Want to experience the world’s most beautiful island group on your terms? Then consider a holiday in a motorhome or campervan.

In this article, we want to present Lofoten as a great place to explore with a motorhome/campervan. There are considerations you should be aware of when you’re on the road, but don’t let that stop you. Lofoten welcomes you with open arms, and here you will find a unique diversity of hidden treasures and experiences.

Let’s start with some information that relates to the local population first. Lofoten is big, but the roads are small. The roads are also used daily by everyone who lives here, all year round. But don’t just hear it from us, let the children in Lofoten explain what it means to be a “responsible motorhome guest.”

Be aware of which places in Lofoten are suitable for motorhomes in general (camping ban, parking bans, emptying stations, etc.). Check the map developed by Destination Lofoten, Lofoten outdoor recreation council, and Nordland county municipality here.

Before you start planning your motorhome holiday in Lofoten, it may be a good idea to explore the best starting point for the trip. If you have your motorhome, that goes without saying. But if you have to rent, there are several providers.

Near Harstad/Narvik Airport (EVE), which has several direct departures both nationally and internationally, there is a campervan rental company: Wecamp. You can hire a campervan and start your trip directly from Harstad/Narvik Airport or take a bus to Bjerkvik where they are based. Read more about this here.

Skiing in the strikingly beautiful scenery, right down to snow-covered beaches is something unique. Going on a top tour in Lofoten is on many people’s wish lists. But where should you go?

It is strongly recommended to use a guide, both in terms of safety, but also for the best skiing experience. The guides know the area and the prevailing conditions and can select the most suitable tours.

If you have sufficient experience and want to go on a private trip, you will find inspiration in this article. Prepare well before the trip!

NB! Feel free to check www.varsom.no for avalanche warnings before you go on a trip.

Usually, the mountains on Austvågøya (largest island in Lofoten) are the most snow-sure. Mountains such as Småtindane, Rundfjellet, and Torskmannen are often visited. Parking can be a challenge during winter in Lofoten. The parking lot in the heart of the Austnesfjorden is therefore a true blessing, located just before you arrive in Laupstad when coming from Svolvær. From here, you can reach classics such as Kvittind, Pilan, and Saufjellet.

In good conditions, there are summit hiking opportunities also further west. On Vestvågøya, Himmeltinden stands out as a favorite, while Stornappstind is a delicious choice on Flakstadøya.

The Grand Travel Award, organized by TravelNews.no, is the Norwegan travel industry’s “Oscar Awards”. Here, the industry itself chooses a number of winners in various categories for the previous year. This year, Lofoten won “tourist destination of the year”. The other nominees were Tromsø, Oslo, Bergen and Åndalsnes.

Other recognitions in Lofoten

The winner of the “2022 Sustainability Award” went to Thon Hotel Lofoten and Thon Hotel Svolvær. The prize is awarded by HSMAI Norway.

HSMAI Norway is the Norwegian branch of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. A global organization for sales and marketing executives, representing all parts of the travel industry.

Thon Hotel Lofoten and Thon Hotel Svolvær distinguish themselves by showing efforts over a long period of time with clear goals, a variety of initiatives and future-oriented sustainable operations. Highlighted initiatives, which provides inspiration to others, are:

• Own seawater pump
• Own horticulture with food waste compost
• Focus on local food
• Promotion of local businesses
• Free gym for all guests
• Local experiences for employees
• Universal design of rooms and common areas
• Eco-Lightouse and member of Grønt Punkt

This is how you prepare for ski touring adventures in Lofoten. Be prepared to avoid being caught in an avalanche.

Steep mountainsides covered with soft powder snow accompanied by blue sky, incredible views and a playful and happy atmosphere. For those who have been bitten by the ski touring bug, little can compare with skiing down a pristine mountainside with wonderful flow. However, the snow cover can contain weak layers and the euphoria can turn into disaster in a fraction of a second. Avalanches claim lives in the Norwegian mountains every single year.

Coastal climate

The coastal climate in Lofoten means a lot of precipitation, strong winds and frequent weather changes. Consequently, skiing here is different from areas with inland mountains. Rapid changes in temperature affect the snow cover and can increase the risk of avalanches.

This involves the risk of being surprised by fog, wind, snow and rain on the mountain. Be well prepared and properly equipped.

The guide’s recommendations

We sat down with mountain guide Sjur Hauge from Northern Alpine Guides to talk about mountain safety, how to avoid avalanche accidents, and how to minimize risks when ski touring in Lofoten.

