The Lofoten Islands are a dream destination for adventurous travelers. A rugged chain of Arctic Islands with dramatic mountains coming out of the sea, Lofoten leaves every visitor in complete awe.
But while these Norwegian Islands are not too difficult to get to, it does take some effort and it’s not exactly cheap. In this article we will discuss how to get to the Lofoten Islands in Norway.
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Where are the Lofoten Islands?
The Lofoten Islands are in northern Norway, about one degree north of the Arctic Circle. The islands stick out into the Norwegian Sea, separating them from the mountainous Norwegian mainland.
Lofoten consists of five islands that start in the tiny village of Hanoy and run to the village of A (yeah that’s the name, just the letter A).
The five islands, listed north to south, are Austvagoy, Gimnoy, Vestvagoya, Flakstadoya, and Moskenes. The island of Moskenes actually continues well past A, but you’ll need to do a pretty epic backcountry, off-trail hike to get there. So chances are you won’t be going past the end of the road in A.
The islands are connected by tunnels and bridges along the E10 highway, which also connects them to mainland Norway and runs all the way to Lulea, Sweden.
The connection to the mainland is a rather new phenomenon though. Had you visited in the early 2000s, you would have had to take a ferry. While much of Norway requires taking your car on a ferry, visiting Lofoten requires no ferry crossings! Unless you come from Bodo, that is. More on that later.
How to get to the Lofoten Islands
Now let’s go over how to get to the Lofoten Islands in Norway. There are quite a few different ways and we will explain them all here.
Getting to the Lofoten Islands by plane
By far the most common way to get to the Lofoten Islands is to fly to one of the airports in the region. For a remote Arctic destination, Lofoten actually has quite a few airports that are convenient to it.
Once you’ve made it to one of the airports you’ll need to rent a car or a campervan. All the airports have adequate car rentals and campervan rentals are very popular too.
For booking rental cars we use Rentalcars.com. You can search for a rental car from Harstad/Narvik Airport or one of the other regional airports using the search bar below.
Harstad/Narvik Airport
One of the most convenient ways to get to the Lofoten Islands is to take the 90-minute flight to the Harstad/Narvik airport (EVE) from Oslo. The airport is actually in the tiny town of Evenes, about halfway between Harstad and Narvik. Harstad and Narvik are two relatively large towns, with populations between 20,000 and 30,000 each.
The airport is not on the Lofoten Islands, but it’s about a 2 hour drive to the start of Lofoten, depending on how fast you’re going. It’s a very convenient option for a Lofoten Islands road trip.
It’s a tiny airport, but it has all the big rental car companies and prices are not too bad. You can get a week-long rental for about $50/day USD.
There are numerous flights daily between Oslo and Harstad/Narvik on SAS and Norwegian, as well as seasonal flights to Bergen and regional flights to other northern Norwegian destinations, like Tromso. Basically, you’ll be flying to EVE from Oslo. With SAS having connections around the world, it’s easy to book a flight to EVE from anywhere you might be coming from.
Bodo Airport
The quickest way to get to the most famous part of the Lofoten Islands is to fly to Bodo and take the ferry to Moskenes. If you time the ferry correctly, it will save you a few minutes over driving from Harstad/Narvik. Bodo is home to some 55,000 people and located just north of the Arctic Circle on the Norwegian mainland.
There are a few more flight options to Bodo compared to Harstad/Narvik. There are, of course, multiple daily flights to Oslo. But Bodo also offers flights to Tromso and Trondheim, and even seasonal flights to Helsinki.
Ferry from Bodo
From Bodo you have to take a 4-hour ferry to Moskenes at the southern tip of the Lofoten Islands. Well, you don’t have to. But driving around would take ages and completely nullify the advantage of flying to Bodo. The ferry runs eight times daily in summer (June to August) and less frequently in the off-season.
Pre-booking the ferry is not required, but is suggested if you’re visiting in summer. They hold 60% of the vehicle spaces on board for first come first served and it can get pretty busy in the summer. You might have to wait for the next ferry or two. Outside of summer, it’s only first come first served, but shouldn’t be a problem
The ferry costs about $90 USD per vehicle and doesn’t charge extra per person, though there is a $20 booking fee to reserve ahead of time. Note that the ferry crossing can be quite bumpy in unfavorable weather.
To book the ferry from Bodo to Moskenes click here.
If you don’t have a car you can also take the passenger ferry from Bodo to Svolvaer. It takes about 3.5 hours and should be booked in advance.
Tromso Airport
If you’re up for a scenic drive and have a few extra hours to spare, booking a flight to Tromso might be for you. Tromso is a beautiful and happening city well north of the Lofoten Islands.
Home to over 70,000 people, it’s the largest city above the Arctic Circle that isn’t a depressing oil town in Russia. It’s a solid 5 hour drive from Tromso to the beginning of the Lofoten Islands, but it’s a stunning one.
Tromso is better connected to the rest of the world, with daily flights to Frankfurt, Helsinki, Gdańsk, Düsseldorf, and Zurich, among the usual flights to Oslo and other Norwegian destinations. There are also seasonal flights to London, Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Munich. So depending on where you live or where you’re coming from, it might be quicker just to fly direct to Tromso and avoid the layover in Oslo.
