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Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles

Price NOK:
19 550,-
Days: 8
7 x accommodation incl. breakfast, self-packed lunch and refill thermos.
3 x 3-course dinner day 3, 6 and 7.
Bicycle ferry Ballstad - Nusfjord day 6.
Tour description.
Digital maps (bikemap.net).
Luggage transfer (1 item).
Book trip

Lofoten is breathtaking. Towering mountains, draped in emerald-green grass plunge into serene fjords that reflects the shifting hues of the sky. Quaint fishing villages nestle by the water`s edge, and white sand beaches glow against the stark arctic landscape, a surreal contrast.  Lofoten’ s culture is woven into its maritime soul, with fish drying racks and red fishermen`s cabins dotting the shores.

A cycling vacation in Lofoten is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where you connect to the dramatic landscape that changes with the light. With the Midnight Sun from June to mid-July, and the Northern Lights visible from late August this place will amaze you in any season. Along the way you can stop to savor local delicacies, and traditional dishes from Lofoten. Explore old churches, museums that provide insights into Lofoten` s history and culture, or go fishing, hiking, or kayaking.

This unforgettable bike ride starts in Svolvær, where you will be greeted by boats resting on the calm water of the harbor, surrounded by majestic mountains rising straight from the sea.

As you pedal onwards, Lofoten’ s wild beauty unfolds before you. On this self-guided tour, you are free to take breaks, detours and stop for a break or take photos anywhere you would like. The charming fishing village Henningsvær, nestled on a cluster of islets with a backdrop of rugged mountains, is a must-see place. The cultural gem Nusfjord offers a glimpse into Norway`s maritime heritage amidst a stunning natural setting.
The route leads you through lush meadows, where sheep graze in the green grass and rivers wind through the scenery. You`ll pass by small farms and courtyards that provide a glimpse into the everyday life of the locals in this rugged environment. Enjoy the fresh sea breeze as you cycle past small fishing huts and pristine white beaches that seem lost in time. The tour ends in beautiful Reine, surrounded by pointy peaks, fjords, and the traditional fishermen`s cabins.

This is a self-guided adventure, cycling point to point with a digital map and a guidebook. Luggage transfer is included. You will be cycling 20 – 50 km a day and need a minimum of level of fitness for this vacation. Bikes are not included, but we can arrange bike rental.

Please note that Lofoten is a very popular place for a short while during the summer months, with few hotels. Some traffic must be expected, and varied accommodation is offered.

Part of the tour follows the Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten.

Lofoten is labelled as a sustainable destination with commitments to a more sustainable development of the environment, their unique culture, the local community, and last but not least - your well-being. 

Ben Leedham did the Lofoten bike tour with his family in August 2022. Check out the video he made!

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Program

  • This is a self-guided tour. This means going on your own and decide your own speed. You can take a break, a shortcut or a detour whenever you want. The tour includes luggage transfer.

    TOUR DATES 2024: Starts every Friday from 7 - 28 June and 26 July to 30 August (23 august on request for minimum 4 people).

    NUMBER OF DAYS: 8, Friday - Friday

    DISTANCE: 158 km + detours, and daytrips on day 2, 5 and 7.

    LEVEL: Moderate. People who are in generally good condition, and have previous cycling experience.

    In bad weather with rain and/or wind, the trips become more strenuous.
    For safety reasons, we recommend that at least two people ride together.

  • Day 1, Friday: Individual arrival in Svolvær, Lofoten

    How to travel to Svolvær (not included)
    - Flight to Svolvær airport and bus/taxi to Svolvær
    - Flight to Harstad/Narvik Evenes airport and bus to Svolvær
    - Flight to Bodø airport and boat from Bodø to Svolvær
      Hurtigruten/ Havila (Coastal Express) from Bodø to Svolvær
      Express boat from Bodø to Svolvær

    Accommodation at Thon Hotel Lofoten (superior room)

