Hiking the Faroe Islands is probably the main reason many people travel here. It’s famous for its dramatic landscapes, snow-capped peaks, optical-illusion lakes and beautiful coastal paths. Whether you’re here for a long weekend or two weeks, there’s always time for some fish air and a quick hike.
After 8 days exploring, here’s my pick of the 8 best Faroe Islands hikes that range from easy to difficult – although most would be in the easy to moderate range.
Travel Tip: You may want to invest in a good pair of hiking water shoes because it does get very wet in the Faroe islands, be it from the rain or the rivers.
8 Best Faroe Islands Hikes
Gjogv Cliff Hike, Eysturoy
The Gjogv Village and Cliff hike was probably one of the easiest hikes in The Faroe Islands. Located in the postcard-perfect village of Gjogv, the train starts at a small coffee shops and winds its way up the cliff hugging the coastline. It’s a mud / grass path to start with, with a chest-high fence protecting you from the sheer cliff and ocean below.
For the steepest part, they’ve installed a set of beautiful wooden steps and to access this part you are expected to pay a 50 krone conservation fee, operated on a trust system.
Once the wooden steps end, it’s back to a mud and grass path as it winds to the left and reaches up to the highest point. Once at the top, follow the arrow signs that bring you on a path back down the mountain and back into the village.
Be sure to wear hiking boots of possible as while it’s an easy hike the grass is long and wt and there’s nothing worse than having wet feet for the rest of the day!
TIME: 1 hour round trip.
COST: 50 krone
Kallur Lighthouse Hike, Kalsoy
Of all the Faroe Islands hikes we did, the Kallur Lighthouse hike on the island of Kalsoy was probably my favourite. The views from the lighthouse were nothing short of magical and I almost felt I needed to pinch myself to make sure the views I were seeing were real.
You can read my guide to Kalsoy Island here, which includes how to get there by ferry and other cute places to visit on the island. Essentially the easiest way to do this hike is to take your car on the ferry across from Klaksvik then drive the island’s only road to Trollanes where the lighthouse hike starts from.
You follow the path through a cute wooden gate and then simply follow the path to the lighthouse. It’s a pretty easy hike but the land is quite marshy and your feet can get quite wet.
It only took us 45 minutes rot hike up from the car park at a fairly fast pace – so maybe it would take an hour at a more leisurely pace. We stayed up at the cliffs near the lighthouse for over an hour taking photos as there are lots of unique angles as you walk over the two ridges that reach out away from the lighthouse.
TIME: 2 hours roundtrip for hike
COST: 160 krone for car & driver, 40pp for extra passengers on the ferry
Tjornuvik to Saksun Hike, Streymoy
The village of Tjornuvik is one of the most strikingly beautiful, yet remote, villages in the Faroe Islands. Driving down the narrow, coastal road that leads into the village is a mesmerizing if not slightly terrifying experience.
Whether you plan to stay at an Airbnb in the village or just plan a day trip here, the Tjornuvik to Saksun hike is an incredible one – if you get lucky with the weather. If you don’t and there’s thick cloud and rain hovering over the peaks at the top, your dream of getting a bird’s eye view of pretty Saksun will fast diminish.
If the weather is clear, however, it’s a steep but very rewarding hike. You start the hike by following the signs in the town, to the right of the cascading waterfall. Lower down there are small red tinted stakes directing you where to go, leading you through a small gate as you leave the town and get higher up the mountain.
One higher up there are cairns to direct you where to go. It takes about an hour to reach the top, half an hour to work your way across the ridge (if it’s clear!) and then you can work your way down into the famous village of Saksun, an “Instagram hotspot” here in the Faroes.
Then hike takes about 3 hours roundtrip, but is VERY weather dependent as if you get to the top and it’s think fog / cloud cover, it’s easy to get lost and little chance to get to Saksun- so you’ll probably end up just descending the mountain again.
The views of Tjornuvik and the harbour are still pretty even if you only walk halfway up the mountain behind the village.
TIME: 3+ hours roundtrip
COST: Free
Fossa Waterfall, Streymoy
Fossa Waterfall is the largest waterfall in the Faroe Islands, and is impressive when viewed from above, below and across the Fjord that divides Streymoy Island from xx island. It’s a fun 45 minute hike to the top (which is actually the middle section of the entire waterfall) where you can take some cool shots looking down at the first section or looking up at the top section.
The route up isn’t too well marked, but there is a sign at the bottom with the rough route mapped out showing you were to go up. The ground here is very muddy and very slippy so take care when hiking to the top. Should take less than an hour o go up and maybe 30 minutes to come back down. There is apparently a way to go to the VERY top but we couldn’t figure it out!
TIME: 2 hours roundtrip
COST: Free
Slættaratindur Mountain Hike, Eysturoy
The highest mountain in the country had to be added to this list of best hikes in The Faroe Islands. While Slættaratindur is the highest mountain in The Faroes, it’s actually not that high and is easy enough to climb.
