I went to Lofoten without any reservations or itinerary, and I wouldn’t have done it any other way. What I did have was; a rental car for 8 days, hiking shoes and trekking poles, a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack, soft cooler and JetBoil stove (most of the gear was leftover from a weeklong backpacking trip in Sweden, so I was prepared to boil my own water for hot drinks and dehydrated meals). Also I had my friend Alex with me for 3 of the 8 days, the rest of the trip I spent driving aimlessly around solo.

The weather was mostly cloudy, often drizzly, with the very occasional clear day. By visiting in August, we missed the opportunity to see the northern lights, but August was a great time to hike Lofoten’s amazing trails. With the sun not setting until 9pm, we didn’t have to worry about getting up early to hike, and Lofoten has so many short (and steep) trails which take you to hidden beaches and epic vistas.

I hesitate to write a full play by play recap of our trip, because I did limited research to plan our trip, and probably missed some must-see spots. Also, I’m pretty sure that there is no wrong way to spend your time in Lofoten— there is stunning beauty at every turn of the road. I literally stopped every 10 minutes to snap a photo, and then would take photos of the same places the later in the day when the light or weather changed. The archipelago has some of the most stunning scenery I have seen in the world, and Norway has so many of places to camp if you come prepared with camping gear (both cheap campsites and places to camp for free). Norway has very generous laws that allow wild (free) camping. If you plan to camp in Lofoten, please read up about “the right to roam” in Norway, and familiarize yourself with the Leave No Trace principles, and practice them anytime you spend time outdoors.