Hike, kayak and explore Norway's Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle on this multi-adventure trip. Enjoy the rustic comfort of colorful traditional fishing huts in Svolvaer. Paddle, hike or take a fjord boat tour to the scenic "Troll Fjord," site of a historic battle over cod fishing rights. Travel to the small fishing village of Nusfjord and taste Baccalau, a traditional Viking stew. Spend a day at the Loftr Viking museum and if lucky, get a chance to row a replica of a traditional Viking ship. See rich and varied flora and fauna, including sea eagles, cormorants and puffins, as well as Alpine and Arctic plants. Ride in Zodiacs through the famous Malstrom current to some of the large bird colonies and then to the outside of the Lofoten Islands. This is a special trip that offers much variety as we explore one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Sample Itinerary

Please note: While the itinerary presented is an accurate depiction of what your trip will be like, it is only an example. Our trips are real adventures in the outdoors--not pre-packaged tours that happen on a schedule.

Day 1: Friday July 14 Welcome to the Lofoten Islands and Svolvaer, Norway! At 7:00pm we will meet at Svinoya Rorbuer. After introductions and a snack we will take a look at the maps and locate the various villages, museums and treks we will enjoy during our adventure together. Svinoya Rorbuer will be our home for the next three nights. These traditional fishermen huts were originally built to give early seafarers shelter from the storms. They have been renovated into lodging for modern day travelers. We are sure you will find them very comfortable.

Day 2: Saturday July 15 After a hearty Norwegian breakfast in our Rorbu, we will offer two activities: sea kayaking and hiking. For those who choose to go paddling, we will help you become familiar with the kayaks and equipment. For participants with little or no paddling experience, we'll cover the basics of safe and fun sea kayaking. We will start paddling among the many protected islands. Weather permitting we might paddle further out and over to the nearby community of Kabelvag. For those who opt for hiking, there are a number of great route options near town. Our staff will be eager to guide you of course. In the afternoons you will have time to walk through the center of Svolvaer. At the town square there is usually an open market where the local artists and native Saami sell reindeer skin, arts, crafts and other curios. Our dinners will be served at one of the many excellent restaurants downtown. If we still have enough energy after dinner we might walk down town and check out the Ice Bar.

Day 3: Sunday July 16 This morning you can once again choose to go kayaking or hiking. The Svolvaer community sits nestled among steep snow covered peaks right up against the ocean. Whether you see it by foot or from a kayak, the views are equally as spectacular! Weather permitting the kayakers may paddle from Kabelvag all the way back to our rorbus in Svolvaer. If the weather doesn't allow us to paddle or hike we will take a fjord boat tour to the famous Trollfjord where the historic battle over cod fishing rights took place in 1890. The fjord cuts deep into the mountains. Both hikers and paddlers will pay a visit to Storvagan where the famous Epsolin Art Gallery, Lofoten Museum and Aquarium are located. The Aquarium houses all the native species of fish, sharks and other sea creatures. Dinner tonight will be served at the world famous Borsen Restaurant right next to our cabins. This restaurant is well known for their excellent sea food dishes. This evening we'll walk down town and at the Lofoten Theme Gallery we will see a film called "Islands in the Sea". The film describes the Lofoten islands' culture and history from their creation up until today.

Day 4: Monday July 17 Today we will board a mini-bus and drive south to the community of Borg and the Lofotr Viking museum (1.5 hours). We can stop along the road any time and take in the spectacular scenery where the Mountains meet the Sea. At the site of the Lofotr Viking museum, archaeologists excavated the largest Viking Age house ever discovered. The farm of one of the mightiest North Norwegian chieftains was discovered during an inter-Scandinavian research project 1986-89. Today's museum is a full scale replica of the Viking settlement. This impressive 83 meter long "living museum" is designed to look like an up-side-down Viking ship. Here you'll see folks dressed in traditional clothing re-enacting the daily life of the Vikings. You can even experience what it was like to row a Viking ship. The ship in the harbor is a replica of the 1,000 year old Gokstad ship displayed in Oslo. We will also enjoy a traditional Viking lunch complete with a mug of mead.

