Things to do in Lofoten: You can do all all kinds of activities and adventures, and Lofoten is definitely an all year destination: Hiking, kayaking, climbing, fishing, skiing, surfing, diving, golfing, mountain biking, horse riding, yoga, etc. There are so many possibilities!
We strongly recommend to use local, Norwegian guides and Norwegian activity companies that really know Lofoten. They will help you get the most out of your visit, and can find good alternatives when the weather requires it. Avoid the foreign activity companies that come and go. By using local experts you support the Lofoten community, and you will get the most out of your trip.
It’s of course also completely possible to instead do very little, and just relax: Enjoy the spectacular nature, enjoy being away from the everyday life, and just .. be. Lofoten is perfect for that too. You can easily be alone for hours or days.
When is the best time to visit Lofoten?
That depends! What do you want to experience? The winter with northern lights? The summer with midnight sun? Autumn storms? Skiing? Kayaking? Surfing? The famous winter cod fishing?
There is no “best time” to visit Lofoten, because there is so much to see and do, and Lofoten has something to offer everyone, all year. You will probably want to come back anyway. The Lofoten weather is unpredictable, and you can’t know what it will be like weeks or months in advance.
There is a 150+ page binder with lots of information in the house, including activities and things to see and do. It’s both a guide to the house and our own Lofoten guidebook. You can download it here: Lillevik house book (PDF).
We have made an all-year Lofoten packing list for all the clothes you may need. If you forget something, there are several good stores in both Svolvær and Leknes. There are also some great tips here: What to pack for a winter trip to Lofoten.
There is some great information on 68° North: When to visit Lofoten and seasons in Lofoten. See also: Guide To Lofoten’s Best time to visit Lofoten.
How to get the best experiences and stay safe
Plan ahead and find out what the activity requires from you, don’t “just go”. There are too many tourists needing help just because they don’t know what they are doing. There are no barriers or warning signs in Norwegian nature: You are responsible for yourself.
Read and understand The Lofoten Code of Conduct and The Norwegian mountain code (“Fjellvettreglene”).
Check the weather forecast on yr.no (the app is great too) and be prepared. Know when not to go. Check with locals if you are not sure. Read up in a guidebook or online. Lillevik has a nice library of guidebooks.
Other tips:
- Just to repeat: We strongly recommend to use local, Norwegian guides and Norwegian activity companies that really know Lofoten. They will help you get the most out of your visit, and can find good alternatives when the weather requires it. Avoid the foreign activity companies that come and go. By using local experts you support the Lofoten community, and you will get the most out of your trip.
- Some people are surprised by how “hard” Lofoten hikes are. They are not harder than typical Norwegian hikes. Most of the hikes are steep, but not very long. A few of the most popular ones have stone stairs, but most hikes are just trails made by sheep and humans. Very few are maintained in any way, and there are few signs.
- When planning a hike: The vertical difference is more important than the distance. The estimated time for a hike is for someone in normal/good shape, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be faster.
If you need rescuing it will be by local volunteers, and they may not have time to do it right away, and they will not take risks to save you. On average two people die in the Lofoten mountains every year – also on popular hikes like Reinebringen – see this NRK article.
Activities at Gimsøy
- Hiking: Hoven and Storknubben both have fantastic 360° views (0 km/8 km)
- Beaches: Vinje beach (Vinjestranda) is the longest, near the grocery store and café at Vinje (6 km). See Gimsøy’s beaches in winter.
- Fishing and boat rental: Hovsund, 1 km (and many other places at Gimsøy)
- Café and restaurant: Gimsøy landhandel‘s café and Hov gård‘s Låven restaurant (6 km/1 km)
- Golf: Lofoten links golf course (2 km)
- Horse riding: Hov gård (1 km)
- Sauna by the Hov beach at Hov gård (1 km)
- We have some tips for nice runs in the Lillevik house book (PDF).
All year activities
The websites below have great information about what to do, all year. You can create your own Lofoten experience, and there are also local companies that can tailor your vacation to your preferences.
- lofoten.info: The official tourist information for Lofoten
- Visit Norway: Lofoten: Norway’s national tourism site’s info for Lofoten.
- 68North: Outdoors and hiking, including beaches: Excellent hiking info, plus much more, including photo tours.
- XXLofoten: All kinds of activities, including Trollfjord cruises, sea eagle safaris, fishing trips, RIB trips, kayaking, bicycle rental, etc.
- Norwegian Adventure Company. The “Arctic Haute Route”, coastal cruises, etc.
- Hiking Lofoten: Even more hiking info.
- We have a lot more tips in the Lillevik house book (PDF).
The best “all round” guidebook for a full overview is Lofoten Guide by Bjørn Brænd. Explore Lofoten by Kristin Fosland Olsen is the best book for hiking and activities.
Summer activities in Lofoten
- Midnight sun: From May 24 to July 18, but it’s of course very long days (and long sunsets and sunrises) both before and after these dates.
- lofoten.info: Summer in Lofoten (see also: Spring and Fall)
- Golf: Lofoten Links: the 18 hole golf course is just 2 km from Lillevik
- Surfing: Unstad Arctic Surf and Lofoten Surfsenter
- Visit Norway: Activities
- Lofoten.com: Adventures
- Book recommendation: Explore Lofoten (Norwegian edition: Lofoten: 60 flotte turer i verdens vakreste øyrike), by Kristin Folsland Olsen
Winter activities in Lofoten
- Northern lights (aurora borealis): From September 21 to March 21 it is dark after 18 (6pm), and good conditions for northern lights. It is most often seen around 22-23 at night (10-11pm), but may appear any time it’s dark. See Northern lights at Lillevik Lofoten.
- Polar night: From December 9 until January 4 the sun does not rise above the horizon. Still: This period often has fantastic light, and although days are short, it is not dark all the time. Here’s some webcam photos from January 5 2025 as an example.
- lofoten.info: Winter in Lofoten (see also: Spring and Fall)
Skiing
Lillevik a good base for ski touring, even if is not close to the most typical ski mountains. You’ll need to drive a bit anyway, and a scenic 30-60 (or 90) minute scenic drive is just a nice start.
Hiring a local Lofoten certified ski guide is strongly recommended. The conditions in Lofoten are not the same as the Alps, Canada, etc. and the coastal climate means that the weather changes quickly. Avoid the foreign activity companies that come and go – they are more likely to mis-judge the conditions and take unnecessary risks. By using local experts you support the Lofoten community, and you will get the most out of your trip. Here are some local companies with IFMGA certified guides:
- Northern Alpine Guides, Kabelvåg
- Lofoten ski lodge, Kabelvåg
- Nordnorsk Klatreskole, Henningsvær
- I Fri Natur, Henningsvær
The best ski touring book is Lofoten: Skiing In The Magic Islands by Jonas Dahlstrup and Thorbjørn Enevold. The book is also sold at Klatrekaféen in Henningsvær. See also: Visit Lofoten’s ski touring info.
Use Varsom.no (and the app) for avalanche information, conditions, avalanche maps, etc: Ski touring in Norway: Important information.
Yr has snow depths in Nordland.
Northern lights
The Northern lights (aurora borealis) can be seen in Lofoten from September until April. If you are in Lofoten, there is no need to go anywhere else to see northern lights.
There are northern lights almost every night, and the challenge is always the weather. At Lillevik there is no light pollution, and no high mountains that “capture” clouds, so you have the best possibilities of seeing the lights.
See Northern lights at Lillevik Lofoten for more details.
Some good info northern lights info:
