Faroe Islands road trip: 7 days along the most beautiful places

A road trip through the Faroe Islands is not the kind of trip where you have to drive hundreds of kilometres every day. Quite the opposite. The distances are small, but you stop constantly along the way. For a waterfall next to the road. For sheep in a completely illogical place. For a village with turf-roofed houses. Or simply because the light suddenly falls beautifully on the fjords.

We made a 7-day road trip around the Faroe Islands with our 8-month-old daughter. Because our baby got sick, we deliberately did not take ferries to extra islands such as Mykines or Kalsoy. That may sound as if you miss a lot, but honestly: even without those ferries, we had a very full and varied trip. We focused on everything you can reach by car on the main islands, and that is already more than enough for one week.

In this blog, I share our ideal 7-day Faroe Islands itinerary. With Vágar, Streymoy, Eysturoy, Klaksvík, Viðoy, short hikes, a boat trip, viewpoints, narrow roads, waterfalls and lovely places to stay.

Our Faroe Islands route in short

This route is ideal if you have 7 days and want to see a lot, but do not want to depend on ferries. You drive across islands that are connected by tunnels, bridges and roads. That gives you flexibility, which is really useful in the Faroe Islands. The weather changes quickly, and sometimes a baby, fog or strong wind simply decides your day planning for you.

• Day 1: arrival on Vágar, Bøur and Múlafossur Waterfall
• Day 2: Drangarnir boat trip and Sørvágsvatn / Trælanípa hike
• Day 3: route to Streymoy, Saksun, Fossá and Tjørnuvík
• Day 4: Tórshavn or a quiet day around Kollafjørður
• Day 5: Eysturoy with Gjógv, Eiði and Hvíthamar
• Day 6: Klaksvík and the Klakkur hike
• Day 7: Viðoy and a relaxed return towards the airport or Tórshavn

Renting a car in the Faroe Islands

For this route, I would really recommend a rental car. You can reach quite a few places by public transport, but the most beautiful stops are often just outside the villages. And in the Faroe Islands, you want to be able to stop whenever the weather suddenly clears up or when you see a beautiful view along the way.

We found driving very manageable, but you do need to drive calmly. Some roads are narrow, there are tunnels, passing places and, of course, sheep everywhere. Especially the roads to Saksun, Tjørnuvík and some hike starting points require a bit of patience. So do not plan as if you are driving at home. The distances look short, but you stop much more often than you think.

Day 1: arrival on Vágar, Bøur and Múlafossur Waterfall

Most travellers arrive on Vágar, where the airport is located. That makes the island a perfect start to your road trip. You do not have to drive far after your flight, and yet you can be at one of the most famous places in the Faroe Islands in no time.

After arrival, we immediately drove towards Gásadalur for Múlafossur Waterfall. This may be the easiest must-see on Vágar. You park near the village, walk for a few minutes and look out over a waterfall that drops from a green cliff straight into the ocean.

On the way, you can stop in Bøur, a small village with views of Tindhólmur and Drangarnir. You do not need to set aside an hour for this, but as a short photo stop it is really nice. Especially on your first day, everything on Vágar immediately feels typically Faroese: green slopes, dark rocks, low clouds and sheep along the road.

Where to stay: spend the first night on Vágar. We stayed in a boathouse and thought it was ideal. You are close to the airport, Múlafossur, Sørvágur and Sørvágsvatn. View accommodation on Vágar around Sørvágur, Bøur and Múlafossur.

Day 2: Drangarnir boat trip and Sørvágsvatn hike

Day 2 is, in our opinion, the most beautiful day on Vágar. In the morning, we did the Drangarnir boat trip from Sørvágur. This is a great way to see the famous rock formation without having to do a long hike. Especially with a baby, we found this ideal.

From the boat, you sail along high cliffs, rock arches, waterfalls and, with a bit of luck, puffins. We saw them flying around near the rocks. They are smaller and faster than you think, so taking good photos is actually quite difficult. The boat trip took about 1.5 hours and felt less wild than I had expected in advance, although of course it is still the Faroe Islands. So wear layers.

