Best Things To Do In The Faroe Islands – Ultimate Guide

Great things come in small packages, and with the Faroe Islands, those 18 tiny islands, sure do pack a punch when it comes to things to do! The islands are compact and easy to get around, so you can easily see most of the best things to do in the Faroe Islands in one week. You could also easily spend longer there though, as there are some tough, lengthy hikes and with the ever-changing weather you may want to visit a destination more than once.

The Faroe Islands are volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in between Iceland, Norway and the north of Scotland. The islands are remote and have a population of just over 50,000 people, with some of the villages having a population under 10! As soon as you arrive, you know you are somewhere special and are visiting a place that is still almost untouched by tourism.

The airport is tiny and you go straight from the airport tarmac through to the passport control area, with a grand total of 2 booths. We even had to queue outside! This was exactly what we wanted from our trip, somewhere remote and somewhat undiscovered. We got out of the airport and picked up our car in record time, and were off exploring these beautiful islands.

Best Things To Do In The Faroe Islands

All of the 18 islands on the Faroe Islands have something to do, but we are going to showcase the very best by island. This makes it much easier to plan a trip to the Faroe Islands and decide on an itinerary.

Vágar Island

Vágar island is where you’ll step foot onto first, arriving at Vágar Airport, very near to the village of Sørvágur. This is the only airport in the Faroe Islands. It’s hard to pick a favourite island, but it’s safe to say, Vágar offers some of the best things to see in the Faroe Islands.

Múlafossur Waterfall & Gásadalur

This is where we headed first, as Múlafossur Waterfall is arguably the most iconic place in the Faroe Islands. It was a misty day with very low visibility when we arrived, so some of the view was covered in cloud, but even then it was an epic view. We had the place to ourselves and it was incredible. A thundering waterfall straight into the ocean, rolling hills, mountains and thousands of birds swirling around the dramatic cliffs.

We went back to this location multiple times during our trip and every time the weather conditions were different. We managed to capture an amazing sunset one evening too.

Puffins also nest on these cliffs so if you’re visiting between May and August, you may see them at this location.

Gásadalur village has a population of 11 and the tunnel to get there only opened to cars in 2006. Before the tunnel opened to pedestrians in 2003, the only way to get there was to climb up and over the mountain.

There is a small parking lot in Gásadalur village or a couple of parking spaces right by the path to the waterfall. The path is a short 300 metres to reach the view of the incredible Múlafossur Waterfall.

Views of Tindhólmur Island

Tindhólmur Island is one of the most recognisable on the island due to it’s jagged shape. It was blanketed in cloud the first few times we drove past, but eventually the clouds parted and we were able to see it peaking out of the ocean. The views of the island are on the stunning road leading to Gásadalur from the airport. On a clear day you will also be able to see the unique sea stacks of Drangarnir and the huge island of Mykines, where thousands of puffins, and other sea birds nest. There are a couple of small areas at the side of the road to park up and take in the view of these stunning islands. At sunset, the light can be incredible.

Also on this road you will drive past the famous roof-top houses, the accommodation The View, just outside village of Bøur.

To get even closer to this island you can do a hike on another part of Vágar Island. We decided not to do the hike as we had read this hike was long (around 5 to 6 hours), there was also now an expensive fee to do it (only with a guide) and it was quite challenging.

Lake Above the Ocean ( Sørvágsvatn  Lake/ Trælanípa)

The first photo I ever saw of the Faroe Islands was of the incredible Lake Above the Ocean and it truly was worth the wait to see it in real life.

This hike used to be free, but since its gain in popularity, there is now a fee. It’s a steep fee in our opinion, but the hike is on farmers land so if you want to see it, you need to pay. It is the only place we came across that felt more touristy. The owner has built a small hut, tiny shop and toilet at the entrance to the hike and you need to go through 2 gates to enter. The fee is 200 DKK each (~£23/$30 USD).

The hike takes around 45 minutes on a well trodden path, which is relatively flat and easy for most of the way. Eventually you reach Trælanípa mountain, a 142 metre high cliff, jutting out of the sea. To get up to the main viewpoint it is a short, steep uphill path, with various different viewpoints of the huge 3.4 square kilometre lake and mammoth cliffs. With birds flying in every direction, it is another jaw dropping location in the Faroe Islands.

If you continue along the flat path for about 10 more minutes you reach Bøsdalafossur waterfall, flowing into the ocean. It is worth the short extra walk, as this section of coastline is ragged with one particular pointy rock, protruding from the ocean, disconnected from the mainland.