Svolvaer Airport
If you don’t want to mess around with long drives or ferries, you always have the option to fly direct to the Lofoten Islands. The largest town on the islands is Svolvaer, home to a whopping 5,000 people, and it has a small regional airport.
The regional Norwegian airline Widerøe flies daily routes from Oslo to Svolvaer from June to mid-November. It also flies regular routes from Bodo. In fact, Widerøe flies all over Arctic Norway from little airport to little airport. For a country with barely 5 million people, it’s pretty amazing how many airports Norway has!
In order to do this option, however, you’ll have to be in Oslo, or change airlines in Oslo. That will involve getting your bags and checking into a different airline. Flights on Widerøe are also pretty expensive, even twice as much as flying SAS or Norwegian. I only recommend exploring this option if you’ll be in Oslo already.
Leknes Airport
Similar to flying to Svolvaer, you can also fly to Leknes, the second biggest town in the Lofoten Islands. It’s the same situation, with flights on Widerøe to Oslo and some other regional airports.
Kiruna Airport
If you’re already checking out winter in Stockholm, flying into Kiruna, Sweden might be your best bet. It’s about the same distance to Lofoten as Tromso, but better if you’re coming from or transferring through Sweden (especially if you’re planning to visit Sweden as part of your Scandinavian adventure).
Getting to the Lofoten Islands by car
By now you probably realize how far Lofoten is from the rest of civilization. But don’t fret, Scandinavia has an incredible road network. So if flying isn’t your thing, you can always drive to the Lofoten Islands!
If you’re gonna drive, you’ll need to make a serious road trip out of it though. From Oslo it will take you about 20 hours to get to Lofoten with no stops. Yes that’s right: 20 hours! In case you haven’t heard, Norway is huge!
From Copenhagen, add on another four hours. Helsinki is the quickest at about 17 hours, thanks to faster and flatter roads. Anywhere outside of Scandinavia? I think you get the point.
But even with the epic drives, many Europeans make the journey to Lofoten every year. And by Europeans I mean Germans. It’s pretty incredible just how many German cars and vans you will see in Lofoten. Germans simply love Arctic Norway. And who can blame them? It’s absolutely beautiful!
Stops along the way to Lofoten
All of Norway is gorgeous, and stopping anywhere will fill your needs for beautiful views. If you come through Sweden or Finland, however, it’s a bit of a different story. Driving across the Arctic is still beautiful, but away from the Norwegian coast it’s pretty flat and unappealing.
The most notable stop might be the city of Trondheim, Norway. The third most populated city in Norway, Trondheim deserves a night or two if you’re driving to Lofoten.
Getting to the Lofoten Islands by boat
Are you a cruise person? And you want to visit the Lofoten Islands? Well you’re in luck because there are cruises that go to the Lofoten Islands! You won’t get to see much of the islands, but if you’re just looking to get a quick fix, a cruise is a viable option for getting to Lofoten.
Most cruises leave from Oslo or somewhere in England and spend only one day docked in Lofoten, usually in Svolvaer or Reine. It’s not the best way to experience Lofoten, but if you’re looking to see a lot of Arctic Norway at once, or to go reindeer sledding with native Samis, it’s a great option.
If a cruise is something you want to consider, you have a few options. The most common cruise is the Hurtigruten from Oslo. This is the Norwegian-operated option and takes you all up and down the coast, seeing the best that Norway has to offer.
If you want to leave from England, checkout this option of Princess Cruises.
Trains and Public Transportation
While there are no trains directly to the Lofoten Islands, it is possible to take an epic train journey to Narvik from Oslo. It will take about 24 hours but you’ll get there.
From Narvik there is a bus that runs all along the E10 highway to the end of the Lofoten Islands. It’s quite amazing that there even is a bus up here, but there is. It runs quite often and has stops all along the E10 through Lofoten.
Public transportation is nice, but we strongly advise you to have your own car when visiting Lofoten. It really will make that much of a difference.
Convinced to visit the Lofoten Islands now? Be sure to check out my top travel tips for visiting the Lofoten Islands. Be sure to also stop at all the most Instagrammable places in the Lofoten Islands for amazing photos!
What is the best way to get to the Lofoten Islands?
So with all that info we have just discussed, what is the best way to get to the Lofoten Islands? The best way is by far to fly to Harstad/Narvik or Bodo. Flights are plentiful enough that you won’t have layovers that are too long.
We had 4 hours in Copenhagen and 4 hours in Oslo on the way to Harstad/Narvik from Washington DC. It was a long journey, but totally worth it for the beauty of the Lofoten Islands.
Driving the length of Norway can be incredible if you have the luxury of time. If not, take the flight from Oslo.
Final Word
Getting to the Lofoten Islands is not as difficult as you’d think for a remote Arctic destination. In this article we have gone over how to get there by plane, car, boat, and public transportation. However you get there you are bound to be amazed by the sheer beauty of Lofoten. It’s truly one of the most magical places on earth!