Do you want to do this tour too? You can book the Drangarnir boat trip from Sørvágur here.

After the boat trip, we drove to the start of the Sørvágsvatn hike to Trælanípa. This is the famous view where it looks as if the lake is floating above the ocean. The walk costs 200 DKK per adult and was about 8 kilometres for us, because at the split we did both directions.

By Faroe Islands standards, we found the hike very doable. The path is not very technical, but wind and mud can make it feel tougher. With a baby in the carrier it went fine, but you can forget about taking a stroller here. Count on about 2 hours including photo stops.

Day 3: Saksun, Fossá and Tjørnuvík on Streymoy

On day 3, you leave Vágar and drive towards Streymoy. This island is useful as a central base for your road trip. We stayed near Kollafjørður ourselves: quiet, but still well located for several routes.

A very logical day route on North Streymoy is: Saksun, Fossá Waterfall and Tjørnuvík. You can easily fill a day with this without it feeling too rushed.

Saksun is a small village in a kind of bowl between the mountains. You will find turf-roofed houses, a small church, views of the lagoon and the old farm Dúvugarðar. For Saksun, I would count on 1 to 2 hours, depending on whether you want to walk to the lagoon and whether you visit the museum. Keep in mind that some parts require payment.

After that, drive on to Fossá, the highest waterfall in the Faroe Islands. This is not a long stop, but it is an easy and beautiful one. Count on 15 to 30 minutes. If you are lucky with the weather, you can already see the waterfall dropping beautifully from the road.

End the day in Tjørnuvík. This village lies on a black bay with views of the sea stacks Risin og Kellingin. The road there is narrow and beautiful, but also requires some patience. We mainly found Tjørnuvík a lovely way to end the day: getting some fresh air, looking at the sea and not having to do too much.

Where to stay: view accommodation near Kollafjørður or choose Tórshavn if you prefer having a few more restaurants and shops nearby.

Day 4: Tórshavn or a quiet day around Kollafjørður

After a few active days, a calmer day is definitely not unnecessary. Especially if you are travelling with a baby or if the weather is not cooperating for a while. We noticed that in the Faroe Islands you should not plan everything too tightly. Sometimes a morning with fog or rain is simply a good excuse to start later.

Use day 4 for Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. Do not expect a big city, but it is a nice place to walk around, drink coffee, do some shopping or go out for dinner. The old area of Tinganes, with its red wooden houses, is nice for a short look. Also useful: in Tórshavn you have more choice of restaurants and shops than in most other places.

Would you rather have nature? Then make a shorter loop from your accommodation or move an activity from another day forward if the weather suddenly looks good. That is actually the best tip for this trip: plan in blocks, not in concrete.

Day 5: Eysturoy with Gjógv, Eiði and Hvíthamar

Day 5 is all about Eysturoy. We loved this island for a driving route. The roads wind along fjords, mountains and small villages. You can see a lot without having to do extremely long hikes.

A beautiful route is to first head towards Gjógv. This village is known for its natural gorge, colourful houses and sea views. We also saw puffins in the area here, although you should not expect guarantees here either. It is still nature.

Combine Gjógv with Eiði and possibly the short hike to Hvíthamar. That walk is short, but wind and fog can still make it feel tougher than you expect. In good visibility, Hvíthamar gives you a beautiful view over the fjords and mountains. In bad visibility, you mostly see clouds. That is also the Faroe Islands, unfortunately.

Also read our complete route blog about what to do on Eysturoy.

Day 6: Klaksvík and the Klakkur hike

On day 6, you drive north towards Klaksvík. This is one of the larger towns in the Faroe Islands and a nice base for the northern islands. Do not expect a lively city, but you will find shops, accommodation, a harbour and enough convenience for a few nights.

The most beautiful activity here, in our opinion, was the Klakkur hike near Klaksvík. This is a short climb with a huge view. From the top, you look out over Klaksvík, Kalsoy, Kunoy and the fjords. Exactly the kind of walk where you spend relatively little time, but still get that real Faroe Islands feeling.

