About the Lofoten itinerary

It is not easy to prepare a guide to places worth visiting in Lofoten Norway. The best Lofoten itinerary could probably be condensed into a short advice – just wander, take a small road, check what’s around the corner and be flexible as much as possible.

And, if we could highlight only one thing to help you plan your trip to Lofoten, that would be – be flexible. We kept changing our plans daily due to various reasons; two most important were the weather and ferries to small islands timetable. We think we were unlucky with the weather when visiting Lofoten, as it rained every day, therefore many days we just tried to chase the sunshine. But, have we really been unlucky, or it’s just a typical arctic summer weather…? We wish, we knew how to better prepare for Lofoten road trip and what to expect.

We are outdoors enthusiasts; hence the road trip itinerary is focused on providing solid information on Lofoten’s hikes, walks, local experiences and best scenic beaches. No guide, though, would be completed without a note about MUST SEE fishing villages in Lofoten. They are beating hearts of the archipelago with red and yellow rorbu (or rorbuer), fish racks and harbours.

We travelled through Lofoten in our self-converted camper van and stayed off grid most nights, so we’re sharing camping spots (and campsites) information. By own experience, we know how difficult is finding a suitable overnight stay spot (especially sleeping in tent), hence we believe that many of you will find this information very useful.

Journey to Lofoten

We have already been on the road for a month, and we were getting excited to be closer to Lofoten islands in Norway. Unfortunately, the weather conditions were against us – on the day we were supposed to take ferry from Bodø to Moskenes, we were woken up by heavy rain and wild wind. We already knew we won’t make it to Lofoten that day (ferry was cancelled), we decided however to drive to Bodø and search for a campsite. All day our camper struggled against the elements and upon our arrival to Bodøsjoen campsite we were greeted by huge puddles and not a single soul.

Instead of visiting Bodø, we spent the afternoon at campsite’s kitchen and our lovely camper – the rain never stopped, but weather forecast for next day looked promising. We decided to take 11am ferry, arrived to the terminal early and queued in the ‘no reservation’ line, hoping the ferry will sail. We have heard that the crossing to Lofoten can be rough and yes, we confirm that’s true.

Sailing from Bodø to Moskenes was a rough 3.5 hours journey, and we both felt rather tired and sick upon our arrival to Lofoten. Also happy – we have planned to visit this remote archipelago for several years. I admit, we had high expectations of Lofoten; and sharp mountain ridges shrouded by low clouds we admired from ferry were a promise of great days to come.

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7 DAY ROAD TRIP IN LOFOTEN ITINERARY

Day 1 – Å i Lofoten and Lake Agvatnet
Day 2 – Tind, Sorvagen and hike to Munkebu hut
Day 3 – Reine, Sakrisøya, Hamnøy, Yttersand Beach and hike to Roren
Day 4 – Hiking to Ryten and Kvalvika Beach
Day 5 – Nusfjord – Unesco World Heritage Site, and Haukland Beach
Day 6 – Uttakleiv Beach and hike to Veggen mountain
Day 7 – Henningsvaer and Svolvaer

Bonus: Check out some of the experiences you may like to try when visiting Lofoten!

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Day 1 – Å i Lofoten and Lake Agvatnet

Our plan was to explore Lofoten from west to east, starting at westernmost point accessible by car – village Å.

Å is often referred to as ‘Å i Lofoten’ (meaning: Å in Lofoten), to distinguish it from several other Å settlements in Norway. Dating back to 16^th century, it was an important fishing port until about 100 years ago. Nowadays, Å is a charming traditional village with circa 100 local residents, very typical for Lofoten, with its red wooden fishermen’s houses built on water (rorbu or rorbuer) and relaxed atmosphere; it’s also a great tourist attraction.

Apart from historic and traditional sights, Å i Lofoten is a perfect location to start a road trip in Lofoten! Why is that? Simply because it’s the beginning of European route E10 (Norway – Sweden) which also happens to be Lofoten’s main road, known as King Olav’s Road.

