Topographic map of LofotenWhat makes the Lofoten Islands unique is the combination of landscapes and terrains that are not usually found together. Over 80% of the archipelago consists of a mountain range with its jagged peaks.

The remainder is made up of small plateau areas in the centre and to the north and a narrow coastal strip where most of the population lives. In a single day you can begin hiking on a wide golden-sand beach looking out to the Norwegian Sea then cross mountain pastures inhabited by a few half-wild sheep before finally arriving at steep peaks still partially covered with snow even though it’s mid-August!

This permanent contrast never fails to surprise hikers and leaves no room for monotony. It is often said that the Lofoten Islands are like the Alps with their feet in the sea.

A range of peaks in Moskenesoya in early springThe Lofoten Islands, like the rest of Norway, are made up of terrain that is extremely wild and untamed. But this is also what makes them so attractive. But hiking in such terrain is not without its difficulties! In the north of Norway there are few hikers and therefore few paths which is why most hikes are “off track” on rough scree. The thick covering of vegetation conceals the unevenness of the land. Here more than anywhere you should not judge the difficulty of hikes in terms of steep slopes or distance, but in terms of the nature of the terrain which is comparable to high mountain areas.


To ensure that your trip remains pleasant for you and anybody travelling with you, you must not only be in good physical condition but also have experience hiking in mountains over rough terrain. You will be the first to benefit once there.


If you decide not to use a guide you must also have good orienteering skills. The lack of waymarkers, and more often than not actual paths, together with the limited hiking maps (see Bibliography) usually mean you have to plan your own way through the heaths and mountains. Nor should you rely on the help of any hikers you may meet to show you the way because even though Norwegians may be friendly, helpful people, as soon as you stray from the few tourist spots on the islands you will probably not meet another living soul.

panoramic view over beach and mountains in FlakstadoyaIn addition to a map, a handheld GPS or compass may prove useful, particularly in foggy conditions .
As well as the difficult terrain the climate can sometimes be harsh and changeable. It is not unusual for the temperature to drop from 15° to 5° in August and, combined with the rain and wind, making progress can be difficult.

Search the site ...

Connection

In order to access certain services available on our site, (participation in forums, access to hiking sheets) you must register.

Our tips

Where to sleep, eat, drink and more in the Lofoten Islands

As we are not a tourist office, we will only publish recommandations for places we think are hikers and backpackers friendly and that we have tested AND appreciated. This section will get more stuff as we go along.

Latest news

 Visitor statistics

161,424 users, 24,000 subscribers and over 1,500,000 pages viewed in 2018!

To find out more about all the Rando-Lofoten visitor statistics with accurate data from Google Analytics, click here

 Increasingly accurate maps!

The Day Walks section has been improved thanks to the work of Frank Ingermann and the fantastic vector map background of Norgeskart.no (Norwegian Mapping Authority - Karverket). Hiking-Lofoten offers hiking guides that are getting ever more accurate and professional. Come and find out about them!

norgeskart-

 

Download the official Lofoten Islands maps

Lofoten Islands maps, scale 1:50 000 (UMT33)  download them for free on hiking-lofoten!Maps from the Norwegian National Institute of Cartography (Kartverket) are available in high definition (Tiff) on a set of ten maps.  Essential to prepare your hikes in the Lofoten Islands...

Lofoten maps

Northern lights forecast

Discover aurora forecast for Lofoten islands, thanks to NOAA POES satelitte from the "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration"

GPS routes

  • The GPS hiking routes are finally available as free downloads from the Hikes section!
  • Discover eight new routes in the Lofoten Islands with detailed Topos from Rando-Lofoten.

Day Length in the Lofoten

The Lofoten archipelago is located above the Arctic Circle, the result of this situation is a period of permanent days in summer and at the opposite a period of permanent night in winter (polar night).

To organize properly your trips and expedition in this region, it is important to take this phenomenon into account due to the high latitude. Discover our sunset/sunrise calendar

Copyright

Any representation whether total or partial of this site or content (general structure, texts, sound, logos, images whether animated or otherwise), by any method whatsoever, without the authors express prior approval is prohibited and constitutes infringement sanctioned by the Intellectual Property Code. The GPX tracks that can be downloaded on this website, bellong to hiking-lofoten and is for a private use only (not for commercial use). In order to reproduce the tracks in any form or on any medium (paper, digital, website, etc.), we ask you to mention the following (under or on the map): GPX track © hiking-lofoten.net