9 Must-Have Tips for Visiting the Faroe Islands

Cliff-top lakes, jagged moss-speckled sea stacks, sheep grazing on the side of the roads. 

Welcome to the Faroe Islands.

While the Faroe Islands sound far away, the archipelago can be easily reached from western Europe. During the high season, plenty of flights connect the islands to Europe. And once you’ve arrived, impeccable road, tunnel and ferry systems are ready to whisk you from remote fjords to windy coastlines.

This post will highlight what you should consider before crafting the perfect Faroe Islands itinerary. We’ll cover the best season for your visit, whether or not you need to rent a car and which destinations are really worth your time (plus the surprising one we think you can skip). 

What’s Included:

• Where Are the Faroe Islands Located?
• How Do I Get to the Faroe Islands?
• What is There to Do in the Faroe Islands?
• When Should I Visit the Faroe Islands?
• How Much Time Should I Spend in the Faroe Islands?
• What’s the Best Way to Get Around the Faroe Islands?
• Where Should I Stay in the Faroe Islands?
• What Should I Pack for a Trip to the Faroe Islands?
• What Highlights Can I Look Forward to in the Faroe Islands?

Where Are the Faroe Islands Located?

The Faroe Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean roughly between Iceland and Scotland. Eighteen inhabited islands make up the archipelago. While the islands are self-governed, they’re legally part of Denmark. For the visitor, this means that Danish Kroner are legal tender (don’t worry – credit cards are accepted pretty much everywhere) and that there are many flights connecting the Faroe Islands with Copenhagen. 

Essential Information
Time Zone: GMT+1 during summer, GMT during winter
Currency: Faroe Islands Kroner & Danish Kroner
Language: Faroese, but most people will speak some English or Danish
Capital City: Tórshavn

How Do I Get to the Faroe Islands?

Atlantic Airways, SAS and Widerøe all fly to the Faroe Islands from Copenhagen and Edinburgh. There are also seasonal flights to southern European cities (mostly holiday destinations for locals). All flights arrive at Vágar Airport, which is about a forty minute drive from Tórshavn.

If you’re feeling adventurous, and have the time, you can also arrive by ferry. The Norröna Ferry runs between Denmark and Iceland, with a layover in the Faroes. It will take you about three days to reach the Faroe Islands from Denmark. From the Faroe Islands to Iceland, it’s about fifteen hours. Taking the ferry is the only way you can bring a personal car into the Faroe Islands (which is useful if you live in Europe and are looking to save money on car rental).

What is There to Do in the Faroe Islands?

While you can craft an itinerary to the Faroe Islands to meet most interests, most of the islands’ best sites require a good hike. The Faroe Islands has plenty to offer the avid hiker, from easy strolls around gorgeous lakes to steep climbs up the area’s tallest “mountain”. The Faroe Islands’ tourism board publishes a hiking guide, which offers details on popular hikes.

If you’d prefer a gentler outdoor experience, you’ll love driving around the Faroe Islands with frequent stops to admire the scenery (and waterfalls! So many waterfalls). Most towns have boards that highlight local points of interest and local hiking routes. These are usually located near the church or central parking lot. We enjoyed stopping to learn about the towns and taking photos of local attractions.

During your trip you’ll also have plenty of opportunities to go on arranged tours, like a guided hike to the Kalsoy Lighthouse or a boat trip to the bird cliffs outside of Vestmanna. While these can get pricey, they’re a fun way to diversify your itinerary.

When Should I Visit the Faroe Islands?

The Faroe Islands has an extremely limited tourism season that runs from roughly mid-April to mid-September. Within this time frame, June and July see the most visitors, but the in-demand locations will fill up from late May. There’s not really a shoulder season to speak of.

Even if you want to avoid crowds, it’s not worth visiting the Faroe Islands outside of the tourist season. Outside of May-August, you’ll need to be prepared for restaurant closures in smaller towns and limited hours for key attractions. Services, including restaurants, tend to close down when tourists aren’t around, and the weather becomes extremely unpredictable and too dark for many outdoor activities. Visiting in late May and June offers the best chance for good weather – you don’t want to come all this way only for high winds and low visibility to cancel your plans!

How Much Time Should I Spend in the Faroe Islands?

How much time you spend on your trip to the Faroe Islands depends on several factors. Do you want to do all the hikes? When are you visiting? Do you plan to visit islands that can only be reached by ferry? Or do you just want to treat this as a road trip?

For a road trip that involves a mix of hiking, sight-seeing and island hopping, we recommend about five days. This will give you enough time to see all the highlights, plus go on a few of the easier hikes, like the route around lake Sorvagsvatn.