Dunnesdrangar

This hike is still fairly unknown and we had the entire walk and viewpoint to ourselves. The sea stacks and dramatic cliffs at the end of the hike are incredible so we wouldn’t be surprised if this gets more popular soon. There is a small parking area on the outskirts of Sørvágur village and the walk is about 45 minutes each way. It isn’t signposted, but the walk was straightforward as you just follow the river all the way to the cliff edge.

The huge sea stacks are jaw dropping and the whole coast line looks like something out of Jurassic Park. The clouds swirled and clung to the cliffs around us and birds danced in and out of the nests set in the cliff faces. With no-one else around, it really felt as though we had walked to the edge of the earth at this viewpoint. We could have stayed there for hours.

Streymoy Island

Streymoy is the largest and most populated island in the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on the southeast coast of the island, which is where many of the hotels are located. We based ourselves in Hotel Foroyar just outside of the capital, which is a great location for exploring the Faroe Islands.

Saksun

Another popular location in the Faroe Islands is Saksun Village. You pull off the main road onto a narrow, one land road (with plenty of places to let cars pass) and meander through stunning scenery to reach this tiny village. It is nestled in-between mountains on both sides, with a huge waterfall cascading down one of the rock faces.

There is a small car park in the main village where the grass roofed buildings and church are located.

If you want to walk out onto the beach at low tide, you need to go up a different road to park, before entering the road to the main village. There is a fee of 75 DKK (~£8.50/$11 USD) for this hike.

Fossá Waterfall

The highest waterfall in the Faroe Islands is 140 metres tall. The power of the waterfall is amazing, especially after rain.

There is a very small car park at the side of the road, with space for around 4 or 5 cars. You get a great view from low down, but there is also a hike that takes you up much nearer to the top of the waterfall. We didn’t have time for this, but the views look incredible.

If you carry on further down the same road the waterfall is on you will reach the small village of Tjørnuvík, which is nestled in-between the mountains.

When you are driving towards Eidi on the opposite fjord, which is Eystuory Island, you will also get a further back view of this stunning waterfall.

Kirkjubøur

The small village of Kirkjubøur, full of turf-roof houses, is just a 10 minute drive from the capital and is well worth a visit. It’s a peaceful location, with views out to sea and the islands of Sandoy and Hestor. The ferry port to get over to Sandoy Island is just before you reach the village of Kirkjubøur. It didn’t look as though there were any restaurants or cafes in Kirkjubøur, but it has a wonderful traditional feel to it. Just remember people live in the village so respect their privacy and land.

Eystuory Island

Another island that offers plenty to see in the Faroe Islands is Eystuory. The second largest island is also home to the highest mountains in the Faroe Islands.

Hvithamar Hike

The views from the top of this hike are one of the best on the Faroe Islands. There is either a steep hiking route straight up to the top or a longer, but more leisurely climb up to the top. Both sections start in the same place and there is a map where you start the hike. You can see stunning fjords and mountain views the entire way around. For such a relatively short hike, the rewards are so worth it.

It can get very windy at the top so just take care when taking in the views.

The drive to get up to the start of the hike takes you up most of the mountain from either direction and offers some stunning views

Gjogv Village

If you carry on driving for about 10 minutes, past the start of the Hvithamar hike you can visit the beautiful village of Gjogv. The village is picturesque, with a stream running through it and the 200 metre gorge is used as a natural harbour.

There is a short, tarred path that takes you to the end of the gorge, with stunning views out to see. You will also find a slightly more strenuous walk on the other side. This walk takes you up to the top of the gorge, rewarding you with views back down over the gorge and village. During the summer months you may even be lucky enough to see puffins on the cliffs in this area.

Funningur Church & The Mountain Road

There is a winding mountain road that takes you between the villages of Funningur and Eiði. It is a relatively short, but beautiful drive. A couple of hikes start from the road and you’ll find places to pull over to park. Slættaratindur is the highest peak in the Faroe Islands, at 880 metres and you can start the hike to the top from this mountain road.

The church in the tiny village of Funningur has become a popular photo spot and has a idyllic location looking out to the sea. There isn’t much else in Funningur, but it is worth a quick stop off to see the church, on the way up or down the mountain road.

Kalsoy Island

This beautiful rugged island is home to the popular Kallur Lighthouse hike and is also a location in the James Bond film ‘No Time To Die’. You start the hike from the tiny town of Trøllanes. The hike takes around 45 minutes on the way there as it goes up hill, around the edge of the mountain. Although we did manage to do it in 25 minutes when we were chasing the good light, but our heart rates were through the roof! It is recommended to wear hiking boots as the ground is uneven and could get easily get very muddy.

