This majestic archipelago in Norway is a place like no other, rugged mountains and deep fjords, golden sand beaches with turquoise waters, this is Lofoten Islands. These stunning islands were our favourite part of Norway, adventuring in our camper van Silvie, we had endless days in July due to the midnight sun.
I’ll never forget driving off the ferry and just being in awe of the towering mountains and iconic red cabins raised over the water’s edge, fish hanging out to dry and a real excitement in the air. The islands offer incredible hikes with mind blowing views, an abundance of wildlife with chances to spot orcas, whales and even moose!
You could be surrounded by the powerful mountains and the arctic ocean while the colourful northern lights put on a display in the night sky. It’s a place like no other that we’ve seen before, it will leave you in awe and wonder of our beautiful planet that we call home.
There’s something truly incredible about Lofoten Islands and in this guide we’ll break down everything you need to know to start planning your trip. The mountains are calling, let’s go!
Best Time of Year to Visit Lofoten Islands
Lofoten Islands are a special place to visit all year round. As there are airports on the islands and ferries all year round, they are easily accessible. It really depends on what you want during your time.
Do you want to visit during the spring and be surrounded by wildflowers and catching northern lights magical displays during the dark nights?
Perhaps you want to frolic under the midnight sun and bask in the endless daylight between the summer months, more time for adventures and spotting wildlife.
If you want to see the autumnal colours taking over the islands and the winter chill in the air creeping in, then autumn is for you.
If no daylight and extreme weather are more your thing, then head over during winter, where arctic weather and the polar nights will chill your bones, and the night sky (when clear) will be lit up with colourful dancing waves of Aurora.
Weather and Climate
Spring (March to May) Temperatures range from 1°C to 8°C, it’s the time of year where everything comes alive, the snow starts to melt and the wildlife comes out to enjoy the calmer days. For sure, around April to May you’ll notice more life on the Lofoten Islands and less snow.
Summer (June to August) Temperatures range from 10°C to 15°C even reaching mid 20’s at times. Ah, summer, bringing the midnight sun from late May to mid July, the sun doesn’t set below the horizon, you’ll have endless daylight which means more time to explore and make memories. Seeing the sun set on the horizon at around 1am and then slowly rise back up is truly a phenomenon that everyone needs to witness.
Autumn (September to November) Temperartues range from 8°C to 13°C, the cooler weather can be felt in the air, winter is close by and the winds start to pick up again, especially from late October. This season is quieter with less tourists and a great time to snap some photos of the warm autumnal colours sweeping over the islands. As nights grow stronger, so do the northern lights, get ready for mother natures amazing shows of magic and colour.
Winter (December to February) Temperatures range from -1°C to 3°C, the long and dark polar nights are in full force, the arctic extreme weather will bring snow blizzards and harsh winds. In-between the harsh weather, the snow brings fun winter activities like snowboarding, skiing or snowmobiling. The northern lights will be there whenever the night sky is clear, you’ll be blessed with such displays they’ll stay with you forever.
Northern Lights Tip!
Be sure to download a Northern Lights Forecast App to track the activity of the Aurora. You can even set alarms so you never miss a chance to witness the magical display of dancing colours. We personally use the My Aurora App which has always been accurate.
How to Get to Lofoten Islands
By Car
There’s nothing quite like driving yourself around Lofoten Islands, having that freedom to go in whichever direction calls, it’s liberating. We loved exploring Lofoten in our camper van, the roads are great and easy to drive.
If you’re flying into Oslo, you can rent a car from there and drive 18 hours or even fly up to Bodo and rent a car from there and take it on the ferry.
Just be cautious that driving in the winter takes a lot of skill and isn’t easy, the harsh arctic winters can be intense, be sure to always check road conditions and the weather forecast.
By Ferry
We lost count of how many ferries we took in Norway and Lofoten especially, let’s take a look at some of the options getting to these stunning islands;
- Bodø to Moskenes: One of the most popular ferry routes to the Islands, it runs all year round, rain, snow or shine. It’s a car and passenger ferry, perfect if you’re in your car or camper. We got to Lofoten Islands by this ferry, and it was an incredible journey, the mountains getting closer and closer, until there towering over you. You can drive 10 minutes to the village of Å which is literally the end of the road, the E10 highway finishes here. A great place to start your adventures in Lofoten.
- Skutvik to Svolvær: A perfect option for those coming from the North of Norway, it departs from Skutvik and takes you to Svolvær, which happens to be the largest town in Lofoten. This could be a good option for those wanting to start from the bottom of Lofoten and drive up, perhaps getting the ferry from Moskenes at the end.
- Bognes to Lødingen: This route is further north and gives you a chance to drive though the island of Hinnøya. This ferry only takes around 1 hour and it’s still super scenic.
By Plane
There are three airports on Lofoten Islands, Svolvær Airport (SVJ), Leknes Airport (LKN) and Røst Airport (RET). You can fly internationally into Oslo then get another flight to Bodø or Tromsø then transfer onto a smaller plane bound for the islands.
By Bus
For those adventures who aren’t driving themselves, you can reach Lofoten Islands by bus. Narvik is a great option as it’s well connected by trains, the buses run regularly and take 4-5 hours to reach Lofoten. You can get a bus to Bodø and jump on the passenger ferry to Moskenes. Once on the Islands local buses operate between villages, timetables can be sporadic especially during winter, be sure to plan ahead.
Train and Ferry Combo
If you fancy experiencing a scenic train journey, you can get the train from Oslo to Bodø and then hop on the ferry to Moskenes. That would be quite the adventure!
