7-Day Lofoten Islands Itinerary With A Hiking Focus

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The Lofoten Islands were on my radar for decades – long before drool-worthy Instagram photos made an appearance. It all started with a slide show (remember those?) put on by a kayaking company in Boulder, Colorado. While we never did kayak, I think you’ll find this 7-day Lofoten Islands itinerary with a hiking focus has wide appeal.

We had planned and booked a trip to the Lofoten Islands for August 2020. You know the rest of the story. It took us another three years to get here – and fortunately our seven-day itinerary in the Lofoten Islands lived up to our high expectations.

Our three week trip also included one week on the Kungsleden Trail in Sweden (and the reason we flew into Narvik) as well as three days in each of Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki, Finland.

What you’ll discover on this memorable Lofoten Islands itinerary are beautiful white-sand beaches, vibrant green hills, spectacular mountain vistas, and charming fishing villages – all above the Arctic Circle.

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*The Munkebu Hut hike is a standout on the Lofoten Islands*

When should you visit the Lofoten Islands?

Since hiking is the focus of this Lofoten Islands itinerary, I would recommend visiting from late May until early September, even though it’s peak season. If you time your visit between May 27 and July 7th, you’ll be able to experience the midnight sun.

We visited the last week of August and enjoyed lots of daylight and beautiful sunny days – though that isn’t the case for everyone. We were lucky. Don’t forget to pack your rain gear, extra socks, and a sense of humour.

I’d also suggest booking yourLofoten Islands accommodationsix months or more out to get what you want.

Note that September and October are the rainiest months to visit the Lofoten Islands – and hiking really wouldn’t be a lot of fun. But sometimes Lady Luck shows up when you need her.

Location of the Lofoten Islands

Norway’s Lofoten Islands, an archipelago made up of seven main islands, are located above the Arctic Circle. From Oslo, it’s roughly 1,400 km and a 20-hour drive to reach Evenes – the closest gateway of any size to the Lofoten Islands.

*Beautiful Kvalvika Beach in the Lofoten Islands in late August is a wonderful destination on foot*

How many days do you need in the Lofoten Islands?

Most people visiting the Lofoten Islands have traveled a long distance. My recommendation would be to allow a minimum of 4 – 7 days and up to two weeks if you were a super keen hiker and explorer.

Lofoten Islands Itinerary map (with a hiking focus)

How to get to the Lofoten Islands in Norway

Before you start your Lofoten Islands itinerary, download the Reis app available on Google play and in the App store. That will allow you to see departure times for public transit in all of Nordland – the northern part of Norway.

Getting to the Lofoten Islands by plane

If you want to maximize your time on the Lofoten Islands, then flying is your best option.

There are four airports to choose from – two on the mainland Harstad/Narvik and Bodø – and two in the Lofoten Islands, Leknes and Svolvær.

Airlines that serve the Lofoten Islands include Norwegian Air, SAS, and Widerøe. I have flown on both Norwegian and SAS and had no issues whatsoever.

TIP: Build in extra time in your Lofoten Islands itinerary for weather delays. Planes and ferries are notoriously late.

Harstad/Narvik airport in Evenes

We flew into the Narvik airport from Oslo and rented a car for a week. That worked well for us because it was easy to get to the starting point of the northern section of the Kungsleden trail in Sweden from the airport after our week in the Lofoten Islands.

From the Narvik airport allow 2.5 hours to reach Svolvær, the largest city in the Lofotens. It’s a good place to buy groceries, liquor, beer, or wine.

Leknes Airport

The only airline that flies into Leknes is Widerøe.

If you can fly into Leknes and rent a car, you’ll likely save some driving time as many of the great hikes in the Lofoten Islands are close by.

Svolvær Airport

You’ll likely have to change planes in Tromso or Bodø to get to Svolvær.

Widerøe is the only airline offering a direct flight to Svolvær.

Bodø Airport

You can fly to Svolvær from Bodø or take a ferry – though be warned that it is a notoriously tough crossing. Purchase medication ahead of time if you’re prone to sea sickness.

Check out Rome to Rio ferry options for the Bodø to Svolvær ferry.

If you want to take the Bodø to Moskesnes ferry read this post.

Getting around the Lofoten Islands

When you’re working on your Lofoten Islands itinerary, consider where you’re planning to start and end the trip. We started and ended our trip at the Narvik Airport, so we never incurred one way drop-off charges.

