Hiking Norway’s Stunning Lofoten Islands: A Journey To Remember

Hiking the Lofoten Islands is an experience like no other. With its dramatic fjords, towering peaks, and the surreal midnight sun, this Norwegian archipelago offers an adventure that feels straight out of a dream. My recent journey to the Lofoten Islands was nothing short of transformative.

Through this post, I aim to be the catalyst that inspires you to visit this incredible destination. I hop you pack your bags, lace up your hiking boots, and explore the breathtaking beauty of the Lofoten Islands. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a casual adventurer, the trails and landscapes of this remote paradise will captivate your soul and leave you yearning for more.

If this sounds like an experience you’re willing to embark on, read on. I’ll recount my unforgettable trip and provide tips and recommendations to help you plan your own Lofoten Islands adventure.

Getting There: A Journey in Itself

My journey to the Lofoten Islands began in Tallinn, Estonia, after a TDY assignment in early June. From there, I had to take three separate flights to reach my destination. First was Tallinn, then Oslo, and finally the Lofoten Islands landing at Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes.

Pro tip: when flying into Norway, be prepared for your checked bag to go through customs. This means checking your bag at your starting airport and again in Oslo, which can add 30 to 45 minutes to your connection time.

The process isn’t the most straightforward, but just be sure you follow signs for baggage claim and then collect your bag when you land in Oslo. Then, simply scan your baggage tag at a self-service baggage drop, and it will go straight through to Harstad/Narvik Airport. Also, move quickly and plan accordingly for the additional security check before your flight to the Lofoten Islands for epic hiking.

Renting a car

Though it wasn’t high season for Norway, rental car prices at the airport were outrageous. So, I opted to rent a car from the town of Harstad instead; about about an hour north of the airport. This added an hour’s bus ride, but saved me close to $300.

If you choose to go this route, you can easily book your bus ticket to Harstad from Flybussen.no. The FB80 bus, which aligns with the arrival schedule for Harstad/Narvik Airport, offers a comfortable ride directly from the airport to the city center. I highly recommend this option if you don’t want to spend over €600 for a 3-day rental car.

Where to stay when Hiking the Lofoten Islands

Once in my car, I left Harstad and immediately drove to my Airbnb in Gravdal, just north of Ballstad. The scenery was good for the first three hours, but after that, it was unlike anything I’d ever seen!

Pro tip: Everything I had read before visiting suggested staying central to the Lofoten Islands. Ideally, that would’ve been the town of Ballstad. However, hotel and Airbnb prices were outrageous for this time of year. Instead, I opted for the town Gravdal and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to save a buck. There’s places to eat, grocery stores, a few bars, and you’re actually closer to all the good hiking in Lofoten!

As I would cruise along the E-10, getting deeper into the Islands, I was overtaken by the sheer beauty of the fjords. The massive mountains seem to shoot up right out of the water! The jagged coastline was telling visitors its story of losing its battle with glaciers some thousands of years ago.

Hiking Lofoten Islands Day One: Offersøykammen

After the exhausting 13-hour journey, I arrived at my Airbnb and I desperately needed a nap. A soon as I laid down on that couch, I was out. A quick 20-minute cat nap later, I felt refreshed and ready to take on my first hike in the Lofoten Islands: Offersøykammen.

I drove to the trailhead and noticed it was already about 7 PM. Yet outside, it looked like it was still only 3 PM! That’s when it hit me that the midnight sun was going to play in my favor, allowing me to hike well into the evening.

Summiting Offersøykammen and taking in the views was a surreal experience. The complexity of the landscape was unlike anything I’d ever seen in all my hiking adventures, including the mountains and volcanoes in Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Hiking the Lofoten Islands rewards you with views that make you feel as if you’ve been transported to another planet. The random freshwater lakes feeding directly into the ocean create a juxtaposition unlike any you can find in mainland Europe.

Descending the mountain, I checked my watch and realized it was 10 PM. Looking at the sky though, it still looked like it was only 5 PM. I knew I was going to have to force myself to sleep on this vacation because I had more mountains to summit.

