Norway Guide: The Best Hikes in Lofoten

8/30/2019

Quite simply, the Lofoten Islands in Norway is one of the most stunning and picturesque places I've ever been. It's also very unique, as you can see by the pictures above. Shallow, turquoise waters below steep and snowy mountain peaks create a surreal landscape above the Arctic Circle, which trick the traveler into thinking they're in a Caribbean Island rather than a Scandinavian country! It's the perfect place for any hiker, whether hardcore or just an enthusiast, for some of the most astounding views from on top of a rock you'll ever see!

Before I start let me just say, that while I titled this blog post "The Best Hikes in Lofoten", because that's just what you do when you write travel posts, I can't honestly say if they are the BEST. I don't even know if they are the worst, or maybe just mediocre to someone who lives in Lofoten and gets to see this insanely beautiful scenery everyday. What I can tell you is that these are the hikes we did and I would recommend every single one! The views were unparalleled to some of the hiking I've done around the world.

So the title of my blog post should really be: "Norway Guide: The Amazing Hikes We Did in Lofoten That We Were Completely Blown Away By and Would Hike Again and Again For Incredible Views" ... but I think that would be too long, right?

Unparalleled views in the Lofoten Islands, Norway

These hikes are not in order of favorites, but rather in order from start to finish. We started in Å, by taking the ferry from Bodø to Moskenes, and made our way north to Henningsvaer over the next four days, with stops in Hamnoy and Ballstad. Also we did all our hiking in June. I'm not sure about hiking in the winter here. The other amazing thing about hiking in June was the midnight sun! We had an awesome time doing our hikes are all kinds of crazy hours, not worrying about making it before sundown. We were also lucky with excellent weather!

Overall hiking in Lofoten was probably one of my top experiences in all the adventures we've had in the 26 countries we've traveled!!

#1. Å

No, I didn't accidentally cut off the name of this hike in the title. That's the name of the town behind this hike, Å, or sometimes known as Å i Lofoten, the last town in the chain of islands.

My brother will argue with me that this wasn't a hike, but I counted it because it was a great walk with gorgeous views we did within a few hours of arriving off the ferry at Moskenes. And since we were staying right there in Å, we wanted to explore a bit. There are some awesome views above the town of Å, of the ocean, a lake, and some mountains in the background! You really don't need to look far for a great hike here in Lofoten, even if it's just to get your limbs working.

So, if you're following our same itinerary, and you've just arrived off the ferry at Moskenes and you're staying in Å, walk or drive and park in the big parking lot at the end of the road after you go through the tunnel at the end of town, and just start walking behind the parking lot into the mountains! You'll get a nice panorama above Å with some views above a lake and the mountains as a backdrop as your first taste of the Lofoten Islands scenery!

#2. Ryten

Views from the Ryten Hike in Lofoten!

The first part of the hike to Ryten; hiking above Sandbotnen Beach.

The second hike on the list, Ryten, was my favorite hike in ALL of Norway, not just Lofoten! This hike was enjoyable not just because of the #HASHTAG #VIEWS at the end of the hike, but because the entire hike up had a nice variety of terrain, so it was never tiresome or grueling, like some of the other hikes in Norway.

Over the 5-hour, round-trip hike, you'll see varying landscapes, from rolling farmland, to steep rock climbing, to shimmering lakes. So yes--it has that perfect spot-- you know the one where you can get a picture of yourself standing on top of an insanely high mountain, looking out into the distance, that will make all your friends jelly! ... ahem... But, honestly, it's also just a really pleasant hike!

It starts in the valley near Fredvang. More specifically, you will park and hike above Sandbotnen to start. We found a "parking lot" and a nice older woman who only spoke two sentences of English, enough to tell us to park here and leave cash in the box by the entrance. They are very trusting in Norway. Parking was about $5 US. Then start your hike, first through some muddy fields, and then up a valley in which you will start increasing in elevation. At the top of the valley there are some steep parts, but then it levels out again past some lakes.

After the lakes you'll cross some wooden platforms and walkways through level terrain, giving your feet a rest from the uphill parts, until you get to the steepest part, the last 45 minutes, uphill towards the top. Turn around at any point on this hike and you'll be blessed with some awesome views as long as there's no fog!

Zac using the chain for assist in a slightly steep part of the hike

Finally at the top, you'll see why this hike is so Insta-famous, with views above Kvalvika Beach and a mini Trolltunga! Don't worry, there is a small ledge below me. But it's still pretty steep.