– ­How do you plan for a ski tour in Lofoten with the aim of ensuring safety in the best possible way?

– There is a recurring mantra: Choose a tour based on your skills and the conditions. It’s important to be thoroughly familiar with the avalanche problems and snow conditions in the area you are entering. Using the avalanche warnings available on Varsom.no is of the utmost importance. Study the warning carefully. You need to understand what the current avalanche problem consists of, how it has occurred and where it is expected to exist. If you don’t understand the warning, you should stay away from avalanche terrain or go on a guided ski tour.

­– ­What other factors should you consider?

– Look at the weather forecast and the group you are going on the ski tour with. What kind of ski tour is suitable for us? It’s important to take into consideration that different members of the group may have different ambitions. If you choose an option that is not in line with the skills of some of the group, it won’t be a good experience for them.

Choose tours that offer flexibility in the choice of routes rather than options where you are “locked” in steep terrain.

An area where you have a variety of directions increases the likelihood of skiing in good snow and safe snow.”

What should you do on the way to the mountain?

–You need to be observant from the moment you head outside an on the way to the mountain. Is the weather what has been forecast? Is there snow blowing from the peaks? Have there been recent avalanches? This is information that is useful when deciding whether to continue with the original plan or choose a safer option.

­– What should you do before setting off?

– Always conduct a transceiver function test before heading into potential avalanche terrain. This means checking to ensure that everyone in the group has a transceiver that can receive and send signals. You then check that everyone has a shovel and probe with them, and that they know how to assemble the probe.

– Does the size of the group matter?

– It’s easier to make good decisions when there are fewer in the group. Communication flows more easily and it’s more efficient. It’s a good idea to limit the size of the group to six and preferably four or fewer. If you have a large group, it’s smart to split it into two smaller groups.” 

­– How should you think and act during the trip up?

– It’s important to have good communication within the group and that you are together. If you make observations, say it out loud even if you think everyone sees the same thing as you. Has an avalanche been triggered on the other side of the valley, are you experiencing changes in the snow and/or has the wind turned? By saying things out loud, everyone in the group thinks about it. The goal along the way is to assess whether the conditions are as predicted, and then to decide whether to continue as planned or to change the route.

– What should you look for during the trip?

– There are three classic danger signs to be observant of:

• Shooting cracks
• A “whumping” sound when you walk in the snow
• Recent avalanches

– This is nature’s way of warning you. However, it’s important to keep in mind that even if none of these signs are present, it does not necessarily mean that it’s safe.

– What is defined as avalanche terrain?

­– A slope steeper than 30 degrees as well as the runout zones are defined as avalanche terrain. Runout zone means how far the avalanche goes. This means that the avalanche can occur in steep terrain above you and affect you even if you are in gentler terrain below.

– What should you do to minimize the risk when walking in steep terrain?

– Walk more than 10 m apart to reduce the load on the snow cover. Make this a habit when walking in terrain with a slope steeper than 30 degrees. If you choose to enter avalanche terrain, you must determine why it’s safe to walk here under the prevailing conditions.

– How do you know how steep the terrain is?

– There are several ways to measure slope steepness, including with poles, slope meters (inclinometers) and apps. These are things you learn on avalanche safety courses. There are also topographic maps showing slope steepness in the Varsom app.

– When should you decide to turn around?

– You should ask the question why is it safe to walk right here today? Sometimes we don’t have a good answer to that, and this is perhaps a good enough answer that you should not be in that terrain. 

– So, there is no shame in turning around?

– Turning back is not a defeat. The mountains won’t disappear. You should not dwell on the tours you decide to turn back. There will be new chances. If you have chosen terrain that offers several options, this won’t affect your skiing experience to a great extent.

– What is a sensible skiing pattern?

– As a starting point, you ski one by one in avalanche terrain. It’s important to ski to a safe place where you can’t be caught by an avalanche if the next skier triggers one. You do this to minimize the number of people who could potentially be taken by avalanches. 

– What should you do if there is an avalanche?

– If things have gone wrong, and someone is caught in an avalanche, buddy rescue with a transceiver and probe is the lifesaving option available. This means that the group must find and dig out their buddy as quickly as possible. The statistics show that you have 15 minutes to do so. After that, the death rate rises sharply.”

­– What measures should you take to increase your competence?

­– Take an avalanche safety course and practice your skills annually with those you are going skiing with. Northern Alpine Guides arranges avalanche safety courses at all levels. We arrange open avalanche safety courses and courses customized for groups of friends.

– ­What do you learn on an avalanche course?

