Week 134-135: 7-Day Roadtrip Through Norway's Lofoten Islands

High above the Arctic Circle is a chain of mountainous islands called The Lofoten Islands. Emerging at the edge of the Norwegian Sea, this area is known for fjords, ferries, fictitious trolls, and brightly colored fishing villages dotting the coastline.

Over seven days of endless nights and adventures, we celebrated Eric’s 32nd birthday, witnessed the natural phenomenon that is the midnight sun, hiked mountains, voluntarily got into freezing water three times, and fell in love with the North of Norway. This is not too shocking though since the Lofoten Islands are considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

This was our 7-day Lofoten itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Tromsø
Day 2: Senja National Park
Day 3: Svolvaer
Day 4: Unstad Beach, Lofotr Viking Museum, Ballstad (3 nights in Ballstad)
Day 5: Reine, Arctic snorkeling, Arctic Surfing
Day 6: Narvic, Tromsø
Day 7: Departure from Tromsø

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

And this is our recap–

Wednesday, May 17

As we were making our descent to the Tromsø Airport, the gateway to the Lofoten Islands, we were overcome by anticipation for the adventures that lie ahead…and a little concerned we didn’t pack enough warm clothes.

We landed, picked up our rental car for the week, and drove 9 minutes to our hotel in the middle of Tromsø – The Radisson Blu. We also happened to arrive on the day of Norway’s Independence Day. Red, white, and blue flags and balloons in every shop, cafe, and house, and locals dressed in the tradition known as “The Bunad”. Similar to the German/Austrian Lederhosen & dirndls.

After checking into our rooms and relaxing for a total of 5 minutes, we ventured back out to explore the vibrant arctic city, which also happens to be “the northernmost city in the world.” While arriving on Independence Day was cool from a cultural perspective, it was not so great for wanting to go inside the stores. We window-shopped along Storgata (the main street) and made a big loop around town checking out all the restaurants before walking into a local pizza place.

Thursday, May 18

We checked out and stopped by the iconic Tromsø Arctic Cathedral before beginning our first big drive of the trip towards Senja National Park.

About an hour away from our next destination, the road ran out and we were driving onto a ferry boat in Brensholmen. As I am the travel planner for all of our trips, I did not realize there was a ferry crossing, so this came as a shock, but a welcomed surprise as it reduced the amount of driving we had to do.

45 minutes later we arrived in Botnhamn–20 minutes from our next hotel, Segla Bed & Go. The two most prominent peaks in Senja National Park are Hesten and Segla and the hiking trails to get to the peaks were adjacent to the hotel!

While Segla is the taller peak, Hesten has a better view of the distinctive sail-shaped Segla peak and the surrounding fjords, mountains, and the vast expanse of the Norwegian Sea. For 90 minutes, we hiked through mud and snow and battled the arctic winds and flurries. Upon reaching the top, the magic of Senja National Park unfolded before us and it was all worth it…. for the most part.

Friday, May 19

We drove one hour to the Gryllefjord ferry port and took a 90-minute ferry to Andenes across the open, choppy sea. About 45 minutes into the crossing, the waves were getting to me.

Pro Eric tip
Turn your head sideways. You get seasick because the fluid in your ears becomes unbalanced. So turn your head or just lay down on your side. The seasick feeling immediately went away.

After another 2.5 hours of driving, we arrived at our next fishing village–Svolvaer–the capital city of Lofoten.

We checked into the Anker Brygge, a cozy, modern fishermen's cabins (called rorbuer in Norwegian) standing over the sea.

*Entering our fishermen’s cabin in Svolvaer*

With the weather being overcast and rainy, we decided to forgo our hiking activities and walk around the village.

Svolvær is home to the Lofoten WWII museum–Norway’s largest exhibition of uniforms and smaller objects from WW2. The museum had many rare and never-before-published pictures from the war as well as equipment, guns, vehicles, and other historic artifacts.

We learned Norway had been occupied by German forces for five years because Lofoten was strategically important to the war due to its fish oil plants as well as the production of glycerine, which was used as a propellant for German weaponry.

On March 4, 1941, Winston Churchill ordered the first raid of WWII in Lofoten

Saturday, May 20

We left Svolvaer and arrived at Unstad Beach for our Arctic Surf Lesson!

Unstad Beach is the Islands’ most famous surf spot and the world’s most scenic destination for winter surfing. Massive arctic swells regularly hit the Bay of Unstad. When we arrived, the Unstad Arctic Surf owner had forgotten about us. Luckily for them, the weather was so bad that we would have had to reschedule anyway.

To make up for the miscommunication, they let us use their E-bikes, which ended up not working, and the sauna + cold plunge.

We surprisingly spent several hours at the surf club before heading to our next stop, the Lofoten Viking Museum

This museum contains the largest Viking longhouse in Norway and all of Europe. A long house is an elongated, rectangular home where Vikings would live. Inside the longhouse, you can meet Vikings, eat traditional fire-cooked meals, and learn about the ways they lived.

