Highlights

The Lofoten islands are a Norwegian archipelago located north of the arctic circle. The landscape of these 80+ islands is dominated by rugged mountains rising up to 1200 m above sea level and adorned by small villages made up of pretty rorbur. The mountains are partly covered with snow in the winter and the rorbur are red fisher cabins on stilts with colorful fishing boats attached to them.

You will love the clear turquoise water, secluded beaches, isolated bays surrounded by high mountains and countless hiking trails. But the biggest highlight (and you’ll need some good karma for this to work out) and one of the biggest shows in nature are undoubtedly the famous Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis.

Trip Profile

Geography: north Norway Best travel time: January and February
Starting Point: Bodø Ending Point: Bodø
Duration: 1 week Climate: Cold

Required Fitness: ★ (without hikes)
★★★ (with hikes)
Adrenalin & Survival:
Outdoor & Nature: ★★★★ Fun & Relaxing: ★★★
People & Culture: Family & Kids: ★★
Budget: ★★★ Comfort: ★★★★

TRIP ORGANIZATION

Sunrise over Reine (2)

Norway is relatively expensive, especially when it comes to alcohol or eating out. ATMs are easy to find and credit cards are widely accepted, even for small amounts.

Almost all Norwegians speak good English and many coffee shops, restaurants and hostels offer free Wi-Fi.

The easiest way to get to the Lofoten is to fly from Oslo to Bodø (1 ½ hrs), then take the  (one-way prices: vehicle and driver 746 NOK, adult 180 NOK, child 90 NOK).

The direct route to Moskenes takes 3 ½ hrs, but a few times a day the ferry sails to Værøy and Røst first, which doubles the length of the tour. The ferry is large and modern, with comfortable seats, a restaurant and Internet.

On the Lofoten there is one main road (E 10) going over bridges and through tunnels from Å in the very south to Solvaer in the north. This road even connects the Lofoten with the mainland, so you could skip the ferry altogether and just drive from Bodø, but those are very long and rather slow 500 kilometers.

On the Lofoten there is a , but in winter it only goes once or twice a day and doesn’t cover the side streets, which lead to the nice scenery. So renting a car is the only practical alternative. Here you have three choices:

  • Rent in Bodø (from a range of well-known companies), do your grocery shopping there, then drive with the car onto the ferry. This is more comfortable, but it also makes the ferry more expensive.
  • Go by foot onto the ferry, then rent a car in Moskenes from a commercial company (, ). Definitely book ahead of time.
  • Borrow a car from the locals. This might sound adventurous, but it’s OK and noticeably cheaper. Look for rental signs in Moskenes.

The choice of hostels and airbnb is very limited, and in winter it’s not possible to camp, so you will have to rent a cabin. For one or two persons this is quite expensive, but with a group of 4 or 6 it’s easily doable. The cabins are usually in great shape and very well equipped: 2 bedrooms, a kitchen with dishes, cutlery etc., bathroom, dining room, Wi-Fi), and they are warm and comfortable in winter. Ask about towels and linen, but usually you either bring your own or rent them for a small price.

A good location for your cabin is anywhere between Å and Leknes. Here are a some recommendations, but there are many others:

If you decide to stay longer than a week on the Lofoten, it might be worth booking two different accommodations, so you can spend half of your time further south and the other half further north.

If you need to spend a night in Bodø, your budget option is the . The walking time to the airport is 20 min, or you can take a taxi for 20 EUR 😉

There are only few restaurants on the Lofoten, and these are quite expensive, so we suggest that you make sandwiches and bring fruits and cookies for “surviving” during the day. In the evening you can cook in the cabin while talking about your great experiences during the day.

Grocery stores are usually open Mon-Sat from 10:00-17:00, and you will find one every 30 or so kilometers: Coop in Reine, Bunpris in Ramberg and several shops in the bigger towns Leknes and Svolvaer.

In Bodø (if you rented your car on the mainland) there is a wide range of supermarkets open every day until 11 pm. Rema 1000 is the discounter, but there is also KIWI, Europris, Lidl, Coop, ICA and more.

Due to the close proximity of the Gulf Stream, the Lofoten winters are quite mild, especially for a location this far north. The average winter temperatures are just below freezing, and the weather usually changes quite fast with the sun, clouds and rain seemingly being in a constant race.

