Wondering what to see and do in the village of Reine during your Lofoten Islands getaway? You’ve come to the right place!
Reine is our favorite village, and we loved hiking to Mount Reinebringen and taking photos of the midnight sun.
To guide you, we’re sharing our tips for exploring Reine, so you don’t miss out on any of its riches, as well as our recommendations for taking the most beautiful photos. Here are our tips for saving money during your stay in Lofoten. Then we’ve listed all the points of interest recommended in this article on our interactive map to make your visit even easier.
Our opinion
Reine is the village not to be missed during your stay in the Lofoten Islands, a real postcard setting. In summer, it’s one of the most beautiful places on the Lofoten Islands to admire the midnight sun.
The Reinebringen hike is accessible to (almost) everyone and offers a sublime panorama of the archipelago surrounded by rugged mountains.
Please note, however, that this is a very touristy area, so here are our tips for planning your stay and making the most of this incredible village.
Our map of the most beautiful places in Reine
Let’s be honest, we had a bit of trouble finding our way around the Lofoten Islands, as village names are complex and have very different pronunciations (À is pronounced O in Norwegian…) and points of interest are spread over a small area. Don’t panic, we’re here to help!
To help you plan your stay, we’ve included an interactive map with all the activities and points of interest in this article.
Our must-see things to do in Reine on the Lofoten Islands
Reinebringen hiking tips
If you have just one hike to make during your stay in the Lofoten Islands, we’d definitely recommend climbing Reinebringen, which offers unforgettable panoramic views of the village and surrounding islands.
- Topography: 4 km round trip and 400m D+ – approx. 1h30 round trip
- Starting point: the starting point is on the E10 road about 1km south of the village of Reine (after the tunnel).
- Route : the trail is a succession of around 2,000 steps– your calves will remember them!
- Where to park : we recommend you park for free along the E10 road, where you’ll find several parking lots to the south of the start (we’ve put dots on our map below). Another option, if the parking lots are full, is the pay parking lot at Reine village, 35nok/h.
- When to start: We recommend starting the hike at around 7pm, as there were only a dozen of us at the summit at the end of June.
- What to take in your bag: water, a kway (the weather is very changeable in Lofoten) and mosquito repellent, as there’s a small waterfall that attracts them!
Our opinion
This is a very popular hike, and we passed a lot of people on our way up. The hike itself isn’t very interesting, and walking isn’t the most pleasant thing…
On the other hand, the view from the summit is simply incredible, leaving us speechless (yes, it’s possible). The scenery seems so unreal and hypnotic. A real highlight of our stay in Norway!
Is this an accessible hike for young children? It looks like yes and no;
Yes, because it’s still short, and no, because steps aren’t the most fun terrain for kids. Our 4-year-old daughter did the whole ascent (with a bit of grumbling, we admit.).
Visit the fishing village of Reine in Norway
We recommend a stroll through the village of Reine after your hike. In Lofoten, the sun hardly sets in summer, so take the opportunity to explore this area at the end of the day or even at night, like some of the travelers we’ve met who travel without children.
We parked in the parking lot at the end of the village, which was free by 9.30pm. We then strolled through an almost deserted village, admiring the colorful houses and the adorable little port.
The spot to watch the midnight sun
The midnight sun is a fascinating natural phenomenon observed above the Arctic Circle, where the sun remains visible at local midnight throughout the summer. This phenomenon occurs because the Earth is tilted on its axis in relation to its orbit around the Sun, which, during certain months of the year, prevents certain regions of the Arctic and Antarctic from passing below the night-time horizon.
The museum in Abisko National Park in Swedish Lapland explains this phenomenon very well.
This is really the place to be in the village of Reine, so we set up at the entrance to the village (dot on our map) and took plenty of photos.
It’s definitely a photographer’s paradise, even for amateurs like us. The scenery is so sumptuous that all we have to do is find the right angle and press the button. These are our most beautiful travel photos to date (do you agree?).
➡️Pour If you’d like to be accompanied to bring back some great photos, we offer photo tours with a guide.
Explore the fjord
- Kayaking: renting a kayak is a great way to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the landscape from a different angle. Kayak rentals in the village.
If you have the opportunity to pack an inflatable kayak, you’ll have plenty of chances to take it out, like our friends Justine and Rénald (cuckoo if you’re passing by).
Favorite❤️: Join a boat trip to explore the surrounding fjords, visiting nearby villages inaccessible by road. We were able to observe a sea eagle catching fish in the waters of the fjord. A (silent) catamaran cruise leaves from the village of Svolvær (30 minutes north of Reine) to explore the fjords, with the Brim Explorer company.
