White sandy beaches, turquoise water, colorful blooming flowers, intense greenery, dramatic snow capped mountains, and the warm(ish) glow of the sun. Lofoten is a magical place where you can experience all of these things at the same time. Even at midnight!
Last summer I travelled to Norway’s Lofoten Islands with friends, far up north and just inside the arctic circle. You can visit all year round, and each season has its own beauty to offer. The itinerary in this post is a summer trip, and best between late May and mid July (if you want to see the midnight sun, which is at its peak on the summer solstice around June 21st each year). My trip was from early June, which I found to be a great time as we were able to enjoy the midnight sun, but it was still just before the peak season in late June and July.
Lofoten is a place where mother nature provides stunning beauty, but she also might try to gatekeep that with unpredictable weather. That being said, you should take the itinerary below as inspiration, but odds are you will need to make some alterations depending on the weather at any given time or day on your trip.
For that reason, check out my other post (coming soon) where I’ve included a list of other things to do in Lofoten in case your plans need some alterations due to the weather, and several important practical tips regarding travel to Lofoten that I would recommend reading before your trip to the area.
You can also use this MindTrip link for an AI generated, customizable and interactive itinerary based on my journey in the blog post below 🙂
Day 1 – Arrive in Lofoten, Festvågtind Hike and Henningsvær
On the first day of the road trip, we flew from Oslo into Evenes airport (about a 2 hour flight), near the town of Narvik, on the far eastern side of the Lofoten Archipelago. From here, we rented a car for the week and started our journey towards Lofoten. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from the airport to Svolvær, the largest town in Lofoten, and what many consider to be the point where the Lofoten archipelago really begins.
We stopped for lunch in Svolvær at Bacalao, a seafood restaurant with a beautiful waterfront patio, providing a great setting for our first meal of the trip (fish soup and fish and chips).
Henningsvær
After that it was on to the town of Henningsvær for a hike, one of the most uniquely situated villages in the world, famed for its iconic football field that you may have seen on Instagram. Truth be told, due to the elevation and layout of the village, you can’t really get that instagrammable photo without a drone, which is also not recommended as Norway has very strict rules on drone usage. You can however get a glimpse of the pitch, as well as the whole village of Henningsvær, from the hike that we went on just outside of town, which I thought was actually underrated and definitely one of my favorites hikes from the trip!
Festvågtind Hike
This hike takes about 2.5 hours round trip and covers just over 500 meters (1650 feet) of elevation gain, and the views from the top are absolutely stunning. The journey up the mountain is a lot of fun as well though, as the terrain varies quite a bit from bottom to top, and can be a bit steep and challenging at points. The reward at the top is definitely worth it though, as you can see from the photos below, with panamoric views of the sea, mountains, and the village of Henningsvær. I would recommend parking here (paid parking but the best option in my opinion, as it’s just a quick walk to the trailhead).
Lodging near Leknes
We had originally planned to eat dinner at one of the many nice restaurants in Henningsvær, but we were exhausted and sweaty after this hike and decided to grab a snack and drive to our lodging near Leknes (in Napp) and have a chill dinner there.
There are no shortage of beautiful places to stay in Lofoten, but we elected to stay near Leknes as its about equidistant from Å (a village at the far west end, which we will visit later in this trip) and Svolvær (on the far east end), so it serves as a perfect home base to explore the whole archipelago over the course of the trip without having extremely long drives any particular day.
There are a lot of locals who rent out their place during the summer on AirBnb, and if you can find a place with incredible views like ours you will never want to leave your lodging (or go to sleep, as the photos below were taken at midnight).
Day 2 – Lofoten’s Postcard Villages, Reinebringen Hike
Hamnoy, Sakrisoy, and Reine
Day 2 of the trip is all about amazing landscapes, postcard villages, and incredible driving. We headed southwest towards Hamnoy, Sakrisoy, and Reine, the three small fishing villages that serve as the backdrop for many of Lofoten’s postcards, and as we made the drive we soon found out why. There are small areas on the road to pull off and stop for a photo (linked above in the village names), but in the peak season these can quickly fill up with fellow travelers looking for that perfect photo, so this is why we went early to try and beat the crowds here. We stopped at each village to take in the amazing surroundings and to snap some incredible photos.
