Scrolling through instagram can have its drawbacks, shots on our mental health and time wasted among others. It can also be the place where you come across a photo of the Faroe Islands and immediately move it to the top of your travel list.

Then a pandemic happened..

Finally in the Spring of 2022, I heard the news that all pandemic related restrictions were lifted for most of Europe. Confirming Denmark and the Faroe Islands, which are part of Denmark, were included, I purchased my round trip ticket to Copenhagen and started the planning of my Faroe Islands itinerary.

Before you dive in, I want to be transparent: this article includes affiliate links. This simply means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Rest assured, the article includes my genuine advice and it won’t cost you anything extra. Your support is greatly appreciated. Happy reading!

Faroe Islands Travel Guide | A little about these Islands

The Faroe Islands have their own language and culture. It’s a group of islands suspended north of Great Britain, sitting between Iceland and Norway. The temperatures stay mild, but the weather is volatile. Like most of Europe, they speak English well. Their tourism is new or at least feels new, which added to the charm for me. Life here was simple in the best way. 

Their tourism is new or at least feels new, which added to the charm for me. Life here was simple in the best way.

How to get to the Faroe Islands

When I researched in Spring of 2022, the three options were flying from Reykjavik, Edinburgh, or Copenhagen. Flights out of Copenhagen were cheapest when I searched and it so happened Orlando to Copenhagen was also cheapest. I had been to Iceland, but not the other two, so I was happy to add some time in Copenhagen for this trip. My friend and I flew to Copenhagen and spent a few days before and after the Faroe Islands.

There are also cruises that stop in the Faroe Islands, if you fancy that style of travel.

I went in September. If you don’t go during high season, the weather might be less cooperative on some days, but you’ll have less tourists around.

Getting Around

Sightseeing and hiking top the list. There are tours and tour buses that can take you around, but if you want any type of freedom, rent a car and road trip. Car rental does not come cheap, but I’m not sure any option would be cheap! There are a lot of islands connected by underwater tunnels, and we drove to each one over the course of the week.

Aside from tours, you can also get to and from Islands via Ferry or Helicopter which are pretty epic public transport options. I loved the idea of the latter, but as a tourist you can only go one way via Helicopter. This is to protect the locals who need to rely on this transportation. That being said, I didn’t get to work out a helicopter for this trip. Tourists also cannot book super far in advance, but the prices are reasonable as this is subsidized by the government (again to help the locals). The ferry system seems solid, but due to the timing of the inclement weather, we never got to experience a ferry.

What to see and do in the Faroe Islands

Just drive around and try not to let your jaw drop. It’s absolutely beautiful! This is what drew me here. There are times I have felt deceived by photos of a place and what I might experience there (looking at you, Tulum). The Faroe Islands exceeded my expectations! 

The way I plan most of my trips is gather ideas, book any tours that I absolutely MUST in advance and leave some margin for whatever I need or want. I ended up pre-booking two different boat tours. One to see Dranganir and the other of the Vestmanna Cliffs. 

Hiking is NOT free in the Faroe Islands. It’s a way to preserve their beautiful country. You can hire a guide and pre-book hiking tours. I did not do either and the two main hikes we completed did not require a guide. One hike I was particularly excited about never worked out due to weather.

Be prepared for various weather conditions during your trip and be flexible with your plans.

Utilize the Faroe Islands Tourist Website

In Iceland and New Zealand, I have walked into tourist centers and booked tours at the center. The Faroe Islands tourist centers will just send you to their website. So if you’re wondering whether you will stumble across something while there, you probably won’t. Unless something has changed since I was there, just book tours in advance.

One tour I tried to pre-book was a Dinner with the Locals experience. The most popular one I contacted said they were to hold their last dinner of the season the week before we would be arriving and after that date only book dinner for parties of eight or more. While I think this would be a cool experience, being there with so few tourists, I didn’t feel as though I missed out. The locals were always nice and I enjoyed all my interactions with them.

I considered pre-booking a hike. It was to see Dranganir, but I ended up going with the boat tour. The hike to Dranganir is on private property and a guide is required. Everywhere we went in the Faroe Islands was absolutely beautiful and whether on foot, boat or car, you will see beauty all around.

Everywhere we went in the Faroe Islands was absolutely beautiful and whether on foot, boat or car, you will see beauty all around. 

Northern Lights

According to google, the Faroe Islands is great spot to see the Northern Lights. However, I had prepared myself that it was unlikely as the islands are usually covered with clouds, especially the time we would be there.