Watching the northern lights
In winter, this is the must-do activity on the Lofoten Islands. From September onwards, the nights become dark again, offering a chance to observe the northern lights. December to February is the peak of the Northern Lights season, with long nights offering many opportunities for observation.
No need to look for a particular spot, you can see it from your living room.
Where to sleep in a Rorbuer in Reine?
We recommend you sleep in a“Rorbuer“, a wooden fisherman’s hut generally on stilts with direct access to the sea. Historically, the inhabitants of Lofoten made their living from cod fishing. This activity is still practiced today. Until mid-June, you can even see cod drying on the many drying kilns still in operation.
On the Lofoten Islands, as in the rest of Norway, the cost of accommodation can be surprising. It should be noted that the cost of living in Norway is around 30% higher than in France.
To find suitable, well-located accommodation, you’ll generally need to budget around €150-€200 per night.
➡️On often writes to us to ask for tips on how to cut costs on a trip to the Lofoten Islands. One really simple tip is to rent an apartment. This will enable you to cook your own meals, and save money during your stay in a country where the cost of living is high.
Reine Rorbuer: the cabins are ideally located by the sea, overlooking the majestic Reine Fjord, and have been tastefully renovated throughout.
A great experience awaits you, summer and winter alike!
Eliassen Rorbuer offers fully-equipped, well-renovated apartments (rorbuer ) with incredible views, a real postcard landscape. Located in Hamnøy, a peaceful village just a few kilometers from Reine. In winter, you can watch the Northern Lights from your living room. We recommend accommodation with a view of the fjord. Restaurant and parking on site.
How do I get to Reine?
- The village of Reine is located in the south of the Lofoten archipelago.
- On the Lofoten Islands, the best way to get around is to rent a car (directly from your arrival airport). You can get there easily by car. A large pay parking lot is located to the east of the village. Free parking is available along the E10.
- Local bus services are also available, but with less frequent timetables.
- From the north of the Lofoten Islands: you can drive along the E10, which crosses the Lofoten archipelago, offering breathtaking scenery.
- From the south: you can takeunfFerry from Bodø to Moskenes: this is the option we took, as the view of Moskenes (the southernmost port in Lofoten) from the boat is already incredible. Moskenes is just a few kilometers from Reine. The ferry ride takes around 3-4 hours and offers magnificent views of the archipelago.
Our travel tips
Budget : We’ve written a detailed budget for our stay, along with our tips for saving money while making the most of this little corner of paradise, which you can read here.
When to go to Lofoten? The best time to visit Norway’s Lofoten Islands depends largely on what you want to see and do (and yes!). From late May to mid-July, the sun never sets, offering 24 hours of daylight, making it the ideal time to see the famous midnight sun. It’s also the warmest time of the year, although still cool (average temperatures between 10°C and 15°C), and nature is in full bloom. As mentioned above, if you’re a fan of the northern lights, you’ll want to focus on winter.
Plan your itinerary according to the weather: When staying in Lofoten, it’s a good idea to check the weather before deciding on your daily plans. Climatic conditions can vary significantly within the archipelago, with cloud cover in the north and sunshine in the south. This happened to us on the day we had planned to visit the villages of Reine and Å. And don’t forget to plan 1 or 2 days off, as the weather can get pretty ugly all over the archipelago!
What equipment should you pack? in summer, we recommend packing for all 4 seasons! Take technical, warm, waterproof clothing and good hiking boots. How about an inflatable kayak if you’ve got one at home!
What to do around Reine, in the south of the Lofoten Islands?
Visit the village of A
Å (pronounced O) is the southernmost village on the Lofoten Islands. We recommend exploring the port, with its red houses on stilts surrounded by translucent water. For a very touristy village, it’s pretty quiet. There’s only one bakery selling mainly cinnamon rolls (€5 each) and just one restaurant.
In our discussions with the locals, we learned that Norwegians are not in the habit of eating out and enjoying an aperitif, as alcohol is heavily taxed. It’s a very different culture from ours. We find the villages a little lacking in life.
Hiking around Reine
We do not advise you to linger too long in the villages, but rather to take advantage of the many hikes around Reine :
- Mannen Haukland Beach
- Kvalvika Beach and Ryten
- Offersoykammen viewpoint
Find out more about our itinerary in our complete guide to organizing your road trip to the Lofoten Islands.
We hope this article will help you plan your visit and take full advantage of all that Reine has to offer. And who knows, maybe, like us, you’ll be enchanted by the unique charm of this Norwegian village.
We really enjoyed writing this article. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. We spent 2 months in Norway, so check out our other articles about this incredible country.
Don’t hesitate to leave us a note or 5 stars below, to let us know if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, below we’ll answer you with great pleasure. You can check out our Instagram stories from our Norway trip, to give you a taste of what’s in store!