Even if you like the idea of going green, it’s hard to get around the Lofoten Islands without a car. There is public transportation – though you’ll need to do a lot of planning and have a lot of patience.

My Lofoten Islands itinerary is based on having a car or campervan.

At Narvik Airport there are lots of car rental companies including Sixt, Enterprise, Budget. We found the pricing to be very good for a small car!

Check outExpedia rental car ratesin Narvik and on the Lofoten Islands in Leknes, Moskenes and Svolvær.

The 7-Day Lofoten Islands Hiking Itinerary

What I didn’t do before we visited the Lofoten Islands is give any consideration to what hikes we wanted to knock off. That all ended up happening on the ground – which I think was a mistake.

What I would suggest is picking two to three places to stay so you don’t have to keep moving that are within about a 30-minute drive of the hikes you want to do.

Lofoten Islands Itinerary Days 1 and 2

Stay in or near one of these towns or villages: Å, Sørvågen or Moskenes

Å options

High end sea cabins in Åoffers fully equipped kitchenettes with sea views.
Lofoten Å HI Hosteloffers double rooms with shared bathrooms or dorm rooms at reasonable prices.

Sørvågen options

Check outThe Tide – Rorbuerwhere you can choose from guest rooms or self-catering cottages.
Buodden Rorbuer Fisherman’s Cabinsare holiday homes rated fabulous.

Moskenes options

Check outTind Seaside Cabinsjust a few kilometres away from Moskenes

Day 1: Explore Å

Å is one of the best preserved traditional fishing village in the Lofotens. It’s a pretty place to wander around and if you’re interested there are a couple of museums to see. We gave them a pass and made a beeline for the The Å Bakery where cinnamon buns and bread are still made in a wood-fired oven from 1878. The selection of baked goods changes daily.

From the large parking at the end of the E10 in Å, you can go for an easy hike towards the sea or do the longer, and much rougher 6.9 km loop hike around Ågvatnet – a large lake.

Looking down on Å from the loop hike around Ågvatnet — *Looking down on Å from the start of the loop hike around Ågvatnet*

It's a surprisingly rough hike around Ågvatnet — *It’s a surprisingly rough hike around Ågvatnet*

*Looking south out to sea on the easy hike from the parking lot in Å*

Day 2: Hike to Munkebu Hut and up Munken

The Munkebu Hut hike on the island of Moskenseøy is a beauty. It’s a full day outing if you combine it with a hike up Munken. The hike starts from an easy to find parking lot in Sørvågen.

You want a good weather forecast to do the hike up Munken. The views are sublime and I think you’d feel shortchanged if you didn’t get the full experience.

*The magnificent view you get part way up Munken*

The colour of the water and the jagged peaks let you know you're in the Lofoten Islands — *The colour of the water and the jagged peaks let you know you’re in the Lofoten Islands*

Lofoten Islands Itinerary Days 3 – 4

Stay in or near one of these towns or villages: Reine or Ramburg

Reine

Reine is a beautiful village and a very popular place to stay with lots of choice when it comes to fisherman’s cottages. Properties book up quickly so when you have your dates, lock in your accommodation.

Reine Rorbueris a classic Norwegian Rorbuer available dormitory, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom options. There is an onsite restaurant.
Sakrisøy Gjestegårdis in a manor house dating back to 1880. Most rooms – which come in all sorts of combinations, feature sea views.

*The amazing view of Reine from the top of the Rheinbrigen hike*

Ramburg – Sund area

Ramberg Gjestegård– a reasonably priced option offers cottages with a kitchenette along with sea and mountain views.
We stayed about 12-minutes outside of Ramberg atModern Rorbu Ryten 1and did all are own cooking. It was very peaceful, and we loved looking out over the water. It wasn’t fancy, beds were small, but the main rooms were spacious.

This area was a 3 - minute walk from our rental place in Sund — *This area was a 3 – minute walk from our Modern Rorbu Ryten near Sund*

Day 3 – Hike Reinebringen and the Mulstoa Coastal Path

The hike up Reinebringen is the most popular one in the Lofoten Islands. So why would I include it in a Lofoten Islands itinerary? Two words – spectacular views. And the trail itself, upgraded by Sherpas from Nepal, make the hike far easier than it once was. Go early or late in the day, as parking is the biggest issue. I loved it far more than I expected I would.

*You sure get a workout on the Rheinbrigen hike*

The Mulstoa Coastal Path is a mellow hike that starts here – on the far side of the cool-looking Fredvang Bridges. The hike is only about 4 km round-trip, but it’s one where you’ll want to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the small but beautiful white sand beach at the far end.

