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The Lofoten Islands are a stunning series of islands on an archipelago in Northern Norway that are becoming wildly popular for travel. The islands are a haven for hikers, adventurerers, Norther Lights seekers, photographers and more! This spor was on my bucket list for years, and I finally made the trip last winter!
Given their remote location, reaching the Lofoten Islands can be a bit of an adventure, but it’s so worth it! You can find my full Lofoten Islands Travel Guide here, but in this article I’ll cover the specifics on how to get to this stunning location!
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
How to Get to the Loften Islands
Lofoten is far north in Norway, and generally requires a flight from most other major cities in Norway. Most flights will take you through Oslo, Norway’s capital city. Oslo is near the southernmost point of Norway, and driving to Lofoten would take 20 hours, so you’ll need to fly north from Lofoten!
If you’re flying through Oslo and need to stay overnight there’s a really convenient Radisson Red hotel a 5 minute walk from the airport, so it’s super easy. I landed in Oslo late and had an early flight to Lofoten, so this was the perfect option! Check prices here.
There are three different airports you can fly to to get to Lofoten, and a fourth you can fly to then take a ferry to Lofoten:
Leknes Lufthavn (LVN) or Svolvær Lufthavn (SVJ)
If you can I highly recommend flying into Leknes or Svolvær, these two airports are smaller, so they tend to have less flights and can be more expensive, but they are by far the most convenient. Leknes and Svolvær are two of the main towns of Lofoten, so this will save you a lot of travel from landing to whichever part of Lofoten you choose to stay in!
Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes (EVE)
Harstard/Narvik is where I flew into, it had way more flight options than Leknes or Svolvær, but it’s a FAR drive from Harstad to the most popular towns in Lofoten, particularly in the winter. I was staying in Leknes and the drive is meant to be 3 hours and 45 minutes, it probably took closer to 5 hours in the winter. If you opt to stay in Svolvær it’s about an hour shorter.
There are rental car options in the airport arrivlals terminal. I use Discover Cars to compare prices across different rental car companies before booking. Check avaiability here.
Bodø Airport (BOO)
Another option is to fly to Bodø and then take the car ferry to Moskenes (one of the farthest southern towns of the Lofoten Islands) The ferry is about 3-4 hours long, so this is a longer option, and is more convenient if you’re going to be spending time in Bodø and then want to get to Lofoten.
Details on the ferry schedule can be found here!
Lofoten Islands Map
Getting Around the Lofoten Islands
Lofoten is a fairly spread out, remote area, and in my opinion, you basically need a car to experience all Lofoten has to offer. All 4 airports noted above have rental car companies located there to conveniently pick up a car when you land!
Some tips for driving in Norway:
- headlights must always be on, it’s the law
- speeding fines are some of the highest in Europe and there are speed traps everywhere
- the legal limit for drinking and driving is .02% – this is super low and even one drink at dinner can put you over the limit
- use of phones while driving is also subject to high fines
- gas stations are really sparse on the stretch between Harstad until you get deep into the Lofoten islands, make sure you fill up before you leave Lofoten or before you leave Harstad. I almost ran out of gas on my way back from Leknes –> Lofoten
Planning a Lofoten Adventure?
Need help planning the rest of your Lofoten trip? I got you covered with tons of Lofoten guides and reccs below!