Reine and Reinebringen Hike
After getting our postcard shots, we made a pitstop in the biggest of these three villages, Reine, for a coffee and snack at Bringen (a lovely coffee shop with delicious pastries), before heading to the trailhead of the Reinebringen hike. There are plenty of places to park in Reine, just make sure you are parked in a spot where you can park for several hours so you have sufficient time to do the Reinebringen hike. Its about a 15 minute walk along the road from Reine to the trailhead, but this is the best option as there is no parking available at the trailhead.
The hike takes you to the Reinebringen peak, about 450 meters (1475 feet) above sea level. As far as Lofoten hikes go this is one of the shorter ones, and it takes about 1 – 1.5 hours roundtrip at a modest pace, about 2 hours in total from the parking in Reine. This hike is also very different from the Festvågtind hike on day 1 as it is all stone stairs (1,978 stair to be exact). There are even markers written on the underside of the stairs at every 100 stairs (which is discouraging at the beginning but more encouraging as you reach close to the summit). The views aren’t so stunning on the way up, as you’re climbing the backside of the mountain essentially, but upon reaching the top we quickly understood the hype for one of Lofoten’s most popular hikes. We went on an extremely (can’t emphasize this enough) windy day, with significant cloud cover as well, but the views over Reine are still incredible nonetheless. If you happen to get clear skies and nice weather, it can be a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the views, or maybe even have a little snack or picnic. If it’s windy like it was for us, it’s still doable, just be cautious as the stairs can be steep at points, and there is no protective railing at the top.
Lunch in Reine, Drive to Å i Lofoten
After the hike it was time for a late lunch back in Reine. We ate lunch at Tapperiet Bistro, where they serve up tasty burgers and fish and chips, just across the street from the Bringen cafe we stopped for coffee earlier. Then it was time to head on the road again towards the village of Å, at the very end of the road (literally, you can’t drive any further). If you arrive before the Bakeriet pa Å (Bakery at Å) closes, I would highly recommend stopping in a for a little dessert to grab one of their famous cinnamon buns (one of Norway’s best pastries that your trip wouldn’t be complete without) and maybe a coffee.
Å i Lofoten
While the name of this town is just one simple letter (pronounced like the English letter O, meaning small river), it has a lot to offer in the way of beautiful views. Its just a short 15 to 20 minute walk from the center of town to a great viewpoint. It’s such a nice place to just sit, relax and enjoy the views. After soaking in the views here, we walked back to town to the pier to enjoy even more gorgeous views, this time looking back at the village with the mountains in the backdrop. There is also a great fishing museum in the village that is great if you are interested in learning about the incredible history of this remote area.
Dinner in Sørvågen
After a long day, before driving back to the house we settled down for a delicious dinner in Sørvågen, a little village about 10 minutes on the return from Å. Here you will find the restaurant Maren Anna, a quaint waterfront restaurant serving great fish, steak and wine.
Day 3: Rambergstranda, Ryten, and Kvalvika Beach
On day 3 we headed out on the road in the same direction as day 2, but this time with an ultimate destination of the Ryten Hike, near the village of Fredvang.
Ryten and Kvalvika Beach
First up to start the day was another hike with breathtaking views (and an iconic instagram photo point that looks much more dangerous that it really is). Paid parking for the hike is available here, and this is probably the only time in Norway you will ever need cash (they do accept foreign currency – price is 100 NOK so roughly 10 EUR or USD) as parking is paid via a drop box on the honor system (unless you have Vipps, the Norwegian version of CashApp or Venmo, which you can’t get unless you live in Norway).
Once sorting out the parking, the trail leaves directly from there first passing through a private farm/field, and then heading up the mountain towards Ryten. This is a longer hike distance wise, as it’s about the same elevation gain as Festvagtind on day 1 but not as steep. It takes about 2-2.5 hours round trip if you go to the Ryten peak only. There is also an option to extend to the beautiful Kvalvika beach, which will add about 1.5 to 2 additional hours to your trip but is well worth it, especially if it’s a sunny day (which unfortunately for us it was not).
After the hike, we stopped for a quick lunch at a food truck called By The Way Lofoten that absolutely hit the spot after the long hike. I would highly recommend stopping here for a delicious sandwich and fries after the hike (I don’t have any photos because we were so hungry and there was no time to snap a photo).
Rambergstranda
After lunch, we started our drive back in the direction of the house, stopping at Rambergstrada on the way. If you can catch this place on a sunny day (which we were lucky to, you can see how quickly the weather changes compared to the photos from the Ryten hike in the morning), there is truly nothing like it. The contrasting colors of the green grass, blooming flowers, and tropical looking beach, with the snowcapped mountains in the backdrop, is one of mother nature’s most incredible works of art. If it’s a warm day, this is a great place to relax on the beach for the afternoon, and even take a dip in the water. Beware, although it may look like tropical waters from the color, the water is very cold, but can be nice for a cold plunge on a sunny summer day.