A i Lofoten is only 5 km west from ferry harbour in Moskenes, so after a short drive we arrived to large visitors car park at the very end of road; where our journey thru Lofoten began.

What a surprise, first impression of Å was spoiled by heavy rain! We reached car park at the very end of E10 just past village Å in total downpour. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long for rain to pass.

Finally being in Lofoten, surely everyone will be eager to go exploring! As Å is only a small village, sightseeing doesn’t take long, it’s OK to visit in the evening.

For the afternoon we planned a hike to Stokkvika, however it turned out to be much more time consuming than we anticipated and instead of hiking Stokkvika we only explored shores of neaby lake Agvatnet.

We picked one of dozens paths beginning at the far end of car park and slowly progressed to the lake shores. It was our first experience of Lofoten’s trails, but a very typical one. Path was very wet throughout, some sections hardly passable dry footed. The trail itself was a good introduction to hiking in Lofoten. Unfortunately, upon reaching the head of Agvatnet we endured another downpour and, as clouds were not clearing, we decided to call it a day and return to the camper.

On the way back we came across a small wooden shed, filled to the full with dry fish heads! No need to mention, that we smelled it even before we saw it! Everyone knows that Lofoten is famous for drying cod; fish hanging about for months on special wooden frames (mainly in spring), known as ‘stock fish’. However, we were a bit puzzled to find a shed full of fish heads; we noted to find out what locals use it for. Would you like to have a guess??? We learned that dried cod heads are exported to Africa, where they are a delicacy! Nothing goes to waste, even dried fish heads!

Evening was warm and calm, so we headed to village Å for a wander. There is a tourist trail starting at the car park (near gift shop), leading to the village; and it’s only about 10 minutes walk. We took time to explore Å i Lofoten: checked out the dwellings, Stock Fish Museum, local pub and the stream which runs from lake Agvatnet to the ocean thru the village – and actually gives the village its name – Å. Most importantly, we had a close look at Rorbu- Lofoten’s iconic red wooden houses. They used to be homes to fishermen, nowadays are mainly a tourist accommodation.

Handy information:

• Parking at Å i Lofoten visitors car park (click here for directions) is free of charge. Facilities include a gift shop, toilets (open 24/7) and rubbish bins. Overnight stay in campers is allowed. There also is a bus stop of Lofoten Line 300 (bus routes and timetables in Lofoten).
• Walking to head of lake Agvatnet (and back) takes about 2 hours, trail is wet and slippery in places.
• Online map of the area is available here (Norgeskart).
• Å i Lofoten weather forecast – click here for information
• Camping information. Nearest campsites are located in Moskenes. We can recommend Moskenes Camping (website), price for camper van in 2018 was 320 NOK (340 NOK including electricity). Wild camping – staying overnight is allowed at visitors car park in Å (camper); despite it being a busy spot we stayed there for 2 nights without any trouble, and recommend it. Pitching a tent around the car park is not allowed and the only option is to camp up in the hills or over lake Agvatnet. Be prepared to spend some time searching for a suitable spot as the ground is very wet.
• How to see Å i Lofoten from above? Hike to Tindstinden, a stunning viewpoint over Å!

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Day 2 – Tind, Sorvagen and hike to Munkebu hut

We woke up to a glorious morning! If only weather in Lofoten spoiled us with sunshine more often!

Rested and happy we had breakfast outside, enjoyed morning coffee with the view! Soon, we were ready to begin the adventure, head east along E10 road and explore the islands!

Being Lofoten newbies, we didn’t drive far before safely leaving the camper along the road, to take photographs. In fact, we only drove 2 kilometres before stopping for a photo break in Tind, and then stopping again 1 kilometre further, in Sorvagen. We felt that it would be much better and wiser to leave the car somewhere and just walk along the road! Scenery in front of us was fantastic, it was impossible to resist taking photographs!

We jumped in the car again and followed E10 road thru Sorvagen. But only a minute later we spotted a signpost on left hand side, to a waterfall. ‘Nothing wrong with a quick visit to a waterfall’, I said and Bea agreed. Having arrived to dedicated car park we noticed more signposts – to waterfall as well as to Munkebu mountain hut.