Don't forget to visit the other side of the top of the mountain, where you'll get some crazy-high views above the ocean and Flakstadoya!

The most incredible view from Ryten, above Kvalvika Beach!

Views on the otherside of Ryten of Flakstadoya

#3. Offersøykammen

This is the hike I get asked about the most because the pictures are just so impressive and it's not really well-known! The Offersøykammen hike is located near Leknes. You can find the hike marked on Google Maps.

The hike itself is pretty grueling because it's so steep. But at least it's short, so you can take your time, and you get some great views along the way if you stop and turn around every so often! At the top, no matter how tough the hike is getting up there, it's absolutely worth it! Just look at those views!

Jaw-dropping views from Offersøykammen!

Zac enjoys the views about halfway up Offersøykammen

There's no official parking, so we parked in Lofoten Base Camp because it looked empty with new construction, and, bonus, I snapped some cool pictures of these fancy new Rorbuers nearby!

#4. Ballstad

I added this hike to my list because it only took us 20 minutes to get these views. Yes, that's right, 20 minutes! This "hike" is for all those people out there that claim not to be hikers or are worried about how much hiking you'll have to do in Lofoten!

As I said above, the great thing about visiting Lofoten is that you can get spectacular views whether you're a hardcore hiker or just a beginner. You don't have to hike a lot here to get some nice views of the islands surrounded by the ocean. I just happened to find this one hike online and we took a gamble. Zac ended up hiking even higher (for those hardcore hikers, you can hike all the way to the top of Skottinden or the mountain behind Ballstad). But Jet and I were content to just find a nice spot above town and peoplewatch (bonus, bring your binoculars to spy on everyone below) and it only took us 20 minutes of uphill walking to find this spot!

#5. Festvågtind

This hike near Henningsvaer is probably the most popular one on the this list. It was a little more crowded than the other hikes we did. It was also the most grueling! This "hike" was more of a rock scramble at certain points. I was using my hands to navigate and climb up some very steep parts! Coming down is not easy, either! Definitely prepare yourself before this hike. I almost didn't make it to the top of this one. But you can see why this is one of the most popular hikes in Lofoten--the views are so steep and you get a perfect snapshot above Henningsvaer!

About halfway up just the first part of Festvagtind

Parking is easy to spot along the main road into Henningsvaer, but if it's crowded you'll have to wait or fight for a spot. Once you being the hike, there are two options up the first part. My advice is to stick to the right going up. It might be a little more worn down, and you risk it being muddy, but the left side is very steep and very rocky, and one wrong step could cause a deadly tumble. On that note, the whole hike is very steep and dangerous. I wouldn't recommend it for novice hikers or for anyone with any kind of mobility issues. At the end of the first part, there is a lovely lake to cool off in. You could even end the hike here if you're aren't feeling up to hiking the entire grueling hike. The views from the first ledge are still pretty incredible!

Bonus: Reinebringen

The most popular and most incredible hike in Lofoten was, unfortunately, closed when we went in June. They were just finishing up the stairs, and as we drove Reine, by we watched helicopters dropped large stones into place high above us on the trail. We respected their closure because they were doing much needed maintenance that month, and I can only urge you to do the same if you are visiting Lofoten!

The hike is insta-famous, so you're welcome to google the jaw-dropping images. If you have a chance to hike it, I recommend it, even if it's a crowded and very tough hike! I imagine it's completely worth the views!

Hiking in Lofoten

If you have any questions about any of the hikes, or anything Lofoten, drop me a comment below! You can also see more pictures from Lofoten and all of Norway on my Instagram @littlegrandadventures!

Check all trail reports before heading out and make sure they are good to go! Respect all closures, especially during shoulder season when the weather can be questionable. We traveled in June, which is the beginning of the summer season. April and May could still mean snow here, believe it or not. The lowest temperature in June was probably 40's°F, and when the sun was out it reached into the 60's, so weather wasn't an issue when we went. We also went during summer daylight so we were able to make our own hiking schedules by taking advantage of the midnight sun! You won't see any auroras during this time of year, but you will get to witness daylight at 3:00am, which doesn't sound as cool, but it's mind blowing when you're there experiencing it!

Lofoten is truly one of the most beautiful places on Earth! I hope you make it here and experience some of these incredible hikes for yourself!

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