Onwards to Nusfjord, one of the many small fishing villages in Lofoten. Here we will check into fishermen huts that are still used in the winter. Nusfjord is still flourishing due to the excellent winter cod fishing. Cod is the main staple in Arctic Norway and is one of Norway's greatest natural resources. The cod is caught in the mid-winter, gutted and hung to dry on large wooden drying racks along the coast. The cold, salty air dries out the cod (which at this point is referred to as "Stock fish"). It the Spring it is packed up and exported to Portugal, Nigeria and Japan. In order to make the fish edible all one has to do is put it in water to re-hydrate it. According to the experts the stock fish retains 97% of it's nutrients and minerals, and if cooked right, it is quite tasty! In the center of the Nusfjord we'll find the old historic Trading Post. Tonight we will stay in the traditional rorbus and enjoy dinner at the one and only local restaurant and pub. Baccalau, a traditional stew cooked with Stockfish, tomatoes and onions is the specialty!

Day 5: Tuesday July 18 After breakfast we will pack our day packs. Load the rest of the luggage in the van and then we hike off to Nesland village. The trail winds it way through a rolling landscape, below imposing mountains and along the open coastal waters of Vestfjord. The trail is well trod and the views are spectacular. We should be able to reach Nesland in 3-4 hours. The van will pick us up in Nesland and we continue our journey south. A visit to the Fishery museum and the iron smith in Sund is a must. Here we can enjoy both history and fine art at the same time. The Blacksmith is quite a character and we might see him in action creating his art at the forge. Our destination for tonight is the island community of Reine. At Reine Rorbus will once again check in to traditional cabins (three nights). Dinner will be served at Loftet Restaurant.

Day 6: Wednesday July 19 After breakfast we walk down to the harbor. The Reine community is surrounded by spectacular mountains with deep fjords. We will board a small tour boat and travel into the fjord. At the very end of the Bunesfjord arm there is a trail winding up to the mountain pass of Bunes. From the pass we can see and smell the open Norwegian Sea. The trail continues down to Bunes beach, this kilometer long white sandy beach is excellent for beach combing. Take off your shoes and let your feet run wild. Huge waves pound this shore during winter storms leaving all sorts of treasures. In 2000 we found the full skeleton of a Sperm Whale here. We will spend the greater part of the day on this remote and wild beach. But the day isn't over yet! If weather allows this might be the night that we dress in floatation suits, board the Zodiacs and venture out around the very southern tip of the Lofoten Islands. This will bring us within view of the most famous and potentially fiercest ocean current in the world - The Maelstrom. The current offshore can run up to 20 knots accompanied by standing waves and whirlpools large enough to swallow fishing boats. Don't worry, the captain has lots of experience and he won't take us out into the dangerous waters. Once around the cape we will be on the outer coast of Lofoten. Here we'll find remains of settlements dating back thousands of years. The gigantic coastal cave in Refsvika Bay contains cave paintings approximately 3,000 year old. This is truly a remarkable spot to visit - especially during the last rays of our Midnight sun. We will return to our cabins by 1 am.

Day 7: Thursday July 20 Today we have two alternative activities. For those interested in birds who don't mind many hours in the Zodiac rubber raft we will visit the bird cliffs of Vaerøy. This is truly an amazing area with thousands of puffins, kittiwakes, cormorants, sea eagles, and murres. The ocean conditions will dictate whether this trip is possible or not. For those who would rather stay on shore we will bike south to visit the community of A (5 km south of Reine). The letter A is one of the last letters in the Scandinavian alphabet, an appropriate name for the last and most southern community in the Lofoten Islands. A walk around town, a visit to the bakery and a tour of the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum make for a relaxing day in a beautiful setting. If you are eager to take another great hike we can also offer a three hour roundtrip to the end of the Agvattnet lake and back to A. Tonight will be our last night in the Reine rorbus. Dinner will be served by our staff. If the Midnight Sun ride mentioned earlier was not possible due to weather, this evening will be our second chance for this unforgettable experience.

