lofoten

  • Harstad, Lofoten Islands, Road-trips, Scenic Drives, Sortland, Svolvaer, Vesterålen

    Drive it Yourself: Harstad to Svolvær (via the Fv83)

    Drive it Yourself: Harstad to Svolvær (via the Fv83)

    The drive between Harstad and Svolvær is a scenic drive through the traditional regions of Vesterålen and Lofoten.

    There are actually two ways to get between the two towns. The first way is to follow the E10, the major highway that runs through Lofoten. We covered that drive in 2021 (click here to read it). This way, via the Fv83, is the second way. It does take a little longer, but it is worth it. The Fv83 is regarded as a scenic road for the Vesterålen region, which is just as beautiful as Lofoten but with less tourists. It does include one ferry, but the ferry runs regularly. 

    Here’s our guide to the drive from Harstad to Svolvær via the Fv83. 

    In this article...

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    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

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    Harstad to Svolvær

    Harstad Travel Guide

    Read more about Harstad, one of the largest towns in Northern Norway, below. 

    Harstad Travel Guide

    Kvæfjord Municipality

    Kvæfjord municipality is a scenic municipality located on the island of Hinnøya, which is the largest island in Norway. Around 2,800 people live in the municipality. Kvæfjord is known for its agricultural heritage and its production of strawberries and potatoes. The farms here benefit from south-facing slopes and bright nights under the midnight sun. The fjord is known for its rich supply of herring.

    Archaeological evidence shows there has been settlement here since at least the Iron Age, and there are farms that have evidence of habitation back to 300BC. Some place names in the area come from the Viking Age. There has also always been a small Sami settlement in the area.

    Kvæfjord is home to Norway’s national cake, the Kvæfjord cake. The cake is made with meringue, vanilla cream and almonds.

    Kvæøya

    Island

    You’ll pass a right turn that takes you towards the island. Kvæøya is a small island in the Kvæfjord. It is connected to the mainland via a small bridge, the Kvæøy Bridge, which was completed in 2010. The island is highly regarded for its farming, with large farms on the southern and western sides. 

    Hemmestad

    Village

    Hemmestad is a small village with an interesting history. It used to be the ‘capital’ of Kvæfjord and was a major trading area. In the village today you’ll find the old Hemmstad Brygge (pier), a heritage-listed building that was the trading centre for Kvæfjord throughout the 19th century. Twice a year boats came here with coffee, spices, candy, textiles and spirits. From Hemmestad, rockfish, cod, fowl and mullet was exported.

    Today Hemmestad Brygge is a museum complex that explains the history of trade here.

    Refnes - Flesnes

    Ferry

    You will now take the ferry between Refnes and Flesnes, two small villages on either side of the Gullesfjorden. 

    Bogen

    Settlement

    Bogen is a small settlement that relies on agriculture and fish farming. There is an annual festival here called Flesnes i fest, where several hundred people come to compete in football and car races.

    Langvassbukta

    Village

    Langvassbukta is a small village by the Gullefjord. This is where the county road ends. From here, it turns into Highway 85 (Rv85). To go towards Lofoten, turn left towards Lødingen. It is also recommended to take a scenic detour to Sortland and back.

    This guide follows the scenic detour. 

    Sortland Municipality

    Sortland municipality is the administrative centre for the region and is named after the town of Sortland, which is the largest town and commercial centre in the traditional region of Vesterålen. It is part of the county of Nordland.

    The municipality is spread across the islands of Langøya and Hinnøya in the Vesterålen archipelago. The mountain Møysalen is part of the Møysalen National Park, located in the southern part of the municipality. The midnight sun occurs from the 23rd of May to the 23rd of July, while the polar night occurs from the 30th of November until the 12th of January.

    Sigerfjord

    Town

    Sigerfjord is a small town with around 800 people living there. The church is from 1933 but has a figure of St. Olav from the 15th century inside. It came from an earlier church on the same spot. The town has a primary school and kindergarten. Most of the industry here is connected to the sea.

    Sortland

    Sortland is the main town and administrative centre for the region. It is also known as the ‘blue city’.

    Sortland is a 15 minute detour from Sigerfjord, but is well worth it if you want to stop for a coffee break or pick up some supplies.

    You can read about Sortland via our travel guide below. 

    Sortland Travel Guide

    This drive now continues back towards Lødingen. You’ll reach a round-a-bout and turn onto the E10 towards Å i Lofoten. 

