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Lofoten by kayak and on foot
Photo: Svein-Magne Tunli, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sample trip

Lofoten by kayak and on foot

Eight days in the Lofoten Islands for a family with two children: a first paddle between the islets of Henningsvær, short hikes with big views, Viking longhouses and white Arctic beaches, all under the midnight sun.

8 days, 7 nightsFor a family of fourFishermen's cabinsSeafood and self-catering
HenningsværHenningsværBorgBorgHamnøyHamnøyBunes beachBunes beach
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Lofoten in early July is a gift for families: the sun does not set, so nobody has to rush back before dark, and a day that starts late can still end on a beach at ten in the evening. We split the week between two bases, both in traditional rorbuer, the red fishermen's cabins on stilts over the water: three nights in Henningsvær in the east, where the sheltered channels make a first kayak easy for children, and four nights at Hamnøy near Reine in the west, where the mountains rise straight out of the sea. Every hike here was picked for shorter legs: an hour or two of walking, a proper reward at the top or at the end. The cabins have kitchens, so dinners can be as simple as fresh fish from the harbour.

Into Henningsvær, the village on the water

Day1

Fly in, drive over the bridges and settle into a red cabin on the water.

Getting there

Fly to Svolvær (SVJ), usually via Oslo and Bodø.

  • Hire car from the airport
  • 30 minutes to Henningsvær, over the bridges and breakwaters that give it the nickname "the Venice of the North"

Where you're staying, 3 nights

Henningsvær Rorbuer: restored fishermen's cabins at the quiet end of the village, right at the water's edge and facing the Lofoten Wall.

  • Two-bedroom cabin, five beds, 42 m² over two floors
  • Kitchenette and a wood-burning stove
  • Seawater hot tub and wood-fired sauna for hire
  • Bikes and paddle boards at reception
Henningsvær, the red cabins on the water
Inside a cabin
A cabin bedroom
The harbour and the cabins

Photos: henningsvar-rorbuer.no

This evening

Walk out to the football pitch at the tip of the village, then wander the harbour. Dinner in the cabin, or at Fiskekrogen (Day 2).

A pitch cut from rock

Henningsvær's football pitch was made by levelling the bare bedrock at the tip of the island. Surrounded by sea on three sides, it is often called the most beautiful pitch in the world. Children are welcome to kick a ball there.

Flagship day

A first paddle between the islets

Day2

Day 2 · Tue 6 Jul. A guided sea-kayak tour on calm water, then fish soup on the harbour.

Morning, on the water

Kayak Lofoten: three unhurried hours in stable double kayaks between the islets, with a local guide born in Lofoten.

  • Children paddle in a double with an adult; no experience needed
  • Sea eagles most days, seals or otters on many
  • 10:00 tour, or the 21:30 midnight-sun tour for children old enough to stay up
  • Weather checked every morning: move the tour or get a full refund
A double kayak in clear water below the peaks
Paddling out through Henningsvær harbour
Kayaks pulled up on a rocky shore for a break
Out on the water with the group
Paddling under the midnight sun

Photos: kayaklofoten.com

The sun that stays

In central Lofoten the sun stays above the horizon from about 25 May to 18 July. Even at midnight the light is enough to read by.

Lunch and afternoon

A picnic from the village shop on the harbour rocks, then the galleries, the harbour, or the cabins' paddle boards.

Dinner

Fiskekrogen: on the harbour since 1989, still run by the founders' two sons, cooking fish landed by the boats around Henningsvær.

  • The fish soup and the mussels are what people come back for
  • Meat from farms on the next island, and always a vegetarian dish
  • Open daily 12:00 to 20:00, so an early family dinner suits it
  • Book ahead in July
A fish main and a glass of white
Dinner at a window table
Fried fish with potatoes and remoulade
Serving at Fiskekrogen

Photos: fiskekrogen.no

A short summit and the Vikings of Borg

Day3

A first family summit in the morning, a Viking longhouse in the afternoon.

Morning hike

Tjeldbergtind (367 m), just outside Svolvær: the classic first hike for families.

  • 20 to 30 minutes to a first viewpoint; younger children can stop there
  • The summit looks over Svolvær, Kabelvåg and the Vestfjord
  • Roots and rocks near the top: good shoes

Afternoon

Lofotr Viking Museum at Borg, 45 minutes west: the largest Viking longhouse ever found, rebuilt on the spot.

  • Staff in costume, crafts to try, a replica ship
  • Family ticket, two adults and up to three children: about NOK 620

West to Hamnøy, beach stop on the way

Day4

Two hours west on the E10, a white beach on the way, and a cabin facing the Reinefjord.

On the road

Haukland beach: white sand and turquoise water, with a flat walk along the old road to Uttakleiv beach.

  • Paddling in the shallows is fine; swimming is for the brave

Where you're staying, 4 nights

Eliassen Rorbuer, Hamnøy: the oldest fishermen's cabin resort in Lofoten, with the Reinefjord and its peaks straight across the water.

  • Waterfront two-bedroom cabins, 48 m², up to four people
  • Bunk beds for the children, kitchenette for family dinners

By boat to Bunes, the beach at the end of the fjord

Day5

A small ferry through the fjord, an hour's walk, and a whole afternoon on a beach closed in by cliffs.

The day

Bunes beach, via the ferry from Reine to Vindstad.

  • About 25 minutes by boat, then about an hour's walk over a low pass
  • Take a picnic and walk back for a later boat
  • The boat is small and busy in summer: book ahead in the Reis Nordland app

Å, stockfish and the best fish burger in Lofoten

Day6

The village at the end of the road, fish burgers on the water, and a staircase for the keenest.

Morning

Å, at the very end of the road: the fishing village museum and the stockfish museum.

  • Cod still dries on wooden racks here; children find them fascinating and smelly

Lunch

Anita's Sjømat on Sakrisøy, next to Hamnøy: a seafood bar and shop known for its handmade fish burgers.

  • Tables outside on the water
  • Open daily from late morning

Afternoon, optional

Reinebringen above Reine: a stone staircase of about 1,500 steps to the view over Reine.

  • Steep and busy: for confident walkers aged ten and up
  • Skip it in rain; a slow afternoon at the cabin is the alternative

A free day under the midnight sun

Day7

Kept free on purpose, for the weather.

The day

  • Clear: drive to Nusfjord, one of the best preserved fishing villages, or back to a favourite beach for the evening sun
  • Rain: the cabin, a board game and fish soup

Home

Day8

Getting home

  • Fly from Leknes (LKN), an hour from Hamnøy
  • Or the car ferry from Moskenes to Bodø if you are driving on

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