FAQ Category: Lofoten Islands

Visitors from all countries require a passport (valid for a minimum of three months following departure date) to enter Norway.

As of 2023, citizens of most Western countries outside of Europe including Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand do not need a travel visa to enter Norway. However, this is in the process of changing. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a planned electronic authorisation system of the European Union for visa-exempt visitors travelling to the European Union or the Schengen Area expected to start in May 2025, though this date has changed several times.

Although Norway is not part of the EU, it is part of the Schengen Area.

The visa will be/is available online and is expected to cost 7 Euros.

For more information including updates on when ETIAS will come into effect, please visit their website:

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/what-etias_en

While you are on your trek, all expenses will be handled by your guide except for souvenirs and alcohol.  In general, in Norway, tipping is not as common as in North America.  If you would like to tip your shuttle drivers, 50 to 100 NOK (Norwegian Kroners) would be a fair tip.

For tipping your guides, tipping is completely discretionary but always appreciated. Tips enable them to make a livable wage while providing an outstanding experience to others. The industry recommendation is a range between $200-$500 USD for a full week of guiding.

If you have two guides, typically they will split the tip evenly. Please ensure that you have cash in Norwegian Kronor (NOK) or USD for tipping guides.

This is not a race, in fact, the whole idea is to SLOW-THE-EFF-DOWN. Hiking in Lofoten is more about savouring the moments. It’s all about taking in the rugged beauty. Breathing in the cool, crisp air. And losing yourself in that endless Midnight Sun.

If you’re realllllyyyy concerned, check with Sam. She’ll tell you she’s always the turtle. And she likes to hang out at the back. We leave no soldier behind. We are a team, and it’s not a death march.

Norway as a country has a phenomenal healthcare system, and although these islands are remote, we aren’t going to be lost in the wilderness. The next town is always a short distance away. 

All participants are required to purchase mandatory Emergency Travel Health Insurance (minimum $200,000 of coverage), including coverage specific to hiking. While we hope that nothing untoward will come your way, shit can happen. The islands are tiny and the nearest clinic/hospital may be a bit of a drive away. 

Rest assured, if something major happens, your travel insurance will be there to help pick up the pieces. But it’s a wise idea to have a back-up plan should you have nothing left in the tank for the following day’ hike. 

We have you covered if you decide you need to leave the scheduled itinerary for some R & R. You should be able to remain at our hotel (inns/rorbuer) or, if we are changing accommodation, we may be able to transfer you to the next location (if a taxi is necessary this is at your own expense).

We will discuss insurance in more detail during our meeting.

The native language in Lofoten Islands is Norwegian, but almost everyone speaks excellent English. Some of our guides also speak German, French, and Spanish. (Sam speaks German and French with an abysmal attempt at Norwegian!)

Look, I won’t sugarcoat it. This is rugged territory, ladies! One look at Lofoten’s jagged mountains and you’ll want to let out your bestest Viking yawp. The word flat takes on a whole new meaning, and there is little to none of it. But these hikes are all “doable” for someone with an active degree of fitness, assuming your knees/ankles can tolerate steep inclines and rough descents. Expect a moderate degree of exposure along some of the ridges, and some scrambling. Please consult with your doctor if you have any concerns about your physicality.

Our adventure includes 7 days of shorter but often intense hiking. (We suggest a solid Netflix binge while stair-climbing well in advance of your G’WA.)
The better shape you’re in the more fun you’ll have!

If you have access to hiking trails in hilly or mountainous terrain, this is the ideal way to train. If not, we recommend using the Stairmaster machine (I wasn’t kidding) with rotating stairs or actually training on stairs. Nothing prepares you for a trip better than the activity itself!

Train at least 3 days a week. Start with short hikes or workouts (1 hour in length) with a light daypack. From week to week build the length and intensity of your hikes/workouts and gradually increase your pack weight until you’re comfortably able to hike 6-8 hours a day carrying the weight you’ll have on your trip. It’s best to begin your training regimen at least 12 weeks prior to your trip. Also be sure to use the boots you’ll have on your trip to break them in.

Dinners are superb, with mostly fish and seafood in Lofoten. Norway’s cuisine features various seafood and rustic elements of their Scandinavian heritage. If, for example, you are vegetarian you may request the omission of seafood. The guide will make sure guests’ food preferences are accounted for. The meals are often on a set menu, so guests should come expecting to be served a particular special each day. The ability to choose your meal off a menu depends on the restaurant we are eating at and can be organized beforehand.

TYPICAL MEALS:

Breakfast: Muesli. Warm oatmeal. Nuts. Jam. Bread. Cheese. Meats. Sometimes Fish. Limited veggies. Limited fruit. Sometimes an option for eggs. Coffee and tea.

Lunch: Norwegians eat Matpakke, which is a cold lunch made from breakfast supplies. Typically, guests make sandwiches with cheese, meat, peppers and cucumber. We will have a few days where guests experience traditional Norwegian Matpakke and a few days where guides will make custom lunches for the group. Wraps, picnic style, spreads, warm soup in thermoses, local specialties (reindeer sausage, dried fish, mackerel, Norwegian chocolate, etc.).

Dinner: Dinners will be 3-course warm and local meals. Guests can expect a lot of fish in Lofoten (famous for fish) and seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, etc… Sometimes guests will see whale on the menu, which can upset some people. We do not order this on a set menu unless guests request it. Most restaurants require groups to have a set menu without choice or limited choices. This is very common in smaller tourist destinations in Norway. Our team/guides try to limit this as much as possible, but is usually not fully avoidable on trips.

Norway has a simple mentality about breakfasts and lunches. As visitors to Norway, it’s important for us to understand the food we are eating is traditional Norwegian fare.

We will try to accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher (except strict kosher) and non-gluten diets and make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee. Please inquire with us for more information if you have specific needs.

Norway’s currency is “kroner”, abbreviated NOK. Norway is generally a cashless society. You can take out cash upon arrival, but all locations accept cards. Make sure your card is ready to use in Norway. Notify your bank. Check the bank card charges for international use. Gratuities are still done in cash (USD preferable if not using kroner).

Some shops do not accept foreign credit cards, although they happily take debit cards. Visa and MasterCard are the most commonly accepted credit cards, with far fewer accepting Amex or Diners. If in doubt, ask before shopping. Prices for items will have VAT or tax already included in the listed price.

Summer on the Lofoten Islands in Norway can bring a mixed bag of weather! But this only adds to its mystique and your overall experience. By now the rugged landscape has bloomed into a brilliant green (thanks to the abundant rain), with flowers covering fields and hillsides, and a sun that doesn’t set for nearly two months. While rain can persist into July, the weather tends to mellow out a bit. Even still, we could have periods of fog, rain and wind. Or, we could experience multiple days in a row with cloudless skies. In terms of warmth, the climate is temperate ranging in highs from 60°F (16°C ) to 52°F (11°C). When I was on the islands, the temperature peaked at 22°C!