    Hadsel Municipality

    Hadsel municipality is located on four main islands in Vesterålen – Hinnøya, Langøya, Hadseløya, and Austvågøya.

    Hadsel has been an important hub for the fishing industry, and due to its proximity to Lofoten has always been an important trading place for Lofoten residents. The oldest settlements were likely on the southern side of Hadseløya, but the main harbour has always been Stokmarknes.

    The name “Hadsel” comes from the Old Norse word “Hovdasegl”, meaning “main sail”. The name describes that Hadseløya can look like a merged mainsail on a Nordland boat when you see Hadseløya from Langøya. The Sami name for Hadsel is Ulpesuohkan, referring to the old name for the area (Ulvøya).

    The main airport here is the Stokmarknes Airport, the busiest small aircraft airport in Norway. Stokmarknes is also the birthplace of Hurtigruten, the Norwegian coastal ferry.

    The coat of arms represents four yellow rings, representing the four main islands the municipality is on.

    Vågan Municipality

    Vågan is a major municipality in Lofoten. It includes most of the island Austvågøy as well as Gimsøya. It is the easternmost of Lofoten’s six municipalities. The main town in Vågan is Svolvær, where this drive ends. Fishing is the most important industry here, and Vågan is North Norway’s 8th largest fishing municipality.

    Austnesfjorden

    Photo stop

    The view is excellent over the fjord and you can see Sildpollnes Church in the distance.

    Sildpollnes Church is a small white wooden church from 1891. The church had some drama recently, when the current neighbour refused to let people through his property to get to the church because he said the 1890 agreement stated people could pass on foot, but it didn’t mention automobiles. The church closed in 2015 and the case went to court, with the neighbour loosing and the Lofoten District Court ruling in favour of the church.

    At the photo stop they have a place you can walk up to with a viewing platform. I’ve used a photo of it at the top of this page. This is where you get the view out to the church. 

    Svolvær Airport

    Airport

    Svolvær Airport is a regional airport in Lofoten. While it is one of the main airports for Lofoten, it is likely not the one you will fly to if you are flying to Lofoten – instead, it’s better to fly to Harstad/Narvik and drive from there. Svolvær Airport is served by Widerøe and the routes are subsidized by the government with direct flights to Bodø, Oslo, and small communities in Nordland county. There are plans to make a new primary airport to serve the Lofoten and Vesterålen region, making it more attractive to visit out of the tourist season.

    Svolvær

    We have made it to Svolvær, the end of today’s drive! You can read more about Svolvær on our dedicated travel page. 

    Svolvær Travel Guide

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

    Previous Drive

    Kiruna to Harstad via Narvik

    See the previous day’s drive from Kiruna in Sweden to Harstad in Norway via the Norwegian town of Narvik. 

    Kiruna to Harstad via Narvik
  • Bodø, Lofoten Islands, Practical Tips

    Getting to the Lofoten Islands with the Bodø to Moskenes Ferry

    Getting to the Lofoten Islands with the Bodø to Moskenes Ferry

    Back in 2021 Sean and I did a road-trip around Northern Norway, beginning and ending in Trondheim. When it came time to plan the section for the Lofoten Islands, I knew I wanted to take the ferry. I’d heard about the Bodø to Moskenes Ferry and decided to do that ferry.

    It was such a beautiful journey! Originally I was apprehensive to take ferries in Norway because I feel they slow down the road-trip and I struggled figuring out how they work. This road-trip was great for me because we were taking 2-3 ferries a day, so now I feel like I’m an expect on ferries.

    Earlier this year I got to fly into the Lofoten Islands for the first time, and while the flight from Bodø to Svolvær is short (20 minutes!) I still can’t get behind flying there. So, I’ve written this overview of how the ferry works to try and encourage you to do the same!

    In this article...

    BodØ Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    Flying is Expensive

    Well, I should begin by saying all options to the Lofoten Islands are expensive, including the ferry. However, flying is the most expensive option. While there are airports at Svolvær and Leknes, they are operated by the regional airline Widerøe and have few departures. The small planes plus few departures drives the price up. Also, if the wind is too strong the planes can’t fly at all.

    This makes Bodø an excellent alternative. Bodø is a major airport with Widerøe, SAS and Norwegian all flying there. Bodø has direct connections to Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø and other cities, so it’s easy to get to. At the airport you’ll find all the major rental companies for cars.

    Why Should I Go to Moskenes?

    If you are road-tripping in Lofoten, it’s likely that you’ll be doing the Lofoten Tourist Road. This is one of the 18 national tourist roads in Norway, and arguably the most scenic.