– Planning, how to move in the mountains, recognise warning signs and assess slope steepness, knowledge about snow and buddy rescue are classic content on an avalanche safety course. These are basic skills you need to know when you go ski touring. It’s like taking driving lessons and getting your driving licence before you drive a car.

– Besides avalanches, what other potential dangers should you consider in Lofoten?

– Since we are situated out at sea, the mountains in Lofoten are the first ones that the storm hits. Consequently, the weather changes quickly and sometimes without warning. It can be difficult for the weather forecasters to foresee. It can also get very windy here. 

– Skiing skills also play a role. Skiing in varying skiing conditions requires a certain amount of skill and requires practice. For instance, a bone fracture in the mountains in bad weather can have very serious consequences because the rescue services are often far away.

– What should you always carry in your backpack?

• A shovel, avalanche probe and a transceiver – often referred to as an avalanche beacon
• Warm jacket
• Water and windproof shell garment
• Woollen hat
• Mittens
• Wind sack
• First aid kit
• Energy reserves (snacks etc.)
• Something to drink

I wish you a wonderful ski touring trip. Remember to use your head!

Hopefully after reading the previous article you’ve checked the weather forecast and solar activity and are getting ready for a night of aurora hunting!

Getting Ready

Before leaving the light and comfort of your cabin you’ll want to make sure that both you and your camera equipment are prepared for a (possibly cold) night out.

Your basic aurora photography setup is going to be: a camera with a wide lens – 14-24mm, and fast aperture – f/2.8 or faster is best. A tripod is necessary for the long exposures required. A cable release/remote is also useful to avoid touching your camera when shooting.

It is a good idea go get familiar with your camera and tripod during the day – you don’t want to be trying to find out what buttons do what in the dark. Ideally, you will want to photograph in M (manual) mode, giving you the best control over your exposure. So you’ll need to know how to change shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on your camera – preferably without having to turn on a headlamp or other light source. 

It is also important to know how to review your photos on the camera’s lcd screen, how to zoom in on the image (important for checking sharpness), and how to view the exposure histogram.

Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and you have several spares available; during winter, the cold can greatly reduce normal battery life. Check that your memory card also has plenty of space available and take a couple spares if necessary.

Tip: If you have a large photo bag, it is often unnecessary and will become burdensome after several hours of standing around. You can put a some spare batteries, memory cards, and lens wipes in your jacket pocket and you’ll generally be good to go for the night. 

On Location

If you show up on location and the aurora are already dancing overhead, it is easy to feel overwhelmed as you rush to setup your camera and it’s possible to forget some critical setting, like focus. No matter what the sky is doing, it is always best to be slow and methodical with setting up your camera. Think of it as going over a flight-checklist like pilots do.

Focus

The first critical element is focus. You need to focus your camera at infinity. Often there are some city lights in the distance that you can use to focus on. Newer cameras might be able to do so with autofocus, while with slightly older cameras, this is best done manually; zooming in on the lcd screen to help focus on a distant light source. 

No matter which way you have focused, switch your camera/lens to manual focus, as you will not need to re-focus again.

…The next important step before you begin shooting away is to take a test image and zoom in on the lcd screen to make sure you have focused correctly! Stars or the outlines of mountains against the sky are the two best places to check if you have focused correctly. If in doubt of how sharp the image is, re-focus and try again.

Tip: Be sure to periodically check the focus of your images throughout the night. If you are frequently moving the camera around or wearing thick, it is easy to accidentally bump your camera out of focus without knowing. I suggest to always use your right hand for grabbing the camera, by the camera grip, and using your left hand to adjust the tripod. If you grab the camera with your left hand, it is much more likely you’ll touch the lens and perhaps adjust the focus accidentally.

Exposure

There is no single correct exposure for northern lights. The brightness of the aurora itself, amount of moonlight, snow or no snow, and time of night will all have an influence on your exposure. 

However, as you need to begin somewhere, a good starting point is: ISO 3200, f/2.8, 8 seconds exposure time. 

I strongly recommend shooting in M (manual) mode to give you the best control over exposure. As the aurora fluctuate in intensity and brightness, you will need to adjust shutter speed or ISO as needed.

On active nights, the brightness of the aurora can change by 2-3 or more stops of light. And this can go from being dim to bright, or bright to dim. Usually, the aurora ebb and flow in intensity throughout the night, so you’ll always be wanting to keep an eye on your exposures. 