Upon arriving, our rental car agent showed us his photos of the Northern Lights from the WEEK BEFORE. I got so excited at the possibility, but it wasn’t meant to be. I asked at the Torshavn tourist Center if they had a tour for the Northern Lights. As of my trip, they did not. Perhaps by the time you go, a young entrepreneur will have emerged and a tour made available. 

My Week in the Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands Travel Blog

We arrived Saturday and asked in the airport how late the grocery was open. A surprising response of 10PM! So we grabbed our suitcases, hopped in our rental car and headed over to our airbnb in Klaksvik, with a stop at a grocery on the way.

Sunday, we drove mainly around the island of Eysturoy and ending on Streymoy. Upon arrival on Saturday evening, we were told by the rental agent that it was super windy.

Sunday this wind continued, so we focused on driving and sightseeing. We stopped on occasion as we drove to the village of Gjogv. Here we ate lunch and took in the sights of this cute village. This day mainly involved driving, photos and food stops. The weather in some parts were rainy and windy and in other parts sunny. Don’t be afraid to head out if it’s raining as you may encounter better weather elsewhere.

Monday, the plan was to ferry to Kalsoy Island and hike to Kallur Lighthouse. The weather was so wild I decided to drive to the Tourist Center first for some advice.

The wind we experienced the day before was mild in comparison to the gusts of wind this day. The woman at the information center told me, Ferries and buses were being cancelled and it’s basically a bad idea to do anything. Seeing perhaps a slightly rebellious tourist across from her, desperate not to waste a day of my trip, she also went on to say that over fifteen tourists broke a bone this year on the hike to the lighthouse, due to improper shoes. I had on hiking boots, but beyond the advice of don’t hike here without proper shoes, I heard a kind local offering wisdom that today isn’t a good day to explore.

So I asked about the local pool, closed that day for students. Movie Theatre? Yes, we have movies in English with subtitles. Great! Until I heard they were all after 5PM and we are still in the AM hours. A moment you realize, you are in a small country. She sweetly reminded me they are all in school and working so the theatre doesn’t open until later. 

She also went on to say that over fifteen tourists broke a bone this year on the hike to the lighthouse, due to improper shoes.

We ate lunch and eventually made our short drive back to the airbnb. We watched a movie while the wind howled and watched the windows as icy rain was flung against it. This is what the locals were calling a “winter storm” and when I asked what they did when the weather was like this the simple answer was “stay inside” or “stay inside and play games.” So stay inside we did.

Tuesday, we woke up hoping for better weather and indeed we got it! I had to change plans some days on account of weather. Having a flexible plan is advisable.

We were leaving our cute Klaksvik airbnb today to stay in the capital city of Torshavn for the remainder of our stay. Due to the weather we didn’t really see the islands on this end of the country like I had planned, but we end up coming back this way later in the week.

I had to change plans some days on account of weather. Having a flexible plan is advisable.

Making our way over to Kirkjubour on the island of Streymoy. According to what I read online, seventeen generations of the same family have lived here dating back to the Middle Ages.

From here we drove up to Kvivik, making our way ultimately to Saksun for a walk to the black sand beach. This drive was beautiful and only one lane for a good portion toward the end. Once we arrived to the area we parked, paid (there are not many free hikes in the Faroe Islands) and made the trek to Black Beach.

This country is so beautiful, ethereal, mystical and relatively untouched. A photo rarely does a place justice, but it can give the wrong impression (looking at you, Tulum). I was hopeful this country would not disappoint and it most definitely did not!

Leaving this area we encountered two horses roaming around that proved very friendly.

This country is so beautiful, ethereal, mystical and relatively untouched.

Eventually, we made our way to the airbnb in Tórshavn and had dinner in the city. Since this day was sunny, I decided to check the activity of the Northern Lights. What seemed like a possibility at 9PM, quickly faded and we called it a night. This was the only night we tried to see the Northern Lights. 

Wednesday, we went into Torshavn to have breakfast. While this is the capital city, there are only two or three coffee shop/restaurants open in the morning. By morning I mean 9AM. The earliest is 9AM. I both loved and hated this, but mostly admired it. They have a slower pace of life. A simpler life. Honestly, I’d say a better one. We’ve traded simpler and slower for fast and convenient, but lost more in that exchange than we realize. On a practical note, if you need to have an early start, plan to make your own breakfast. 

They have a slower pace of life. A simpler life. Honestly, I’d say a better one. We’ve traded simpler and slower for fast and convenient, but lost more in that exchange than we realize.

