Wondering where to go with 4 days in the Lofoten Islands? Keep reading to follow our journey through Norway’s finest, with a round-up on top photography locations, hiking trails, accomodation options, and what to do when the weather turns wild!
Day 1
We began our journey in Svolvær, flying in from Bodø on Widerøe airlines. A first for me, seating was unassigned and came as a first-come-first-served basis. Picking up the pre-booked rental car was a breeze, and off we went, making a beeline for Kringla AS Bakeri & Konditori, a delightful bakery in Svolvær’s town centre.
N.B: We rented our car through Avis online and there was no need for an international driver’s licence
After one more detour to a local supermarket for snacks and supplies, we headed south towards our accomodation in Reine for the first two nights. With the forecast being passable at best, we made a few pit stops along the way, braving the showers and windy conditions to snap a few winners.
The yellow rorbuers of Sakrisøy
Hamnøy
Epic drives on the E10 near Fredvang
Making it just in time for sunset, we checked into our traditional 2 bedroom fisherman’s cabin at Reine Rorbuer and enjoyed a comforting dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.
Day 2
Despite the cold and miserable weather, we spent the morning cozied up in our warm cabin and wandered the picturesque grounds of Reine Rorbuer.
We then ventured the final few kilometres to the fishing village of Å, the official end point of the E10.
As luck may have it, we stumbled across some epic puddles post-pour down which of course led to an impromptu photoshoot session – just steps from our hotel!
Hands down my favourite shot of the entire trip ☺️
Day 3
For all the drone enthusiasts out there, the moment you fly into Nordland territory, you know you’ve hit the jackpot! With hundreds of islets scattered amongst its remote boundaries, the Lofoten Islands are simply a theme park for those brandishing a trusty quadcopter. Sadly, without the weather on my side, to-drone-or-not-to-drone became the hourly mantra and led to some of the toughest flying conditions to date. (I think I managed to snap a few rad shots regardless, what are your thoughts? 😉)
The original plan for days 2 and 3 was to drive the scenic roads off the E10 and throw in a hike or two including Reinebringen, Flakstatind, Kvalvika and Ryten. With conditions being far from ideal, we settled for scenic drives to Nusfjord, Olderfjord and along the 816 to our second accommodation location of the trip, Henningsvær.
The big drawcard for me in this fishing village is the football stadium that can only be described as being perched at the edge of the world – I mean, see for yourself! There are also some cute stores, cafes and restaurants that I can recommend including Kafé Lysstoperiet, DROPS Drømmer & Damask, and Lofotmat.
Day 4
Waking up in the trendy Tobiasbrygga apartments, we spent our final full day climbing the rocks around Henningsvær football stadium and playing a waiting game with the weather. When the sun came out for what seemed like an hour or so, we embarked on our first and only hike of the trip up Festvågtind. Perhaps one of the silliest decisions I have made in my life so far, the conditions quickly declined right as we were halfway up and clinging onto the steep rock face. Facing roaring winds and a hail storm, we carefully aborted the mission and thanked our lucky stars we made it safely back down.
Although I was unable to photograph it, we were lucky to catch a glimpse of the northern lights despite the cloudy, wet and windswept conditions on our final night thanks to our resident northern lights scout (chur Jo!) and some trusty neighbours.
A closer look at the fish drying racks surrounding the famous football stadium 🎣
N.B: Visiting at the end of September brings a mix bag of weather patterns (think hail, rain and gale force winds mixed in with short sunny spells), so definitely pack your warm and wet weather gear. Some hiking trails were closed for maintenance (Reinebringen) and although many restaurants and cafes were still operating, we were disappointed to miss out on hot cinnamon buns in the fishing village of Å!
For some seriously epic highlights from the Lofoten (and Sicily) parts of our trip, check out the video below 🙂