The waterfall was only a short walk away, worth visiting. But as we admired it, a thought came to my mind – why not find out more about Munkebu hut hike, maybe it’s worth a visit too? Bea was very keen on exploring it as well, therefore after a quick research we changed; geared with hiking boots we headed to Munkebu hut. It was a great adventure and highlight of the trip to Lofoten!

Again, we cannot highlight enough how important it is to be flexible and go with a flow.

Munkebu hut is located in wilderness of Lofoten’s mountains, surrounded by rocky peaks and blue lakes. Along the way we passed dozens of waterfalls. The only regret we had was starting the hike a bit too late (mid-day); if we started earlier we would be able to extend the hike and climb rocky summit over Munkebu hut – Munken (we did conquer Munken on our second visit to Lofoten. What is more, we also challenged ourselves to the highest peak on Moskenesoya island, Hermannsdalstinden, with a sleepover at Munkebu hut)

We returned from Munkebu hut some 6 hours later, in late afternoon. It was time to look for an overnight stay spot, and, as we were still near village A i Lofoten, we drove back to the large car park at road’s end.

What a day, we managed to only drive 3 kilometres from where we started in the morning!

Handy information:

• There are no facilities at the free waterfall and Munkebu hut dedicated car park in Sorvagen (directions)
• Sorvagen is home to two grocery shops
• Munkebu hut weather forecast – click here for information
• Camping information. Nearest campsites are located in Moskenes. We can recommend Moskenes Camping (website), price for camper van in 2018 was 320 NOK (340 NOK including electricity). Wild camping – staying overnight is allowed at visitors car park in Å (camper); despite it being a busy spot we stayed there for 2 nights without any trouble, and recommend it. Pitching a tent around the car park is not allowed and the only option is to go up the hills over the lake Agvatnet. Be prepare to spend some time searching for a suitable as the ground is very wet.
• Wild camping in Sorvagen is only allowed on higher ground in mountains.
• Lofoten public transport routes and timetables, click here
• Detailed information about hikes from Sorvagen: Munkebu hut and Munken, Tindstinden, Hermannsdalstinden. 

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Day 3 Reine, Sakrisøya, Hamnøy, Yttersand Beach and hike to Roren

We left Å i Lofoten (again!) looking forward to new adventures!

We briefly stopped in Moskenes, only to visit tourist information office and buy a hiking map, as we planned to do some walking in Lofoten. Unbelievably, tourist office had just ran out of hiking maps, what were the chances?! In this instance we were forced to search for online maps, and eventually lack of printed materials at tourist office worked to our benefit – we found a good online map with marked hiking trails (and used it ever since) which was perfectly sufficient for our needs. Check out online Norgeskart map (here), it comes very handy!

We headed to Reine with hope that weather will hold (it was so warm and sunny!) and plan to conquer Reinebringen – the iconic viewpoint over Reine village and world-famous views to islands scattered over Reinefjorden.

We decided to skip hiking Reinebringen thou. Why was that? As the viewpoint has been extremely popular over the years, the steep and rugged mountain trail deteriorated and eroded greatly. That led, over the years, to increased number of accidents on the in-maintained trail, including several serious injuries. Local authorities decided that a new trail is needed, the Sherpa team was brought in from Nepal to carry out work. Work on new trail started in 2016, it’s a slow process and, as we understand, there is no deadline. In October 2018, 870 steps have been completed and work will continue again from August of 2019. Local community asks tourist not to walk on the trail while works are carried out.

We though it is only right to respect the local community, and decided to choose other hikes in Lofoten. There are plenty to choose from – all with amazing views. Please think twice before deciding of going up to Reinbringen view point and check with Moskenes Tourist Information what is the situation with the trail. Remember, be flexible.

Instead, we set to explore village Reine.

Free parking in Reine Lofoten is located just off main road E10 (directions) and fits up to 20 cars. It’s less than 1 kilometre to village’s harbour and rorbu (red fishermen’s houses). There are other, more central car parks in Reine, however charge applies.

