Faroe Islands without long hikes: 6 scenic stops

Can you visit the Faroe Islands without long hikes? Absolutely. You do not have to climb a mountain every day to see waterfalls, green valleys and small villages by the sea. At several beautiful places, you can park nearby and only walk a short distance to the view.

During our trip in June, we travelled around with our eight-month-old baby. That meant alternating walks with short stops and quiet moments. We actually really liked that variety: popping out to see a waterfall, walking through a village and then continuing when it suited us.

In this blog, you will find six places we visited ourselves. They are on Vágar, Streymoy and Eysturoy and are easy to combine with a rental car. I will also tell you which additional walks you can skip, so a short stop does not unexpectedly turn into half a day of walking.

Faroe Islands without long hikes: what can you expect?

By ‘without long hikes’, I mean no mountain trek or walk lasting several hours. You cannot avoid walking completely at every stop. Sometimes you follow a short path, walk through a village or come across some steps.

That makes this selection useful if you prefer a relaxed travel pace or are travelling with young children. It is not an overview of wheelchair-accessible places. Even a short distance can involve elevation changes, loose stones or a wet path. See what feels comfortable and manageable when you are there.

The times below are my guideline for a relaxed visit, including time to look around and take photos. Driving time is not included. With fog, rain or a sleeping baby, your plans may of course turn out differently.

• Múlafossur on Vágar: a short path to the viewpoint; allow 20–40 minutes.
• Bøur on Vágar: a short walk through the village; allow 15–30 minutes.
• Saksun on Streymoy: short stretches of walking around the village; allow 30–60 minutes.
• Fossá on Streymoy: a view close to the road; allow 15–30 minutes.
• Tjørnuvík on Streymoy: a short walk to the bay; allow 30–45 minutes.
• Gjógv on Eysturoy: a short walk to the gorge; allow 30–60 minutes.

1. Múlafossur: the famous waterfall near Gásadalur

Múlafossur is one of those places where you immediately understand why people travel to the Faroe Islands. The waterfall drops from a green cliff into the sea, with the village of Gásadalur above it. You do not need to do a long hike to get that famous view.

You drive through the tunnel to Gásadalur and park in the designated car park. From there, follow the marked path to the viewpoint. According to Visit Faroe Islands, it is about a five-minute walk. Stay on the path and behind the barriers along the steep coast.

For us, this was one of the first stops after arriving. One practical lesson from that day: keep your rain jacket within easy reach. If it is buried at the bottom of your luggage, you first have to start searching when all you really want to do is quickly get outside.

You can simply stick to the waterfall viewpoint. A longer walk in the surrounding area is not necessary for this stop. You can read more about the route and our experience in the blog about Múlafossur near Gásadalur.

2. Bøur: sea views from a small village

Bøur is also on Vágar and is easy to combine with Gásadalur. You will find traditional houses, narrow streets and sea views here. Tindhólmur in particular, with its distinctive peaks, immediately draws your eye across the water.

This is a lovely stop if you want to look around a little more after the waterfall but do not want to start another hike. Park somewhere suitable and take a short walk around. You do not have to complete an entire hiking trail to see something beautiful here.

Bøur is small and people simply live here. Keep driveways clear and stay out of gardens. If it is raining heavily, you can keep the visit short and come back another time. For the rest of the island, also see my tips on what to do on Vágar.

3. Saksun: a green valley overlooking the lagoon

Saksun is not about one single viewpoint. The village sits between steep green mountains and overlooks a lagoon. For me, the drive through the valley is part of the visit: even on the way there, you notice that you are entering a completely different landscape.

From the designated parking area, you can walk short stretches through the village and look around the surroundings. You do not have to do the walk along the lagoon. That is a separate activity where you also need to take the tides and local access rules into account.

We also visited the Dúvugarðar museum here. During our visit, we paid 150 DKK per person. I thought that was quite a lot for a small museum. For a short visit, I would therefore look around outside first and only then decide whether you want to go in. Check the current opening hours and price locally.

Be mindful of private property and follow the signs, even if a grass roof or yard looks tempting for a photo. In my blog about Saksun in the Faroe Islands, you can read in more detail what we thought of this stop.

4. Fossá: a waterfall right beside the road

Fossá is one of the easiest stops on this list. The waterfall is beside the road towards Tjørnuvík and can already be seen from the road. So you do not need to follow a hiking route first.

Parking space nearby is limited. If it is full, wait somewhere suitable or try again later. Do not simply stop in the road to take a photo.

For a short visit, the view of the lower section is enough. You can walk closer, but the ground can be wet and rocky. You can skip the climb to the higher section if your aim is to keep walking to a minimum.

We stopped at Fossá between Saksun and Tjørnuvík. That makes it a logical stop along the way, without needing to plan a separate day for it. Read more in my blog about Fossá Waterfall.