    The tourist road begins at the southern tip in Å and ends in the north in the Vesterålen region.

    Moskenes is located about a 10 minute drive north of Å, so if you take the ferry to Moskenes, you arrive practically at the beginning of the tourist road. This makes it easy to then take the tourist road north. You can choose to spend the night in Å, or if you drive 10 minutes north of Moskenes you’ll be in one of the most famous villages in Lofoten: Reine.

    Our road-trip guides:

    Compared to flying, you’ll have to drive about two hours south from Svolvær to get to Reine or Å, and then drive back on the same road. It gets a little repetitive, and your time is best spent doing the trip one way.

    Are there other ferries?

    There is one other car ferry that will take you to the Lofoten Islands, and that is the Hurtigruten. The Hurtigruten departs Bodø at 3:10pm and arrives in Stamsund around 7pm. Stamsund is located midway between Moskenes and Svolvaer.

    Hurtigruten can be an expensive alternative, and if you are travelling in the high season (or middle of winter) it’s likely that their limited car spaces will be full.

    What if I'm travelling without a vehicle?

    If you don’t have a vehicle, it is possible to take an express ferry from Bodø to Svolvær. Svolvær is the largest town in the Lofoten Islands so it has the best public transport connections. From here, you’ll be able to take a bus to most other major villages in the islands.

    Moskenes

    Views along the way

    The ferry isn’t especially fast, but the journey is very scenic. We were fortunate to take the ferry on a clear and calm day, so for the first half of the journey were could see the Norwegian mainland. As you leave Bodø, you get an excellent view of the Bodø skyline and the mountains behind it.

    You can start seeing the Lofoten Islands about halfway into the journey. It was so clear for us that we could see where the Lofoten Islands and the mainland meet!

    The approach into Lofoten is spectacular, of course.

    The Onboard Experience

    The ferry is a little dated and basic (the company has recently announced they have signed the contract for new ferries to be built), but it has everything you need for the journey.

    There is a large seating area with chairs and tables as well as a cafeteria serving coffee, sandwiches, hot dogs, and snacks. If you have been on a Norwegian ferry before, it’s very much the same time of food.

    A highlight of the ferry is that you have a lot of open space to walk around. On the smaller express ferries, you often can’t go outside at all. We spent a lot of our time outside taking pictures.

    Moskenes

    Ferry Timetable

    The ferry timetable can be found on their website: http://ruteinfo.thn.no/en/default.aspx?rnr=86

    Booking Tickets

    I strongly recommend booking your ferry ticket in advance. In 2019, the ferry made headlines for selling out and for people being unable to get on board. In summer it is likely the ferry will sell out. It is possible to also buy tickets at the ferry, but you can’t be guaranteed that the ferry hasn’t sold out. Additionally, those who have prepaid board the ferry first, which means you’ll be able to leave first.

    You can book tickets on the Torghatten-Nord website: https://www.torghatten-nord.no/

    On the top left side, you’ll see an option to change the language to English.

    There is an option to search for ticket prices. Put that in and add a car + passenger. You’ll have to select the size of your vehicle plus how many passengers you have. After that, you’ll be able to choose a time.

    The website will ask for a registration plate for the car, but if you are renting a car just write ‘rental car’.

    As you’ll see, the tickets are quite expensive! 950 NOK – 1250 NOK. However, it can cost over 2000 NOK to fly into Svolvær, and when I tried looking for prices on Hurtigruten nothing was available. So, it seems like it is the cheapest option of them all.

    You might be saying “well, I can just drive to the bottom and then drive back up”, but remember fuel in Norway is quite expensive and you would pay about 900 NOK just to drive from the top of Lofoten to the bottom anyway.

    How long does the ferry take?

    The ferry journey takes around three and a half hours. You’ll notice there are different durations corresponding to different departures on the website. Thisis because sometimes the ferry makes some stops along the way, especially to the small islands of Røst and Værøy. Ideally, you’d like to leave early in the day so you have extra time to explore Lofoten.

    Røst & Værøy

    These are two small little isolated islands off the coast of Lofoten. While it is possible to fly to them, it would be such an amazing experience to take the ferry there as well. You can add them to your Lofoten road-trip. I have never been, but am hoping to get there some day.

    Recently the government passed a new law making some vital ferry services free, and this includes the ferry to Røst & Værøy. So now you can travel there for free!

    Tell Me What You Think!

    If you have taken the ferry, or have any questions, please use the comment section below.

    BodØ Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide