Five Best Lofoten Hikes

The Lofoten Islands don’t just look like they’ve walked straight out of a fantasy novel - they also beg to be hiked. 

The views from any mountaintop are genuinely once-in-a-lifetime - serrated peaks rise straight from the sea, fishing villages cling to cliffs like stubborn barnacles, and, best of all, the views are often only revealed in the final few steps, creating a panorama that is breathtaking in the literal sense.

I don’t believe there’s a bad hike on Lofoten – perhaps I need to look harder – but whether you’re walking off your dinner (possible by the perpetual daylight from late-May to August) or building your whole day around a trek, here are my five favourite hikes on the archipelago. 

For a more comprehensive itinerary for five days on Lofoten where hiking features prominently but is balanced with other attractions, check out my other blog, Finding Friluftsliv.

Heads-up: some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you decide to buy something - at no extra cost to you.  I only recommend brands and products I use and have had excellent experiences of.

At A Glance

Getting There and Around

I recommend using Trip.com to find the best deals on flights. There is some competition on the Oslo to Bodo route and connections in Oslo to domestic flights are normally seamless.

You'll need a car to access these hikes. I used Expedia to rent a car from Bodø, which we took across to Lofoten on the ferry.  This worked out considerably cheaper than trying to hire a car on the archipelago itself (cheap being a relative term in Norway). Prices from £45/€52/$60 per day. Expedia covers all of the major companies, allowing you to get a decent deal.

Where To Stay (if our recommended Air BnB isn’t available)

• Scandic Svolvaer – Modern scandi-chic rooms on the harbour in Svolvaer with kick-ass panoramic fjord views.  Superb continental breakfast included.  Rooms from £125/€145/$160pn

• Rorbuer Svionya – An excellent family option (sleeps up to four) on a jaw-droppingly scenic island just across the harbour from Svolvaer (but still easily accessible).  Staying in a modernised fisherman’s cabin on the water.  Fully equipped kitchen is a bonus.  Book from £230/€265/$310pn.

• Lofoten Overnatting – As close to budget accommodation as you’ll get on Lofoten, based in central Leknes, from which nowhere is more than an hour’s drive.  Clean, comfy and well located for airport, restaurants and the all-important bakeries.  Rooms from £105/€120/$140pn

Five Best Lofoten Hikes: The Contenders

1. Offersøykammen

• Distance: 3.5 km return

• Time: c. 2 – 2.5 hours

• Elevation gain: ~ 436 m

• Parking: Roadside car park by E10, near Nappstraumen Bridge – Google Maps marks the trailhead off the E10, it’s not especially well signposted

• Best time: Late afternoon (light on beaches)

At just 436 metres, Offersøykammen is a modest hill by Norwegian standards, but it delivers a giant’s share of views. The climb is short, steep, and occasionally slippery (tread very carefully if hiking after rain, the final scramble up isn’t a particularly established path), but within an hour, you’ll be standing on a grassy summit gazing out at Haukland Beach, Vik Beach, and turquoise water that borders on the neon, it’s that vivid.  

There are plenty of rocks and overhangs to enjoy a picnic at the top and, relative to Reinebringen, you won’t be overwhelmed by other hikers.

This hike is perfect for anyone who wants maximum reward for – relatively speaking - minimum effort.  Bring sturdy shoes – should go without saying but this is not a flip-flop or sneaker stroll - and your powerbank to recharge your camera…you’ll be in panoramic overload mode.

2. Hoven

• Distance: 3 km return

• Time: c. 2 hours

• Elevation gain: ~368 m

• Parking: Golf course (Lofoten Links), Gimsøy

• Best time: Late evening (midnight sun views)

Hoven is the dignified elder statesman of Lofoten hikes: tall enough (368 m), but relatively simple in ascent to avoid scaring off beginners.  It overlooks a candidate for the world’s most beautiful golf course where you can play around the clock come summer.

The trail’s gentle gradient that makes it a favourite for families and those wanting to stretch their legs without breaking them.  

At the summit, the reward is a 360-degree view over the Vestfjord, jagged peaks to the west, and endless ocean to the north – you’ll get a stellar midnight sun view (unlike most other hikes on this list) if visiting on a summer's evening.

