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Lofoten in winter is a wonder: in this blog I describe what to see in a five-day itinerary. Lofoten lies above the Arctic Circle: in fact, the small village of A, the southernmost of Lofoten, is located at 67ยฐN, or one degree above the Arctic Circle.
This causes the sun not to rise at the turn of December 21. This does not mean that there is always darkness. Even on the day of the winter solstice, in fact, there are about four hours of daylight. I highly recommend using this site to see the light schedules, using the โcivilโ column.
This light is very special-I have been fortunate enough to visit Lofoten in excellent weather, and the sky colors are magnificent, as there is constantly a reddish light in the sky, as if it were an endless twilight.
Visiting Lofoten in winter it is possible, with a little luck, to see the Northern Lights. This spectacular celestial phenomenon is visible from late August to early April. During my recent trip, where I coordinated a Backpacker Adventure group., I was lucky enough to see it four times! With this post, I would like to demonstrate that although the aurora is definitely the icing on the cake, a trip to Lofoten in winter is spectacular even if you cannot see the northern lights!
Lofoten tours
Before I start telling you about what is possible to do in Lofoten in winter, I will leave you with a few tours. Many of these begin in Tromso, a city that is used many times as a base for getting to know Lofoten in winter.
Excursion to the Kvaloya Fjord.
Dinghy tour in Svolvaer with birdwatching.
Mini cruise on a fjord from Svolvaer.
I recommend renting a car to best visit Lofoten. I relied on Discovercars, which has excellent vehicles, even for the winter of Norway!
What to see in Lofoten in winter: A
The list of what to see in Lofoten in winter begins with A, so from the south. A (with a small o above the letter: in the Norwegian alphabet it is the last letter, so perfectly located in Lofoten geography), besides being the world’s shortest village name, is definitely worth a visit. A is a small fishing settlement, characterized by many red rorbuers, dwellings used by those who went fishing centuries ago. Admiring the first light of day from A on a winter day is one of the things not to be missed in Lofoten. In summer, however, you can see a museum dedicated to fishermen and a stockfish museum. Here is a video showing the beauty of A!
A’s visit is worth an hour or so.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Reine
About twenty minutes by car north of A is Reine. Although the town is not that interesting, Reine’s location is enviable. There is, in fact, a small harbor overlooked by the Reinebringen, a magnificent mountain. There are two spectacular viewpoints: the first provides a view of the Reine lagoon, and the second provides an appreciation of the marina.
The Reinebringen is a destination for magnificent trekking in the summer season.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Hamnoy
Only a five-minute drive from Reine, still going north, is another fishing village, Hamnoy. This center is crossed by two bridges that offer superlative views of the town, the surrounding mountains, and the fjord. To this day it is still possible to enjoy local seafood at Anita’s Sjomat, a restaurant best known for its fish specialties. Next to Anita’s Sjomat is Lofoten’s most popular yellow house on Instagram.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Ramberg
Lofoten are famous for their white beaches and crystal clear water. In winter, of course, these colors are not as beautiful as in the summer season. Ramberg, however, is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in Lofoten and is still worth a walk even in winter: few times do you get to walk on an icy beach!
Near Ramberg is Flakstad Church, built in the 18th century with wood that arrived directly from Siberian rivers flowing into the Arctic.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Nusfjord
Nusfjord is the first detour off E10, the main road in Lofoten. This small village is located six kilometers off the E10, and is well worth the detour! This fishing village is beautiful in the winter season, when there are fewer tourists: in fact, an entrance fee of about five euros has been imposed to avoid excessive tourist crowding.
The town is characterized by several red and yellow colored houses, which can be admired especially from a viewpoint at the end of the town.In winter, one must be careful of ice and crampons are very useful. There is also a small museum dedicated to fishing in Nusfjord.
A visit to Nusfjord is worth about an hour.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: on the road
The most beautiful part of Lofoten in winter is appreciating the landscapes. In fact, the on-the-road in Lofoten is a real daydream. The Torvdalshalsen viewpoint is one of the most beautiful in all of Lofoten, as it provides a 360-degree panorama of these islands.