There’s a large parking area at the base of the mountain, on the winding road that links the villages of Gjogv and Eidi on the island of Eysturoy. You can park your car here to start the hike, which takes two to three hours to complete – again depending on weather!
The path is very well-marked, and the trek starts by clambering your way over a half-broken wooden stile. The first 40 minutes is quite steep, as you hike straight up on a muddy grass path. Once you cross the half way point, the hike gets a little less strenuous and easier on the poor knees.
The weather can be REALLY unpredictable up here, as it was sunny when we started and was snowing by thew time we got half way up the mountain. And this was at the end of May!
You can expect to see light snow on the ground at the top and spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding mountains – should you be lucky enough to summit on a rare, sunny day. They only get 840 hours of sunshine a year, so don’t get your hopes up too much!!
TIME: 2-3 hours roundtrip (depending on weather!)
COST: Free
Lake Sørvágsvatn Hike, Vagar
Lake Sørvágsvatn is one of the most famous places to visit in the Faroe Islands and it’s easy to see why. Known as the “optical-illusion lake”, it’s a lake situated at the edge of a sheer-drop cliff next to the wild Atlantic Ocean. The cliff also wraps around allowing you spectacular views of the cliffs and the lake and the ocean, all at the same time.
You can either start at the road and follow the lake all the way to the ocean, for an easy 45 minutes hike or you can park in the designated parking spot and follow the path across the mountain, which should also take about 45 minutes to get there.
You’ll probably want at least 30 minutes once there to take endless photos of this very unique landscape. The farmer who owns the land set the (outrageous) price of this hike, demanding 200 krone from passing hikers. Apparently there are ways around this…but maybe it’s best to just pay the fee and keep the locals happy. Right..?!
TIME: 2 hours roundtrip for hike (including 30 minutes for photography!)
COST: 200 krone per person
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Klaksvik Town Hike, Bordoy
While staying in Klaksvik town to do our Kalsoy day trip, we noticed that the mountain that forms the backdrop to the town also happened to be a killer sunset spot – with viewpoints taking in 3 of the nearby islands. You can actually drive most of the way up the mountain, parking where the road ends.
From here, it’s only a 45 minute point to the peak where you can set up your camera and tripod and either do a time-lapse or play the waiting game until sunset – which these days (May) is as late as 11pm! This is a short and easy hike, but it was freezing cold (and snowing!) at the top so be sure to wear multiple layers and consider bringing a flask of tea.
TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes roundtrip
COST: Free
Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur, Streymoy
We didn’t do this hike as we only found out about it after driving to the historic town of Kirkjubøur – home to the oldest log cabin in the world! While you can drive from Torshavn to Kirkjubøur in about 15 minutes, you can also hike the 7km up over the mountains that divide the capital city from its most historical town.
The hike takes about 2 hours and there’s actually a free bus transfer from the town back to Torshavn so you don’t have to loop back the way you came.
It’s worth sticking around the town for an hour to check out their medieval church, the world’s oldest log cabin (which also happens to be a cute museum) and to take photos of the iconic wood cabins with black and red paint and traditional grass roofs.
TIME: 2 hours one way (free bus back)
COST: Free
Faroe Islands Hiking: What You Need To Know
While hiking in the Faroe Islands is by far one of the top things to do here, it’s important to be well prepared when going out against Mother Nature, especially in a place where the weather changes every 5 minutes.
Prepare for the worst weather
Always prepare for the worst, weather wise, and dress warm with many layers. Hiking boots, a hat, scarf, gloves and a waterproof jacket are definitely needed. Even if it’s sunny when leaving, it could well snow 20 minutes later. It’s a good idea to bring some snacks, water and a flask of hot tea for any and all hikes you do in The Faroe Islands.
Talk to the locals (and check signage)
Nothing beats talking to the locals and getting advice when hiking the Faroe Islands. The locals always know best and might even have some valuable tips for you. Be it your hostel owner, Airbnb host or the bus driver bringing you to the start point, locals know the islands, the mountains and the weather better than any visitors.
I’ve heard stories of bus drivers dissuading solo travellers to hike up certain mountains here, due to very poor weather and slippery hiking paths.
You also often need permission from local farmers to hike across their land, especially if you plan to hike up mountains or near popular photo spots like Saksun or Kalsoy.
Tell people where you’re going
If hiking solo, or doing a particularly challenging or long hike, it’s recommended to tell the people where you stay where you’re going and how long you expect to be gone.
You can also leave a note with the same info on the dashboard of your car, which could help you get out of some pretty sticky situations.
If you have any more advice on the best hikes in the Faroe Islands, or any hiking tips in general, please be sure to leave a comment to help out fellow adventurers.