There are a few different viewpoints to go to once you see the lighthouse. On the left of the lighthouse there is the viewpoint where James Bond’s grave is located. Straight ahead is the lighthouse and beyond is a rather precarious ridge going out towards the ocean. This ridge is extremely narrow, with sheer drops either side and if it is windy, crossing it should be avoided. You can get great views looking back at the unusual landscape of the island, but it is simply not worth it in high winds (or at all if you are scared of heights).

On the right of the lighthouse there is another ridge, leading to another viewpoint. Luckily this ridge isn’t quite as narrow and it offers an incredible view of the landscape, lighthouse, the cliffs, the ocean and the mountains of the other islands in the distance. This really was a mind blowing location and we stayed up there for ages taking it all in.

Getting To Kalsoy Island

The only way to reach the stunning, long island of Kalsoy is via ferry. It is a very small ferry, which has room for quite a few foot passengers, but only 12 cars. You need to arrive early to try and secure a spot, but even then it is not always guaranteed. To save the hassle, we recommend parking up and taking the ferry as a foot passenger. There is a bus on Kalsoy island and the schedule perfectly lines up with the ferry times. It takes you straight to where you start the hike and it means you can all enjoy the view of Kunoy island from the bus window.

You catch the ferry from Klaksvík on the island of Bordoy and you will need to go through the toll road to reach Klaksvík from any of the main islands.

We were absolutely starving when we got back off the ferry and headed to Fríða Kaffihús for food, about a 2 minute drive from the ferry terminal. The burgers were delicious and come highly recommend. They also do cakes and coffees if you want something smaller.

There are very few options for places to get food and drink on Kalsoy so we recommend taking some with you. In Trøllanes there is a small kiosk for basics, but we wouldn’t rely on this always being open. There is also a cafe in one of the other towns on the island, but if you are getting the bus, you may not have chance to visit there.

Bordoy Island

Klakkur Viewpoint

Klakkur is a panoramic mountain with an amazing viewpoint. Klakkur is 413 metres high and the viewpoint can be reached from a couple of different starting points. You can start the hike from Klaksvík or if you have a car you can start the hike at the water tanks car park or Hálsur Car Park.

Hálsur is the nearest car park to the peak, so where you start will depend on how much time you have and how much you want to hike. It would be possible to do this hike on the same day you go over to Kalsoy Island to hike to Kallur Lighthouse.

On a clear day you will be stunning views of the surrounding islands and the town of Klaksvík.

Klaksvík

Klaksvík is only a small town, but it is where you get the ferry to Kalsoy island. As we have mentioned above there is a great restaurant called Fríða Kaffihús that we recommend visiting before or after you have been to Kalosy Island. It is closed on certain days though, so check the website before you visit. There are also a couple of petrol stations with stops where you can get drinks or snacks for your trip to Kalsoy.

Sudaroy Island

Sudaroy is the southernmost island in the Faroe Islands and is a 2 hour ferry ride from Tórshavn. If you have the time though, it is well worth the visit. We went for a day, which to be honest was a little rushed and if (when) we return to the Faroe Islands we will definitely stay over there for a night. If you go over for the day just pick 2 or 3 spots you want to visit so you aren’t rushed. You can drive up to some of the viewpoints, which means you can pack a lot into a day.

Ferry to Sudaroy

The ferry to Sudaroy was surprisingly big, especially compared to the one we got to Kalsoy! There is plenty of room for a lot of cars so we recommend getting there about 20-30 before the ferry leaves. Although if you are visiting on the weekend, then it is recommend to get there even earlier as you can’t pre-book tickets. There is free, fast wifi on the ferry, plenty of seating areas, a shop for snacks and a canteen. We got very lucky on the day we went and the sea was very calm, but it can be bumpy so you may want seasickness tablets if you usually suffer.

The times for the ferry change every day so be sure to study the timetable in advance. The best day for a day trip in the lighter months is a Monday as it gives you the most time over there, but we flew on a Monday so chose a Thursday instead which gave us 6 and a half hours there.

See Atlantic Puffins On The Faroe Islands

We travelled to the Faroe Islands in May, which is the start at of the season when the puffins come to the cliffs to nest. The main season is June to August. We were lucky enough to see puffins really close up during our trip and can only imagine how many there would be later on into the summer.

We saw them at a few different places around the islands, but the main place we saw them is at the cliffs at Gásadalur. They were really close to us there and with a telephoto lens we were able to get some great close up images. Our puffin photos are mainly taken at 500mm.

If you research where to see puffins on the Faroe Islands the main place that comes up is Mykines Island. We had booked onto the ferry to go over to Mykines island, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to the sea swells. In the end we were pleased it had been cancelled as we had managed to see them so many times on the main islands. Plus visiting Mykines island has become extremely expensive and the main hike to the lighthouse is currently closed due to a landslide.