What to See

Lofoten Color

The main attractions of the Lofoten are its idyllic fishing villages, secluded beaches, rugged mountains, hundreds of lakes and great hiking. While you can experience these anywhere on the archipelago, the combinations are always unique, so we suggest that each morning you choose a new region, then spend the entire day there. The fishing villages on the east coast are most beautiful in the morning (before, during and after the sunrise) while the beaches and villages on the west coast are prettiest in the late afternoon and during the sunset.

By the way sunrises and sunsets are one of the reasons to visit the Lofoten in winter — at the beginning of February twilight starts around 8 am and ends around 4:30 pm. Take your trip two months later you’ll have to wake up almost three hours earlier!

We found the following two maps very helpful for the panning of our tour: a very detailed  and .

The lovely red fisher houses on stilts (called rorbur) and fishing boats are pretty much the same on the whole archipelago but it’s the mountain and lakeside scenery, the special color of the water and the reflections of the clouds that make each place so special.

Start out with Henningsvær, which is one of the largest and most popular fishing villages on the Lofoten.

A must-see is Reine, which is said to be one of the most beautiful towns in the entire country of Norway because of its idyllic location. It’s located at the entrance of a fjord and is surrounded by impressive mountains. With its shoreline covered with red wooden cabins, cod drying racks and picture-perfect scenes at almost every turn it will capture your heart in no time.

Definitely worth a visit are also these villages:

  • Å (yes, the name of this small town is made up of one letter only) which fascinates with a lovely view from the north and wonderful cliffs to the south. From here you can also see the rocky islands Røst and Værøy. Leave your car on the parking lot behind the tunnel, then explore the area by foot.
  • Sund with its special location in a deep bay. Visit the blacksmith and the museum and learn interesting things about the region and its people.
  • Nusfjord with its tucked-away harbour and dozens of colorful fisher cabins (now converted to apartments for the visitors).
  • Hamnøy, Sørvågen and Tind.

Utakleiv (16 km north of Leknes) is very nice, especially the more rocky left side of the beach.

Eggum (11 km from Borg; pass the village and stop at the ruin) is worth a visit due to the brilliant mountain scenery and huge boulders spread all over the beach. This is an excellent scene for photography, especially at sunset.

Unstad is also surrounded by rocks and a is a good spot for surfers. Students from Oslo come here during their holidays just for surfing. And by the way, on the Lofoten there are quite a few surfers, even in winter!

One of the prettiest beaches anywhere is Kvalvika, but it’s not accessible by car and you need a certain level of fitness to reach it. See our separate description of a day-tour to Kvalvika beach (blog post coming up).

If you like hiking you can hike to lake Studalsvatnet. Start your tour from one of the parking lots to the east or west of Sørvågvatnet, then follow the trail to the famous Munkebu cabin. In winter you probably should not attempt the whole tour, but you can surely manage the first 1-2 kilometers which lead to the lake and along its shore.

A bit more adventurous (because of mud, some ice and some moderate climbing) is the hike around lake Ågvatnet. This is part of the longer tour from Å to Stokkvika Beach on the other side of the island. This tour starts from the parking lot behind the tunnel and goes along Ågvatnet’s south shore. Instead of crossing the mountain range and continuing to Stokkvika (there is no sign anyway) simply follow the path around the lake along its north shore back to Å.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Northern Lights

Lofoten Lights

A winter trip to the Lofoten will be memorable for all the reasons mentioned above, but if you are lucky, you will also experience one of the greatest shows that nature can stage — the . They result from solar wind hitting the earth’s atmosphere and are visible in regions close to the earth’s magnetic poles.

The following factors are needed for you to experience the Northern Lights:

  • A location between 65° and 80° geographical latitude (the Lofoten are located at 68°).
  • Solar activity. You cannot control this, but at least it’s easy to predict, so keep checking the . An activity level of 2 or 3 produces very faint lights, barely visible with the naked eye, but you can capture them on a picture with an exposure of about 30 seconds. Solar activity with strength of 4 or more produces clearly visible Northern lights, but this only happens on a few nights per month.
  • Darkness. In January and February there is plenty of darkness on the Lofoten.
  • Clear skies. The weather on the Lofoten is less stable and your chances are lower than at a location further into the continent (somewhere in Sweden or Finland for example), but the landscape here is more exciting. So whenever a clear night coincides with visible Northern Lights, you’ll experience pure magic.
  • Acceptable night temperatures for you to go out and enjoy. The Lofoten archipelago profits enormously from the Gulf Stream and the nights here are usually around -5° instead of the more typical -20° and occasionally -40°C in Sweden and Finland.