If you plan to do all of the hikes (and if you’re an avid hiker, you should), plan on at least a week, or up to two weeks if you want to do multi-day treks. More time also allows you to better cope with weather disruptions. When a fog rolls in, it can thwart all but the easiest hiking plans.

What’s the Best Way to Get Around the Faroe Islands?

The Faroe Islands is an amazing road trip destination. While it doesn’t have the grandeur of a road trip in Namibia, the region’s amazing roads, incredible tunnel system and relatively small size make it a thoroughly enjoyable place to drive. 

You can rent a car at the airport. Since the Faroe Islands are relatively small, the free map available at your rental agency will help you navigate most areas (apart from the roundabouts in Tórshavn).

Driving is relatively straightforward if you’re used to driving on the right-hand side of the road. We recap all the details in our post on driving in the Faroe Islands. Essentially: look out for sheep and watch for other cars when driving on one-lane roads (you’ll need to pull into a lay-by).

Public transport is another option. While it will limit where you can reach, the systems seem to run quite efficiently (we did not use buses during our trip, but we saw them as we were driving around). Bus timetables are paired with ferry arrivals on islands that can only be reached by boat, like Suðuroy and Kalsoy. 

Where Should I Stay in the Faroe Islands?

We recommend staying in multiple locations, giving each island one to two nights. While the archipelago isn’t large and is extremely well-connected, it still takes a couple of hours to go from north to south. When driving, you’ll probably take plenty of photo breaks, making even a quick trip quite lengthy.

If you’d really prefer to have a single base, stay in Tórshavn. It has the best transport connections between buses, ferries and tunnels. It also has plenty of accommodation to choose from.

Hotels are sparse outside of Tórshavn, but there is a robust Airbnb economy if you want to stay locally around the islands. Check out our itinerary for our recommendations on where to base yourself each day.

What Should I Pack for a Trip to the Faroe Islands?

It’s cliched but true: you should pack plenty of layers for your trip to the Faroe Islands. We delve deep into the specifics in our Faroe Islands packing guide.

Among your layers, make sure you have a windproof and rainproof shell. Water resistant pants are also useful.

What Highlights Can I Look Forward to in the Faroe Islands?

Every bend in the road seems to present a new jaw-dropping landscape in the Faroe Islands. That being said, we think these five experiences are unmissable for every visitor.

• Visit Gásadalur. The Faroe Islands have plenty of waterfalls, so when we say that this waterfall is worth a detour – or a hike – we mean it. The waterfall cascades straight into the ocean with a small town perched on the rocks above. If you’re curious about hiking from Bøur to the waterfall, check out our post on the best hikes in the Faroe Islands.

• Explore Saksun. Saksun is a small village tucked deep into a fjord. To reach it, you’ll drive along one of the most scenic routes in all of the Faroe Islands. Tall cliffs slope down inwards to the town, and there’s a tidal pool that’s the result of multiple waterfalls collecting into the same place.
  
  Despite the beauty, visiting Saksun can seem off-putting if you focus on the tensions that have been brewing in previous years between residents and tourists. If you’re smart and respect peoples’ property, the tensions are overblown. It’s a gorgeous spot and there is no angle that will fail to impress.

• Wander Tórshavn’s old town. As the capital of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn’s old town is home to its parliament, which is one of the oldest continuously meeting parliaments in the world. It’s also extremely picturesque.
  
  Some of the cutest cottages have become restaurants, which are definitely worth booking during your stay. We loved Katrina Christiansen, which is located in the building where William Heinesen, one of the Faroes’ most illustrious authors, used to live. If you’re willing to spend on an unforgettable meal, then look into Ræst, which serves fermented foods in the old house of Venceslaus Hammersahib, who invented the written version of Faroese.

• Hike around Sørvágsvatn. If you’ve seen that photo of a lake teetering above a cliff, then you know Sørvágsvatn. This gorgeous lake is located a few kilometers from the airport, near the towns of Miðvágur. It’s an easy out and back hike, though you’ll need to climb a relatively sleep incline if you want to see the optical illusion that makes the lake look like it’s perched above a cliff. The only caveat? It’s one of the priciest hikes in the Faroe Islands. Budget at least 200 DKK per adult.

• Tour the Vestmanna Bird Cliffs. If you want to see the grandeur of the Faroe Islands’ sea cliffs up close, then book a tour of the Vestmanna Bird Cliffs. During high mating season, the cliffs will be replete with birds of all sorts, but their numbers impress throughout the tourist season. Do be aware that the trips can be bumpy and rainy. Pack a poncho, consider a waterproof cover for your camera and take seasickness pills if it’s a windy day.