Nusfjord
After spending the afternoon at the beach, we headed to Nusfjord, a historical fishing village tucked in between mountains on either side. Nusfjord is a very quaint village that makes a great place just to walk around and appreciate life in a remote place such as this. We then had dinner at a delicious pizza place in the village called Oriana Kro (again no photos due to hunger and delicious food, but can highly recommend).
Midnight Sun
You can choose to make any (or all) of your nights in Lofoten a night dedicated to enjoying the midnight sun (you can even do all of the hikes at night and sleep in the day if you really want), but with a later start to day 4 planned, and clear skies in the forecast, we choose this night to head to the beach to enjoy the midnight sun. We grabbed some beers and beach chairs from the house and headed out to Storsandnes Beach (a short walk from the house where we were staying, but you can choose any west facing beach and you won’t be disappointed). It truly felt like a once in a lifetime experience, and we tried to savor every moment we had here before heading home and calling it a night.
Day 4: Ballstadheia and Nonstinden, Sauna and G&T’s
Ballstadheia and Nonstinden Hike
We slept in a little on day 4, after a late night enjoying the views of the midnight sun the night before. We headed out for another hike today, this time near the village of Ballstad, only about a 20 minute drive south of Leknes. There is a good place to park for the hike here, right at the trailhead.
This is another unique hike different than the ones we had done on the other days, as first it takes you up to the Nonstinden peak with views overlooking Ballstad and the surrounding area, and then you can take a loop around the peninsula that juts out into the water (Ballstadheia). The loop is a relatively flat but still challenging hike, with lots of rocks and even little caves to hike through. It was a fun change of pace compared to the other hikes we had done on previous days. If you choose to do the full loop, it takes about 3-4 hours to complete the entire hike (Nonstinden and Ballstadheia loop), which is about 7km. Once you get to the Ballstadheia loop near the sea, it can be a bit challenging at times to find the path, but keep an eye out for the helpful stacks of rocks that people have placed to guide the trail (and there is pretty much only one way to go so you will find your way if you are persistent). If you pack some sandwiches there are some great places to stop along the way for a picnic lunch while enjoying the views of the sea.
Sauna in Ørsvågvær
After the hike, we headed to Ørsvågvær, a tiny village between Henningsvær and Svolvær, for a relaxing sauna and hot tub experience for our last evening in Lofoten. I can’t recommend this enough (at Skarungen Lofoten Resort, make sure to book at least a couple days in advance) as the vibes are incredible. You can enjoy a cold beer, or a wide selection of delicious gin and tonics (as we did), while enjoying incredible views from inside the private sauna or outside in the private hot tub. There is also easy access to take a dip in the bay for a cold plunge. This place was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, I’ll be back next time I’m in Lofoten!
When our two hour sauna session sadly came to an end, we went up to the resort lobby/restaurant to enjoy a latte or tea (or another G&T if you’re not the driver) before heading back to Henningsvær for dinner at Fiskekrogen, a waterfront restaurant serving delicious local seafood. From here it was about an hour drive back to the house.
Day 5: Mannen Hike and Hauklandstranda
Mannen Hike and Hauklandstranda
Just like that, we had already reached the last day of our trip, but we were still planning an action packed day with a scenic stop on the way back to the airport in Evenes. A stop at Hauklandstranda is a must (and if you want to spend a relaxing day at the beach you can come here on one of the earlier days of the trip instead to allow more time), as this is a stunning beach with incredible views. If you’re willing to wake up early and get an early start to the day, you can also sneak in a hike to the peak at Mannen, which is accessible from the same parking lot at Hauklandstranda and takes about 1-1.5 hours, but is well worth it with very nice views over Hauklandstranda and the surrounding mountains.
Return to the airport
It takes about 4 hours to drive all the way from Hauklandstranda back to the Evenes airport, so make sure to leave enough time to make the journey back. If you have time to kill on the way back to the airport, you can always stop in Svolvær for food, coffee, or a drink.
I hope you enjoyed this itinerary! This place is just so incredible you’ll never want to leave. If you are lucky enough to spend more than 5 days in Lofoten, or want to check out some other options of different hikes and things to do in the area, stay tuned for a new post coming soon with more options in Lofoten 🙂