5 Night Faroe Islands Itinerary: The Perfect Road Trip for First-Time Visitors
If you’re looking for a destination that feels completely different from the typical European vacation, put the Faroe Islands on your list.
Tucked between Iceland and Norway, this remote archipelago is made up of 18 rugged islands filled with dramatic mountains, waterfalls, tiny villages, black sand beaches, turf-roofed houses and winding roads that disappear into narrow tunnels.
We spent five nights in the Faroe Islands from July 15–20, traveling by rental car and ferry and using Tórshavn as our home base. Coming directly from an 8-night campervan road trip around Iceland, the slower pace of the Faroe Islands was a welcome change.
Our trip included some of the islands’ most famous hikes, but we also spent plenty of time exploring villages, chasing waterfalls, driving scenic mountain roads and simply enjoying the scenery.
And, as you’ll see below, our trip did not go exactly according to plan. We managed to pop two tires on our first night and ended up hanging out at a local fire station until 1 AM.
So this is the exact 5-night itinerary we followed, including what we’d recommend, what went wrong, and how you can plan a similar Faroe Islands road trip.
After exploring the Faroe Islands we headed to Norway for a 7 night road trip.
Planning a longer trip? Five nights was enough for us to see the major highlights, but adding a few extra days would allow you to slow down even more and explore some of the islands we didn’t have time for.
Our 5 Night Faroe Islands Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1: Vágar Airport → Tórshavn → Klaksvík → Klakkur Hike
Day 2: Slow day exploring Tórshavn
Day 3: Trælanípa → Múlafossur Waterfall → Gásadalur
Day 4: Saksun → Tjørnuvík → Gjógv
Day 5: Kalsoy Island → Kallur Lighthouse
Day 6: Fly from the Faroe Islands to Oslo
We stayed in Tórshavn for all five nights, which worked really well for us. Rather than changing accommodations every night, we could unpack once and use the city as our base for exploring the islands.
Day 1: Vágar Airport, Tórshavn & Klakkur
Drive Time: Approximately 2.5 hours total
We flew into Vágar Airport (FAE) and picked up our rental car directly at the airport. The process was quick and easy, and we were soon on the road toward Tórshavn.
The drive from the airport to Tórshavn takes around 45 minutes, and this was our first introduction to the Faroe Islands’ roads and scenery.
After checking into our Airbnb and getting settled, we headed about 50 minutes north to Klaksvík for our first hike of the trip: Klakkur.
Klakkur Hike
Klakkur was the perfect introduction to hiking in the Faroe Islands.
- Distance: Approximately 1.7 miles round trip from the upper parking area
- Time: About 1–1.5 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- Cost: Free
We started hiking around 7:30 PM, which sounds late until you visit the Faroe Islands in summer. Thanks to the incredibly long daylight hours, we had plenty of time.
We finished around 10 PM after hanging out at the top, taking pictures and enjoying the sweeping views over the fjords and surrounding mountains.
For the shortest route, you can drive farther up to the parking area at Halsur. The road is gravel and steep in sections. We ended up parking partway up the road, which added about 0.6 miles each way to our hike.
And Then Things Went Very Wrong…
On the drive back to Tórshavn, we decided to take a spontaneous detour down a gravel road.
Bad decision. Somehow, I managed to pop two tires. 🙃 It was late, we were in a remote area and we didn’t have roadside assistance available at midnight. Thankfully, an off-duty firefighter came to our rescue.
Instead of simply getting us back on the road, we somehow ended up at the local fire station chatting with firefighters and eating cookies until 1 AM before getting a ride back to Tórshavn. Not exactly how we expected our first night to go, but it ended up being one of our favorite travel stories from the trip.
A chaotic but unforgettable welcome to the Faroe Islands.
(I share more detailed trail info in my separate guide: 4 Must-Do Hikes in the Faroe Islands.)
Day 2: Slow Day in Tórshavn
The Day We Didn’t Have a Car
Our rental car situation meant we didn’t have a car for the entire day, so instead of trying to force another sightseeing day into our itinerary, we embraced the slower pace.
We had just finished an 8-night campervan road trip around Iceland, so having a day where we could sleep in, walk around town and do absolutely nothing felt amazing.
We walked into central Tórshavn for food, explored the city on foot and spent the rest of the day relaxing at our Airbnb, watching Stranger Things and catching up on sleep. This ended up being a good reminder that you don’t need to fill every hour of a trip.
We found out later that the cost of the damage to the rental car was $1,500 USD! Thankfully, I had booked the rental car with my Capital One Venture X credit card and I was able to submit a claim which covered the entire amount. This is a good reminder to always book rental cars with a travel credit card since they usually have good insurance coverages.
Day 3: Trælanípa & Múlafossur Waterfall
Drive Time: Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes total
With our replacement rental car finally arriving, we were back on the road. We headed toward Vágar Island for one of the Faroe Islands’ most famous attractions: Trælanípa, also known as the Floating Lake.