Probably the easiest of the five hikes listed but it just proves you don’t need to suffer to get a view worth bragging about.

3. Reinebringen

• Distance: 3 km return

• Time: 3 hours

• Elevation gain: ~448 m

• Parking: Small car park east of Reine (avoid the village car park if attempting to hike for the midnight sun, it’ll be full)

• Best time: Early morning or evening (avoid crowds, great light)

Reinebringen is the hike everyone comes for and the one you’ll find plastered all over Instagram.  As cynical as it’s easy to be, the view at the summit (again, only revealed in the final steps) is one of the greatest I’ve ever witnessed anywhere on Earth.  So, yes, it’s worth it.

What’s different about Reinebringen is the path up – it’s one long staircase thanks to the heroic work of Nepali sherpas a decade ago to prevent the path from eroding. 

The ascent of 1,972 steps – don’t count them, it’ll only spook you - is safer than it used to be, though still steep enough to leave you questioning your fitness regime. 

Those with vertigo will likely not enjoy the steep drops on one – or both – sides so be warned.

The ascent is a grind, no question but the summit view of Reine, Sakrisøy, and Hamnøy, with fishing cabins dotted across turquoise fjords, is one of the most famous in Norway.

Early morning or mid-evening are the best times to avoid the crowds – the summit gets surprisingly crowded after 10.30pm with midnight sun seekers…which is somewhat odd as you can’t actually see it behind the mountains.   Anyhow, the light is fabulous at these times,  painting the islands in impossible colours.

4. Festvågtind

• Distance: 3 km return

• Time: 3 hours

• Elevation gain: ~541 m

• Parking: Roadside by cemetery, just north of Henningsvær

• Best time: Late afternoon/evening (warm light, fewer people)

Festvågtind (541 m) is the scrappy younger sibling of Reinebringen: less famous, slightly wilder, and blessed with its own spectacular view.  Make sure you have the parking zone in your GPS as it’s easy to miss.

The trail wastes no time - it points straight up, occasionally scrambling over rocks before levelling out at a plateau with a brilliant view of Henningsvær and the sea.

Push on to the summit for an even grander panorama of mountain ridges serrated against the horizon with a far-sighted view of the islands joined improbably by the road network - you'll certainly gain an appreciation for Norwegian engineering.

Festvågtind balances effort and reward beautifully: challenging enough to feel like an achievement (it’s probably the toughest single hike on this list), but short enough that you’ll still have energy for a celebratory beer in Henningsvær, which is a must-visit, afterwards.

5. Ryten

• Distance: 8 km return

• Time: 3–4 hours

• Elevation gain: ~543 m

• Parking: Ytresand car park

• Best time: Early morning (quiet) or evening (golden light on Kvalvika Beach)

Ryten (543 m) is a Lofoten classic for good reason.   Effectively you’re getting two hikes in one involving beaches and cliifs alike

The trail takes you through grassy slopes – a relatively gentle ascent - and past lakes before the grand reveal: a cliff-edge view straight down onto Kvalvika Beach, where surfers can be spied at all times of day and night during summer. 

You’ll doubtless want to dangle your legs over the cliff edge for the classic photo, but keep your common sense firmly switched on – you can probably see it’s a long way down.

The hike itself is relatively straightforward, though often muddy (change of clothes back in the car very much required), and the real challenge is resisting the urge to spend all day gawping at the view.  

Ryten is the longest hike of the five with the highest elevation gain of all (still under 600m) but remains is a perfect trek, wild, dramatic, and unforgettably photogenic.

Five Best Lofoten Hikes? Discuss…

Hiking in the Lofoten Islands is less about bagging summits and more about stepping into a landscape that feels mythical.  Apart from Reinebringen at midnight, tourists fan out between the trails giving a sense of glorious solitude, which makes the views all the more spectacular when you don’t have to share.

Picking the five best Lofoten hikes is far from an exact science – truthfully, these are just my favourites – but get started on one trail and you’ll become addicted to the air, the views and the scenery, discovering your own favourites along the way!

Best of all visit in summer and enjoy hiking at any time of day or night as you see fit.