13 amazing things to do in the Faroe Islands
After some things to do in the Faroe Islands? Here’s some wonderful ways to spend your time in this region of the world.
The Faroe Islands (located between Scotland and Iceland) are a popular Nordic destination for hikers and adventure seekers worldwide.
Indeed, many venture to this remote archipelago for its epic and challenging walks, which will reward you with some jaw-dropping views.
Take a hike while you’re there for sure, but there’s plenty of other things to do in the Faroe Islands.
You can dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant, chase after puffins and even ride a Faroese horse.
Best things to do in the Faroe Islands
Here’s some of what you can get up to during your time on the Faroe Islands.
For more, you should check out my complete travel guide to the Faroe Islands, which will help you plan a most fantastic trip.
1. Have a good proper poke around Tórshavn
Tórshavn is one of the most delightful Nordic capitals that I’ve been to, at least.
It’s located on the main island (Streymoy) and packs in a whole lot of history.
There’s plenty of things to do in Torshavn. It’s worth having a little wander around this tiny city and take in some of the sights (and eat all the food you can get your hands on, if at all possible).
What I found most interesting about Tórshavn is its parliament buildings.
Although officially considered a part of Denmark, the islands are self-governing. The Løgting (Faroese Parliament, which translates delightfully to “law thing”) can be traced back 1000 years making it one of, if not the oldest parliament in the world.
Tórshavn is also home to the only traffic lights in the entire country – there are three!
I thoroughly recommend making Tórshavn your base and exploring the rest of the islands from that point – it’s a pretty short drive to just about anywhere. Hotel Tórshavn is quite conveniently located in town.
2. Take a hike
If you love to hike and are rather keen on nature, you’re going to love the Faroe Islands.
It doesn’t matter what your age or ability level is – there’s a hike here to suit you.
This is one of the top things to do in the Faroe Islands and definitely shouldn’t be miss.
For more inspiration, check out these inspiring books about walking.
3. Buy a souvenir jumper at Guðrun & Guðrun
Guðrun & Guðrun is a sustainable fashion company that shot to fame a few years ago, after designing the sweater that The Killing’s protagonist Sarah Lund wore in the Danish version of the show.
After first visiting their store in Tórshavn, I spent three days deliberating over whether I should invest in a beautiful blue knitted jumper that I’d fallen in love with. And when I say invest, I mean it – the jumper retailed for the equivalent of £150.
In the end, I bought the sweater on my last day there. I can’t say I’ve regretted this decision in the slightest – it’s one of my favourite items of clothing and is worth every penny.
4. Dine fine at the many wonderful restaurants on the archipelago
In traditional Nordic style, one of the best things to do in the Faroe Islands is eat.
Start each day with a baguette and giant hot chocolate at Kafé Kaspar. And definitely try to eat a meal at both Aarstova, which did a mean shoulder of lamb and KOKS restaurant.
The latter has two Michelin stars and is within the top three meals of my entire life (I’m a big fan of food, so that’s high praise indeed).
KOKS is where I tried sea urchin for the first time and let me tell you, it was worth travelling to the Faroe Islands just for that.
So if you love food, this should definitely be top of your list of things to do in the Faroe Islands.
Note: KOKS has temporarily relocated to Greenland… worth a trip!
5. & don’t forget to explore the smaller towns
As much as Tórshavn has to offer, don’t forget to pop in to visit some of the smaller towns around the islands.
We spent some time in Eiði, wandered around Vestmanna, cooed over the very tiny Bøur and drove out to Gásadalur twice, to get the iconic picture of the waterfall (Múlafossur) below the tiny town, which falls into the ocean below.
This could easily be your first stop when arriving in the country, after picking up your hire car, as the town is located on the same island as the airport.
Drive east from Vágar Airport, through the town of Bøur and the tunnel that connects the town to the rest of the Faroes.
If you want to travel to Eiði or further north, I 110% recommend that you follow your heart and do just that.
6. Ride a Faroese horse
Did you know the Faroese have their own special breed of horse and that they once nearly went extinct?
In the 1960s there was only one stallion and four mares left.
A breeding program was put into place by locals and now there are 74 Faroese horses in existence.
All up, there are 400 horses roaming the island, some of which contain Faroese blood but have been bred with horses imported from other countries.