We drove to the upper car park by car. That saves about a kilometre of walking on the gravel road. With a baby, that was ideal for us. Just pay attention: the roads around the start can be a bit unclear because of construction and gravel, so use common sense and do not blindly trust Google Maps.

Where to stay: for this part, Klaksvík is very convenient. View accommodation in Klaksvík via Booking.

Day 7: Viðoy and a relaxed finish

Use the final day for Viðoy, the northernmost island you can reach by car. From Klaksvík, Viðoy does not feel like a big day trip, but more like a nice loop for a morning, afternoon or early evening.

The best-known place is Viðareiði, a village at the end of the road. Here, you look out over high mountains, the sea and surrounding islands. It is not a place where you necessarily have to “do” a lot. For us, the charm here was simply walking around, looking at the views and feeling that northern atmosphere.

If you have good visibility and some energy left, you can combine Viðoy with Klakkur, but I would not plan that too tightly. In good weather, you simply want to linger for a while on Klakkur. The other way around also works: first Klakkur, then Viðoy as a calmer finish.

If your flight home is later in the day, you can drive calmly from Klaksvík back towards Vágar. Do not only count driving time, but also time for stops, tunnels and possibly food along the way. In the Faroe Islands, you do not want to end your final day in a rush.

Why we did not take ferries during this route

Many Faroe Islands itineraries mention islands such as Mykines or Kalsoy. I understand that, because they are beautiful and well known. Still, we deliberately skipped them. Our daughter got sick during the trip, and with a baby we preferred not to depend on ferries, fixed times and possibly rougher weather.

Looking back, that did not feel like a loss at all. We already saw an incredible amount on the main islands: Vágar, Streymoy, Eysturoy, Klaksvík and Viðoy. It also gave us more room to stay flexible. And in the Faroe Islands, that may be more valuable than ticking off one extra island.

Where to stay during this 7-day route?

You can do the whole trip from Tórshavn, but we would rather divide your accommodation over 2 or 3 places. That way, you drive back and forth less and can respond better to the weather.

• Vágar: ideal for day 1 and 2, with Múlafossur, Bøur, Drangarnir and Sørvágsvatn nearby. View accommodation on Vágar.
• Kollafjørður or Tórshavn: convenient for Streymoy and Eysturoy. View accommodation around Kollafjørður or in Tórshavn.
• Klaksvík: best base for Klakkur and Viðoy. View accommodation in Klaksvík.

Practical tips for a Faroe Islands road trip

• Keep rain gear in the car. Not at the bottom of your suitcase, like we did on day 1.
• Do not plan too tightly. Wind, fog, rain or a sick baby can change your plans just like that.
• Book popular tours in advance. Especially the Drangarnir boat trip is useful to book on time.
• Expect tunnel tolls. Check this with your rental car, so you are not surprised afterwards. We received a bill of a few tens of euros afterwards.
• Use a baby carrier with a baby. Many hikes are not suitable for strollers.
• Bring layers, even in June or July. At the end of June, we were simply wearing hats and gloves at Sørvágsvatn.
• Paid hikes do exist. Sørvágsvatn cost 200 DKK per adult when we were there.

Is 7 days enough for the Faroe Islands?

Yes, in our opinion, 7 days is a great first trip to the Faroe Islands. You see the best-known places on Vágar, make a strong route across Streymoy, include Eysturoy and still have time for Klaksvík and Viðoy. Without ferries, the trip feels calmer and more flexible, but definitely not boring.

If you have longer, you can of course expand the trip with Mykines, Kalsoy, Sandoy or more hikes. But if you have one week, I would not try to cram everything in. The strength of the Faroe Islands lies precisely in being on the road, stopping where it is beautiful and accepting that the weather is sometimes in charge.

For us, this route was exactly right: enough variety, lots of nature, short and longer stops, a boat trip, several hikes and still room to adjust when our daughter got sick. And honestly: if after 7 days you still think “I want to come back here”, then you have probably planned your route just right.