  • Day 2, Saturday: Discover the northern part of Lofoten

    Some suggestions:
    - Make a boat trip from Svolvær to see the famous Troll Fjord, do some fishing and spot Sea eagles.
    - Visit the fishing village Kabelvåg and the Lofoten Cathedral.
    - Bike trip to the picturesque Fishing Village, Henningsvær (48 km round trip).
    - Visit the museums in Storvågan (not September).
    - Hike one of the peaks close to Svolvær.
    - Bike the northern part of Austvågøy (97 km round trip)
    Accommodation at Thon Hotel Lofoten (superior room)

  • Day 3, Sunday: Bike Svolvær - Hov / Gimsøya, 40 km

    Easy day trip with some traffic. A tunel just before the exit to Henningsvær.
    Possible detours along the way:
    - Henningsvær (Picturesque Fishing Village) - 18 km
    - Brenna (Bike along the fjord/ocean front) - 23 km

    Accommodation in lodges at Lofoten Links

    This is the only night you stay at the west coast, so you might see the midnight sun. It is a nice midnight sun activity to hike the top of Hoven (362 m), with a wonderful view of the area you have been cycling today. From here you can also see the islands of Vesterålen.

  • Day 4, Monday: Bike Hov - Leknes, 53 km

    Longer day trip in relatively flat terrain.
    Possible detours along the way:
    - Stamsund and Steine (Fishing Villages) - 14 km
    - Sennesvika and Ramsvika (Great views) - 12 km

    Accommodation at Scandic Leknes Lofoten (basic hotel)

  • Day 5, Tuesday: Discover the central- and seaward side of Lofoten

    Some suggestions:
    - Bike to Uttakleiv the most photographed beach in Lofoten. With the horizon open to the west and north, Uttakleiv is a good location to see the Midnight sun (27 km round trip).
    - Bike to Unstad beach, Lofoten’s most popular surfing destinations (42 km round trip).
    - Visit the Lofoten Viking Museum in Borg featuring a copy of the largest Viking-era house ever found (28 km round trip).
    - Bike to Eggum and visit the rocky coastline past the village (50 km round trip).

    Accommodation at Scandic Leknes Lofoten (basic hotel)

  • Day 6, Wednesday: From Leknes to Reine

    - Bike Leknes - Kremmervika, 12 km / about 1 hour.
    - Bicycle ferry from Kremmervika, departure at 10:00 or 12:00 (earlyest bookings will be on the first departure, as the boat has limited capacity). We recommend spending some time in Nusfjord. This is one of the oldest and best-preserved fishing villages in Lofoten, located in scenic surroundings encircled by steep mountains.
    - Bike Nusfjord - Reine, 41 km. You bike most of the distance on E10, with some traffic. There are a few tunnels, but you can bike on the old road outside the tunnels.

    Accommodation at Reine Rorbuer (Rorbu Cabins, not a private bathroom)

  • Day 7, Thursday: Discover the southern part of Lofoten

    Some suggestions:
    - Make a day trip to the small village of Å, at the end of the road E10 (20 km round trip).
    - Take a fjord cruise in Kjerkfjorden, walking over to the wonderful beach, Bunesstranda. It is also possible to hike the summit of Helvetestinden (the mountain of Hell), (513 m).
    - You can also join adventures like sea rafting, sea fishing or kayak trips in Reine.

    Accommodation at Reine Rorbuer (Rorbu Cabins, not a private bathroom)

  • Day 8, Friday: Breakfast and departure

    How to travel from Reine (not included):
    - Bus from Reine to Moskenes. Ferry from Moskenes to Bodø.
    - Bus to Leknes or Svolvær and flight from Leknes airport or Svolvær airport.

  • Reine - Accommodation in Rorbu Cabins (Fishermen's Cabins)

    In Reine, you stay in a Rorbu Cabins. Please be aware that you most likely have to share the cabin (bathroom, living room etc.) with others, who have booked the same trip with Discover Norway. When you stay overnight in Rorbu Cabins you get your own sleeping room in accordance to your booking (some with bunk beds). Each Rorbu Cabin contains 2 bedrooms, one bathroom, and a living room. Lofoten is a very attractive holiday destination during the summer season, and accommodation is limited. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer one fisherman's cabin for each booking.