Your other choice would be to do the Røren hike. It starts from the same place and only climbs 295 m – but with that elevation you get great views of Yterrsand Beach.

After your hike check out the food truck stationed before the bridges on your way back to the Ramberg area. There are good places to get lunch, coffee, and groceries in Ramberg.

*The small white sand beach is your turnaround point on the Mulstoa Coastal Path*

*Yterrsand Beach is a must stop on a Lofoten Islands itinerary*

A food truck you can't miss on the way to the Fredvang Bridges — *A food truck you can’t miss on the way to the Fredvang Bridges*

Day 4 – Ryten and Kvalvika Beach

If you do the Ryten peak hike with Kvalvika Beach you’ll hike 12.5 km and climb 930 m in total. Treat it as a full day’s hike so you have a few hours to hang out at the beach. (Take a towel and swimsuit if you want to test out the ocean above the Arctic Circle!)

It was the first hike we did in the Lofoten Islands – and we both absolutely loved every minute of it. There’s lots of variety – and people.

*On the steep descent down to Kvalvika Beach*

Lofoten Islands Itinerary Day 5, 6 and 7

Stay in or near one of these towns – Leknes or Ballstad.

Leknes

TheLofoten Basecamp in Leknesis rated superb and sells out quickly. Some rooms have a harbour view and a private kitchenette. It’s very close to the Offersøykammen hike.
Scandid Leknes Lofotendoesn’t have the personality of some places but it is in town, and perfect if you’re heading out from the Leknes Airport. It does have an in-house restaurant.

Ballstad

We stayed atHattvika Lodgein Ballstad and enjoyed a cabin right on the water. I’d highly recommend it – and the place is well-positioned for many other nearby hikes including Nonstinden and Skottind.
Solsiden Brygge Rorbue roffers apartments with views of the ocean and the mountain Skottinden. Wood-fired hot tubs can be rented. Onsite is a restaurant and a bar.

Day 5 – Offersøykammen Hike and Mannen Hike via Haukland Beach and/or Uttakliev Beach

The Offersøykammen hike is a favourite of locals and for good reason. The views you get are some of the finest in the Lofoten Islands. It is a not to be missed gem on the Lofoten Islands itinerary – and yet it only takes a couple of hours to do the return hike.

*The view from the top of the Offersøykammen hike – and you can see Mannen from here*

If you need more beach time on your Lofoten Islands itinerary I recommend heading to Haukland Beach. Wander the beach and if you’re short on time hike up Mannen Peak directly from the beach. The views are sensational.

However, if you have more time follow an old unused road around to Uttakliev Beach – and from there head to Mannen to complete a loop hike. It’s about 10 km in total and will take around 4 hours to complete.

You’ll get your exercise for the day if you knock off both the Mannen and Offersøykammen hikes. I love the fact you start and end with a walk on the beach.

*Uttakliev Beach is a worthwhile stop on a Lofoten Islands itinerary*

Starting out on the steeper part of the Mannen hike - a must do hike on the Lofoten Islands itinerary — *Starting out on the steeper part of the Mannen hike – a must do hike on the Lofoten Islands itinerary*

A beautiful view of Haukland Beach on the Mannen hike

Day 6 – Nonstinden

The trailhead for the Nonstinden and Ballstadheia hike is in Ballstad so you won’t have to drive far. The full 7 km loop hike will take you about 3 – 4 hours because it’s rough going in places, especially around Brurstolen.

Before or after the hike, there’s plenty to discover in the area. Wander through Ballstad, a busy fishing village. Go kayaking. If you want a bit of a drive head to Nusfjord – considered one of the best preserved fishing villages in the Lofoten Islands. Take some time to relax.

Me on the steep part of the hike up Nonstinden - one of the memorable hikes on the Lofoten Islands itinerary — *Me on the steep part of the hike up Nonstinden*

*Snow fences above the town of Ballstad*

Day 7 – Finish your trip in the Lofoten Island

Perhaps by the seventh day on your Lofoten Islands itinerary you’re sick of hiking. If that’s the case linger over breakfast before heading home or to your next destination.

The one hike I wish we had time for is Fløya – near Svolvær. The 1.5 km one way trail takes you to a large boulder wedged between two cliffs called Djevelporten. You only need a few hours to do this hike – so it’s perfect if you’re leaving from Svolvær.