Lofoten! The crème de la crème of Northern Norway, hiking mecca for many travelers to Norway. It is such a visually stunning place that even the town of Arendal in Frozen was inspired by Reine in Lofoten (or so I heavily assume).

Lofoten is a chain of islands in Northern Norway connected to each other by a series of tunnels and bridges and is easily accessible by road. Known for iconic fishing villages surrounded by high mountain peaks and some of the bluest waters, it’s a classic stop for tourists and locals alike.

Local tip: if you want to visit a lesser-known but still very iconic cousin of Lofoten, head to Senja and try these hikes!

Getting here:

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Lofoten, twice and every time I go, there’s something new to discover or I find a new mountain to hike. It’s probably one of my top three favorite places in the whole country. That being said, it can be a little harder to get to by road, it takes approximately 4 days to drive from Oslo (if you drive sensibly). There are a few airports on the chain of islands you can fly into but I personally find that arriving in Bodø and taking the ferry over to Moskenes is the best option. The ferry is pricy but it does welcome you with dramatic mountains as you approach the seaside.

Book here for the ferry

Local tip: If you are organized enough, you can take the ferry as a passenger and hire a car from Moskenes Car Rental. It’s a cheaper option so you don’t have to pay for taking a car on the ferry. If you’re a Norwegian, you can also rent cars on Nabobil (think airbnb for cars).

Off we go to the mountains!

Reinebringen

Distance: 5.6 km return
Elevation gain: 500 m
Difficulty: Hard! RIP quads.
Time taken: 2 hrs
Able to wild camp?: No. There is a “no camping” sign when you start the hike so don’t bother with an overnight pack.
Parking: There is a massive parking lot in Reine at the furthest point from the highway. Park there and walk to the starting point. There are plenty of signs that will guide you.

Probably the most iconic hike of Lofoten. I didn’t manage to hike it the first time I visited but they were constructing steps on this hike. I finally made it there Summer of 2021 and to be honest, I found this to be one of the more challenging hikes. It was probably how much elevation you gained in such a short time and it felt like stair master on steroids.

The trail is really easy to navigate as it is essentially a well-laid-out path without any real need for navigation. This is a heavily populated trail as it’s the easiest and most iconic to get to. Granted, the views are absolute class as the top, looking over Reine and the surrounding mountains. A definite must-do.

Ytresand

Distance: 4 km return
Elevation gain: 290 m
Time taken: 1.75 hrs
Able to wild camp?: Absolutely. We camped along the edge, probably not advisable in hindsight because you’re exposed to the elements (read: strong strong winds!) but you wake up to an amazing view.
Parking: There’s a small parking lot for probably about 10 cars. So either get there early or later in the day. Parking was free.

This place is my best-kept secret. Not too many people know of this hike and I would like to keep it that way!! I honestly found it by chance in 2017. I was wild camping by the beach… Someone nearby suggested we hike up the mountain and I obviously said yes! Up we went under the midnight sun and the sunset colours hitting the mountains in the background sold me that THIS was the best hike I’ve ever done. I’ve struggled to top the emotions I was feeling, though I’ve really tried!

It’s the first hike I ever did in Lofoten in 2017 and in 2021 I brought my boyfriend here and it’s still one of my favorite hikes. It’s not challenging, although it is primarily an incline, it is the views at the top that makes the hike worth it.

Offersøykammen

Distance: 3.1 km return
Elevation gain: 420 m
Time taken: 1.5 hrs
Able to wild camp?: Definitely! While we didn’t wild camp here, we saw plenty of good spots and even another couple setting up camp there for the night.
Parking: This parking spot is a bit of a tricky one. There’s a large layby you can park at near the foot of the hike and walk over. I wouldn’t advise parking at the trailhead of the hike, there’s only space for one vehicle.

This is probably one of the shorter hikes Lofoten has to offer but the views absolute class. For a short hike (±1.6 km one way), the elevation makes this hike a bit more challenging. In the beginning, it’s quite a nice uphill walk through the forest but as you progress uphill, the views open up and you start seeing off into the distance… and this is where the proper battle uphill begins. At some times, it feels a bit never ending.

