{"id":30104,"date":"2018-10-12T01:00:28","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T14:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=30104"},"modified":"2025-03-25T01:47:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T14:47:42","slug":"travel-to-lofoten-islands-norway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/travel-to-lofoten-islands-norway\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Lofoten Islands are Europe’s most beautiful adventure travel destination"},"content":{"rendered":"

I first heard about the Lofoten Islands at an event hosted by Nat Geo Traveller and Intrepid Travel. When two of the four experts on the panel chose Lofoten as their favourite\u00a0place on Earth to go exploring, I had to see it for myself!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed.<\/p>\n

In case you’re wondering how to pronounce\u00a0Lofoten,\u00a0because the locals helped us get it right over a few drinks at probably the most remote pub I\u2019ve ever been to,\u00a0it has\u00a0a strong F\u00a0and a long O\u00a0so\u00a0sounds like this: Loff-ooten.<\/p>\n

\"travel<\/p>\n

Lofoten is an archipelago of islands jutting out into\u00a0the Norwegian Sea, which is directly above the North Sea, 1000km\u00a0north of Oslo, connected to mainland Norway<\/a> <\/strong>by a thin sliver of land. To put it into perspective, the islands are further north than Iceland<\/a> <\/strong>and on a level with Greenland, and Murmansk in Russia, so in the Arctic Circle and within Northern Lights territory! For me this was one of the biggest attractions about the trip as I\u2019d never seen them before.<\/p>\n

VISIT LOFOTEN ON INTREPID’S NEW NORTHERN NORWAY EXPLORER TRIP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

As it transpired, Lofoten has the Northern Lights and so much more. Fishing villages perched on impossibly rocky outcrops, snowy mountains reflected in serene lakes, hidden beaches revealing beautiful sunsets, it really was unlike anywhere I\u2019d ever visited. Around every corner another sweeping vista, more breathtaking than the last, would reach out and grab your attention; the scenery was simply jaw-dropping. Sunlight glinted\u00a0off the snow and sea and bathed everything in an ethereal haze.<\/p>\n

\"travel

A beautiful hidden beach<\/p><\/div>\n

On my way to Lofoten from Oslo what struck me first was the stark\u00a0surroundings. Flying over the barren landscape it felt like I was heading north of the Wall in Game of Thrones (who doesn’t want to be Jon Snow?) and into the unknown. Snow and ice dominates the land; great fissures and chasms interspersed with plunging fjords and frozen rivers. If I had journeyed into space and looked down on the world, this would have been the breathtaking view. And I wasn\u2019t even there yet.<\/p>\n

SEE MORE: 15 PHOTOS SO BEAUTIFUL THEY’LL PUT NORWAY ON YOUR BUCKET LIST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

It was April which meant it was cold, around -2\u00b0C! This warms up to\u00a0around 10\u00b0C in the summer. My friend\u2019s luggage had been delayed in transit so it was a good job he wore his walking boots on the plane. Essential clothing for visiting Lofoten, in the winter at least, consists of: sturdy walking boots, thick socks, gloves, base layers, waterproof jacket (and trousers if walking), woolly hats, scarves and sunglasses.<\/p>\n

\"travel

Skiing!<\/p><\/div>\n

For someone who loves trying new things, the Lofoten Islands are an explorer\u2019s dream. We sea-kayaked around Henningsvaer, known as the \u2018Venice of the North\u2019 for its series of interlinking islands. One moment the sea was perfectly calm, then suddenly a weather front rolled in, making for a bumpy ride which was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time (though perfectly safe with our guide nearby). This is a great way to see orcas, humpback and sperm whales all year round.<\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL TIPS, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In the summer, Lofoten becomes the land of the midnight sun and there are plenty of opportunities to kayak late at night, plus you can also go snorkelling or scuba diving too.<\/p>\n

\"travelAnother nautical activity we tried was fishing, which allows you to see\u00a0the mountains and\u00a0villages from another perspective entirely. Norway has the world’s largest stock of cod and as we were given our catch to cook ourselves at the end of the morning this meant we dined on delicious variations of cod for the rest of the week \u2013 another tip on ways to save money given dining out is pretty expensive in Scandinavia\u00a0\u2013 go fishing early on in your trip!<\/p>\n

READ MORE: WHY TO CONSIDER SOLO TRAVEL IN SCANDINAVIA (AND WHAT IT’S LIKE)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

As fishing is a way of life in Lofoten the coastline is packed with traditional fisherman\u2019s huts called rorbuer. These red seaside cabins are built out into the water on stilts allowing easy access to the fishing boats below. Next to these huts the fishermen hang row upon row of cod, either the bodies, or the heads, to air-dry to the consistency of bark, which is then mainly exported to Nigeria, our local guide, Sven, told us. The smell of a thousand fish heads drying in the morning sun is certainly a unique experience!\u00a0 And one which defines coming to Lofoten.<\/p>\n

\"travel

Fishing!<\/p><\/div>\n

The rest of the trip involved walking through snow-filled passes, climbing up hills for stunning views out along the coast, trying cross-country skiing for the first time, playing shuffleboard with the locals (which is a brilliant game if you\u2019ve never tried it!), watching beautiful sunsets over the mountains and of course, chasing the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n

SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS WITH INTREPID TRAVEL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Every night we\u2019d head out into the darkness with a hip flask for warmth, searching out the blackest part of the islands to give us the best chance of seeing them. The sense of expectation and excitement was the highlight of the trip, never knowing where to look, or what you were going to find.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the sky would begin shimmering, shifting, murmuring an array of greens and blues. It\u2019s a truly astonishing sight; magical and mystical and otherworldly.<\/p>\n

\"travelThe Vikings believed the lights were reflections of the Valkryries\u2019 armour as they led Odin\u2019s warriors to Valhalla, and even now, hundreds of years on, they still have the ability to amaze, and make you feel lucky to be alive.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t recommend visiting Lofoten highly enough. Be prepared to discover the most stunning scenery, have the best adventures and try exciting new activities \u2013 it\u2019ll open your eyes and blow you away!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m already planning a trip back to try some arctic surfing under the midnight sun\u2026<\/p>\n

Ready to embark on the most beautiful adventure ever? Venture to Northern Norway on this 9-day trip.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

(Northern Lights image c\/o Intrepid Travel. All other images c\/o Guy Fowles.)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I can\u2019t recommend visiting Lofoten highly enough. Be prepared to discover the most stunning scenery, have the best adventures and try exciting new activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16133,"featured_media":30106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455],"tags":[46,390,1143],"class_list":["post-30104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-europe","tag-new-trips","tag-norway","ipf_region-norway"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy You Should Travel To Norway's Lofoten Islands | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I can\u2019t recommend visiting Lofoten highly enough. 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