Top 10 Things To Do In The Faroe Islands // MUST-SEE FAROE ISLANDS TRAVEL GUIDE 2023
So you want to visit the most beautiful place in the world? Not many people know about this remote cluster of islands in the North Atlantic called the Faroe Islands, so you're in for a treat. I'm Romina and I make videos about travel. If you find yourself enjoying this video at any point, click the subscribe button so you see more videos from me. For now, stay tuned and I'll show you one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited on planet earth and the top things to do in the Faroe Islands.
The Faroe Islands is a self governing archipelago, consisting of 18 islands connected by road, tunnels, ferries, causeways and bridges. It's located between Iceland and Norway, in the North Atlantic ocean and is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It's name literally means "Sheep Islands". And before we go any further... yes, there are sheep. A lot of sheep. Wherever you go.
My number one suggestion for visiting Faroe Islands is rent a car and plan a road trip. It is so worth it to explore these islands on your own with a car. When visiting the Faroe Islands, you won't have much trouble getting around as everyone you encounter is incredibly nice, helpful, and they speak English. This is of course aside from Faroese or Danish, their official languages. By the way, I may have difficulty pronouncing the name of some of these places in this video, but I will be trying my best! That being said, don't be too mean in the comments if I mess up a little. Okay, let's get this trip started!
1) Múlafossur waterfall
Our first stop is in the Vágar Island in a well secluded valley where a tiny village by the name of Gásadalur lies. Here is the place where you'll find one of the most spectacular waterfalls. This is Múlafossur. It empties its water directly from the cliff top into the ocean. It's absolutely breathtaking. I will try to not say this word for every single place I mention, but it's going to be challenging. Fair warning. While at this waterfall, you might also spot some puffins. If you don't see any, don't worry, there's another place I mention in this video where you will be sure to see them up close so keep watching to the end.
2) Trælanípa
The next thing on the list might be a bit of a hike for some of you, but it is 100% worth it if you are able to do it. This place attracts travelers from all over the world. After about 2 hours of walking, you can arrive to the top of this cliff and experience a surreal scene as the landscape turns into an optical illusion as a lake seems to be elevated much higher from the sea than it actually is. This is also on Vágar Island and is very close to the airport you'll fly into when you go to Faroe Islands. Traelanipa might be challenging for some travelers who are not used to trekking, but it's rewarding once you reach the top of the cliff and see the waves of the ocean slamming against the rocks down below.
3) Saksun
In the island of Streymoy, about an hour from the capital, Tórshavn, you'll end up at our next stop: Saksun. The horizon presents lush green fields and sharp peaks. This is one of the most isolated settlements in the islands, with only a few inhabitants and, of course, lots of sheep. One of the more unique features of this area is the grass-roof houses, which will be hard to miss, even though they blend in with the surroundings, and a cute little church by the water, which was built in 1858. If you're doing the driving like I suggested at the start of the video, you're going to see some gorgeous sites on the way to the village, again loads of sheep, and a number of waterfalls. Of course, if you stop at each lovely thing you see it will probably take you more than an hour to get to Saksun.
If you're enjoying this video and my face, please hit the thumbs up button, subscribe to me and press the notification bell! Also, make sure you stay all the way until the end of the video for some more puffins.
4) Gjógv
Moving on to Eysturoy Island, drive around here and you'll find the village of Gjogv. This place is incredibly picturesque with its multiple colored houses and 200 meter gorge (about 650 feet). When you arrive at Gjogv, make sure to take a stroll to the edge of the cliff for some spectacular views and amazing photos. You're also able to take some concrete stairs down and enter the gorge itself. It is considered one of the best natural harbors. This is also an interesting spot for photos that offers a different perspective without the colorful village.
