If you love dramatic granite peaks that drop straight into the Atlantic, historic fishing villages with red seaside cabins, and small islands connected by Rainbow Road-esque bridges, you should add the Lofoten Islands to your must-see list.
Passenger ambassador Kat Craats recently spent 8 days roadtripping around Lofoten in a campervan, roaming under the midnight sun. Visiting in May meant the sky never truly became dark, so she was able to squeeze a lot of juice out of those 8 days.
Here's the lowdown of that trip, along with some notetaking-worthy travel tips...
Written by Kat Craats
Lofoten had been high on my bucket list (maybe the top of my bucket list?) since I first saw a photo of the iconic red cabins of Hamnøy back in 2019. It always felt like it would be a) a huge mission to get there, and b) a very expensive trip. I actually found neither of these things to be entirely the case! Let me tell you why.
Getting to (and around) Lofoten
We flew into Oslo, caught a connecting flight (~2hrs) to Bodø and took the (free!) ~3hr ferry to Moskenes. We found this to be the cheapest option. You can also:
- Fly into the Harstad-Narvik airport, in the north of Lofoten. This airport is the cheaper option but requires a 4.5-hour drive to get to Reine (a main village in Moskenesøya Island).
- Fly into Svolvær or Leknes Airport. They are both in a more central area of Lofoten. Flying into these airports will cut down on driving but flights are more expensive.
There is a public transit system that connects all of the major centers around Lofoten, which makes it easy to pick up a rental car in any major hub.
Seasonality
June to August is the most popular time to visit Lofoten. Visiting in May was a bit of a gamble as rain, intense wind and even snow can be common at this time of year. Thankfully the gamble paid off, and we experienced very few tourists, 20 degree days, 6 days of pure sunshine, and 24 hours of daylight!
Costs & What to Expect
Renting an electric campervan meant we could travel cheaply and easily around the islands. Most islands are connected by bridges, with new and well maintained roads. We cooked all of our own food, saving a lot of money on meals (I think this is one of the more expensive parts of travelling Lofoten). Lofoten has all of the main amenities you would expect - grocery stores, gas stations, EV charging stations, campsites with showers, all that jazz.
Hiking in Lofoten
The midnight sun meant we could fit two, sometimes three, different hikes into a day. It was awesome. Here are our top 5 favourite hikes from our trip, with stats, plus some honorable mentions.
#5: Volandstinden - 5.1km, 431m gain
I loved this one because the road networks around Lofoten are truly a masterpiece of engineering, and the peak itself offers an epic view over the aesthetic Fredvang bridges. There was a fun scramble at the very end, and you also pass a cute little A-frame cabin on the way up!
#4: Mannen on Vestvågøy - 4.3km, 364m gain
The views from Mannen were unreal, and the ridge you follow on the way up offered views every step of the way. The waters around Haukland Beach are impossibly blue, and the perspective all the way down the coast was breathtaking. This hike had a lot of bang for your buck!
#3: Andstabben - 4.8km, 496m gain
We both liked this one a lot more than we expected! It was one of the last hikes we did in Lofoten, and the views from the summit were shocking. Sharp, gnarly peaks to one side, and the wide open Norwegian sea on the other. You can even see mainland Norway in the distance. The hike itself was nothing to rave about (kind of muddy, very steep at times), but the summit views landed it in my top 3.
#2: Reinebringen - 6km, 523m gain (2,000 sherpa steps)
A Lofoten classic, and for good reason. This hike features over 2,000 stone steps (built in 2019 by Nepali Sherpas!), a bit of a grind that reaches the most stunning panoramic view I think I’ve ever seen in my life. On one side of the ridge is a view deep into a narrow blue fjord, with the other giving a birds-eye view over Reine, and the Arctic Sea to the south. Apparently this hike gets incredibly busy during summer, but we were fortunate to share it with only a few other adventure-seekers for an 11pm sunset.
#1: Ryten - 7.6km, 597m gain
This hike earned my number one spot because the effort-to-reward is instant. From the very first step, you’re treated to panoramic views that evolve with every bend in the trail.
At the summit, the perspective over Kvalvika Beach had us both screaming, jumping and running around like maniacs with our cameras.
Honourable mentions (and ones we didn’t do)
Two honourable mentions are Festvågtind and Flakstadtind. We loved Festvågtind, but unfortunately didn’t have great weather for it, and Flakstadtind was a great way to start your morning if you stay at Lofoten Beach Camp.
There are also some incredible throughhikes and linkups you can do in Lofoten, like the Lofoten Crossing (160km). With more time, I would have loved to do one of these treks!
With its breathtaking, dramatic and unique landscapes, roaming across Lofoten truly felt like the purest form of escapism. This wild arctic archipelago has my heart.
My top 5 Passenger items for our trip:
Trailscape Damen Leichte Softshell Jacke
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