Lofoten Islands - 5 days in the winter Arctic Circle
About Lofoten Islands
Lofoten islands is an archipelago which locates in the arctic circle in Northern Norway. Famous for its stunning views, cosy fishing villages, midnight sun, northern light, mountain peaks, fjords, and more. It is a place that has many to offer in all season, from hiking, kayaking, fishing to surfing, skiing and snow shoeing. Summer is no doubt the high season on these beautiful islands, but winter time in Lofoten is just peaceful and magical!
How to get there
There are multiple ways to get to Lofoten. These are probably the most common options:
1. Take a flight or train to Bodø, then take a ferry from Bodø to Moskenes.
2. Take a flight to Harstad Narvik Airport, then drive to Svolvær (around 2.5-3.5 hours drive, depending on the weather and road condition)
3. Take a flight to smaller airport like Svolvær or Leknes (few flights and very expensive)
The easiest way to move around the islands is to rent a car and drive around by yourself. There is public transportation, but it is less flexible and you will spend a lot of time checking timetable and waiting for the bus. Make sure to make a reservation for the car beforehand, especially during high season.
Our Itinerary
Day1: Flight from Oslo - Harstad/Narvik Airport. Drove to Svolvær.
Overnight in Svolvær
Day2: Drove from Svolvær to Leknes. Explored Kabelvåg, Henningsvær and, some beaches along the way.
Overnight in Lekens
Day3: Drove from Leknes to Reine. Checked out Ramberg, Hamnøy, Reine, and random stops on the way.
Overnight in Hamnøy
Day4: Drove from Hamnøy to Leknes. Stoped basically whenever and wherever that’s beautiful.
Overnight in Leknes
Day5: Drove from Leknes - Svolvær and had a lunch break. Drove from Svolvær to Harstad/Narvik Airport and flew back to Oslo.
Our Experience
This was me and my partner’s very first time visiting Lofoten in the winter, in hope of seeing the northern light. Unfortunately the luck was not on our side during our stay, but we still fell in love with this winter wonderland. Our flight landed around 19:30 and we started driving around 20:00. Snow storm, darkness and icy roads made our journey to Svolvær much longer than expected. Roads were not difficult to drive, but one should be familiar with winter driving safety rules.
We only planned where to stay for this trip and marked the villages, beaches, and photo spots that we would like to visit on the map. The rest were fairly flexible. We stopped whenever and wherever that caught our attention to take pictures and admire the scenery. Daylight was around for 3-4 hours, maybe with an hour or so of the blue light before and after sunrise/sunset, so we really slowed down our pace to enjoy the peacefulness of the arctic winter. We would probably call this a very chill and relaxing photo trip.
For those who want a bit more actions and activities, there many to choose from like skiing, snow shoeing, fishing, dog sledding, whale watching and more, but you most likely will need to book and plan before arrival.
Even though we did not see the northern light due to snowy cloudy weather, the view in Lofoten was still magnificent. For us, there were not as much “free” activities to do in the winter compared to summer, but we still would love to revisit in the future. Time really felt like it had slowed down and it was what we both needed.
What we had with us
Parka, winter jacket
Windproof or waterproof jacket
Fleece or insulated layer
Wool base layer or thermal underwear
Beanie, gloves, scarf
Waterproof or Winter boots
Camera and tripod
