The Lofoten Islands are an archipelago of islands that jut out into the Arctic Sea like a peninsula from Northern Norway. You’ll need a rental car, as there isn’t really any public transportation to speak of. The best thing to do is to fly into either Bodø, rent a car and then take the 3.5 hour ferry to the islands, Fly to Harstad/Narvik and then take the 3.5 hour car ride to Lofoten or simply fly to Svolvær, rent a car, and then drive the 30-40 min to Lofoten. Depending on flight schedules and layovers, the travel times are usually all about the same from wherever you are coming from. If you happen to be coming from the west coast, you can also look into taking the Hurtigruten Ferry. You can pick up a rental car from the port once you disembark.
Where to Stay
Our two favorite towns in Lofoten were Henningsvær and Reine. They are on completely opposite ends of the island chain, but one of the most fun things to do in this area is to simply drive around and explore the different islands and their small towns so you’re either going to drive from Henningsvær to Reine or vice versa. Reine is the slightly prettier area of the islands (although they’re all stunning) and Henningsvær has the nicest town with the best shops and restaurants.
Tobbiasbrygga
We stayed at Tobbiasbrygga in Henningsvaer. These were wonderful accommodations built out of traditional fishermen shacks that were right on the water with their own deck to enjoy. If you’re staying in Henningsvær we’d highly recommend checking them out.
Places to Eat
A very cool restaurant and hotel in Henningsvær that holds many special events throughout the week.
A wonderful fine dining experience in Henningsvær featuring 3- and 5-course meals complete with wine pairings.
A traditional Norwegian seaside restaurant with modern culinary flare with excellent food, friendly staff and a great menu.
Things to Do
Idrettslag Stadion
Henningsvær’s famous, instagram worthy island soccer field. No trip to Henningsvær is complete without stopping at their famous soccer field built on the last bit of island land jutting out from Henningsvær’s town center. If you have a drone, this is an opportunity to get some amazing photos and video.
Henningsvær
For the perfect run down of things to do in Henningsvær, check out Nerd Nomads. Their blog does the best job imaginable giving you a rundown of Henningsvær.
Hiking
For an excellent list of hikes for all skill levels, check out Switch Back Travel. Their blog is an excellent resource for hiking info.
Fishing, Kayaking and Wildlife Expeditions
For even more information on things to do in Lofoten, as always, check out Norway’s official travel website for a great list of activities to do in the Lofoten Islands.
Visit a Viking Museum
The Lofotr Viking Museum, located about half of the way between Henningsvær and Reine, is a huge exhibit of Viking life that is worth a stop during your drive. The movie in the museum right at the entrance is hilariously awful and can be skipped if you are short for time. But, is just bad enough to be worth sitting through the 10-15 min production for a good laugh if you do have time. The main exhibit is worth seeing and if you have kids they will enjoy the axe throwing, archery and Viking ship down by the water.