What we really liked about using the free car park was the short walk to village’s heart. On the approach to village we could admire its beautiful location – calm waters of Reinefjorden, rorbu and mountains towering in background. Heart of Reine consists of a small boat harbour and rorbu; also at main square we found cafés, gift shop and a tiny self-service petrol station. Reine definitely is worth a couple of hours visit. We had a wander around the village; discovered that some locals store their boats in special shelters at house-side, or even under the house! We’ve never seen such thing, it still brings smile to my face… Lofoten are just SPECIAL.

Our next stop were Sakrisoya and Olenilsoya, approximately 2 kilometres past Reine, along road E10.

The islands are best visited together – the best views to Sakrisoya’s famous yellow rorbu are from western shores of Olenilsoya island. The only place of interest apart from yellow rorbu on Sakrisoya is a very popular café and delicatessen –Anita’s Seafood. Its interior is styled typically to Lofoten, so we encourage everyone to have a look inside. Also, the delicatessen sells genuine stock fish (Lofoten’s famous dried cold) as well as smoked fish of all kinds. We really enjoyed oat cakes with cream cheese and locally smoked salmon from Sakrisoya!

Olenilsoya itself is less interesting with sparse modern houses, but makes a fantastic viewpoint to its smaller neighbour –Sakrisoya. Why not take a small path to its highest point (walking distance 300 metres) for an overview of the area?

Less than a kilometre north from Sakrisøya is another world-famous fishing village, Hamnøy.

Who hasn’t seen the iconic photo of Hamnøy’s red rorbu?! I’m sure that many of Lofoten’s visitors are actually drawn to the islands by that single shot – blue fjord waters, red rorbu with a dramatic rock behind. And we were too! Only to find that in reality Hamnøy isn’t a scenic little gem of Lofoten… Based on the iconic photograph, we imagined the village to be located in wilderness, breath taking, and remote.

We found out that Hamnøya is not only divided in two by main road E10, but also industrialised. The famous red rorbu photo reflects only one side of Hamnøy and, in fact, is misleading! The photograph is taken from one specific spot along main road to the village. We sadly admit, that Hamnøya was one of disappointments we experienced in Lofoten, as in real life it’s just different to what you see on social media.

Nonetheless, visit Hamnøya  – take a walk amongst rorbu and to the harbour, find its real face and decide for yourself whether it lives up to your expectations.

Leaving Hamnøy, we continued north, stopping along the road only occasionally. We followed E10 to the very end of Selfjorden where we turned left, towards the most northerly tip of Moskenesoya island. There, at the very end of the road Fv806 was our next destination – village Yttersand.

We found out that nearby area offered great hiking trails and amazing white sanded beaches, therefore we were keen to explore it. As a warm up we planned a nice, short hike to Roren, a viewpoint over Yttersand Beach. It takes only a couple of hours, but offers great view to the beach and nearby mountains, as well as the next island of Lofoten archipelago – Flakstadoya.

It was a great idea to finish the day with a visit to Roren viewpoint, we greatly enjoyed the views, the trail and most importantly – the beach walk. After the whole day of photo shooting in Lofoten’s villages, we were finally in nature, which we always enjoy the most!

Apart from Roren and Yttersand Beach, the area offers another amazing ‘mountain + beach’ hike: Ryten and Kvalvika Beach. Obviously, we couldn’t resist that one either and made it our next adventure!

Handy information:

• Nearest tourists information offices are located at Moskenes harbour and Ramberg
• Free car park in Reine (directions)
• Nearest petrol stations: Reine (directions), Ramberg (directions)
• Nearest supermarkets: near Reine (directions), near Ramberg (directions)
• Sakrisoya delicatessen – Anita’s Seafood (directions)
• Free parking at Hamnoy (directions)
• Reine weather forecast – click here for information
• Roren weather forecast – click here for information
• Camping information. Campsites: Moskenes Camping (website), price for camper van in 2018 was 320 NOK (340 NOK including electricity) or alternatively Fredvang Strand Camping at the far end of Yttersand Beach. Wild camping – it’s generally tricky to find a wild camping spot (especially camping in a tent), as it’s forbidden by land owners in most suitable places. One can camp at Roren ridge, or alternatively there are small parking bays along E10 towards Moskenes (directions) and we stayed there 2 nights in camper van.
• Lofoten public transport routes and timetables (click here)
• Detailed information on hiking to Roren viewpoint and visiting Yttersand Beach
• Detailed information on hiking to Ryten and Kvalvika Beach