5) Vestmanna Sea Cliff
This next place is possibly my favorite thing I did in the Faroe Islands, besides seeing the puffins. In order to experience this spot, you need to get on a boat. Visiting the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs is an absolute must. If you do nothing else, do this! You can easily book a day trip on one of the boats that depart from the village of Vestmanna on the island of Streymoy. The tours are generally from April to October, run regularly in the morning or afternoon, and lasts about 2 hours. If you are fortunate enough to have good weather on your trip, the boat will sail through some of the gorges, which offers impressive views of the cliffs and thousands of birds flying above you. The boat ride can be exhilarating as you may encounter some choppy waves. Even if you get a little seasick, I would recommend you rough it out and go for it because it is an unforgettable trip.
6) Kalsoy island
By taking a 20 minute ferry ride from Klaksvík, you can arrive at Syðradalur on Kalsoy island. There are a number of departures daily depending on the season, which makes this spot a no brainer visit while in the Faroe Islands. Kalsoy Island has a fantastic 3 mile round trip trail, the Kallur Lighthouse hike. It isn't super challenging, but can be risky if the weather isn't right. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you can start your trek from the village of Trøllanes and complete the hike in a couple hours. While on Kalsoy, I would recommend visiting the village of Mikladalur to see Kopakonan, the statue of the Seal Woman. You might think it's silly to travel this far to see a statue by the water, but the bronze and stainless steel sculpture is accompanied by legends and stories passed from generation to generation, which can add a sense of wonder and eeriness to your visit. I don't know about you, but that's just the kind of thing I hope to experience when visiting a destination such as the Faroe Islands.
7) Tinganes
Tinganes is a historic location of the Faroe Islands. It's a part of Tórshavn, the capital city. Back when vikings were a thing, Norwegians placed their parliament in Tinganes in 825. Yes, that's the year 825! Long time ago. Of course that means there's a lot of history here, but the most unique part about this location is the buildings which were mainly built in the 16th and 17th centuries, are still in use today, and are mainly all painted in red and white. Some of the buildings also have the green or Sod roofs. This combination of colors and traditional architecture makes Tinganes a quaint location for photographers.
We're almost at the last spot on my list. For links, extra info, and the names of everything I mentioned, look in the description of this video.
8) Eystruryartunnilin Tunnel
Faroe Islands is home to the 2nd largest under sea tunnel in the world, which is "Eystruryartunnilin". I don't know how to begin to pronounce that. It's almost 7 miles long or 11.24 km. This tunnel contains the world's first roundabout under water, which features large sculptures and light effects. It's a marvel of engineering as the structure appears like a large jellyfish, fitted with artwork by Tróndur Patursson, a Faroese artist. It's kind of fun driving through this tunnel from Tórshavn to the second most populous Faroe island, Eysturoy. You might want to make the drive through this tunnel a couple times so you can fully admire the craftsmanship of this feat.
9) Mykines
This is the moment you've all been waiting for. Well, some of you. Faroe Islands is famous for its puffins. They're small birds that kind of look like penguins. Although you can catch a glimpse of them in many areas across the archipelago, arguably the best place to see them is on the westernmost island, Mykines. The way to get to Mykines is by a two-way boat ride. It departs from the village of Sørvágur on Vágar Island and takes about 30 minutes. This little boat will take you right into the harbor in Mykines.
Then you have to climb these steep stairs. And then you need to hike a steep hillside. There's a lot of walking involved here but believe me it is so rewarding once you get to the top. The view is spectacular with the only village on the island, also named Mykines, the rough coastline, and the lush green hills. On top of that, you can get within arms reach of the puffins. You'll probably see many photographers hiking with telephoto lenses to get the best shots because it's truly an unforgettable lifetime experience.
10) Tjørnuvík and Fossa Waterfall
After an adventure filled road trip, it's nice to tone things down a bit. That's why the last place on this list is the village of Tjørnuvík in the northern point of Streymoy Island. It's a village that's nestled quietly in a deep valley, facing the sea. You can visit this town and get a feeling of peace. It's quasi isolated location has made it one of the most visited towns on the islands.
About a 10 minute drive from this town is one of the tallest waterfalls in the Faroe Islands, Fossa. This waterfall stands out because of its contrasting dark basalt wall with the white water flowing down and the way the waterfall breaks into two sections. Park the car along the side of the road and you can walk right up to the waterfall for an inspiring experience to end your trip in the Faroe Islands.