So you see, the conditions for observing Northern Lights are not fulfilled very often, and you should not be too disappointed if you don’t experience a spectacular display on your very first trip. We’ve been this far north twice already, and the best we’ve managed is the image above. It might look impressive, but the activity was at level 3, so to the naked eye the light was more like a cloud with a slightly green cast than an active glow.

TIPS AND TRICKS

  • If you take the night ferry and arrive in Moskenes the middle of the night, just drive to the furthest destination (Henningsvær) and enjoy the sunrise there, then drive slowly back south during the day.
  • Driving south from Henningsvær take the RV815. It runs amid great coastal and mountain scenery, and is less traveled and more attractive that the main route.
  • Unless you are one a very tight budget book your accommodation ahead of time. There are significantly fewer tourists in winter (mostly photographers hunting the Northern Lights), but also not all cabins and vacation villages are open.
  • If you rent your car in Bodø and take the ferry to or from Moskenes during the day it’s a good idea to (100 NOK). Taking the ferry at night or without a car is no problem.
  • Don’t be irritated by the view and the smell of the typical stockfish, dangling in pairs hung to dry over the huge wooden frames. You’ll get used to it very quickly.
  • Proper shoes if you decide to go hiking.
  • Spikes for your hiking shoes for the icy parts of the hiking trails. Don’t attempt to cross a frozen area without spikes, you will fall down and may hurt yourself.
  • A tripod for your camera if you intend to photograph the Northern Lights.

Personal Thoughts

Sunrise Glow

Winter is the main fishing season on the Lofoten and the inhabitants earn their living from fishing. There are drying racks everywhere, and it’s a macabre sight when they fully covered with dead fish bodies. But even more extreme are the fish heads which get exported to Afrika once they are dry.

I would come back to:

  • hike to the top of some mountains for spectacular views in all directions,
  • increase the chance to see stronger Northern Lights,
  • see the color of the water in spring / autumn.

Information from: February 2014

18 Comments

  1. Vidish

    Hello Katja and Bojidar,

    Greetings from India.

    I am planning to visit Norway in late November( 23rd to 28th). We have planned to spend a day in Oslo and then either complete 4 days in Lofoton or Tromso ( Either of this)

    Reading about reviews/blogs on visiting in November has really demotivated me, but still I am determined to visit and take a chance to watch the spectacle of northern lights.

    Can you provide sort of iternary for Lofoten( considering November)? Really not sure about how are the road conditions in winter, safety to do roadtrip considering snow accumulation and all.

    Cheers and Thanks in advance, keep up the good work!
    (really loved your website and idea)
    Vidish ( India)

    1. Katja

      Hi Vidish,

      congrats to your decision to visit the far european North in wintertime! Yes, Norway can be cold and due to the higher rainfall winter is not the preferred season for most people. But thanks to the Gulf Stream you have relatively mild temperatures year-round – especially in the coastal area. November is also a bit warmer with fewer days of frost compared to the other wintermonths, which makes it a good choice for spotting Northern Lights. So don’t let others demotivate you. Nonetheless bring spikes for your (hiking) shoes.

      An itinerary for November would be identical to the ideas given above for January and February, but probably with more rain and fewer snow-covered mountains since winter just began. Theoretically you could tour the whole Lofoten islands in one day (which you don’t want of course). The street condition of the main road E10 and most side roads was really good by the time of our visit. Norwegians are used to snow and the streets are usually cleared from snow regularly. You might get stuck behind a bulldozer for a while or have to wait due to road construction work, but those are signs that the roads are kept in shape plus you can’t drive that fast on the twisting roads anyway. Btw: The roads are often just above sea-level so if you’re lucky (like us) snow only remains in the higher and colder areas.

