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Norway Travel Guide: 9 Days in the Lofoten Islands

7/5/2022

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Hesten and Segla, Norway Travel Guide
Reinebringen Hike in the Lofoten Islands
Narvtinden Hike in the Lofoten Islands
Did you know that there is a place where the sun never sets? We knew that we wanted to visit Norway in the summer for this very reason - to chase the midnight sun. And it was well worth it! Romantic fishing villages, small towns connected by bridges, and some of the most incredible views you will ever find make it easy to see why the Lofoten Islands are a pilgrimage destination for so many hikers and thrill seekers around the world. Check out our 9-day itinerary in Norway for travel inspiration and tips!

​Tips for Visiting Norway
  • Map out where you want to go. Norway is a large country, and we realized quickly that we would be doing a lot of driving to get to the places we wanted to go. There were a few major hikes that were on our bucket list, so we planned our trip around them. If you aren't the type of traveler that likes to spend a lot of time in the car, this itinerary might not be for you!
  • Rent an electric car. Norway is serious about committing to zero emissions, which is awesome! Because of that, gas cars are extremely discouraged. We booked our rental car early and were able to get an electric car with a 470 kilometer range. The one snag we hit was figuring out how to charge the car. We used Plugshare to find charging stations along our route. ​Unfortunately each car charging company has their own app, so we had to download multiple apps (Mer Norge, FortumCharge, Tesla) just to use the station. Check if the places you are staying at having charging stations as well - luckily we were also able to charge our car overnight at two of our hotels/Airbnbs!
  • On the subject of apps, download the EasyPark app for parking in town. You can easily find parking rates and set how long you want to park using the app.
  • Research SIM cards ahead of time, especially if visiting other countries. We purchased the Orange Holiday Europe card, which was the only option we found that allowed us to use it in both Norway and Faroe Islands. As soon as we landed, we popped in the SIM card, turned on data roaming, and had access to data and calls within Europe. This card only lasts 14 days, so we purchased 2 cards to cover our full trip in Norway and the Faroe Islands. Having data was a lifesaver when having to figure out things last minute (like downloading all the electric charging and parking apps!)
  • Decide on a town in the Lofoten Islands to base yourself in. You can even stay in a traditional fisherman's cabin in towns like Reine or Sakrisoy! We stayed in an Airbnb in Reine, which was walking distance from Reinebringen. 
  • Be prepared for a workout to see the best views in Norway! Many of the famous views you see of Norway require quite a bit of hiking, and even the short hikes had a lot of incline. Our calves and feet were sore for days with day after day hiking in the Lofoten Islands, but getting to truly appreciate the fjords from up above was well worth it.
  • If you're planning on bringing a drone, check the drone regulations. We bought a drone for this trip, but realized almost all of the locations we went to were at too high of an altitude to fall under the drone regulations.


​Day 1
  • Drive from the airport to Svolvær
  • Eat all-you-can-eat-sushi for lunch at Sakura Lofoten
  • Soak in a hot tub and sit in a spa at Skårungen AS

Fun fact - did you know that almost all salmon served in sushi restaurants in Japan comes from Norway? Before the 80’s, salmon sushi was unheard of. That’s where Bjorn Eirik Olsen comes in. In the 80’s, Norway had too much fresh, farm-raised salmon. Seeking new markets, Bjorn spent years trying to break into the Japanese sushi markets. Eventually he broke through, making a staple of the sushi industry! When we learned this, we did a Google search for sushi restaurants and stumbled upon Sakura Lofoten. Go for the lunch buffet - while there's not a ton of variety, it was the best salmon nigiri we had ever tasted (so much so that we went twice!)

Day 2
  • Ride the waves & see the sea eagles catch fish on a RIB boat tour
  • Try the cinnamon rolls at Unstad Arctic Surf (or if you're brave, surf the waves at Unstad Beach)
  • Dip your toes at Haukland Beach
  • Hike 1670 stone steps up the mountain to Reinebringen at midnight for the best views (but be prepared because it's a rough hike, all uphill on a steep slope)

Unstad Arctic Surf claims to make the world's greatest cinnamon roll. That is a very bold claim, but they do a fantastic job. A warm cinnamon roll, fresh fruit, and cold whipped cream really hit the spot on a hot day like we had. If you're stopping for lunch, check out Lofoten Gårdsysteri - we missed their cafe hours but read lots of good things about their cheeses. Instead we continued on to Haukland Beach, which had some of the clearest water we had ever seen but was a bit too cold to go past ankle-deep.

