to the famous red cabins, try a cute yellow cottage! Located on the water only 2 miles away from the village of Reine Norway here you will have access to the water right out your front door and cozy interior design.

Scandic Svolvær: Another lovely cottage perched on the sea- this has more of a hotel vibe than the rest of them. With a gorgeous town of Svolvær.

Reinefjorden Sjøhus: Finally, another property with a hot tub! This gorgeous room is situated in red and orange cabins in Reine, Norway. The most notable part of this room though is the acccess to the hot tub with unreal views! Seriously, what dreams are made of.

Lofoten Vanlife: If you want a bit of a non traditional way to travel through the Lofoten Islands, consider renting a van to sleep and travel in! There are tons of stunning pull offs in the Lofoten Islands and places to sleep amongst nature that having a van could increase your freedom ten-fold!

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Conclusion

The Lofoten Islands are a once in a life-time kind of trip (although- I would like to make that 5x in a life time for how much I loved it lol)

The landscapes here are unlike anywhere else I have ever experienced. Truly this is a trip I would recommend to anyone who loves the mountains and the outdoors!

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