Hiking Lofoten Islands Day Two: Reinebringen and Kvalvika Beach

During the midnight sun season, the sunlight is constant, creating a unique but invigorating atmosphere. Falling asleep to it and waking up feels like you’re just taking a long nap. But today was my first full day hiking the Lofoten Islands and I was ready to get out and get hiking.

Reinebringen

After a homemade breakfast, I made my way to the town of Reine for a hike known to the locals as Reinebringen. My hiking app told me it would be short but steep hike, with stairs leading all the way to the summit.

Korea’s national parks have similar hikes, with stairs leading to the summit. Having lived in Korea for a year, I knew how to handle this sort of hike. Slow and steady with frequent breaks would be the only way. Thankfully, the overcast weather kept the temperature to a nice mid-60s, perfect hiking weather if you ask me.

At the summit, I was greeted with a view of the quaint town Reine nestled into a vast fjord. The clouds covered the peaks of the mountains all around me, leaving me with a void in terms of a sense of scale.

However, looking down was a different story.

Standing at about 450 meters above sea level, I felt like I was on top of the world. I knew I was well below the highest peak around me, but the cloud celing acted like an equalizer.

The cloud layer, hovering maybe another 100 meters above me, provided a strange phenomenon. As I stared off into the mist, I felt like I could reach up into heaven. I felt that maybe I could’ve have a laugh with my dad before retreating back to the mountain. Then, as quickly as the thought came, it left, thanks to the burning in my calves.

With my legs sufficiently tired, I decided to sit and eat my lunch overlooking Reine. A homemade PB&J with an apple 450m in the air with my legs dangling over a cliff side. It was just perfect,

As for scenery, I watched sheets of rain touch and go across the ocean far off in the distance. It looked as if they were the curtains closing on stage at the end of a spectacular theater performance.

Kvalvika Beach

After descending Reinebringen and wandering Reine for a bit, I decided to tackle another hike. I mean, wouldn’t you if you had 24 hours of sunlight? My next hiking adventure in the Lofoten Islands: Kvalvika Beach.

There are two ways to reach Kvalvika Beach by hiking. The well-known way from Kvalvika Beach Trail Head, or the lesser-known way by parking at Markjorda near Vestervika. If you’re going to hike to Kvalvika Beach, trust me: take the lesser-known way. You’ll pass by two beautiful glacier-fed lakes before reaching Vestervika Beach first. This route offers some of the best views of the area.

The trudge through the shallow layer of mud encapsulating hundreds of twisted birch trees wasn’t the most fun. However, when I finally reached the second large lake, I was glad I took the path less traveled. The wind was calm and the mountains reflected off the mirror-like surface.

Looking into the deep water, I contemplated upholding my ridiculous tradition of jumping into the freezing water. With at least another kilometer or two before Kvalvika Beach, I decided against it. Instead, I sat on a rock and watched fish leap up to catch bugs out of the air. The silence in that moment was just mesmerizing.

Pressing on, I began smelling the salt in the air from the Norwegian Sea. I knew my destination was close, and the anticipation mounted. As I crested a hill overlooking the landscape, I was blown away by the beauty from the contrasting landscape. Mountains that seemed to stretch a mile into the sky displayed the most dramatic cliffs, bursting right out of the sea. Every inch closer provided even better views.

To Polar Plunge or not to Polar Plunge?

I should mention that hiking the Lofoten Islands in early June means hit-or-miss weather. The water is also ice-cold. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from doing my dreaded solo-tradition of taking a polar plunge. Call it crazy, I call it mental toughness.

Alone I stood on Kvalvika Beach, facing the vast expanse of the Norwegian Sea. Every nerve in my body told me to keep out of that icy water, but my spirit insisted I jump in. If, for nothing else, to remind myself of my mental fortitude.

