We spent 3 weeks in northern Norway this past June and it was absolutely amazing. We stayed in the Lofoten island, Senja and Tromso, we did several hikes along the way. Here are the 5 best hikes in my opinion.
5. Reinebringen in Reine, Norway (Lofoten Islands) 3.75 miles with 2,124 ft up in elevation took us about 3 hours round trip. This hike is usually close to # 1 on people’s lists to hike when they visit the Lofoten Islands and for good reason. its relatively short, easy to navigate and views on a clear day are amazing. However this is at the bottom of my list because of the crowds. I am not a huge fan of crowds and when a hike feels more like Disney World rather than nature it loses its allure for me. That being said it’s a lot of bang for the buck and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. We started this hike a little late around 9am and the parking was already so full, we had to park in town and walk a fair distance to the trailhead. The trail is fantastically designed now with the sherpa stairs leading all the way to the top. These stairs were finished in 2021 making this trail way less muddy but adding to the crowdedness. This trail is not for the faint of heart, you go up a significant amount in a short distance so you need to be prepared. When the sherpa stairs end you reach a plateau with views overlooking the town and the surrounding jagged and dramatic peaks. Most people end their hike at this plateau given that the rest of the trail is very narrow and cliffy. If you choose to go on to the official summit be prepared like I said it is very cliffy but the views are definitely worth it. It was a very cloudy/foggy day when we did this hike so when we made it to the plateau there were no views :(. However all was not lost, we did continue on the narrow path to the top and ended up above the clouds, and were able to get some views of the tips of the surrounding peaks.
4 Ryten Fredvang, Norway (Lofoten Islands) This hike is pretty epic and is usually on most people’s list of hikes to do when visiting the area and I agree. There is an option of hiking to the bay along with the peak, on a sunny clear day and ample time I would highly recommend, side note you are allowed to camp on the beach so that’s an option if you have your camping gear and don’t mind hiking it in. We chose to hike to the peak only making the trip 4.25 miles and 1,700ft up in elevation gain which took us just under 3 hours. The trail has two parking lots, we parked at second parking lot which was on this family’s farm, they do charge 10 dollars but there was ample parking and a nice wood plank path leading to trail. This trail is also very steep and if it has just rained be prepared for a lot of mud. It is a pretty long/steep approach to the peak but once you get up there the views are unbelievable overlooking Kvalvika bay with views of jagged peaks coming straight out of the ocean in the background. As you can see in my pictures below its was a cloudy/rainy day, don’t let a little rain and clouds stop you from doing this hike it’s totally worth it.
3. Volandstiden Ramberg, Norway (Lofoten Islands) 3.25 miles 1,600 ft of elevation gain, took us just under 3 hours. Free parking at the trailhead. You probably won’t find this hike on any list but oh should it be. This short but steep hike offers up stunning views of the Bay at Ramberg and the fantastic bridge connecting the area to the nearby islands. Also, since it’s more of a lesser known trail you will probably have the summit all to yourselves! Even on a cloudy day we managed to get some pretty spectacular views! Take a look below.
2. Festvatgtind Henningsvaer, Norway (Lofoten Islands) 1.7 miles and 1,700 ft of elevation gain and took us almost 3 hours. Paid parking just across the street about a quarter of a mile down from the trailhead. This hike was absolutely spectacular and a must do if visiting Lofoten Islands. It’s an incredibly steep climb to the top but the views are immensely rewarding. You have a stunning view of Henningsvaer and the surrounding mountains in the distance. If it’s a clear day like it was for us you can see for what seems like miles. The ocean waters along with the snow capped jagged peaks rising straight from the sea along with bluebird skies almost seemed like a dream. After soaking in the view be very careful going down hiking poles and good hiking shoes are two things I would recommend.
- Husfjellet- Senja, Norway 6.82 miles 2,410 ft of elevation gain took us 4 hours. The Grand finale, this hike was absolutely breathtaking and the only hike on the list not in the Lofoten Islands. Senja is a very remote part of Northern Norway, we spent 4 days there and I wished we would have spent double that. the Husfjellet hike is a challenging and long hike for Norway standards. We chose to make it a loop hike adding on 2 miles of hiking along the road back to the car park, but the alltrails linked is an out and back. The loop trail was pretty amazing and if you have the time and energy I highly recommend. This trail starts going straight up and does not let up till you reach the summit and once you are there you are rewarded with amazing views in all directions.