We made it to Ballstad. Lofoten’s biggest and most active fishing village. After the daily check-in and check-outs, we were happy to finally be in the town where we would stay for the next three nights–Hattvika Lodge

Sunday, May 21

We kicked off Eric’s 32nd birthday by sleeping in, which the boys were happy about. Around 1 PM we were driving to Reine, another picturesque fishing village at the end of the island chain.

The closer we got to Reine, the more wooden structures with fish dangling from them would pop up and the more fishy the air became.

For more than 1,000 years, the islands have been the center for cod fisheries. The wooden pyramid structures called “hjell” are scattered across the landscape, built on rock formations along the shore, on islands, and along the beaches. These racks are used to hang the cod during the drying process, which relies on the cold arctic wind. Lofoten is most famous for its export of Tørrfisk – stockfish.

The road from Reine to Ballstad is the most scenic, so we made several stops along the way.

By 5 PM we were back in Ballstad, the skies were clear, and we were getting ready to go out for a fun birthday activity.

For Eric’s birthday, we booked a midnight sun kayaking excursion! The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that takes place during summer north of the Arctic Circle. During this period of time, the sun doesn't set below the horizon.

As it turns out, our guide Roland is Austrian and his mom lives in Gmunden…small world.

For three hours, we got to explore Lofoton by way of a kayak. Paddling through crystal-clear waters, maneuvering between narrow fjords and picturesque islands. This experience allowed us to appreciate the beauty of the islands from a different perspective. We wore dry suits to help fight the arctic air, but with the constant paddling, we stayed very warm.

We were really hoping to see a whale surface, but it never came.

After we finished kayaking, we asked for the best spot to watch the sunset. Roland pointed out a beach 15 minutes away, so we got back in the car and headed for the beach. As midnight struck, the midnight sun skipped across the sea. Dipping down only for a brief moment before coming back up.

One of the most mesmerizing natural wonders in Lofoten is the midnight sun. The best part about the sun never setting is that you are not racing against the clock to get done with an activity. You could be hiking at 2 AM if you wanted.

*The Midnight sun at Uttakleiv Beach at 11:50PM*

This twilight time is also amazing for photos. It’s almost like a golden hour for several hours in a row. No harsh lighting, only soft pinks and purples.

Monday, May 22

5 minutes from our fishermen’s cabin in Ballstad is the Lofoten dive center where we booked a snorkeling excursion!

We shoved ourselves into very tight wetsuits. These wetsuits were so tight and thick that it was a little challenging to breathe at first, but they have to be tight so the cold Norwegian Sea water doesn’t get in. After a short rib-boat ride, we anchored and plunged into the crystal-clear, 2°C water.

This was an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. For 2 hours we were pulled and pushed by the current, navigating over vibrant yellow seaweed forests and floating past jellyfish, shrimp, and crabs. We were reassured sharks are not in this area, but kinda hoped a little otter or something would pop up.

*Nate Arctic Snorkelling with his GoPro*

It was a surreal sensation of snorkelling in these icy waters, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and breathtaking fjords.

*Nate and Eric adjusting the snorkel gear*

After the snorkeling excursion, we met up with Roland outside of our cabin. He was getting his e-foil board out, so I grabbed the camera and drone and took some shots of him.

Our surf lesson from Saturday got rescheduled for Monday. So, like the snorkel wet suit from our morning excursion, we put on another wet suit for surfing and drove to Skagsanden Beach, our surf spot. There's a thriving surf scene on the island, where the waves are cold and the air is colder.

Arctic surfing is an adrenaline-pumping adventure combining the thrill of catching waves with the awe-inspiring backdrop of arctic beauty.

*Posing with our surfboards at Skagsanden beach*

After a quick lesson on the sand learning the basics of how and where to stand on the board, we paddled out into the icy waters, braving the cold and embracing the raw power of the Arctic Ocean in search of our first big wave.

Without a wetsuit, we would only survive for minutes in the sea, but thanks to these 5mm wetsuits, we could theoretically stay in the water for hours.

Nate was the first to ride the wave!

The experience is humbling, as you navigate through the chilly waters and get knocked off time and time again. It is also incredibly tiring. Paddling out against the waves is a lot harder than I imagined, but after a few attempts, Eric and I also caught waves of our own.

*Nate and I attempting to ride the same wave*

We got back to Ballstad and took in the scenery on our final night. The water was glass smooth and the midnight sun rays were projecting onto the mountains and fishing huts around us.

Tuesday, May 23

We drove back to Tromsø, the city where our trip started. We made a quick pitstop near Narvik, another WWII site before spending the final night at Tromsø Lodge & Camping

Wednesday, May 24

As our plane departed Tromsø, it became abundantly clear why this remote corner of the world holds an endearing place in the hearts of adventurers and artists. Seven days ago, the Lofoten Islands was just a place on my bucket list. Now it has a place in our hearts and memories forever.