It is possible to do riding tours in the Faroe Islands. Berg Hestar offer tours with Icelandic horses but if you contact Davidsen Hestar Horse Riding, you might find yourself astride a robust and rare Faroese horse.
7. Check out the Risin og Kellingin stacks
This pair of sea-stacks can be seen off the coast of Eysturoy island.
Risin rises 71 metres out of the ocean, with Kellingin marking 69 metres.
You can see the stacks from above when you’re standing near the edge of the cliff (Eiðiskollur). Other vantage points include the village TjørnuvÃk on Streymoy Island or from Eysturoy Island, halfway between Eiði and the mountain pass Eiðisskarð.
8. Take a boat out to Kalsoy to see the selkie statue
Kalsoy is one of the islands in the Faroes and is only accessible by the car-ferry that leaves from KlaksvÃk.
In the town of Mikladalur you’ll see the statue of the Seal Woman, which is inspired by a Faroese folk tale.
9. Hike to Kallurin Lighthouse
This picturesque island (like, ah every other island in this archipelago) features in the Bond film No Time to Die.
The famous Kallurin lighthouse is perched upon some craggy cliffs , above the North Atlantic.
If you’re looking for the best things to do in the Faroe Islands, take the 1-hour hike to the lighthouse, from the village of Trøllanes.
You can buddy this up with a trip to Mikladalur.
If you haven’t a lot of time and don’t have a hire car, you can book onto a guided tour to the Kallurin lighthouse instead.
10. Journey out to Mykines to see puffins
These ridiculously cute little birds are prolific on the island of Mykines in the summer months.
Catch the ferry out to the island to see the puffins for yourself.
11. Or, just get on a boat for fun
Depart from the town of Vestmanna on a route that is usually ideal for seeing local birdlife – at least, in the summer months.
When I went in early autumn, it was more a case of “and this is where Fulmar would be roosting, if they were actually here at this time, which they aren’t.”
An opportunity to use one’s imagination, I guess!
12. Road trip around the islands & take in the sights
A road trip is one of the more highly recommended things to do in the Faroe Islands.
You could have a fabulous time on the islands just driving around, stopping at places on a whim.
They really are breathtakingly gorgeous and there’s a lot of history packed into them – represented in many features both natural and man-made.
That and the islands are really drive able.
The roads are well-tarred and spacious, even on the side of mountains.
There are newish tunnels connecting towns that previously have only been accessible by boat or on foot.
The Faroes really are opening up to the outside world, on many different fronts.
13. Do go chasing waterfalls
If anything else, you can amuse yourself just by driving around and taking photographs of waterfalls all day, as there are plenty of them in the Faroes, of all shapes and sizes.
Things to do in the Faroe Islands: in conclusion
So, there you have it! There is plenty to keep you busy in the Faroe Islands.
From hiking, to horse riding, eating delicious meals and just taking in the sights, you’ll definitely enjoy your time in this stunning corner of the globe.
If visiting rugged Nordic countries is kinda your thing, check out my guide to a Westfjords road trip in Iceland.
Have you been to the Faroe Islands? If not, would you like to go?
Definitely a great post! I think there is a lot to offer people in the Faroes- and even for those that aren’t avid hikers (I’m definitely a hiker, but when I went, I was with my man’s parents who are a bit older so we couldn’t do anything extremely strenuous at the time, which was totally fine).
It definitely isn’t a one trick pony. The views just driving around are pretty darn excellent too!
It looks freezing cold but I’d love to explore – how do you actually get there?? And I think hiking would be a must for me. 😀
They have their own airline (Atlantic Airways) that offer direct flights from Edinburgh and Copenhagen. Was surprisingly easy to get there and not as expensive as I had expected either. Apparently it doesn’t get too cold there – they have pretty mild summers and winters (13-3 degree radius).
Ah yep. Found your other post with helpful information. 🙂
Would you recommend this for older people? I really wanted to take me dad there but my mom uses a cane and cannot walk too far. I know we would probably not go hiking but, do you think they would still be able to do some stuff?
The islands are pretty drive-able so you can see some of the sights (Gásadular, viewing the Risin og Kellingin stacks, exploring Tórshavn) without having to walk too far. Perhaps a boat ride could work as well? Boat tours from Vestmanna are literally that – tours where you’re sat the entire time. Mind you the waters around the islands are not always entirely gentle, so might be best to inquire about conditions on the day.