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Day 4 – Hiking to Ryten and Kvalvika Beach

Next day we woke up to horrendous weather; torrential rain and wind so strong that the camper was rocking like a toy boat on the sea. We didn’t have much choice but stay put, wait for conditions to improve. This is the very reason why I mentioned that you’ll have to keep and open mind and be flexible while working on your Lofoten itinerary – sometimes you’ll loose a day or two simply because weather is too wild!

Travelling in a camper van, we had luxury of dry and warm place to stay without need to look for café or accommodation. Hence, from the parking bay we slept at, we drove to nearby Fredvang Rest Stop (large car park with toilet, directions) to wait for weather improvement. Sadly, conditions improved only in the evening, and it was too late to hit the trail. As overnight stay is forbidden at the rest stop, we moved back to the same parking bay as night before, hoping to hike Ryten and Kvalvika Beach next morning.

To our great relief, wind calmed overnight and morning was quiet and warm; there was nothing to stop us from heading to Ryten trailhead, just past Fredvang village.

We both really enjoyed the hike and encourage everyone to check it out! Total distance is about 7.5 kilometre, total time (including chill out at Kvalvika Beach) is 5-6 hours. Path is very easy to follow for most of the hike.

We set off to Ryten early in the morning, and reached the summit at 9.48am! I think, it’s one of the earliest conquered mountain tops in our hiking career. At the summit we only met one other couple, which was great, as Ryten is one of most popular hikes in Lofoten and tends to be busy.
From Ryten, we descended to Kvalvika Beach – an amazing, white sanded beach hidden behind mountain wall. It was a great spot to relax – we walked along water edge, escaping incoming waves, picking up sea shells and pebbles. Oh, Kvalvika Beach was fantastic!

Kvalvika Beach was busier than Ryten summit; there were campers (some still sleeping in their tents!) as well as dozens other visitors. Where did they all come from since we didn’t meet that many walkers coming from Ryten? You’ll be glad to know, that there is an easier, direct way to visit Kvalvika Beach – without need to hike a mountain, and many tourists take that trail.

How to visit Kvalvika Beach directly? Further along road Fv808 past Fredvang is another small car park, direct trail to Kvalvika Beach starts there. It’s an easy trail, therefore many walkers choose this route when visiting with children, or simply if they’re tight on time.

How to extend Ryten and Kvalvika Beach hike? Keen hikers may consider extending the hike by taking a different return path from Kvalvika Beach. It is signposted as ‘Markjorda via Vestervika’ – walk all the way to the western end of the beach, then turn left, follow a path climbing to mountain pass, and later passing two lakes. By taking this route you’ll add 4.5 km to the hike.

After about 6 hours of hiking bliss, we returned to the camper and looked for campsites nearby. Unfortunately, apart from infamous Fredvang Strand, there were none! Eventually we decided to drive back to Moskenes Campsite – this one, at least, was open, had good reviews and facilities. After a well-deserved hot shower we spent quiet evening at campsite’s kitchen, cooking and chatting.

Handy information:
– Nearest tourists information office: Ramberg (directions)
– Nearest petrol station: Ramberg (directions)
– Nearest supermarket: Ramberg (directions)
– Ryten weather forecast – click here for information
– Camping information. Campsites: Moskenes Camping (website), price for camper van in 2018 was 320 NOK (340 NOK including electricity), Skagen Camping in Flakstad (website) or alternatively Fredvang Strand Camping at the far end of Yttersand Beach. Wild camping – it’s generally tricky to find a wild camping spot (especially camping in a tent) however, there were many good wild camping locations along the trail, especially at Ryten summit and Kvalvika beach. Alternatively, there are suitable, small parking bays along E10 towards Moskenes which we stayed at for 2 nights (directions)
– Lofoten public transport routes and timetables, click here.
– Detailed information on Kvalvika Beach and Ryten hike, with full explanation of the trail, hiking map and shorten/extend options.