Once we made it to the heart of the Lofoten Islands, we knew that we had to take advantage of the midnight sun. Every night around 11 PM, the sun would swing down along the horizon's edge but never set. Golden hour lasted for hours, so as photographers, we knew we had to shift our sleep schedule to catch the best light. That meant waking up at 12 PM, leaving for hikes around 11 PM each night, and getting home at 2 AM. Our very first midnight sun hike was at Reinebringen, one of the most famous hikes in Lofoten. It was a struggle getting up the mountain, but the views were incredible!
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Lofoten Islands Hot Tub and Spa
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​Day 3
  • Drink coffee at Bringen in Reine
  • Have lunch at Anita's Seafood
  • Walk along the bridge for the famous view of Hamnoy
  • Hike to Ryten overlooking Kvalvika Beach

Truly when people say weather can change in an instance, they mean it. On our hike up to Ryten, it was clear and sunny when we left. We ascended a boggy marsh and went up the mountainside to see the peak. As we got about halfway up the final ascent, a huge fog bank blew in, completely obscuring our view. Visibility dropped to about 5 feet and we eventually had to turn around. We set up to take photos of the beach, but the fog even followed down the mountain. Lessons learned - manage your expectations with the weather and always pack layers.
Reine, Lofoten Islands
Hamnoy, Lofoten Islands
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Ryten and Kvalvika Beach, Lofoten Islands

​Day 4
  • Explore the fishing village of Å
  • Have a cinnamon at Bakery in Å, where you can take the recipe home
  • Hike to Narvtinden, a hidden gem overlooking the lake

The town of Å has great vibes - little houses with birds nesting on every available surface, fresh baked cinnamon rolls with the recipe on the bag for you to take home with you, and a few easily accessible hiking paths make it no wonder why it gets crowded late in the day. Go early and explore the town before heading back up the coast for the day.

Narvtinden was the last hike we got to do in Lofoten. While not as well known as the other hikes (we didn't see a single person during our entire hike!) we were so glad we went. The weather was so clear - completely opposite from the day before - so we got to see the mountains cast almost perfect reflections on the water.
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​Day 5
  • Check out the locally made products at Lofoten Seaweed
  • Row a Viking ship and try your hand at archery and axe throwing at the Lofotr Viking Museum
  • Account for driving most of the day to get to Fjordgard

The Viking museum was a lot of fun - they have workers whose entire jobs are just to be Vikings for the day! As you walk around, you'll see people carving wooden signs by hand, repairing throwing axes at the blacksmith shop, and cooking stew in the feast hall. Included with admission are also activities, from rowing a Viking ship to axe throwing to archery. But know that this is not a leisurely boat ride - you will be placed with an oar and put to work! We quickly learned that rowing a ship was a lot harder than we thought, as we made little to no progress with our lack of coordination. But hey, at least we made a few bullseye hits with the bow and arrow!
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​Day 6
  • ​Hike up to Hesten to see the best views of Segla
  • Fly from Tromso Airport to Ålesund Airport for a 3 hour drive to Loen, or to Bergen or Oslo Airport for a 6 hour drive to Loen

​Hesten has possibly the best views in Norway, rivaled only by Reinbringen. The 360° views were unparalleled - even in Reinebringen the views were 180°. Our only advice would be to bring some insect repellant. We were not prepared and were both eaten alive on the way to the top, so spare yourself from that torment and come prepared unlike us! Once we got to the top, we just sat and enjoyed the views for a long while before making our descent down at 2 AM.
Hesten and Segla, Norway Travel Guide
Hesten and Segla, Norway Travel Guide

Day 7
  • Climb the Via Ferrata Loen and walk over the suspension bridge (or zipline during the summertime!)​
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Day 8
  • Kayak to the Seven Sisters Waterfall at Geirangerfjord, the fjord that inspired the Disney movie Frozen
  • Drive through Jotunheimen National Park on the way back to the airport
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