The Faroe Islands reward the people who plan. Not obsessively, there’s plenty of room for wandering, but enough to make sure you’re not standing at a trailhead in thick fog, wishing you’d booked a guided tour before the weather window closed.
Eighteen islands, Atlantic weather that changes by the hour, and some of the most dramatic scenery in the Northern Hemisphere. If you just wing it, you’ll still have a good trip. But if you plan it properly, you’ll have one of the best of your life.
This guide gives you three flexible Faroe Islands itineraries, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days, plus practical tips on getting around, the best time to visit, and how to make sure you actually see the places you came for
Most people flying into Vágar Airport are already amazed by the time they land. The runway sits beside a lake. The lake ends at a cliff. The cliff drops into the Atlantic. You’re not in a normal place.
But the Faroes have a way of making visitors wish they’d stayed longer. The islands are compact – you can drive across the main island chain in under two hours – but that compactness is deceptive. Every valley hides a village. Every coastline has a viewpoint that’s not on the main tourist map. And the weather means that what you planned for Tuesday might only be possible on Thursday.
That’s the case for a proper itinerary: not to fill every hour, but to give yourself the best shot at seeing the islands at their best.
Three days isn’t much, but if you spend it wisely on Vágar, you’ll leave with memories that last considerably longer. Vágar is where the airport is, and it packs in some of the most iconic Faroese scenery – including two of the most photographed spots in the entire island chain.
Land, pick up your rental car, and take the afternoon easy. Drive the western coast of Vágar, stop at Múlafossur waterfall in the village of Gásadalur – a waterfall that drops straight from a clifftop into the ocean – and have dinner at Fiskastykkið in Sandavágur. Keep the evening simple. You’ll need energy for the next two days.
This is the day most visitors remember most clearly.
Start early and head to Trælanípa for the Lake Above the Ocean tour. The trail takes you above Leitisvatn, a lake that sits on a cliff edge – from the right angle, the water appears to float above the sea below. It’s one of those views that photographs can’t quite prepare you for.
In the afternoon, if the sea conditions allow, book the Boat Tour to Drangarnir. Drangarnir is a sea arch rising from the ocean off the western coast of Vágar – one of the most famous landmarks in the Faroe Islands, and only truly appreciated from the water. This is not a tour to skip.
Spend your third day exploring the north of Streymoy and Eysturoy — a part of the Faroe Islands that feels quieter, more remote, and deeply atmospheric.
Start in Saksun, a small village set at the end of a long valley, where a tidal lagoon stretches toward the ocean. With its turf-roofed houses and still surroundings, it’s one of the most peaceful places in the islands.
Continue to Fossá Waterfall., the tallest waterfall in the Faroe Islands. The water cascades down multiple levels beside the road, making it one of the easiest — and most impressive — natural stops you can make.
From there, drive across to Gjógv, a village named after the natural gorge that cuts through the cliffs to the sea. Walk down toward the gorge, take in the views from the edge, and spend some time simply being there. It’s one of those places that doesn’t need explaining.
Five days lets you breathe. You get Vágar fully, a day on the wildest island in the archipelago, and time to explore some of the quieter, more atmospheric villages that most visitors never reach.
Follow the 3-day itinerary above. By day three, you’ll have seen the highlights of Vágar and experienced some of the most iconic landscapes in the Faroe Islands — waterfalls dropping into the ocean, cliffs rising straight from the sea, and trails that feel completely untouched.
Mykines is the westernmost island in the Faroe Islands, and getting there is part of the experience. The Mykines Boat Tour takes you across the open water to an island of around ten permanent residents, an enormous Atlantic puffin colony, and a lighthouse at the end of a bridge suspended above the sea.
Puffins nest here from April through August – small, comical birds that land within arm’s reach if you’re patient and quiet. The Puffin Safari Boat Tour is a brilliant option if you want to see them from the water rather than on foot.
Book Mykines in advance. The ferry has limited capacity and sells out weeks ahead in summer. Alternatively, the boat tour handles this for you.
Your final day takes you further than most visitors go.