Trælanípa
We started the hike around 2 PM in fog and light rain. At first, we weren’t sure we were going to see anything. But the weather in the Faroe Islands can change incredibly quickly, and slowly the fog began to lift. Suddenly, the famous view appeared. The lake seemed to sit high above the Atlantic Ocean, creating the optical illusion that it’s floating over the sea. This was one of my favorite moments of the trip because it was a good example of why you shouldn’t immediately abandon your plans because of bad weather.
Our hike:
- Approximately 3.5-4 miles round trip
- 2–3 hours
- Easy to moderate
- Hiking fee: 200 DKK
- Parking, restrooms and a small snack/drink hut at the trailhead
For the complete trail information, see my 4 Best Hikes in the Faroe Islands guide.
Múlafossur Waterfall
After finishing the hike, we drove about 20 minutes to Múlafossur Waterfall in the tiny village of Gásadalur.
This is one of the most famous views in the Faroe Islands, and it is incredibly easy to access. The waterfall drops directly toward the ocean with the small village and surrounding mountains creating the perfect backdrop. We spent about an hour here before heading back to Tórshavn.
Tip: If you’re visiting Vágar, I highly recommend combining Trælanípa and Múlafossur on the same day. It saves driving time and lets you see two of the island’s biggest highlights in one outing.
Day 4: Saksun, Tjørnuvík & Gjógv
Drive Time: Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes total
Day 4 was less about hiking and more about experiencing the tiny villages and dramatic scenery that make the Faroe Islands so unique.
Saksun
Our first stop was Saksun, one of the smallest and most picturesque villages in the Faroe Islands. The village is surrounded by mountains and is famous for its grass-roofed houses and remote black sand lagoon. At the time of our visit, the village had a population of only around 14 people.
We walked down toward the beach and had the area almost completely to ourselves. There were waterfalls cascading down the mountains in the distance, sheep wandering around and not much else.
We spent about 1.5 hours here eating sandwiches, taking pictures and enjoying the quiet.
Tjørnuvík Beach
From Saksun, we continued to Tjørnuvík, another tiny village surrounded by dramatic mountains. The village sits at the end of a beautiful valley with a black sand beach overlooking the ocean. From the beach, you can see the famous sea stacks Risin and Kellingin, also known as the Giant and the Witch. We didn’t spend a huge amount of time here, but it was an easy and worthwhile stop along our route.
Gjógv
Our final destination was Gjógv, and the drive there was part of the experience. The route takes you through winding mountain roads and over the beautiful Gjáarskarð mountain pass.
Once we arrived, we did part of the cliff hike rather than completing the entire route. The trail begins near Gjáarkaffi Café and has several route options, including the Ambadalur Valley, Puffin Trail and Barmur Bench sections.
We started around 5 PM and hiked for about 1.5 hours. We made it up toward the cliffs, sat down for a while and enjoyed the views before turning around.
Afterward, we drove back to Tórshavn for dinner and called it a night.
Day 5: Kalsoy Island & Kallur Lighthouse
Drive Time: ~2 hours 20 minutes total
Ferry Time: 20 minutes each way
Our final day was the big one: Kallur Lighthouse on Kalsoy Island.
Getting There:
- 50-minute drive from Tórshavn to Klaksvík then line up at the Ferjulega ferry terminal
- Ferry 56 to Syðradalur (fits only 12 cars — arrive early or leave the car in Klaksvik and take the ferry as a foot passenger)
- There are some pre-booking options for cars and the ferry/bus schedules available at SSL.FO
We took the 9:00 AM ferry, drove through Kalsoy’s narrow one-lane tunnels to Trøllanes, and began the hike.
Kallur Lighthouse Hike:
- Distance: ~3 miles round trip
- Time: 2–2.5 hours (we stayed 4 hours total)
- Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
- Entrance Fee: 200 DKK ($31; payable by cash or card)
- For further details check out Kallur Lighthouse Hike
The dramatic cliffs surrounding the lighthouse are some of the most jaw-dropping views in the Faroe Islands. We took our time, had snacks at the top, and just soaked it all in.
After missing the 3:10 ferry (classic), we caught the 4:30 PM ferry back and enjoyed one final dinner in Tórshavn before flying to Oslo Norway the next day.
Where to Stay in the Faroe Islands
For this itinerary, we stayed in Tórshavn for all five nights, and I would do it again.
Tórshavn is centrally located enough that you can make day trips to several different islands without constantly packing and unpacking. It also gives you access to restaurants, grocery stores and other conveniences that you won’t find in the smaller villages.
If you prefer a more remote experience, there are plenty of smaller villages where you can stay, but for a first visit, I found Tórshavn to be a convenient home base.
Faroe Islands Recap
This Faroe Islands itinerary balances iconic hikes like Trælanípa and Kallur Lighthouse with slower village exploration in Saksun and Gjógv. Basing ourselves in Tórshavn made logistics easy, and summer’s long daylight hours gave us total flexibility.
Between cliffside trails, black sand beaches, waterfalls, and the kindness of locals (fire station cookies included), the Faroe Islands was one for the books.
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