The return trip on the ferry is 120 DKK (~£14/$17 USD), but then there is a hefty hiking fee that must be paid in order to leave the harbour. It is 400 DKK (~£47/$58 USD) if booked online up to the day before you visit or 500 DKK (£58/$72 USD) if you pay on arrival. This fee has gone up every year and doubled since 2022. It seems an extremely high price, that isn’t consistent with the rest of the Faroe Islands. Maybe they are purposely trying to deter people from visiting due to the landslide.

We would suggest trying to go to other cliff locations on the islands to see if you can see the beautiful puffins for free.

Where To Stay On The Faroe Islands

We stayed at Hotel Foroyar, which we highly recommend. It is a great location, just outside of the capital Tórshavn. You can walk into the town from the hotel to the restaurants, but there is also a restaurant on site. You can pay extra to have breakfast included, which we would recommend.

You could also chose to split your time between a couple of different areas, but as the distances between places are relatively short, this isn’t needed. We liked the idea of just having one base to go back to at the end of each day of exploring and it is such a relaxing hotel.

If you go over to Sudaroy, then we would recommend staying a night on the island if possible. The ferry takes 2 hours each way and we found it very rushed when we just went for the day.

Getting Around The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are a joy to drive around, with incredible scenery at every turn. For that reason we highly recommend renting a car for the duration of your trip. There are also buses that go to the main parts of the island, but the freedom of having a car makes it more desirable.

Hiring A Car

There are several rental car companies on the Faroe Islands and booking a car online is easy. You can pick up the car from right next to the airport, which makes the whole process easy. Prices vary depending on when you travel. We booked last minute when we went in May and still got a good price. If you go in the latter summer season from June to August, we would recommend booking in advance to ensure you can secure a car.

When we picked up our car it had 600 km on it as it was almost brand new. When we returned it, we had added another 1500 km to it! That is how much we enjoy road trips and how much we loved driving around the Faroe Islands.

Toll Roads on the Faroe Islands

We hadn’t really read much about the expensive toll roads before we visited, but our car rental place pointed it out to us on arrival and advised they would be keeping a deposit back for them.

There are currently 3 sub-sea tunnels in the Faroe Islands, with a fourth currently under construction (due to open December 2023). You need to pay to use all of them. When renting a car it is likely, the rental company will sort the payment for these, but check with them to make sure.

Prior to these tunnels, the only way to get between all of the islands with a car was a ferry. The tunnels make it all too easy, but they do come at a cost that can mount up!

Between Vagar & Streymoy

The first sub-sea tunnel is the one you will definitely use takes you between Vagar (where the airport is) and Streymoy (where the capital is). If you want to visit any other island, other than Vagar you will have to use this tunnel. This was the first sub-sea tunnel to be built in 2002. This tunnel is 100 DKK (~£12/$15 USD) one way (so you are only charged when you leave Vagar and not for the return journey). We used this tunnel a lot as Vagar is such a great island, but there are limited places to stay over there.

Between Eysturoy & Bordoy

The second oldest sub-sea tunnel (opened in 2006) takes you between Eysturoy & Bordoy. You will need to use this to get to Klaksvik to get the ferry to Kalsoy. From Bordoy you can also drive to the islands of Kunoy and Vidoy (the furthest island you can drive to in the north-east). This tunnel is 100 DKK (~£12/$15 USD) one way. (so you are only charged when you leave Klaskvik and not on the way there).

Between Streymoy & Eysturoy

The latest sub-sea tunnel only opened in 2020 and has the world’s first underwater roundabout. It connects two of the towns on Eysturoy, Runavik and Strendur, to Streymoy, about 10 minutes from the capital. You have to pay BOTH ways for this toll road and it is expensive so plan wisely! It is 250 DKK each way (~£30/$36 USD) each way.

For obvious reasons we limited our use of this tunnel and only used it when catching the ferry to Kalsoy, otherwise we would have missed ferry. All the other times we took the longer route back to our hotel in Torshan.

From Torshan to Klaskvik using the toll road it takes around 45 minutes & 41 km. Without the toll it takes around 1 hour 10 minutes and 75 km.

Public Transport

We only used public transport to get to, and on, Kalsoy island and it worked perfectly, with the ferries and bus times working in sync. I can only imagine the rest of the public transport on the islands is just as efficient. It is a cheaper way to get around the islands, but you will need to be organised with bus timings as you may need to get more than one to get to the location you want. There are multi-day travels cards you can purchase, which can be used on all the buses and most ferries. More information and timetables can be found here.