We drove over to Vágar Island for the hike to the Lake Above the Ocean view. This wasn’t a short hike, but it was absolutely beautiful! Again, there is a fee for this hike. Some tourists find the fees exorbitant, but I’d suggest nothing about a trip here is very budget friendly. Worth it? In my opinion, yes! I also don’t blame them charging as tourists can cause a lot of damage and if this is their way of staying on the offensive of preserving their land, I applaud them.

I pre-booked a boat tour to see Dranganir, so we made our way to Sorvagur. Here we grabbed some lunch, which ended up being so delicious with the friendliest of owners. The boat tour took us to passed a couple of waterfalls, including Mulafossur, and then up close and personal with Dranganir. The conditions that day even allowed for driving through Dranganir. You would think at this point in the trip we might become numb to the beauty around us, but no! It was still stunning and mesmerizing. Once back on land, we drove to the view point of Mulafossur waterfall and took in the sight from the land.

You would think at this point in the trip we might become numb to the beauty around us, but no! It was still stunning and mesmerizing.

Thursday, we made our way to Vestmanna for the second pre-booked boat tour to view the Vestmanna Cliffs. This boat was completely different. It was larger with an upper deck and indoor portion. My friend and I actually enjoyed the smaller boat more, but there did come a point when they gave us construction helmets in case of falling rocks. Perhaps the smaller boat wouldn’t be a good choice here. The ocean was a rich teal that I could just not get over and the cliffs gave me an otherworldly or prehistoric, dinosaurs and fairies lived here, vibe.

I considered attempting to catch the ferry to Kalsoy, but there wasn’t enough time in the day to hike to the Lighthouse should we make it. So we walked through the history via a wax museum they had in the Vestmanna Tourist Center and then opted to drive to the furthest island accessible by car, Vidoy.

I was pleasantly surprised by the conditions of the roads throughout the Faroe Islands. They are wide enough for American drivers to be comfortable and very well kept.

On the way to Vidoy, however, there is a one lane tunnel. The light had just turned red when we approached the first tunnel and two cars behind us passed and went through. Naturally, I followed not quite understanding it’s a one lane tunnel. So this proved a little scary when the cars in front of us were driving so fast I couldn’t keep up.

We reached the end of the tunnel only to realize there is another tunnel. This time I stopped at the red light and we waited. We kept waiting. Cars pulled up behind us and we continued to wait. Finally, unsure if I should be waiting or if I’m just holding up traffic, I got out of the car and asked the gentleman behind me. He assured me we needed to wait and the cars that went around me understand the system and that they would be able to make it. 

Eventually cars did emerge from the tunnel (thank God we waited) and the light eventually turned green for our turn. The islands are not drastically different from one another, but I never grew tired of the scenery. 

Friday, the day of our second attempt to visit Kalsoy and the second time a winter storm emerged to halt that endeavor. Considering the weather can be different and there is a decent amount of distance from Torshavn to Kalsoy, I checked the weather specifically in Kalsoy. There were 70MPH gusts of wind on Kalsoy. I checked ferries to Suduroy, the other island I had wanted to visit requiring a ferry. Cancelled. Ferries were cancelled and disappointment set in that our last full day in the Faroe Islands would be indoor activities. We drove to breakfast, shops, the museum. 

I checked the weather specifically in Kalsoy. There were 70MPH gusts of wind on Kalsoy.

While I was definitely disappointed, this was also part of the charm in visiting this nation of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. 

Saturday, we had our third and final breakfast in Torshavn. We had visited the same cafe for two of the days and saw this same mother and son having breakfast. Our last day, we tried a new spot and saw that same mother and son! In case you thought the capital city was large. I was born in a small island and grew up in a small town in Florida. Torshavn feels much smaller than my hometown. Seeing this mother and son duo all three days for breakfast is indicative of this nation holding onto a slower and simpler way of life. I hope they never outgrow this.

Travel Faroe Islands

I hope my Faroe Islands travel blog post inspires you to visit these beautiful islands! Whether you do a Faroe Islands road trip or choose a tour, these islands are absolutely stunning! Keep your day to day itinerary loose for the unpredictable weather, but also don’t be afraid in most scenarios to explore as the weather can change quickly or be completely different on a neighboring island. I think my length of trip was perfect, but you can still do a lot on a shorter trip! The cost of visiting isn’t cheap, but the value is high because these islands offer unbeatable views, untouched nature and a slower pace of life worth admiring.