Travel south to Suðuroy, the southernmost island in the Faroe Islands. The journey itself sets the tone — a ferry ride across open ocean to a place that feels noticeably more remote and less visited.
Here, join the Ásmundarstakkur & Rituskor Guided Hiking Tour, a hike that combines dramatic landscapes with a sense of real exposure to nature. Ásmundarstakkur rises from the sea as a towering stack surrounded by steep cliffs, while the route to Rituskor takes you along narrow paths with expansive views in every direction.
One of the most memorable moments of the hike is crossing a bridge suspended over a deep gorge — a short section, but one that stays with you.
This is not a casual walk. It’s a proper Faroese hiking experience — raw, scenic, and unforgettable.
If time allows, consider staying overnight in Suðuroy to experience the island at a slower pace. It’s a part of the Faroe Islands that most visitors never reach, and that’s exactly why it’s worth the effort.
A week in the Faroe Islands is the right amount of time to go beyond the highlights and start to understand the place. You’ll cover the main islands, take a boat tour that shows you the coastline from the sea, and find at least one or two spots that aren’t in any guidebook.
The foundations are solid. Vágar, Mykines, Saksun, Gjógv, Suðuroy – all of it applies.
By now, you’ve seen the Faroe Islands from above — from cliff edges, hiking trails, and quiet villages. Day 6 is about experiencing them from below.
Head to Vestmanna and join a boat tour to the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs, one of the most classic experiences in the Faroe Islands.
The journey takes you along towering vertical cliffs, through narrow sounds, and into sea grottos carved by the Atlantic over thousands of years. The scale of the landscape feels completely different from the water — cliffs rise hundreds of metres above you, and the ocean moves you steadily through spaces that feel almost hidden.
During the summer months, the cliffs are alive with seabirds nesting on the ledges above. Fulmars, puffins, and guillemots circle overhead, while the sound of the ocean echoes through the caves.
This is not a long or demanding day, but it’s a memorable one. The combination of sea, cliffs, and wildlife makes it one of the most atmospheric experiences in the Faroe Islands — and a perfect way to round out your trip.
Don’t fill your last day. Drive somewhere you haven’t been yet – Kirkjubøur on the southern tip of Streymoy, with its medieval stone church ruins; Eiði on the north of Eysturoy; or the village of Funningur, which sits at the mouth of a fjord so still it looks like a mirror.
The Faroe Islands reward the people who aren’t in a hurry. On your last day, be one of them.
June to August is peak season. Long days (nearly 24 hours of daylight in midsummer), the best chance of clear weather, and puffins on Mykines. It’s also when tours and ferries fill up fastest – book well in advance.
May and September are excellent shoulder months. Fewer crowds, lower prices, and the light has a quality in early and late season that photographers specifically seek out.
Winter is a different experience entirely – dramatic, dark, and atmospheric. The northern lights appear on clear nights. Not for everyone, but unforgettable if it’s your kind of thing.
For more information, read our best time to visit the Faroe Islands guide
A rental car is essential for exploring independently. Roads are well-maintained and most of the main islands are connected by tunnels and causeways. The undersea tunnel between Streymoy and Vágar makes island-hopping straightforward.
For Mykines, you’ll need the ferry or a boat tour – there’s no bridge. Same for some of the smaller outer islands.
This is the one thing most visitors wish they’d done earlier. The best tours – especially the Mykines boat, the Lake Above the Ocean hike, and the private boat tour to Drangarnir – sell out weeks or even months ahead in summer. Booking through Discover Faroe Islands gets you the lowest available price with no booking fees.
The Faroe Islands have a saying: if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. Waterproofs are non-negotiable, even in July. Layers, good boots, and a windproof outer shell will serve you better than checking the forecast obsessively.
Read our Packing for the Faroe Islands guide for more information.
Whether you have three days or a full week, the Faroe Islands will give you more than you expect. The key is knowing where to go, having the right guides, and booking before the tours fill up.
Browse all available tours on Discover Faroe Islands – handpicked local experiences, no booking fees, lowest prices guaranteed. Every tour is guided by someone who knows these islands the way only locals do.
