Getting to Lofoten

You can fly onto the islands, sail across the Vestfjord from Bodø or drive in on the E10 from the mainland. Svolvær is the natural start for the east, the ferry port at Moskenes for the west around Reine.

Ferry arriving between two breakwaters with a small lighthouse under a grey sky — A ferry passing between two breakwaters. Photo: Uta Scholl / Unsplash

6 min read Updated October 2026

Visit Lofoten sums it up in one line: the islands have three airports and Norway's only scheduled helicopter route. Most visitors, though, arrive on a domestic flight via Bodø, on the ferry from Bodø or by road from Evenes and Narvik. The islands stretch for roughly 200 km, so choose your entry point by where you plan to spend most of your time. Svolvær is the hub in the east. Reine and Å are closest to the ferry port at Moskenes in the west.

Flying in

Svolvær airport at Helle lies about 6 km east of the town, and Leknes airport about 2 km north of Leknes. Both have short runways and are served by Widerøe, which flies several times a day from Bodø. Norwegian and SAS fly from Oslo to Bodø, where you change for the short hop onto the islands. Widerøe also connects Bodø with Røst, and a helicopter flies from Bodø to Værøy.

The other gateway is Harstad/Narvik Airport Evenes on the mainland. Norwegian flies there daily from Oslo all year. Visit Lofoten's list of direct flights to Evenes for 2025 names Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Bergamo, Milan Malpensa, Copenhagen, Palma de Mallorca, Vienna and Zurich. Only the Frankfurt route is listed for the whole year; the others run in summer or in winter only, so check the current schedule with the airline before you plan around one. From Evenes it is 170 km to Svolvær, about two and three-quarter hours by car in good conditions. Boreal Travel runs an airport bus from Evenes to Svolvær throughout the year, which you book on nor-way.no. The public Lofotekspressen, bus 300, also leaves from the airport; Visit Lofoten advises checking in the Reis app that it connects with your flight.

The ferry from Bodø to Moskenes

The car ferry across the Vestfjord, run by Torghatten Nord, lands at Moskenes, about 5 km from Reine and Å. Visit Lofoten gives the direct crossing as three and a half hours, the timetable portal fergeruter.info as about three hours and a quarter; some sailings call at Værøy and Røst on the way. In summer the ferry is busy and Visit Lofoten recommends reserving a place in advance, at the latest the day before. Everyone travelling on the Bodø–Værøy–Røst–Moskenes route has to register with full name, nationality and date of birth before boarding. Torghatten Nord releases only 50 percent of the capacity between Bodø and Moskenes for advance booking, so the rest of the deck goes to the queue at the quay. When demand is high, travellers to Værøy and Røst get priority, and the operator recommends the direct sailings for trips between Bodø and Moskenes.

In winter Moskenes is served less often than in summer. Check the current timetable on the Visit Lofoten ferry page before you book anything in the west that depends on a particular sailing. A summer route also links Skutvik on the mainland with Svolvær via Skrova in about two hours.

Svolvær town and harbour on islands seen from a hillside in evening light, mountains behind — Svolvær and its harbour, where the express boat and Hurtigruten call. Photo: Nikola Johnny Mirkovic / Unsplash

Express boat and Hurtigruten

Without a car, the NEX 2 express boat from Bodø to Svolvær is a practical alternative. Run by Boreal Sjø, it stops at Helnessund, Nordskot, Holkestad, Bogøy, Skutvik and Skrova on the way. An example departure leaves Bodø at 18:00 and arrives in Svolvær at 21:25. Tickets and timetables are on Reis Nordland.

Hurtigruten calls in Lofoten every day, at Stamsund on Vestvågøy and at Svolvær. Both the northbound and the southbound ships arrive in the evening. Between Stokmarknes and Svolvær the ship turns into the Trollfjord, so a short leg can double as sightseeing. You need ID to board.

By road on the E10

Lofoten has had a fixed road link to the mainland since Queen Sonja opened Lofast on 1 December 2007. The E10 runs from Narvik over the Raftsund bridge, 711 m long, and through a 3.3 km undersea tunnel, then all the way along the islands to Å, where it ends. Bus 300, the Lofotekspressen, takes four hours from Narvik to Svolvær, with two departures a day and more in summer. In Narvik it connects with trains and buses from Sweden.

If you arrive through Narvik and want a day there before heading west, narviktourism.com covers the town and its tours.

Papers and entry

Norway is part of the Schengen area. Carry a passport or national ID card all the same, because Hurtigruten and the Moskenes ferry ask for your details. According to the Norwegian police, the ETIAS travel authorisation is not yet in operation, and EU and EEA citizens will not need it. The police also describe the Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces passport stamps with a digital record of your face and fingerprints.

Once you have arrived, our page on getting around Lofoten covers buses, taxis, rental cars and winter driving.

Questions travellers ask

What is the closest airport to Lofoten?

Svolvær and Leknes both have airports on the islands, served by Widerøe from Bodø. Evenes, the airport for Harstad and Narvik, lies 170 km from Svolvær but has more flights, including direct ones from Oslo.

Do I need to book the ferry from Bodø to Moskenes?

In summer Visit Lofoten recommends reserving a place in advance, at the latest the day before. Passengers on this route must also register with full name, nationality and date of birth before boarding.

Can I reach Lofoten without flying or taking a ferry?

Yes. Since 2007 the E10 has run over the Lofast connection from the mainland to the islands. Bus 300 also runs from Narvik to Svolvær in about four hours.

Do I need a passport for Norway?

Norway belongs to the Schengen area. Bring a passport or national ID card in any case: Hurtigruten asks for valid ID when you board, and the Bodø to Moskenes ferry registers every passenger by name, nationality and date of birth.

Is there a bus from Evenes airport to Svolvær?

Yes. Boreal Travel runs a year-round airport bus between Evenes and Svolvær, bookable on nor-way.no. From Svolvær, local buses continue west.

Where these facts come from

Dates, opening hours and rules change. We checked these pages in October 2026; the official source has the final word.