A first trip to the Faroe Islands
I know nothing about the Faroes. Where do I start?
What the country actually is, how long to come for, and the four decisions that shape everything else.
- Eighteen islands, about 54,000 people, between Scotland and Iceland.
- Five nights is the shortest trip that does not feel rushed.
- The car decision determines your whole itinerary.
The Faroe Islands are a self-governing nation within the Kingdom of Denmark: eighteen islands in the North Atlantic, roughly halfway between Scotland and Iceland, with about fifty-four thousand people and rather more sheep.
The four decisions
- How long. Three nights is a taste, five is comfortable, seven lets you include Suðuroy or Mykines.
- Car or no car. This determines where you can stay and what you can see more than anything else.
- When. September and May are the best compromises; June to August for puffins and light.
- One base or two. Two is usually better — Tórshavn plus somewhere north.
What surprises people
- It is not cold — but it is windy in a way that is hard to convey.
- Distances are tiny and journeys still take time, because of tunnels and ferries.
- Outside Tórshavn, dinner needs arranging in advance.
- Prices are Nordic. Budget accordingly.
- Almost all land is privately owned; several famous walks charge a fee.
The shortest route to a realistic plan is to pick a shape first.
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Read next
Travelling the Faroe Islands without a car
Yes, but it changes which trip you can have. Here is what is genuinely reachable and what is not.
Driving in the Faroe Islands
Short distances, excellent roads, and a few things — single-lane tunnels, sheep, tolls — that catch people out.
Faroese weather, and planning around it
Not cold, rarely still, and different on two sides of the same island. Plan flexibly rather than optimistically.
When to visit
What each season actually offers, including what closes and what is not there yet.