The Lofoten islands offer world-class accommodation in all price classes. From spacious luxury cabins and apartments to campsites and wild camping. If you are looking for where to stay in Lofoten in the summer, you need to start planning early! With increasing numbers of visitors every year, the best places are booked fast!
Let us show you our recommendations for where to stay in the Lofoten islands!
For centuries, fishermen traveled to the Lofoten islands for days and weeks in their open rowing and sailing boats from all over Norway to participate in the fishery. Those fishermen needed a place to stay during the rough winter months; therefore, in the early 1100s, King Øystein decreed that cabins were to be built in Kabelvåg. In Norwegian, these cabins are called rorbu (singular) or rorbuer (plural).
The rorbuer were initially built on the shoreline, often on poles in the water, with natural access to the rowing boats next to the cabin. While they aren’t used only as fishermen’s houses anymore, many of the old rorbuer have been taken care of and modernized, and they nowadays serve as accommodation for tourists.
Let’s show you where to stay in the Lofoten islands, like fishermen used to!
Located on an island just outside of Svolvær city center, Svinøya rorbuer is the largest rorbu cabin facility in Lofoten. The majority of Svinøya island consists of rorbu cabins of all sizes, from 1-4 bedrooms that can sleep couples to larger groups. Svinøya rorbuer has gained recognition for its efforts to preserve the facilities on the island.
Nusfjord village is a must-see for many visitors to Lofoten. It is one of the best-preserved fishing villages in Lofoten. In addition, the village has a cafe, restaurant, and a tiny bakery with the largest wood-fired oven in Norway! Staying in Nusfjord Arctic Resort also allows you to use their architect student-designed hot tub and sauna on-site freely!
Most likely, you have seen pictures of Eliassen rorbuer on Instagram or in travel magazines worldwide. The view from some of their cabins is equally stunning! Rorbuer come in different sizes and styles, and while some have a more modern look, others have a distinct preserved look. All their facilities offer modern kitchens and bathrooms.
What makes this rorbu special is not necessarily the interior, however the view from the rorbuer and the outside porch perhaps the most spectacular view in the whole of Lofoten! You also have one of the most beautiful photo spots in Lofoten directly behind your cabin.
Reine rorbuer have a capacity of 39 rorbuer. They sleep anywhere from two to six guests in vintage-looking accommodations. The inside decoration and structure of some of these rorbuer feel very much like visiting a museum. Not surprisingly, many of the rorbuer has fantastic views of the Reine area.
Å-Hamna rorbuer offer a cozy mix of modern and old styles in a preserved fishing village. Each red coloured rorbu is an independent unit with a private bathroom and kitchen. Several popular hiking trails start from your doorsteps!
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Lofoten offers unique nature. Why not try unique accommodations! Lofoten is most famous for its traditional and often basic fishermen’s cabins, but there is nothing wrong with trying something a bit finer!
Let’s have a look at where to stay in the Lofoten islands: high end style!
Located in pittoresque Henningsvær village in eastern Lofoten. All of their apartments are delicately furnished, with an emphasis on details. You and your travel partner(s) will have plenty of space cooking together. Large and comfortable seating group.
Located on Reine island in western Lofoten, this apartment will take your breath away! With three bedrooms, it can sleep up to six people. The home has a very open and spacious living room and kitchen, featuring a unique wood-fired oven.
You can also spend your night in a normal hotel room in Lofoten. Both cities in Lofoten, Svolvær, and Leknes, have several hotels. Just be aware that hotels usually double their prices in the high season. At the same time, the more traditional rorbuer usually increases their prices only slightly.
Let us show you your options where to stay in the Lofoten islands if hotels are your thing!
Located in the harbor of Svolvær, you don’t have to walk far to find exciting activities! The hotel is newly built and is uniquely designed with beautiful interior furniture. The breakfast is plentiful, with a restaurant on-site. In addition, you will have access to a sauna and a gym. Many rooms offer beautiful views over the Svolvær area, with the mainland mountains as a backdrop.
Henningsvær Bryggehotell is a cozy hotel in the middle of Henningsvær center. It offers free parking, and a tasty breakfast buffet with freshly made waffles. You can sit in their lovely lounge and relax with a cold beer or complimentary coffee and tea. Decent restaurant on-site, or plenty of other options within a very short walking distance. If you want to explore the town, you are free to use their bikes!
Having your own camper, caravan or motorhome, you have plenty of excellent options where to spend the night in Lofoten. Many campsites in Lofoten have exceptional views and are well equipped. When it comes to camping, there are just so many options where to stay in the Lofoten islands!
Sandvika camping is beautifully located at the sea front, right outside of Kabelvåg. The view from the campsite is stunning with iconic mountain Vågåkallen looming high above. The campsite is only a few kilometers away from the city of Svolvær. It is recommended to book online in the high season. Open all year.
Lofoten Beach Camp, located directly on Skagsanden beach is one of the best camping locations in Lofoten. Being the largest campsite in the Lofoten islands, Lofoten Beach Camp has space for everyone! They offer surfing courses and rental in the summer months.
Located on the north shore of Lofoten, Hov camping offers fantastic opportunities for both midnight sun gazing and northern lights watching. With an on-site restaurant, horseback riding center, golf course, and a sauna, you have everything you need close by!
In the summer the campsites often fill up during the day. It is therefore recommended either to book in advance or arrive early, if the campsite doesn’t allow booking.
Every campsite is different, but generally you can expect free toilets and showers for a fee. Most campsites have access to electricity. Many have common kitchens or common areas you can stay in if you are tenting. Some have on-site restaurant or pub. And a few have sauna and hot tubs.