Where to Stay on Lofoten Islands
The island offers many types of accommodation, hotels, guest houses, hostels and campsites are found throughout the islands.
When you think of Norway, you might picture a red cabin, these are Rorbuer the traditional fisherman cabins. Lots of these have been converted into comfortable places to stay, most of these cabins are right on the water, it couldn’t get more idyllic than that.
Check out Reine Rorbuer and Svinøya Rorbuer they can be found on Booking.com.
Airbnb has a lot of amazing listings on Lofoten islands, if you want to learn how to save some money when booking through Airbnb check out our article on Seven Airbnb Money Saving Hacks!
Lofoten Islands offer many campsites with facilities, where you can really immerse yourself in the natural beauty. Let’s look at some options:
- Moskenes Camping: Located close to the ferry terminal, this campsite has basic facilities like showers and a communal kitchen, it has stunning views of the surrounding mountains and scenery.
- Ramberg Gjestegård Camping: Found close to one of Lofoten’s most beautiful beaches, if offers spaces for tents and camper vans, with free WI-Fi and a washing machine it’s defiantly one of the top campsites on Lofoten.
- Hov Gård Camping: On the island of Gimsøya, this campsite has stunning ocean views, opportunities for hikes and horse riding, and it even has access to a golf course if you’re into that.
- FREE CAMPING/ WILD CAMPING: Saved the best till last, wild camping is legal on Lofoten Islands, well the whole of Norway, thanks to the Free to Roam law! This means free park ups for camper vans and you can pitch a tent up in uncultivated areas as long as they’re 150 meters away from the nearest inhabited house/cabin. It’s an amazing feeling to find secluded spots where you can sleep for free! Just be sure to leave no trace or leave it better than you found it, if you notice any rubbish lying around, that’s your cue to pick it up and put it in the nearest bin.
Things to See and Do
Hike to Reinebringen
The Reinebringen hike is one of the most popular in Lofoten, and with good reason. The views from the top are spectacular, good things never come easy right?
Well, this is certainly a steep hike, one that will work the quads. In recent years, stairs have been added in parts to make it more safe, but it still is very steep and depending on the weather you need to be careful as the rocks can get slippery when wet.
The hike takes around 2-3 round trip and it’s definitely worth getting your sweat on for those panoramic views, absolutely stunning!
Explore Henningsvær
Henningsvær is a fishing village bursting with charm and character, what makes it even more unique is that it’s spread over numerous islands and they all connect with bridges.
It makes exploring this part of Lofoten even more adventurous, visually it’s insane, the towering mountains and being surrounded by the ocean. Everywhere you look is pure Norwegian beauty, the colourful houses and quaint shops.
You get the feeling life on Henningsvær would be slow paced and it’s somewhere you want to spend more time. It’s also home to the “worlds most beautiful football pitch”, I don’t play football but I can appreciate how picturesque the setting is.
Hauklandstranda Beach
When you lay eyes on the turquoise water and the golden sand, you’ll be asking yourself if you’ve been transported to the Caribbean. This beach like many beaches on Lofoten is out of this world, what makes this one unique is its remoteness and the surrounding mountains, it feels out of this world.
Of course the Arctic water is freezing, but don’t let that stop you from having a dip, let the cold, clear water cleanses you and wake your bones up. We went in and yes our nipples nearly froze off, but it was such a magical experience and it certainly gave us power.
The beach is next to the start of a trailhead, Mannen (400), you get fantastic views of Haukland and Uttakleiv beaches, you can even access Uttakleiv beach from this hike. The hike can be steep at times and if it’s been raining take extra care as it will be slippery. People have also spotted whales here, so keep your eyes peeled!
Hot Tub at Skårungen AS
Picture this, you’re soaking in a hot tub nestled in a fjord, overlooking the ocean and mountains all around you, you can feel the strong Norwegian elements. You decide to head into the sauna, with its glass windows you can still enjoy the view while you warm up and breathe deeply feeling more and more relaxed.
Sound good? Well, in Skårungen AS you can rent the spa area which includes the hot tub and sauna for 1.5 hours and all to yourself, it costs 399 NOK around $38 USD per person.
You can’t put a price on how amazing you’ll feel after this experience. We loved every second, it was super windy which added to the experience and I even went down the ladder and dipped in the choppy ocean, they have a board if you fancy walking the plank pirate style.
This place is incredible, aside from the spa they have different accommodation styles to meet everyone’s needs, from renovated fisherman cabins to hotel rooms, they even offer glamping and camping spots for camper vans with hook ups and tent pitches.
We enjoyed using the washing machine and dryer and grabbing a drink from the cosy restaurant. At Skårungen AS you can also do many actives such as kayaking, paddle boarding you can also rent a pedal boat or a bike.
This place really has it all, check out their website for more information: Skårungen AS.
Brim Explorer Lofoten
This is an incredible experience and an opportunity to go deep into the fjords, Brim Explorer is a top notch company. From friendly and knowledgeable staff, to the condition of the boat, it’s all new and modern.
It also has a great feature, when you get out into the fjords it switches to electric mode so there’s no noise from the engine it’s pure peace and quiet. Adding to the serenity of it all, being surrounded by mountains, waterfalls cascading off the rocks, birds such as sea eagles soaring high above.
We’re not usually one for tours, being stuck with a load of people you don’t know for a few hours, we made an exception for the Brim Explorer and we’re so glad we did.
They offer Northern Lights tours, Sunset Sea Eagle tours, which ever you choose you won’t regret it, the silent tour of the fjord is truly incredible.