After the Sundklakk Bridge, road FV861 leads into the village of Gimsoya, on the Atlantic shores. The splendid on-the-road is completed by the Gimsoy church, whose white color perfectly matches the snow.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Henningsvaer
Henningsvaer is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place in all of Lofoten, both in summer and winter. The eight kilometers of the 816 road leading to the so-called Venice of the North are a true spectacle. In summer, Henningsvaer is the perfect base for climbing the Festvagtind (information on climbing here), which offers a splendid view of Henningsvaer and the fjord.
In winter, on the other hand, Henningsvaer is perfect for admiring the small town without the amount of summer tourists. Strolling the streets of the small town, seeing the marina, getting to the viewpoint above the stadium…all make it onto the list of what to do in Lofoten in winter!
There is also a craft gallery and an art gallery in Henningsvaer, but these are open in winter by reservation only. A visit to Henningsvaer is worth at least a couple of hours.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Kabelvag
Kabelvag is another small town to visit in Lofoten. The center is very small, but there is an interesting marina and two small parks that make the atmosphere of the town spectacular in the winter season. In addition to a couple of museums devoted to local traditions, Kabelvag is home to a beautiful lighthouse and the Lofoten Cathedral.
What to see in Lofoten in winter: Svolvaer
Svolvaer is the so-called capital of Lofoten. With its 4,000 inhabitants, Svolvaer seems to be giant compared to Reine, A, Henningsvaer and so on. Although it does not have the charm of the small villages of Lofoten, Svolvaer is nevertheless a town of note. It is located at the base of Svolvargeita, a mountain popular with climbers. In addition, there is a beautiful marina in Svolvaer and it is a base for various activities, such as snowshoeing, a two-hour trip into the fjord to see sea eagles or a mini-cruise in the fjord.
In addition to what to see in Lofoten you might also be interested in …
Lofoten and Senja itinerary in summer
Southern Norway: a trip from Bergen to Stavanger!
What to see in the North Cape!
USEFUL INFORMATION ON WHAT TO SEE IN LOFOTEN IN WINTER
- To reach Lofoten it is advisable to take a flight to Bodo and then make the boat crossing to Moskenes. The crossing takes about three and a quarter hours: the sea may be very rough.
- Another option to reach Lofoten is to fly to Narvik or Tromso and then drive three or seven hours to Svolvaer, respectively. Tromso is a beautiful town; to see the northern lights, it is best to drive away from the center, as the lights may disturb the view of the northern lights. Participating in a guided tour like this might be an idea!
- The best way to visit Lofoten is to rent a car. There are buses that connect the main centers, but the Lofoten on-the-road trip is a must! You have to be very careful driving: the roads are quite icy, and occasionally you will encounter cars stuck off-road. Norwegian weather may be adverse: the most reliable forecasts are these.
- In winter, I recommend sleeping outside the population centers. In this way it is, in fact, possible to see the northern lights. I personally recommend Lofoten Cabins near Svolvaer and Andoy Vest Rorbuer in Reine. Northern Lights forecasts, unfortunately, are not very reliable. To get an idea of possible solar activity I recommend downloading the aurora forecast app. This is a video demonstrating the beauty of a typical rorbuer where I slept.
- Eating in Lofoten is very expensive. A plate and a half liter of beer cost approximately 40 euros. For this reason it is much better to sleep in an apartment. Bacalao in Svolvaer, however, is worth the investment-the local cuisine is great! You cannot buy wine and liquor in supermarkets: there are stores, called โwine monopolyโ that sell liquor. It is not possible to buy any kind of alcohol after 6 p.m. and on holidays.
- Lofoten is paradise, but not cheap. The average cost of a week-long trip to Lofoten is around 2,000 euros.
- A basic Lofoten itinerary in winter deserves at least four days. Counting flights and transfers to reach Lofoten, one must consider at least six days.
- Prominent in my podium of things to see in Lofoten in winter are Henningsvaer, A and Reine.
- Distances in Lofoten are not exaggerated. From A to Svolvaer, in fact, one must calculate about two and a half hours. Below I leave a map of Lofoten.
