The best things to do in the Lofoten Islands

We spent four days in the Lofoten Islands in early February 2023. It’s one of the coldest and darkest times of year in the Arctic Circle, but also the best to see the Northern Lights and do winter activities. From relaxing tours to challenging hikes, there’s something for all ability and mobility levels. 

But these were our favourite things to do in the Lofoten Islands:

• Uttakleiv Beach

• Haukland Beach

• Unstad Arctic Surf

• Solisden Brygge

• Nusfjord

• Ramberg

• Lofoten Beach Camp / Skagsanden beach

• Hamnøy

• Reine

• Sea kayaking with Saga Adventures 

• Å

• See the Northern Lights

In order, this was our five-day Lofoten Islands winter itinerary.

Day 1: Leknes north to Unstad

Uttakleiv Beach

This white sand beach is stunning all year round and is a popular summer spot. In February it was now covered and the surrounding mountains looked stunning under the bright sun. We walked 1-1.5km along the coast to see the view across the bay which took about 45 minutes. 

The parking is not free and is camera monitored so you must pay as you leave or online, using your vehicle's registration number. 

Hauklandstranda

Another beautiful Arctic beach is Haukland, just south of Uttakleiv. Here there is a cafe and toilets open all year round. It’s a beautiful spot to wander along the water and stop for a drink or lunch after. 

Unstad Arctic Surf

At Unstad Arctic Surf you can, obviously, surf in the Norwegian Sea. My love of surfing was outweighed by my dislike of cold water so we stuck to the sauna and cafe. There are also Arctic jacuzzis but they were fully booked during our visit. 

The sauna costs 395 NOK per person and you can use it as long as you like. There is an ice bath but it was so cold when we visited that it was frozen over! But that’s not a problem as the sauna is totally surrounded by snow. It has an amazing view out to the sea and was really relaxing. But it’s small, so it wouldn't be ideal if there were multiple other groups there at the same time.

Ballstad

We stayed at Solsiden Brygge on Ballstad for two nights and spent our first evening at the Solsiden Lofoten hotel bar and restaurant. 

The hotel is on the water with a beautiful view across to the mountains. It’s a great location for exploring the middle area of the islands. On our first night, we also got an amazing display of the northern lights from right outside our cabin. 

Day 2: Flakastøya Island

Nusfjord

After breakfast at the hotel we drove south to Nusfjord. This quaint fishing village has historic buildings, cafes, and restaurants to explore. It does cost about 300 NOK per person which goes to the upkeep of the village. 

There are plenty of stunning view points and photo stops along the way (including Skreda) and a panoramic view of the village from the hill on the western corner. 

Ramberg

This is a beautiful beach that even had some sand visible in February, despite the snow. The view across the water is stunning and if you drive a little further on you’ll get to Flakstadbruene, which is two bridges crossing the fjords. Behind Ramberg Beach is also the famous red cabin photo spot. The drive around the fjords near here is also absolutely stunning and photo-worthy! 

Lofoten Beach Camp 

This campsite at Skagsanden beach offers surfboard hire and access to a sauna with a sea view. The sauna is cheaper than Unstad, at 180 NOK per person. You can use it for as long as you like and it’s bigger so not a problem if other groups are using the sauna at the same time. 

There’s also a cafe with a view across the beach where we watched surfers braving the -4°c weather and surfing as it snowed. 

Day 3: drive south to Reine

Hamnøy

On our last morning at Solsiden Brygge, we drove south to our next hotel in Sakrisøy Rorbuer. Just five minutes north is the tiny fishing village Hamnøy which is home to one of the most iconic sites in the Lofoten Islands. From Hamnøy bridge, you look down onto the row of red cabins at the base of a mountain, which is one of the best-known images that comes to mind when you think of the Lofoten Islands.

You can also climb the hill on Olenilsøya, behind Rostad Retro Rorbuer, for an incredible view across the islands – it’s especially good at blue hour just after sunset.

Reine

Another quaint fishing village in this area is Reine. It’s a beautiful and quiet spot to wander around and admire the fjord to get something to eat. Be aware that if you want to take photos of the viewpoint on the bridge crossing into the village, you need to park on one side or the other. The car park that Google Maps says is on the bridge has been closed off.

We also spent a couple of hours at Catogarden, a small hotel with a sauna that’s available for the public to book. This was our favourite sauna as it was small but not cramped and the view across Reine Fjord was amazing. It costs 250 NOK per person and you can pay extra for towels etc.

Day 4: Reine and Å

Sea kayaking

After a fairly chilled third day, just taking photos and enjoying the scenery, we got up early for a morning of sea kayaking. There are a number of companies that offer very similar services, but we booked with Saga Adventures.

It cost us 1,325 NOK per person for a 3 hour session(although more like 2-2.5 hours on the water). Dry suits, boots, and waterproof outer gloves were all provided but you’ll want to wrap up warm underneath all that if you visit in winter – it took me about 20 minutes of paddling to warm up!

We were lucky with the weather as the sky was blue and clear and the sea was calm, making the whole trip beautiful and relaxing. 

We had previously sea kayaked on Vancouver Island and loved it. But due to the good conditions (and shorter timeframe) we found this one much more relaxing! If it had been windy or snowy, maybe not…

Å

The last village at the southernmost point of the Lofoten Islands (before the terrain becomes entirely mountainous) is Å – pronounced like awe.

As you drive down the E10 south of Reine, the highway comes to an end in a car park, above the small village. You can climb up the hills that overlook the dramatic cliffs that drop off directly into the sea, and you can water the quaint streets of Å with its museums and cafes.

Day 5: driving north

Back to Leknes

It takes a little over an hour to drive from Reine back to Leknes Airport, so we took the journey as a chance to stop at anything we felt like we’d missed on our way down south.

This included the red cabin in Ramberg beach, which was looking even better in the sun than it had been on our first visit. We also stopped for lunch at Sakura in Leknes. The town doesn’t have a huge amount going on but this Japanese restaurant was great – especially the sushi buffet. 

Want to know more? Read our full blog on our trip to the Lofoten Islands here.

Other things to do in the Lofoten Islands

We were in the Lofoten Islands for five days and while that was plenty of time to see a lot of the area, it did mean we weren’t able to do every activity available. These were some popular things to do that we missed. 

Aurora Borealis tours

We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights a few times during our trip (in Ballstad and in Reine, right from our hotels). But if it’s cloudy or the conditions just aren’t right during your trip there are teams that will drive you through the night to seek out the aurora borealise. 

In the Lofoten Islands, it can often be seen with the naked eye or at least through your phone or camera (which is often more common that seeing it just with your eyes!) but if you want to be led by the experts, book a sightseeing trip for a higher chance of success.

Similar tours are also available in Tromsø and throughout the Arctic circle.

Museums

From stockfish to Arctic life to the Vikings, there are all sorts of museums to see in the Lofoten Islands. There are also plenty of art and photography galleries and while most do have a fee to enter, they are a great way to pass an afternoon and learn something about Norway and the Lofoten archipelago. Especially if the weather is too bad to be outside. 

Note: I chose and paid for my kayaking tour independently. This post is not an advertorial and is a true reflection of my experience with Saga Adventures. However, if you book yours through my Viator link, I might make a little bit of money through affiliation.