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Day 5 – Nusfjord – Unesco World Heritage Site, and Haukland Beach

Oh, how much we would love to admire roadside views and sights in sunshine, this would be a totally different experience! Instead, Lofoten treated us with its typical weather. Despite getting used to rain & wind over the 8 days we spent on archipelago, we still longed for warmer and sunny days. It seemed that every single day of our visit to Lofoten we had to shelter from rain; visit to Nusfjord was no exception!

Nusfjord was our next destination, and we were excited to visit this unique village, hidden behind a wall of rocky mountains.

Since we left main road E10 and turned into road 807 taking us directly to Nusfjord, the scenery became very dramatic. The road followed narrow valley between rugged mountains, their tops constantly in clouds.  Maybe it’s hard to imagine that views, although half obscured by low clouds, can still be amazing. Road to Nusfjord was spectacular!

It rained mercilessly all the way to the fjord, rained still when we arrived to Nusfjord. Bea suggested we could have the dinner first and then see if rain stops. It was a very good idea, as about 20 minutes later the sun came out (only briefly) and we set to explore the village.

Nusfjord is a small fishing village on Flakstadoya island. What’s so unique about it? Nusfjord has been an Unesco World Heritage Site since 1975 as one of best preserved fishing villages in Norway. The greatest attraction is its old part – yellow rorbu and original tran (cod liver oil) refinery. Looking at Nusfjord now, we easily imagined how busy it must have been back in the day; fishermen landing cod in the harbour, then moving it to refinery where oil was cooked. OK, Nusfjord is a small village nowadays, but in past used to be an important spot on fish oil industry map!

Nusfjord has a marked tourist trail, taking visitors to its most important locations. Bea and I followed it to ensure we don’t miss anything –  red rorbu, old harbour, yellow rorbu – oldest buildings in the village, and the historic cod liver oil refinery, ever present wooden fish racks.

First we focused on red rorbu at the edge of Nusfjord. We followed a wooden walkway thru a maze of small houses. I was surprised to see how many there were!

Then, we visited the oldest part of Nusfjord, yellow wooden buildings concentrated along the harbour. These old houses are still habituated and used today – as a warehouse, post office, pub and a shop.

Further, we continued to the other side of harbour, to the oldest ‘Trandamperiet’ (cod liver oil refinery), now a museum. Directly past the refinery is a small hill, fantastic viewpoint to the village! We took the best photos of Nusfjord from that viewpoint and recommend checking it out.

Nusfjord has its own small bakery (a small roll costs over 40 NOK!), a restaurant, post office and, of course, lots of tourist accommodation in rorbu.

Regrettably, during our visit it rained on and off, we didn’t spend as much time in Nusfjord as we hoped to. We intended to have a walk from Nusfjord, along fjord shores to Nesland (at the tip of peninsula), but conditions prevailed.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed visiting the village and learned a lot about fish oil industry.

Having left Nusfjord and still trying to chase the sun, we drove further north-west, to explore famous Haukland and Uttakleiv beaches.

What a joy to finally catch sunshine at Haukland Beach! We stopped at large, free car park just over the beach, a perfect spot for overnight stay.

Evening at Haukland Beach was peaceful and quiet, although there were several other campers, we didn’t disturb one another. I took a camera and walked to the beach, trying to capture its uniqueness and serene ambience. Suddenly, skies turned dark and I knew what’s coming. For a moment I admired turquoise water contrasting with white sand and navy blue sky, but the bliss didn’t last long… and I ran to hide from the rain! That’s how the day ended.

Haukland Beach is best visited together with nearby Uttakleiv Beach. You can walk between them along the coast – there is a well maintained coastal track (distance 4.5 kilometres), or alternatively hike from Haukland to Uttakleiv beach via a low mountain pass at Mannen mountain. We strongly recommend visiting the two beautiful beaches together, and turning two short beach visits into a day adventure! You can also extend the visit to Haukland/Uttakleiv area by hiking to the best viewpoints over the beaches: Mannen or Veggen.