As I stood with just my feet in the freezing ocean, wearing nothing but my underwear, my already-numb limbs called to me. They begged me to either get the plunge over with or retreat to warmth. Like a mad man, I began running into the sea, heart rate increasing with each stride. Then, I took a deep breath, and as the next wave came crashing in, I dove headfirst into any icy sheet of sea water.

My heart rate skyrocketed as I was submerged. To date, this was some of the coldest water I’d ever plunged into. Immediately after breaching the surface, it was a mad dash back to shore to do 100 jumping jacks before putting on dry clothes.

Mission accomplished, and a perfect ending to an already amazing day.

Hiking Lofoten Islands Day Three: Henningsvær and Festvågtind

On my third day hiking the Lofoten Islands, I was plagued by scattered showers and dreary weather. Knowing this would make for pretty slippery conditions, I kept my hiking expectations to a minimum.

Henningsvær

I began my day exploring the town of Henningsvær. If you’ve seen only one photo of the Lofoten Islands, you’ve probably seen this town. It’s famous for its iconic soccer field peacefully placed among a dramatic rocky coastline, shadowed by a towering mountain in the distance.

Pro tip: the iconic photo you see of Henningsvær is only possible with the aid of a drone. Don’t waste your time trying to recreate it unless you have one. Instead, hike up Festvågtind to the north for amazing photos from the mountain!

That’s Henningsvær, and it’s somewhere you should visit before you die. The photos definitely do this place justice, and I’m glad to have finally crossed this location off my bucket list.

Festvågtind

After wandering the town, I decided to hike up the Festvågtind just north of Henningsvær. Another short hike, but with extreme and rapid elevation gain. After about an hour, I finally scrambled to Utsiktspunkt over Henningsvær. There I found a beautiful lake suspended hundreds of meters above the town in the neighboring mountain.

Heading towards the edge of the mountain, I spotted what had to have been the town I was just in. As the cloud layer danced up and down, the sight of Henningsvær came and went like the light of a lighthouse. Every five minutes or so, I’d be graced with impeccable views, only for them to quickly disappear back under a blanket of gray mist.

After retreating from the mountaintop, I nestled into a cozy bar. There, I had a delicious bowl of fish soup and a beer from a local brewery. I watched as the rain gently came and went, giving everything in sight a beautiful mirror-like sheen.

The rain continuted for the rest of the day, so I passed the day sampling local brews at Fiskekrogen. I had no idea the Norwegians could make such good beer, but now I do!

Hiking Lofoten Islands Day Four: Haukland Beach

On my last day, I knew I couldn’t hike anything too crazy since my flight was at 5 PM and I still had a four-hour drive to return my rental. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from one last hike in the Lofoten Islands: Haukland Beach.

This beach, with its white sands and turquoise waters, is one of the most beautiful spots in Norway. The waters are exceptionally clear, and mountains surround you while you listen to the waves break against the shoreline.

While I wasn’t able to summit one of the mighty peaks nearby, I did take some fantastic photos of the area. Luckily, nobody was around so I had the entire beach to myself!

And, as luck would have it, the clouds finally lifted the evening prior! This provided the perfect lighting situation for some of the best photos I’ve ever taken. Clearly, God knew what he was doing when he created Norway and the Lofoten Islands.

Conclusion

My time hiking in the Lofoten Islands felt all too short. If it were up to me, I would’ve easily spent another two to three weeks exploring the area; that’s how long I think you’d need to fully experience them.

Pro tip: consider renting a campervan instead of an accommodation. I wish I had. Within the Lofoten Islands, parking on the side of the road is legal for camping purposes, and there were some amazing single-space “parking lots” (if you want to call them that) along some of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever driven on.

Hiking in the Lofoten Islands offer a unique and unforgettable hiking experience. The combination of fjords, mountains, and the midnight sun creates an adventure like none other in Euopre.

If my story has inspired you, feel free to share this post and let others know about the magic of this place. Then, plan your trip, embrace the journey, and discover the unparalleled beauty of this Norwegian paradise.