    History
    It all started in the 1100, as King Øystein Magnusson built so-called rorbu cabins and a church for the fishermen of Vågan. This tells us that even a thousand years ago, the Lofoten Fishery was of considerable importance, and that the Rorbu cabins were a well-established form of accommodation. The cabins were very crowded, and often two or three men would sleep head to feet in the same bed. Up until the mid-1850's, candles were the only lighting in use, together with the flames from the open fire.

    The «finer» cabins had a window in the form of a hole in the wall with a skin made from the stomach of a halibut stretched across it. Stoves and glass window panes did not appear until the late 1800's. In 1896, as many as 2671 Rorbu Cabins were registered in Lofoten.
    Now, most of the fishermen stay on board their boats. What were once lodgings for the fishermen during the seasonal cod-rush have now have become overnight accommodations for tourists. In many of the cabins, however, the interior fittings from the turn of the century have still been preserved.

    Standard
    The Rorbu Cabins are an important part of Lofoten's cultural heritage. It has been important to preserve the environments in their original simple style and to have certain guidelines in terms of refurbishment both indoors and outdoors.
    The challenge is to satisfy tourists' increasing demands on standards while maintaining the Rorbu Cabins as they once were.
    The cabins are all different. With different sizes and levels of refurbishment. The cabins now have modern facilities, but the old surfaces are well kept, with holes for tools in the walls, and simple worn floorboards. Where there are two floors, you can expect to find something that looks more like a ladder than a staircase to get upstairs.

Departures and prices

Tour dates 2024: Starts every Friday from 7 to 28 June and 26 July - 30 August (23 August on request)
Number of days: 8

Number of participants: 
Minimum 2 people to complete the tour. A maximum of 16 spots on each departure.

Price 2024: 
Per person in double room: NOK 19 550.-
Single room supplement: NOK 8 850.-

NB! Book early discount before 1 June: NOK 250.- per adult.

Included in package:
7 x accommodation incl. breakfast, self-packed lunch and refill thermos 
3 x 3-course dinner (day 3, 6 and 7)
Bicycle ferry Ballstad - Nusfjord (day 6)
Tour description
Digital maps (bikemap.net)
Luggage transfers (1 item)

Extra:
Topographic road map. NOK 330.-

Not included:
Travel and cancellation insurance
Dinner day 1, 2, 3 and 4
Alcoholic drinks, soda drinks and snacks
Transport to and from Lofoten

Bike rental 2024:
Touring/trekking bike incl. double pannier, 7 days: NOK 3 000.- 
E-bike incl. double pannier, 7 days: NOK 4 200.-

All bikes will come with a bottle holder, front/back lights, bell, pump, spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, small toolkit, high-vis jacket and helmet.

You pick up the bike in Svolvær and return it in Reine.

NB! The deadline for booking this trip is 6 weeks before departure.

You can combine this tour with first cycling the Arctic Coast from Tromsø to Svolvær.

See more self-guided bicycle tours in Norway on www.discover-norway.no/bike

Bike Rentals

Hybrid bike:
White SC Lite FF 20

 

E-bike:
White SC-E Comp FF 20



 

Panniers:

Map

Book your trip

outBoundDestinationSpots leftFrom price
7/6Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 7 - 14 June 2024More than 819 550,-Book
14/6Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 14 - 21 June 2024More than 819 550,-Book
21/6Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 21 - 28 June 2024More than 819 550,-Book
28/6Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 28 June - 5 July 2024More than 819 550,-Book
26/7Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 26 July - 2 August 2024More than 819 550,-Book
2/8Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 2 - 9 August 2024More than 819 550,-Book
9/8Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 9 - 16 August 2024More than 819 550,-Book
16/8Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 16 - 23 August 2024More than 819 550,-Book
30/8Bike the Amazing Lofoten Isles 30 August - 6 September 2024819 550,-Book