This corner of Vestvagoya island is spectacular with its beaches and rugged mountains, it’s totally worth spending more time exploring it.

Handy information:

• Nearest tourists information office: Ramberg and Leknes (directions)
• Nearest petrol stations: Ramberg and Leknes
• Nearest supermarkets: Ramberg and Leknes
• Nusfjord weather forecast – click here for information
• Haukland Beach weather forecast – click here for information
• Free car park at Haukland Beach
• Camping information. Campsites: Skagen Camping in Flakstad (website) and small serf-service campsite at Uttakleiv Beach (directions). Wild camping: Haukland Beach car park is a great spot to stay overnight, alternatively one can pitch a tent higher up, along the Mannen mountain ridge
• How to turn a visit to Haukland and Uttakleiv beach into a full day adventure
• Details on hike to Mannen 
• Details on hike to Veggen
• Lofoten public transport routes and timetables, click here.

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Day 6 – Uttakleiv Beach and hike to Veggen mountain

Haukland Beach (where we stayed overnight) had a very relaxed ambience, no wonder that we got up rested and happy to spend more time in this serene area. Only this time, we wanted to see the stunning beaches – Haukland and Uttakleiv, from above, by hiking nearby mountains.

Two best viewpoints in the area are Mannen and Veggen mountains. They’re both located perfectly between the beaches – Mannen is lower, gentler and hence more popular with hikers, whereas Veggen is steeper and less visited. Very typically of us, we decided to hike Mannen, but at very last minute casually swapped it to Veggen!

The day started with visit to Uttakleiv Beach. We managed to enjoy it at low tide, what a perfect timing! I also took time to explore Uttakleiv’s unique rocky coast, at beach end are famous rock formations known as Viking Eye. Any keen photographer will be eager to find  and capture them. I won’t give away its exact location – spend some time wondering along the beach and you will find it yourself!

After beach walk, it was time to do some hiking! Veggen trailhead is located at Uttakleiv Beach car park. Hiking Veggen can be challenging at times – there are some steep or wet sections, and care is needed. Your efforts will be well rewarded thou, by views along the trail and especially at the summit. Definitely, we recommend this short hike, in can be completed in approximately 3 hours.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love admiring sandy beaches from above?! What about walking bare-feet on fine sand?

Veggen mountain is also a good spot for eagle watching, as there is a pair nesting in Veggen’s crags. During our hike, we spotted them gliding peacefully above out heads, also witnessed an eagles’ fight!

Handy information:

• Nearest petrol stations: Leknes
• Nearest supermarkets: Leknes
• Veggen weather forecast – click here for information
• Free car park at Haukland Beach (directions)
• Car park at Uttakleiv Beach (directions). Charge 40 NOK per 3 hours.
• Camping information. Campsites: small serf-service campsite at Uttakleiv Beach (directions). Wild camping: Haukland Beach car park is a great spot to stay overnight, alternatively one can pitch a tent higher up, along trail to Veggen mountain
• Lofoten public transport routes and timetables, click here.
• Detailed information on hiking to Veggen from Uttakleiv Beach
• Detailed information on hiking to Mannen from Haukland Beach
• Detailed information on visiting Uttakleiv and Haukland beaches in one go – turn two short beach visits into a day adventure!

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Day 7 – Henningsvaer and Svolvaer

Driving to Henninsgvaer has already been amazing, small road no 816 is somehow squeezed between sea and mountains, winds along the rocky coast – with breath taking views at every corner.

Upon the arrival we instantly liked Henningsvaer! It caught the eye with its colourful cabins and houses, silently reflected in mirror of still sea. We left the car at large visitors car park (directions) and set to explore this picturesque village.

So, what’s so unique about Henningsvaer?