      Since you only have 4 days you should concentrate on one part. If you love craggy landscapes go for the southern and most rugged islands Moskenes and Flakstad and visit the area and villages between Å and Nusfjord. If you prefer beaches concentrate on the middle and northern parts of the Lofoten (see map and description above).

      How much you finally get to see and do in these 4 days depends on how much time you spend wandering around the villages or hiking and of course on the weather, street and your condition (after a long night observing Northern Lights 🙂 ). No matter which area you choose, visiting the Lofoten islands is a good decision and you won’t regret it.

      Have a great trip and good luck with spotting Northern Lights.

      Best wishes to India, Katja

  2. Vidish

    Wow, thats good news ! 🙂

    Will focus mainly on Lofoten itself then. I often go on hikes here in India, so will try doing one there.

    Your brilliant work will guide us for sure.

    Thanks, will update after completing the trip

  3. Clement

    Hello,

    We are planning to visit Lofoten this Dec. Is the ferry ride from Bodo likely going to be very rough? My friend is a bit prone to seasickness so I want to be sure. Also, because of the polar night, is there going to be anything to see from the ferry if it leaves Bodo at 4pm?

    Alternatively we are thinking about flying, would it be convenient to rent a car after arriving in Loften?

    Thank you!

    1. Bojidar

      Hi Clement,

      1. I think that the ferry ride should be OK because that water area is not fully open to the ocean. However if it’s stormy, it might be rougher than normal.
      2. If there are polar lights visible, you will definitely see them also from the ferry, since in Dec it’s polar night most of the time.
      3. Rentin on Lofoten is also possible, but about twice the price. Mostly available from local people. On the other hand, renting on the mainland means that you’ll have to pay for the car to be transported via the ferry.

      Have a great time!

  4. Shierlly

    Hello,
    I have same situation as Clement. I will be visiting Lofoten on 22 Dec this
    How harsh is the weather mostly around that time ? Is it still to stay at Fisherman Cabin which is stood up on seaside?
    My schedule is arrive at Leknes airport on 22 Dec at 13.00pm and plan to ride taxi or bus. I plan to stay at Sakrisoy Rorbuer for 1 night and leave from Stamsund quay by Hurtigruten cruise to Tromso on 23 Dec at 19.30.
    I would love to stay 2 nights there but stuck in transportation since there’s no transportation go out from Lofoten on 24 Dec ( both hurtigruten and flight)

    I heard taxi is very expensive, from Leknes airport to Reine is around NOK 1500-2000 one way. Alternatively there’s a bus, but I heard sometimes the schedule is not certain and narrow down.
    How will I can sort this transporation problem? Please kindly advice based on your experience
    PS: I will not rent a car since I don’t have experience driving in Winter

    Thanks,
    Shierlly

    1. Katja

      Hello Shierlly,

      as I wrote to Vidish, thanks to the Gulf Stream you have relatively mild temperatures year-round on the Lofoten, but it’s still wintertime, so you want to bring warm clothes of course. The winter conditions vary from year to year (according to locals we experienced a rather unusual mild winter in January/February), so I’d recommend you to check the weather forecast, and prepare accordingly. This page may be helpful: (click on forecast as PDF). I personally freeze easily, so I would always pack for cold and rainy weather when heading to Norway.

      Since we hired a car, we don’t have any experience with public transportation or taxi, which we could share. If car or taxi are no options, you could talk to the other passengers on the plane to Leknes trying to find a person heading to Reine who could give you a lift. But definitely check out the link for the bus schedules shared in our trip description (). Bus line 18-742 Leknes to Å i Lofoten, at 15:45 (running daily) seems to be the right one for you, arriving in Reine at 17:10.

      Wish you an enjoyable time on the Lofoten!

  5. Paul

    Hi Katja and Bojidar,

    I will come to Lofoten in Jan. 2017 and stay for 3 nights. I will rent a car in Leknes Airport and return to the same location. Can you please give me some suggestions what activities I can do in these days? I have a 10 years boy. How can he find fun here? Is it possible to go fishing to the local people? I will stay in Eliassen Rorbuer, is there food store or market nearby?

