Few wildlife encounters compare to seeing puffins up close in their natural habitat. With their bright orange beaks and curious behavior, puffins are among the most beloved birds in the North Atlantic — and nowhere showcases them better than the Faroe Islands. Here, dramatic cliffs and untouched landscapes provide the perfect setting for unforgettable puffin-watching experiences.
What Are Puffins?
Where to See Puffins in the Faroe Islands
Best Time to Visit for Puffin Watching
Puffin Watching Tours
The Experience – What to Expect
Local Tips & Practical Information
Plan Your Visit
Frequently Asked Questions
Atlantic puffins are small seabirds known for their colorful bills, short wings, and friendly, almost cartoon-like faces. They spend most of their lives at sea, coming to land only during the summer months to breed and raise their chicks — known as pufflings.
In the Faroe Islands, puffins nest in burrows dug into grassy cliffs, often forming large colonies. Watching them fly back and forth from the ocean with fish in their beaks is one of the true highlights of a Faroese summer.
The best place to see puffins in the Faroe Islands is Mykines, the westernmost island of the archipelago. Each summer, thousands of puffins nest along the cliffs near the famous Mykines Lighthouse, creating one of the densest puffin colonies in the North Atlantic.
Other good spots include:
Vestmanna Cliffs – towering sea cliffs where puffins and other seabirds can be seen from boat tours.
Nólsoy – especially on quiet evenings near the northern cliffs.
Skúvoy – home to several seabird colonies with puffins among them.
If you only visit one spot, make it Mykines — it offers the most reliable and breathtaking puffin experience in the Faroe Islands.
Puffins arrive in the Faroe Islands around late April and stay until late August, with the peak viewing season from May to mid-August.
During this time, they are busy feeding chicks and often seen flying back and forth to the sea throughout the day.
Early mornings and evenings are the best times for observing puffins up close, as they are most active then. In August, puffins begin to leave their nesting sites, returning to the open ocean for the winter.
Joining a puffin-watching tour is the easiest and most respectful way to see these birds. Guided tours ensure that visitors don’t disturb the nesting areas while also providing local insight into puffin behavior and conservation.
Popular options include:
Mykines Puffin Tour – combines a scenic boat ride with a guided hike to the puffin cliffs.
Vestmanna Bird Cliffs Tour – boat tour offering views of puffins, guillemots, and fulmars along steep coastal cliffs.
Puffin Safari Boat Tour – 1 hour boat tour around Sørvágsfjøður fjord. You will Drangarnir, Múlafossur and plenty of puffins on this tour
See available puffin tours here!
Want a private or photography-focused trip?
Contact us to arrange a custom puffin experience with local experts.
Standing on the cliffs surrounded by puffins is a surreal experience. You’ll hear their soft growls, feel the ocean wind, and watch as hundreds of puffins circle overhead or land just meters away.
They are not shy — many seem to pose naturally for photos, waddling clumsily across the grass before diving gracefully into the air.
The dramatic setting of the Faroe Islands makes this even more special. The combination of steep cliffs, ocean mist, and the colorful beaks of puffins creates an atmosphere that feels straight out of a nature documentary.
📍 Locations: Mykines, Vestmanna Cliffs, Nólsoy, Skúvoy
🕒 Season: Late April to late August (best in June–July)
🚶 Access: Mykines hike requires a local guide and a hiking fee
⛵ Boat Tours: Depart daily (weather permitting) from Sørvágur or Vestmanna
☀️ What to Bring: Binoculars, warm clothing, waterproof jacket, camera
💡 Nearby Attractions: Mykines Lighthouse, Drangarnir, Múlafossur Waterfall
⚠️ Note: Puffins are protected — always follow local rules and avoid loud noises near colonies.
Seeing puffins in the Faroe Islands is an unforgettable experience — one that connects you directly to the islands’ wild nature and unique wildlife. Whether you’re hiking across Mykines or sailing beneath the bird cliffs of Vestmanna, the sight of puffins soaring above the Atlantic is something you’ll never forget.
Or contact us if you want to arrange a private trip or photography session with a local guide.
Between May and mid-August, when they are nesting on the cliffs.
The largest and most accessible colony is on Mykines Island
Yes. Boat tours around Vestmanna and Puffin Safari Boat Tours offer excellent puffin sightings from the sea.
No. They spend winter out at sea and return to land only during the breeding season.