Most campsites let you empty your portable toilet for free if you stay on their property. If you are not staying there you are welcome to empty your toilet for a fee. Please do not empty your portable toilet in the normal toilet! For a complete overview of camping locations and facilities, check out our camping edition of Interactive Maps of Lofoten!
Several campsites are open the whole year. But many are only open in the summer months and close down in September or October.
Prices vary between campsites, but you can roughly expect these price ranges:
Tent: 250 – 300 NOK
RV/campervan w/electricity: 320 – 450 NOK
Wild camping in the Lofoten islands is safe, easy, and rewarding! Lofoten has plenty of stunning wild camping possibilities, whether you camp next to your car or in the mountains. Since many consider Lofoten to be an expensive destination, camping can make your vacation to Lofoten more affordable.
Below, we will give you some general guidelines for wild camping in Lofoten. However, we will not give specific suggestions as to where to camp. This is to reduce pressure on certain areas.
In Lofoten, you are free to wild camp almost anywhere, as long as it is at least 150 meters away from the nearest inhabited building.
This right to roam, or Allemansretten as it is called in Norwegian makes Norway one of the best countries to enjoy wildcamping.
In 2021 the local governments introduced restrictions on wild camping in certain areas due to an increasing number of visitors and ongoing problems with lacking infrastructure (like waste management and lack of toilets). You can no longer pitch your tent on top of Reinebringen or camp directly on Haukland beach anymore.
In the above text you have read what are our recommended places to stay in the Lofoten islands. Following are our suggestions for how to structure your vacation on several different travel budgets and group sizes.
We recommend you to stay several days in the same location. This helps you to save time checking in/out and packing/unpacking every day. The Lofoten islands are a relatively small area and you can easily reach everything with minimal amount of driving from two base camps: one in the west, and one in the east.
When traveling in a group on a budget, it is essential to have access to a kitchen so you can enjoy sharing self-prepared meals together (and save money on not eating out). It is also smart to stay several nights in the same accommodation since checking in and out is time-consuming, especially for a group.
Our tip: Bedsheet cleaning is a substantial expense for all accommodations, so if you are a large group staying for several days, you are very popular! When booking your accommodation, try calling directly to the accommodation and ask if they can give you a discount for booking several consecutive days. You might get lucky and save quite a bit, especially in the shoulder seasons.
Lydersen rorbuer are located 40 minutes from the ferry terminal in Moskenes and 30 minutes drive from the nearest airport in Leknes. In addition to this, it is walking distance from the trailheads to Ryten and Kvalvika Beach.
Lydersen rorbuer offer hostel style accommodation in dormitory and private rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom or four private appartments with stunning view of Mt Volandstinden!
Lofoten feriesenter is located next to a lake slightly outside of Svolvær city center. It’s a great base camp for many activities in and around Svolvær, like the hike to Djevelporten and Fløya.
Lofoten Feriesenter offers self-catering wooden cottages with well-equipped kitchen for up to 8 guests.
Traveling alone can sometimes be the most expensive way to travel! You have all the food, car, and accommodation expenses, and no one to share them with! Still, there are affordable accommodations even in Lofoten. You just gotta know how to find them!
In Lofoten, there are only few dormitories for solo travelers. However, none of them in the eastern parts of Lofoten. Therefore, it might be an excellent idea to stay longer, or exclusively, in the western part of Lofoten, where you can stay in cheap dorm rooms. Lydersen rorbuer or Lofoten Å HI hostel offer the most affordable dorm rooms in Lofoten and are excellent base camps for exploring western Lofoten.
I recommend Lydersen rorbuer if you want to hike Ryten, Kvalvika beach or Volandstind and Å Hi Hostel, if you prefer to focus on hiking around Reinefjorden, Å and Sørvågen, for example Reinebringen, Bunes and Horseid Beaches etc. If you do not have a car, then Å Hi is more conveniently located in terms of public transport.
Lofoten Å HI hostel offers separated male/female dorm facilities with shared bathrooms and a kitchen. The location is in the middle of the village Å, with museums and a bakery nearby. Unfortunately, there is no grocery store in Å, so do your shopping beforehand. Short walk to the bus station.
Lydersen rorbuer offers male/female dorm facilities with shared bathrooms and two common kitchens. Lydersen is located in Fredvang a short walk away from the trailheas to Ryten or Kvalvika Beach! It is 6 minutes drive to the nearest grocery store in Ramberg. The nearest bus station is 3 km away.
Statsbuene i Kabelvåg offer a budget double room with shared kitchen, which is among the cheapest rooms in eastern Lofoten. but more expensive than the shared accommodations in western Lofoten.
Whether you are traveling as a group or a couple, you need to book early if you want to spend a night in the finest accommodations in Lofoten. There are several accommodations in Lofoten that would suit anyone wanting that little extra. However, there are only a few that ticks all our boxes:
Below are our suggestions for groups or couples that don’t mind paying a bit extra for the finer things in life. We recommend booking accommodations at max two places, to save time checking in/out.
Located in the picturesque fishing village of Nusfjord you will find newly renovated traditional fishermen’s cabins with cozy interiors and stunning views. Their open-air spa is literally a work of art. Built by graduate architects from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, the elegant installation has a traditional wood-fired ‘stamp’, a wooden bath, sauna, and a natural outdoor shower.
Located in pictoresque Henningsvær village in eastern Lofoten. All of their apartments are delicately furnished, with an emphasis on details. You and your travel partners will have plenty of space to cook together. Large and comfortable seating group.
Located on Reine island in western Lofoten, this apartment will take your breath away! With three bedrooms, it can sleep up to six people. The home has a very open and spacious living room and kitchen, featuring a unique wood-fired oven.
Located in pittoresque Henningsvær village in eastern Lofoten. All of their apartments are delicately furnished, with an emphasis on details. You and your travel partners will have plenty of space to cook together. Large and comfortable seating group.
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