Henninsgvaer is located on several small islands connected by bridges and footways therefore it’s sometimes called ‘Venice of the North’. I can’t think of a better description! The village has very strong artistic vibes, there are countless cafes, restaurants, art galleries, photo studios. But it’s not all; Henningsvaer community, one of the first in Lofoten, succeeded in giving new life to old, abandoned industrial sites. Have a wander around the village, check out its farthest corners and you’ll find cafes or pubs now beating hearts of several old warehouses or fish factories.

Haenningsvaer was our favourite fishing village in Lofoten.

Apart from being a local art-centre, Henninsgvaer is a busy and important place when it comes to fishing. Wherever we went, we always came across fish racks (used to dry cod in spring), they’re an integral part of landscape around Henninsgvaer (and all Lofoten).

We recommend having a wander around the village, take ‘random’ turns, check out small lanes and road ends. This way you’re more likely to see real Henninsgvaer.

Don’t forget to visit the football pitch located at the southern end of Hellandsoya (one of Henninsgvaer’s islands). The pitch became famous after being photographed from air – viewpoint located over the pitch doesn’t provide such spectacular overview, however it’s still worth a walk. And, if one feels like getting an aerial photo of Henninsgvaer, it could be purchased at tourist information office, a gift shop or photo studio.

Having spent most of the day in Henningsvaer, we headed to our next destination- Svolvaer late in the afternoon.

Svolvaer is a town in western Austvagoya, our last stop on road trip in Lofoten. Luckily, when we finally arrived to town, we found a shopping centre near Svolvaer’s harbour, totally by chance. It was a good spot to drop the car for a couple of hours, free of charge.

Svolvaer is a small town, beautifully walled by mountains to the north, however we felt it was a little bit run down.

Older buildings are mainly concentrated near harbour, with red rorbu along the shore; the oldest are large wooden warehouses built on an island Bukkedauden.

The town is known to be a good base for exploration of nearby mountains. We especially recommend the route to Floya, Djevelporten boulder, Blatinden and Tuva. This challenging hiking route begin at northern end of Svolvaer (Blatindveien and Knutvikveien).

Another stunning hike, only a short drive away is Matmora. Located at the quiet, northern tip of Austvagoya island, Matmora offers spectacular views, without the crowds of the more popular Lofoten hikes. We strongly recommend exploring this, lesser-known area of Lofoten!

Handy information:

• Nearest petrol stations: Henningsvaer and Svolvaer
• Nearest supermarkets: Henningsvaer and Svolvaer
• Henningsvaer weather forecast – click here for information
• Svolvaer weather forecast – click here for information
• Car park at Henningsvaer (directions)
• Car park at Svolvaer (directions)
• Camping information. Campsites: Lofoten Feriesenter in Svolvaer (directions), Lofoten Bobilcamping near Henningsvaer (directions). Wild camping: no wild camping spots for tents along road 816. Camper vans – only suitable spot is a car park at Rorvikstranda (at junction of road E10 and 816)
• How to hike to Floya, Djevelporten boulder, Blatinden and Tuva
• How to hike to Matmora at the northern tip of Austvagoya
• Lofoten public transport routes and timetables, click here.

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Other experiences you may want to try in Lofoten

RIB Boat Lofoten Trollfjord Sea Eagle Safari – 2h tour with English speaking guide. You will have the opportunity to see the eagles up close and admire Lofoten and Trollfjord from the water. Meeting point Svolvær.

Reine, Hamnøy, and Skariskøya Photo Tour – 8h tour with English speaking guide. Great tour for those who do not drive but would like to visit the hot spots. You will not only have a chance to take great photos but to learn more about Lofoten and hear lots of interesting stories. 3 pickup options: Svinøya Rorbuer, Thon Hotel Lofoten, Thon Hotel Svolvær.

Eggum Lofoten: Kayaking Tour in Lofoten or Skrova Island : 3hours Guided Kayak Tour – does 3h kayaking on Lofoten waters sound good? If so, this activity is for you (weather permitted).

Lofoten History and Sightseeing Tour – 5-hour journey through Lofoten’s captivating history and breathtaking landscapes. Meeting point: Svolvær.

Check out more tours.

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