Chalk another one up to spontaneity, because a visit to the Lofoten Islands wasn’t even on my radar until about 48 hours before I booked it.
I had been looking for someplace to go in February, but I just couldn’t make a decision. Nothing really jumped out at me. Or, the places that did just weren’t conducive to going alone, or more specifically, alone in the middle of winter.
Add on getting sick in Thailand and I almost quit on this trip in favor of a random beach.
Then I came across something on a trip-sharing site. It was to northern Norway and included things like the Northern Lights, dog sled rides, and snowmobiling.
It was also grossly overpriced and the flights, given the last-minute nature as well as the remote location, were astronomical.
But something about it still managed to spark my interest. This then led to my reading up on Norway. I started my research on Saturday, booked my flight on Monday, and departed on Wednesday. Pack and Go.
One travel tip I like to follow is that as a rule of thumb, the shorter or more technical a trip is, the more research and planning I’ll do. This allows you to best maximize your limited time. This trip was the exact opposite.
As such, I’d like to share with you how to visit the Lofoten Islands so you can do it on your own without needing to figure things out along the way.
What are the Lofoten Islands
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. It is known for its distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains, open sea, sheltered bays, white sand beaches, untouched wilderness, and of course, the northern lights.
Plainly put, the Lofoten Islands are one of the most stunning areas of Norway. This also makes them one of the most remote.
How to Get to the Lofoten Islands
The meat of the issue.
With traveling, oftentimes, the more exotic or remote a destination gets, the more difficult it becomes to reach in terms of time, money, and convenience. While the Lofoten Islands aren’t what I’d consider difficult to reach, they do take a little more effort than average.
There are three main ways of visiting the Lofoten Islands: plane, ferry, and automobile. Naturally, these each take progressively more time.
For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to use Bodø as the main launch point. That’s because it’s where the trains lead, the ferries largely start, and the majority of flights include a layover there. Plus, getting to Bodø is simple.
Plane
The fastest, and easiest of the options would of course be to fly.
For the largest parts of the archipelago, there are two airports servicing the area. Svolvær Airport and Leknes Airport.
These are small airports, so you won’t be able to fly to them directly from somewhere like JFK, but both of these have regular flights to several Norwegian airports.
Svolvær is your best bet as it is the biggest town in Lofoten and very central to the islands. Home to some good museums, restaurants, and shops, locals call it “the smallest big city in the world” as it’s sort of like the main hub for the area.
If you use GetYourGuide, a website that helps people find tours and activities in your destination, you’ll find that the majority of the offerings begin in Svolvær.
Did I fly to visit the Lofoten Islands?
While I didn’t fly to Lofoten, I did fly back, at least partially. I still had to take the ferry from Svolvær to Bodø as I had already booked a round-trip ticket. I did, however, fly from Bodø to Trondheim where I was able to catch an international flight home.
This direct flight was only one hour and saved me from an eleven-hour night train back to Trondheim.
I love trains, but they’re just not as interesting at night when there’s nothing to see. Then, on top of that, my flight from Bodø only cost me $180, while the train would have cost $150. So I saved time and lost little money.
Kind of a no-brainer, right?
Flight duration
Direct flights around the country are all pretty snappy, but here are some rough times for getting to Svolvær from a few of the larger airports.
- From Bodø to Svolvær: 25m direct
- From Trondheim to Svolvær: 2h 30m indirect
- From Oslo to Svolvær: 2h 25m indirect
Then, should you wish, you could continue on to Røstlandet which is a small and extremely remote fishing island at the southernmost tip of Lofoten.
- From Svolvær to Røst: 25m direct
Other airports can get you to Røstlandet too, but Bodø and Svolvær (which I wouldn’t skip) are the only two with direct service.
By Ferry
The most traditional, and in my opinion, the best way to visit the Lofoten Islands is by ferry.
There are two types of ferries to choose from, car ferries, where you drive on and then spend your time in the areas above, or a standard passenger ferry with no cars, which is what I took.
Which type you take depends on your situation. Perhaps you already have a rental car from seeing other parts of Norway. Or, if you’re only going to Lofoten and want to rent once you arrive, you can get your vehicle in Svolvær, as I did.
If you choose to do the latter, I’d recommend making a reservation in advance.
Express Passenger Ferry From Bodø
I took the express passenger ferry from Bodø. It took 3 and a half hours and cost me 1546NOK (about $146) for a round-trip ticket. One way is exactly half the cost, so if you think your plans might change, there’s little incentive to purchase both tickets at once.
There is one express ferry per day. One that leaves from Bodø at 6:00 P.M. and one that leaves Svolvær at 7:55 A.M.
While not necessary, tickets can easily be booked in advance HERE. There are also other stops that can be made if you don’t want to go to Svolvær.
I should note that this is not a sightseeing ferry. It still provides many amazing views, but it’s just a regular part of the regional transit system. Like a train or subway would be.
I found it fun, but if you’re susceptible to motion sickness, I’d take some medication to stave it off because the waters can get very rough. It felt like we were skipping over the waves.
Car Ferry from Bodø
The car ferry to Lofoten sails from Bodø to Moskenes. This ferry will take you 3-4 hours.
The timetable for this ferry can be found on their official website, but it’s a little less straightforward than the Passenger Ferry which only has one departure per day.
This also causes varying prices, but you can find the pricing table HERE.
While I’m sure this ferry is fine, it is supposedly a bit more dated than the express is, so while you can get a passenger only ticket, I wouldn’t take this one without a vehicle.
By Hurtigruten
The third type of ferry that can be used to reach Lofoten is the Hurtigruten coastal boat. This is a Norwegian coastal cruise that travels the entire length of the country, making 34 stops over several days. With the proper ticket, you are able to jump on at any point and ride port to port.
Assuming that you board in Bodø, the Hurtigruten will get you to Stamsund in four hours and Svolvær in six.
The Hurtigruten takes longer than the express ferries, but it’s more of a leisure cruise. Just don’t misconstrue things, because even though you can book a cabin (not necessary for such as short trip), it’s by no means luxury.
Should you have one, the Hurtigruten can also transport cars, though spaces are more limited than the standard car ferry and will need to reserve the spot.
Booking these tickets as far in advance as possible is very important because they do sell out. The easiest way to book is at Hurtigruten.com.
Personally, I don’t think the cost of these tickets is worth it if you’re only visiting the Lofoten Islands.
By Car
Fancy a long road trip? Well, then maybe you’d like to self-drive. Just understand going in, that this is a very long drive, not including any stops you may make for food, gas, and tolls.
And at $6.00+ per gallon, gas is very expensive in Norway. *Newsflash* Expensive gas is not only an American thing.
Car duration to Lofoten
- From Bodø to Svolvær (via Narvik): 8h 20m
By Bus
If you’re feeling extra frugal, the public bus is your best option, but it’s even longer than taking the car, the money you save is minimal, and, well… it’s a public bus.
Bus services to Svolvær run every day from Bodø, Narvik, and Harstad. You can plan your trip on reisnordland.com. Students get a 50% discount on long trips.
Bus duration to Lofoten
- From Bodø to Svolvær (via Narvik): 12h 50m including a 2hr stopover.
So how would you choose to visit the Lofoten Islands?
My personal choice is the way I did it. The traditional express ferry, followed by renting a car upon arrival. While flying will get you there faster, I feel like my way is the most memorable while not sacrificing a lot of time.
Then, once you’re there, you’ll be able to drive around pretty much wherever you want in your rental.
What do you think? Is visiting the Lofoten Islands something you’d be interested in doing?
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