    Big thanks for your help

    Paul

  6. Desiree Valencia

    This is such great information!! I am so excited to be headed to Norway in a few weeks (mid-Feb). The plan is to stay in Tromso for about 5 days at the Malangen Resort and do tours from there. I really want to make our way to the Lofoten Islands. Is it possible to drive there from Tromso? If we only have a couple of days there is it possible to navigate on our own in our rental or is there a specific tour that can take us to the most scenic spots? Also, any helicopter tours that are offered?

    1. Bojidar

      Hi Desiree, (1) even though it looks close on a map, the streets are narrow and curvy, so it will take a complete day to get to Lofoten and another complete day to drive back. So it only makes sense if you dedicate 2 or even 3 days to the trip. (2) Once you get to Laupstad it’s just one street, so only one tour is possible. The only way to make your tour different than others is the weather and how often you stop. (3) Sorry, no idea about helicopter flights. I’m sure they are available, but way outside of our budget.

      Good luck and enjoy your trip!

  7. Katarina

    Hi Katja and Bojidar!
    Thank you for your post and the information, it is very helpful 🙂
    We are going to Lofoten on 27st of January and we are staying there for 5 days. We are planning to do some hiking.
    From your experience, how were the mountains like? Is it dangerous concerning the avalanches there?
    Thanks a lot!
    Best,
    Katarina

    1. Katja

      Hi Katarina, when we were there we had almost no snow, which the locals told us was untypical. But I think that there is never that much snow and the mountains are just a few hundred meters high, so I think that the avalanche danger is relatively low. But please, ask the locals or the tourist information if you are unsure.

      Have a wonderful trip!

  8. Michael

    Hi Katja and Bojidar,

    We (5 adults) will visit Lofoten Islan in from 15 to 18 October 2017. We will fly to/from Bodo. I have the following questions:

    1. How is the weather of Lofoten Island in October?
    2. Is there any possible of delay or cancel of boat between Bodo and Moskenes? We do not want to miss our flight leaving Bodo on 19 October 2017 at 6.00am. We plan to take he ferry from Moskenes on 18 October 2017 at 7.00pm to reach Bodo at 11.45pm.
    3. Should we rent the car in Bodo or Moskenes? We will reach Bodo on 14 October 2017 at 12.00pm and plan to take the ferry from Bodo at 4.30pm to reach Moskenes at 7.45pm.
    4. Any recommendation of easy hiking routes with great panoramic sceneries? We are not experienced hikers.
    5. Where is the best places and times to hunt for northern lights during the period?

    Your advise on above will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks and regards,
    Michael

    1. Bojidar

      Hi Michael,

      Google knows the answer to most of your questions, so I’ll just answer the tricky ones:

      1.
      2. It’s definitely a good idea that you want to cross on the night before, so if there is a delay of 2-4 hours, you can still catch your plane. Also, if the weather is bad and there is a chance of delay, you can drive to Bodø instead. I guess that they will only cancel the ferry if the weather is extremely bad, in which case I would call them 1 day before and see what they advise.
      3. It’s quite a bit more expensive in Moskenes, so I’d do it in Bodø. You pay more on the ferry, but for us (7 days) it was cheaper this way. Also, you’d have a car to drive to Bodø in case the ferry gets canceled.
      4. There are many:
      5. If there are any northern lights, you will see them from the entire archipelago. I think that it’s best to be just outside a town, so you can have nice pics with town lights in the foreground. If the lights are very faint, it’s better to be away from the towns, so it’s dark. In any case, the lights are visible for longer periods, so you can drive to town or away from the town, as you prefer.

      Cheers and enjoy your trip!!

  9. Sherly

    hi Katja and Bojidar.
    thank’s for your information, it’s very helpful for me.
    i’m planning to go to Norway this end of December.
    i will rent a car in Lofoten area. but, this is will be my first time driving in the winter time with snow area.
    my question is, is the road will be very icy or snowy? do i need to use a car chain while i’m driving as well?
    thank’s for your help.
    regards,
    Sherly

    1. Bojidar

      Hi Sherly,

      the weather around Lofoten is relatively mild, so heavy snow or ice is not very likely. But if needed, I’m guessing that your rental company will give you everything you need for driving in snow (maybe for a small surcharge).

      Have a great time on Lofoten!

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