5. Tjørnuvík: a village on a black bay

Tjørnuvík lies at the end of a road along the coast. The final kilometres require your attention: the road is narrow, has bends and you use passing places along the way. Take your time.

From the parking area by the village, it is only a short walk to the bay. In clear weather, you can see the Risin and Kellingin sea stacks on the other side. Even without that view, it is nice to spend a moment by the beach and walk into the village.

You do not need to take a mountain trail for this stop. Stick to the village and the bay. The walk between Tjørnuvík and Saksun is not part of this route without long hikes.

We came here after Saksun and Fossá. That combination worked well for a day with several short visits. You can find more about the drive there in my blog about Tjørnuvík.

6. Gjógv: a natural harbour in a gorge

Gjógv is on Eysturoy and has a striking natural harbour: a long, narrow gorge that runs inland from the sea into the village. From the village, you can see the gorge without doing a long walk.

Take a short walk from the parking area towards the harbour. If you want to get closer to the water, you will encounter steps and changes in elevation. You can also stay higher up and look from there. Choose the route that suits the weather and the people you are travelling with.

There are longer hiking options along the cliffs, but they are not necessary for a visit to Gjógv. We also chose not to do the additional cliff walk during our visit. The gorge and the village were already an enjoyable stop in themselves.

Plan Gjógv for a separate Eysturoy day, so you have time to make stops along the way. See my blog about Gjógv and its natural harbour for more photos and practical information.

How to spread these stops over three days

I would not try to visit all six places in one day. You would spend a lot of time driving and have little room to stay longer anywhere. This itinerary keeps things more relaxed:

• Day 1 on Vágar: Bøur and Múlafossur. See how much energy you have after your flight, or save this route for a full day.
• Day 2 on Streymoy: Saksun, Fossá and Tjørnuvík. Leave some room for the narrow coastal road and a lunch break.
• Day 3 on Eysturoy: Gjógv. Make it a relaxed day with time for the drive, the village and perhaps an extra stop along the way.

The order is not fixed. Each day, choose the island where the weather looks best and adjust your plans if necessary. For the combination on Streymoy, you can also use my more detailed route along Saksun, Fossá and Tjørnuvík.

What helps on a trip with little walking?

A rental car makes this route easier

With a rental car, you decide for yourself when to stop and how long to stay. We found that convenient, especially with a baby. Compare the terms, excess and arrangements for tunnel tolls in advance. With a rental car, those costs are handled through the rental company, which may apply its own rates.

You can compare rental cars through Discover Cars. When choosing, look beyond just the lowest daily price: luggage space, the child seat and pickup location also need to suit your trip.

Bring a baby carrier and gear for changeable weather

We hardly used our stroller in the Faroe Islands. For short stretches over uneven paths, the baby carrier was more convenient. Even when you do little walking, you regularly spend time outdoors in wind or rain.

So keep rain jackets, a warm layer and dry clothes somewhere you can reach quickly. Bring drinks and something to eat, so you do not have to look for a café every time you need a break. You can read more about our approach in the Faroe Islands with a baby or young children.

A boat tour as an extra activity

Do you also want to see Drangarnir alongside these stops? We took a boat tour from Sørvágur. It is another way to see the coastline without doing the long hike to the sea stacks.

A boat tour always depends on the wind and sea. When booking, check the age rules, the type of boat and what happens in bad weather. Especially with a young child, I would look closely at those conditions first. Read about our experience with the boat tour to Drangarnir or see available excursions in the Faroe Islands.

Where can you stay for this route?

We stayed near Kollafjørður, among other places. For this selection, staying on Streymoy is convenient: from there, you can plan the three island days. If you want to drive back and forth less, you can also divide your nights between different islands.

The accommodations below are options to consider; we did not stay there ourselves. Compare their location with your daily plans before booking.

Hotel Føroyar near Tórshavn

Hotel Føroyar is located above Tórshavn and overlooks the city and surrounding area. It suits travellers looking for a hotel as a base and heading out by car. If you want to walk straight into the city centre from your hotel, I would consider the location carefully.

See Hotel Føroyar on Booking.com or compare other accommodations in Tórshavn.

Gjáargarður in Gjógv

Gjáargarður is a guesthouse in Gjógv with a restaurant. It is an option if you want to spend more time on Eysturoy and like the idea of sleeping in a small village. You are close to the gorge, but farther from the stops on Vágar. For this route, I would mainly consider it as a second place to stay.

See Gjáargarður on Booking.com. In my overview of where to stay in the Faroe Islands, you will find more information about choosing a base.

You can see a lot of the Faroe Islands without long hikes

Múlafossur, Bøur, Saksun, Fossá, Tjørnuvík and Gjógv show how much you can experience with only short stretches of walking. You see waterfalls, villages and coastal landscapes, while deciding for yourself how extensive each stop should be.

My advice: spread these places over a few days and leave room for the weather. A short walk does not have to be a small highlight here. Sometimes getting out of the car, taking your time to look around and then driving on is exactly enough.