There aren’t really any trail markings but the walking path is well defined and you can just follow that to the top. Essentially if you’re looking up at the mountain, that’s where you’ve got to go.

At the top, it plateaus out and over the hump of the mountain, you’ll see out into the sea on a clear day. You can see all the way to Mannen on the east side. Sit here and enjoy the views for a while. The views honestly blow my mind.

Mannen

Distance: 4 km return
Elevation gain: 330 m
Time taken: 1.75 hrs
Able to wild camp?: Not at the top. It’s a narrow path with not too much flat ground to pitch a tent on. You could probably attempt to sleep in a bivy but I would just suggest bringing your breakfast up there instead.
Parking: There is a large parking at Haukland, which you have to pay now. But it’s quite close to the trailhead.

This trail can get quite busy especially since it’s near a “camping beach” (you’re not allowed to camp here yet plenty of people do). So there’s plenty of people who explore the nearby trailheads. The best way to do this hike – or the way I did it at least – is to start in the morning before it starts getting too warm, enjoy breakfast at the top, hike back down before the crowds join and go for a refreshing swim at the beach!

If you’ve loved the views of the beaches surrounded by giants, wait until you’re on one of these giants and looking down! This part of Norway has kilometers after kilometers of sandy beaches along its coastline and from here, you can get a great birds eye view of it all!

Kvalvika & Ryten

Distance: 9 km return
Elevation gain: 960 m
Time taken: 4.5 hrs
Able to wild camp?: For sure! For the most part you can camp down by the beach or probably on the mountain top. I decided not to when I saw the elevation and thought better of it.
Parking: You’ve been warned to get here early! It’s a popular hike and when I was there, there was not too many parking spots available.

This hike absolutely kicked my arse! The distance isn’t too much of an issue for most but it’s the elevation gain. The initial part of the hike is not really inclined. Your first pit stop would be Kvalvika Beach – however, don’t make the mistake I did and go to sea level! The better idea is to first conquer the towering Ryten peak, which overlooks Kvalvika. The trail that we ended taking descended us to sea level then we were pretty much ascending straight up the mountain, which is pretty daunting. But pace yourself and enjoy the view. Take plenty of breaks.

It is a pretty classic view of Lofoten, towering mountains with white sandy beaches at its foot. After you’ve done the hard yards of conquering Ryten, you can head back down and treat yourself to a nice refreshing arctic swim at Kvalvika! Not many can claim they’ve swum in Arctic waters before.

Bunesstranda

Distance: 6 km return
Elevation gain: 285 m
Time taken: 2.5 hrs
Able to wild camp?: Yes yes yes! This trail is essentially made for you to wild camp on. Take the afternoon ferry over, and camp at the beach. You will be away from civilization and honestly, it’s such a nice feeling.
Parking: Same parking area as Reinebringen. The other side doesn’t have any motorized vehicles, neither can you take it on the ferry. Just pack light and only bring the necessities with you.

Getting to this beach is quite an adventure in itself. First, you have to check if the ferries are running and how frequently. Usually, during the peak summer period, the ferries run often. However, during my recent trip there in late August, the ferry was not running.

It’s a easy hike, especially by Lofoten standards! It takes you along the water before you head over a hill and you reach the beach down below. You can do this as either a day trip in between your bigger hikes or you can wild camp on the beach. Granted, you’re not near any stores or toilets so take with you what you would usually bring wild camping. As the sun does not set, you’ll see it skim over the horizon here before it picks back up. It’s quite a place to spend the night especially if you don’t want to bring your gear on a long hike up a mountain.

Are you or someone you know headed to Lofoten/Norway soon? Well then, pin it for later.

Woooowee, now that was some adventure. Lofoten is one of the most special places in my heart and I’m so happy to share this little list with you. I hope you get to see how magical this place is as well!

Are there any hikes that I’ve missed out on? Or somewhere I should hike with breathtaking scenery?! Please let me know down below, I’m always looking for suggestions.