Day 8: Friday July 21 This is our last morning together. We will help you get to the ferry which will take you across the Vestfjord to Bodo. Please don't make reservations to fly out of Bodo until after 3:30PM.

Travel, Terrain, Etc...

TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: Lofoten is a island group jutting out in the Norwegian Sea, north of the Arctic Circle. The terrain is rugged and rocky, with beaches on the water. There will be a variety of activities, route choices, both on the water and in the hills. Part of the trip will be a more traditional style of touring, with transportation on trains, boats, buses, and foot.

TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: For the land based portion of the trip, you'll travel around the islands by motor coach, visiting galleries and museums. Some days we will be offering sea kayaking where you will travel in tandem sea kayaks, which hold 2 people plus necessary gear. An average day's travel consists of 3-5 hours of paddling, depending on weather conditions. If the wind hinders us to paddle we will take a boat tour into some of the fjords instead.

WEATHER: Temperatures in the summer months average about 54 F. The climate is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. Rainfall can vary, but you should expect at least a day or two of rain.

LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: Throughout the trip we will stay at traditional fishermen cabins. Kayaking and trekking can be as casual or as challenging as you would like. We adhere to the Leave No Trace principals and though bathroom facilities consist of an outhouse or a foldable commode chair set up in a privacy tent, we make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.

GROUP SIZE: The group size ranges from 10 to 12 participants, plus Wilderness Inquiry and local staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities.

GROUP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can. Part of the adventure involves learning about daily activities and participating as much as you can and want.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary kayaking equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as quick drying outdoor clothing. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: Previous wilderness experience and/or paddling experience is not needed. Though not technically difficult, this trip can be physically challenging.

Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.

[ Dates & Fees ]      

The Lofoten Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Norway north of the arctic circle at the 67th and 68th latitudes. The largest islands are Austvagoy, Gimso, Vestvagoy, Moskenesoy, Vaeroy and Rost. About 25,000 people live on the islands.

The Lofoten Islands are covered by forests of pine and birch. The most common trees are the Arctic birch, the rowan and the wallow (all conifers were introduced at some point over the last few thousand years). During the summer, the landscape is exposed to much light and relatively cool temperatures, enabling the alpine plants to flourish all the way down to the coast.

There are deer, bear, reindeer, lynx and beaver living on Lofoten. The first humans came to the Lofoten islands about 6000 years ago, making a living by fishing for Cod. In Norway, fisheries have always been important to the local economy. Important species include haddock, red-fish, herring, tusk, ling, plaice, halibut and squid. Seals and orcas are regularly observed offshore Lofoten.

Due to the warm Gulf Stream, Lofoten has a much milder climate than other parts of the world at the same latitude, such as Alaska and Greenland. July and August are the warmest months with an average temperature of 54F. All the islands of Lofoten are surrounded by strong tidal currents.

Lofoten has very interesting geological features. Metamorphic rock, formed approximately three billion years ago, are some of the oldest rocks on the earth. However, the mountains of Lofoten, were not formed until the last Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. When the ice withdrew, rigid edges and peaks were left behind.

Lofoten has an abundant selection of birds--many species migrate past Lofoten every spring and autumn. Sea bird species found in this region include razorbill, guillemot, cormorant, kittiwake and the characteristic puffin, just to mention a few. The area also has one of the world's largest populations of sea eagles or the white tailed eagle. The farthest islands of Vaeroy and Rost are renowned for their bird colonies. Hundreds of thousands of puffins and other sea birds can be seen and heard here.

You will enjoy the unique natural and cultural history of this amazing place!
Source: Lofoten Tourist Info guide.

 

For more information, visit these links:

VisitNorway.com - Lofoten Islands

Lofoten Info

[ Dates & Fees ]

WI leads trips to this destination but currently has no dates scheduled.  If you have a group of people interested, we can set up a customized adventure just for you! Please contact us if you are interested in a group trip to this destination.

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