If the aurora is somewhat faint and inactive, often times appearing as an arch across the northern sky, then longer shutter speeds of 10 or more seconds are fine, and sometimes necessary. As the aurora gets brighter, begins to move, and has more defined shapes, you will want as fast as shutter speed as your camera will allow, ideally under 4 seconds. This is to (hopefully) capture the shape and detail of the aurora, and help keep it from just turning into a green glow without much form.

Tip: Do not trust your eyes to see that you have a proper exposure on your camera’s lcd screen, as they’ll have adjusted to the darkness of the night. What might appear to be bright green northern lights on your camera’s screen while standing in the dark on an empty beach, can potentially look dull and dark once you return to the normal lighting conditions of your cabin. Always check the image’s histogram, and keep the exposure slightly away from the left so that the image is not too dark. 

Composition

The northern lights come in all shapes and sizes; everything from a low arch glowing above the northern horizon, to the entire sky filled with so much light, you simply don’t know where to look! Luckily, Lofoten´s landscape offers a wide variety of locations to photograph the northern lights however and wherever they should appear. And while there there are near endless mountains, my favourite images often come from Lofoten´s spectacular white sand beaches, many of which offer fantastic reflections of the aurora in the wet sand, creating dynamic compositions and images full of light. 

Somewhat counterintuitively, it is the smaller, slower moving aurora displays that are easier the photograph and find a nice image composition. This is mostly because they tend to remain in the same position for a longer period of time, allowing you to refine your composition. When the auroras are dancing high overhead and the coronae are raining down in chandeliers of light, it can actually become overwhelming. Sometimes this is when I simply watch and enjoy the show.

For all but the faintest auroras, the moon will have no affect on their visibility. In fact, a quarter moon or more can greatly enhance most locations by helping to illuminate the landscape. Combined with fresh snow, a full moon can allow you to greatly reduce your shutter speed or ISO, improving the quality of you images.

To help yourself compose and image, pretend the northern lights are not northern lights, but clouds. How would you look at the scene if it was simply clouds in the sky? And how would you then photograph them with the location you are at? This can help you focus on the image, and not the dancing lights overhead. Though admittedly, this is often easier in theory than in practice!

Tip: Although you cannot control when the northern lights appear, the beaches are best visited on a mid to low tide, preferably an outgoing tide. This provides the largest amounts of clean sand and the best reflections.

Working in the dark

Aurora photography is a much more active experience than normal night photography. The northern lights are often moving across the sky in regular intervals and you will accordingly be changing compositions and moving around much more frequently – all in the darkness.

I recommended above to avoid carrying your camera bag if possible. If you do however, be very cautious of putting the bad down on the beach. It is easy to lose track of time and not quite pay attention that the tide is coming in, until a wave suddenly washes across your feet – and your camera bag beside you! Always store your bag on some rocks or elsewhere far out of danger from an incoming tide. 

If other photographers are around or you are in a group, it is also important to move slowly in the darkness. It is easy to be looking at the sky and unknowingly knock over someone else’s tripod that is setup in the darkness beside you. 

Tip: Don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy the northern lights as they are. No photo can come close to actually seeing the aurora dance across the sky above you in a symphony of light. It is spectacular!

Lofoten offers white powdered mountains, ski happines and amazing views.

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Sleep well

When the northern lights dance across the sky, it makes us stop and look up. It is difficult to resist her magical power. Lofoten offers many such moments, and is a beautiful setting for spectacular experiences.

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Get inspired

In the period from January untill April is the time when the skrei arrive from the Barents Sea to mate in Vestfjord. Fishermen from all along the coast equip themselves in the fishing villages in order to take part in the annual Lofotfiske. Do you have ha fisherman in you? Then this is the time to visit Lofoten for you.

Join us out to sea

A culinary experience

Ve recommend this restaurant that knows how to treat the cod and gives you a culinary experience, and who has won an award for their stochfisk sausage.

Learn more

Every year, several Christmas markets are organized around Lofoten, where you can buy everything from lovely household products to more exclusive handicrafts and food. Here you will find an overview of the Christmas markets in Lofoten.

Turistinformasjon Vågan

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Tlf turistinformasjon: 760 70 575

Destination Lofoten as

P.O.Box 210

Visiting address: Håkon Kyllingmarksgate 6

N-8301 SVOLVÆR
Tel. +47 76 06 98 00
E-mail: post@lofoten.info

Employees in Destination Lofoten AS

Head of tourism

Line Renate Samuelsen

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Telefon direkte: 922 46 956 

Marketing manager

Vegeir H. Selboe 

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Telefon direkte: 958 00 718

Booking and administration manager

Hege Ragni Haugerud 

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Telefon direkte: 990 41 164