Things to do in Lofoten

8 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The Lofoten Islands stretch for about 200 kilometres into the Norwegian Sea, and the E10 links the main islands by bridge and tunnel all the way to Å, where the road ends. Svolvær, the largest town, is the starting point for most boat trips, and many tours pick you up there or in Leknes. Reine, Hamnøy and Å lie 135 km west of Svolvær, about two and a half hours by car without stops.

The main activities

Trollfjord and sea eagles

Trollfjord is a side arm of the Raftsundet strait, about 2.5 km long and only around 100 metres wide at its mouth. Brim Explorer sails there from Svolvær harbour on a hybrid-electric ship with indoor lounges; the fjord is about an hour away and the whole trip takes three and a half hours. Reviewers mention that the commentary is hard to hear on the outside deck and that parking in Svolvær costs extra. RIB and open boats make the trip through Raftsundet in about two hours. All of them are compared under Trollfjord and sea eagle tours.

Northern lights

Visit Lofoten gives the main aurora season as September to April, and it stresses that a sighting needs darkness and a clear sky and cannot be guaranteed. From early May to early August the nights are too light. Raido Adventures picks you up in Svolvær, drives to changing viewpoints, lights a bonfire when the weather allows and sends the guide's photos afterwards. See northern lights tours.

Day trips to the west

If you stay in Svolvær or Leknes, a guided day saves you the long drive to the villages at the western end. Guide to Lofoten runs a nine-hour minivan tour to Å with about two and a half hours of driving each way, a meal stop that you pay for yourself, and parking costs covered. Roadworks in the Nappstraum tunnel currently let traffic through once an hour in each direction. Shorter loops through the east of the islands and private tours are on the sightseeing tours page.

Fishing

Svolvær grew out of the Lofoten fishery, and the cod still come every winter: the skrei season runs from February to April, with most fish arriving in February and March. Go2Lofoten takes you out for four hours from Sjømannsgata 5 to fish for cod, pollock and haddock, and the crew fillets your catch for you to take home. Reviews mention seasickness on rougher days and no refund when the weather turns. More boats are listed under fishing trips.

Kayaking, hiking and photography

Kayak tours run in winter too, in a dry suit in Svolvær harbour or among the islets at Eggum, which you need a car to reach; the kayaking page sorts them by season. Hikers can join a snowshoe walk near Svolvær or a winter hike to Ryten above Kvalvika from October to April, and climbers can tackle the Svolværgeita pinnacle with a guide; see hiking and snowshoeing. Photographers have their own photo tours, from one to three days.

Midnight sun and horse riding

Between late May and mid-July the sun stays above the horizon all night, and kayak, van and RIB tours head out late in the evening; details on the midnight sun page. Hov Gård on Gimsøya rides with beginners on Icelandic horses along the beach to the fishing village of Hovsund, past remains from the Viking Age, and it rides outside the summer too. Children need to be at least 8. There is no pickup, so plan the drive. See horse riding.

Smaller tours in and around Svolvær

A two-hour walking tour starts at Torget 22 on the main square and goes out to Svinøya and the harbour, with stories about the cod fishery and a stop at a café. On your own schedule, a GPS audio walk in an app follows a similar route across the bridge to Svinøya in 45 to 60 minutes and tells the story of the British raid on Lofoten in 1941. The audio works offline.

The Lofotpils brewery opens its brewing hall for a one-hour tour with a tasting of five beers. It starts at 18:30 outside the big yellow gate and is timed to the coastal ships, so it can start a little later when a ship is delayed. You need to be 18. In Kabelvåg, 6 km west of Svolvær, a local glass artist shows up to six people how to shape glass beads and turn them into a necklace, bracelet or keyring, in a one-hour or three-hour session for ages 15 and over.

Lofoten Explorer combines a short RIB ride to a group of islands with floating in the sea in a survival suit. It lasts an hour and a half and is for swimmers from 12 years and at least 140 cm. In winter a PADI guide takes groups by RIB to kelp forests for snorkelling in a dry suit with a warm undersuit, from 14 years or 145 cm.

On Vestvågøy, Aimees Farm between Stamsund and Leknes serves a five-course dinner from its own animals, including Highland cattle, free-range pork and Lofotlam, the lamb with a protected geographical name, and walks you round the farm. Children need to be at least 8.

Museums you can visit on your own

SKREI, run by Museum Nord at Storvågen just outside Kabelvåg, explains the Lofoten fishery and the skrei. One ticket covers the exhibition, the Lofoten Aquarium with seal feeding twice a day, Galleri Espolin with the work of Kaare Espolin Johnson and the Lofoten Museum in the old merchant's house. It is open daily, from 10:00 to 18:00 between May and August and from 11:00 to 16:00 the rest of the year, except 24, 25 and 31 December. Opening times and tickets are on the Museum Nord SKREI page. In Kabelvåg itself, the oldest fishing village in Lofoten, the wooden church Vågan kirke from 1898 seats 1,200 people.

In Svolvær the Lofoten Krigsminnemuseum covers the war years, starting from the British raid on Lofoten in March 1941. On Vestvågøy, the Lofotr Viking Museum at Borg stands on the site of a chieftain's farm and, according to Museum Nord, has the longest reconstructed longhouse in the world; more than 60,000 people visit each year. In autumn and winter it keeps short hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 to 17:00 until 31 October 2026, then only Wednesdays and Saturdays until the end of the year. The main exhibition is being renewed, and Museum Nord plans to open the new one in December 2026. Tickets and hours are on the Lofotr Vikingmuseum page.

At the western end, Å has a rare group of buildings from the 19th century, among them an old cod liver oil factory and a bakery. The Norwegian Fishing Village Museum and the Lofoten Stockfish Museum are both here. The fishing village museum, also part of Museum Nord, is open daily from 09:00 to 15:00 between 1 November and 6 December 2026 and closed from 7 December to 2 January 2027; its old bakery opens from June to September. Check the stockfish museum's hours before you drive out. Nusfjord on Flakstadøya is one of the oldest and best-preserved fishing villages on the islands, with 28 surviving rorbuer, the old fishermen's cabins. Our page on Nusfjord and Å has more.

Beaches and hikes

Vestvågøy has white sand beaches on its west side, and Store norske leksikon names Haukland and Uttakleiv as the best known; and Ramberg beach on Flakstadøya invites windsurfing and stand-up paddling. Surf courses are offered at Unstad. The beach guide covers them in more detail.

Reinebringen above Reine, 484 metres high, is one of the most popular hiking trails in Norway according to Visit Lofoten, and Kvalvika and Ryten, with the view down to the long beach, draw close to 90,000 visitors a year. Mannen near Haukland is another popular summit. On Reinebringen Visit Lofoten asks you to follow the stairs, and in Lofotodden national park, around Kvalvika and Ryten, drones are banned. Fires near forest and open land are banned from 15 April to 15 September.

Winter or summer

Svolvær has a short polar night from 7 December 2026 to 5 January 2027, and from February the days lengthen fast while the skrei arrive and the aurora season goes on. In summer the Bodø to Moskenes ferry sails daily; in winter it calls less often. For a month-by-month view, see the best time to visit.