Lofoten road trip: the E10 from the Moskenes ferry to Svolvær

The E10, Kong Olavs vei, is the road that holds Lofoten together. Store norske leksikon describes it linking the islands without ferries from Å in the south-west to the E6 at Bjerkvik, and Visit Lofoten gives 163 km from Fiskebøl to Å. Most of the islands are joined by bridges and tunnels, one of them under the sea.

This road trip starts where many drivers arrive: on the Torghatten Nord car ferry from Bodø, which lands at Moskenes after 3 h 15 min on the direct scheduled sailings sampled in September 2026 (Entur; Visit Lofoten says about 3.5 hours). It then follows the E10 north-east over six days, with nights in Reine, Hamnøy, Ramberg, Leknes, Henningsvær and Svolvær. From Svolvær, Harstad/Narvik Airport at Evenes is about 166 km by road (OSRM), which Visit Lofoten puts at around two and a half hours; Svolvær also has its own airport and a Hurtigruten call.

Nasjonale turistveger's Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten follows the same road for about 230 km between Å and Raftsundet, with rest areas such as Reinehalsen, Rambergstranda, Hauklandstranda and Gimsøystraumen. The road log below the days gives the OSRM router's distance between each pair of neighbouring villages.

Two practical points apply all year. Visit Lofoten asks drivers to stop only in lay-bys and not on the road. And the Nappstraum tunnel between Flakstadøya and Vestvågøya is being upgraded until December 2027, with night closures outside the summer break.

Day 1: Off the ferry at Moskenes: Å and Sørvågen

Torghatten Nord asks drivers with a reserved space to be in the reserved lane 45 minutes before departure from Bodø; without a reservation, join the ordinary queue, where staff sell tickets at the car window. Passengers must register their details on this route, using the QR code at the quay. From the Moskenes terminal, turn south for Å, where the E10 ends; park just after the tunnel for the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum. Stop at Sørvågen on the way back, then drive about 5 km north of the terminal to Reine for the night.

Day 2: Reine, Sakrisøy and Hamnøy

Spend the day on Reinefjorden. In season, climb Reinebringen from the outer harbour car park in Reine (May to September, according to Visit Lofoten), or take the Reinefjorden boat to Vindstad for the walk to Bunes beach (April to October). Stop at the Reinehalsen rest area, a viewpoint by the E10 near Reine. Then drive the short stretch north over the bridges to Sakrisøy and Hamnøy, where Visit Lofoten asks photographers to use lay-bys, not the passing places marked M. Hamnøy is about 5 km from Reine by road.

Day 3: Hamnøy to Ramberg via Fredvang and Kvalvika

Follow the E10 north along Moskenesøya and turn onto the Fv7708 over the Fredvang bridges. From spring to autumn, walk to Kvalvika beach or Ryten from the Innersand or Fredvang school car parks; both charge, and Visit Lofoten allows 3–5 hours. The national park warns that parking in passing places or ditches can lead to a fine. Back on the E10, continue to the Rambergstranda rest area and settle in Ramberg, Flakstad's administrative centre, which has shops and a petrol station.

Day 4: Nusfjord, Ballstad and Haukland to Leknes

Take the Fv7596 to Nusfjord, one of the best-preserved fishing villages in Lofoten, with mostly 1800s houses, and return to the E10. Cross the Nappstraum tunnel to Vestvågøya: since August 2026 it has closed from 23:00 to 06:00 apart from a 02:00 passage, with pilot-car convoys by day, so allow for waits. Detour on the Fv818 to Ballstad, one of the largest fishing villages in Lofoten, then continue north past Leknes to Haukland beach, a scenic-route rest area. Return to Leknes, the service town for west Lofoten, for the night.

Day 5: Borg and Gimsøya to Henningsvær

Drive north on the E10 to the Lofotr Viking Museum at Borg, 14 km from Leknes, built around a reconstruction of the largest longhouse found from the Viking Age, which Visit Lofoten recommends for families. Cross onto Gimsøya, detour to Hov on its northern coast, and stop at the Gimsøystraumen rest area. Visit Lofoten notes that the Gimsøy bridge is one of the exposed points that can close in strong winds. Continue to Austvågøya and take the Fv816 to Henningsvær, leaving the car in one of the larger car parks.

Day 6: Henningsvær, Kabelvåg and Svolvær

If the season and weather suit, climb Festvågtinden from Festvåg in the morning: 1.3 km each way and demanding, according to Visit Lofoten, which gives a season of May to December depending on snow. Drive on to Storvågan by Kabelvåg for SKREI, the combined site of the Lofoten Museum, the Lofoten Aquarium and the Espolin Gallery. Finish in Svolvær, about 5 km further along the E10. Onward, Svolvær has an airport about 6 km east of the town and a daily Hurtigruten call, and Evenes airport is about 166 km away by road.

Where to stay on the way

Reine or Moskenes suit the first night, since the ferry lands between them. Hamnøy and Sakrisøy put the second night beside Reinefjorden without moving far. Ramberg has a beach, shops and fuel on the E10; Fredvang, on its side road, is closer to the Kvalvika path. Leknes has the widest choice of services in west Lofoten, with Ballstad as a harbour alternative. Henningsvær suits a night in a fishing village before the last short drive, and Svolvær, with the largest selection of accommodation in Lofoten according to Visit Lofoten, suits the end of the trip or a start in the other direction.

Driving rules and conditions

• In Nordland, studded tyres may be used from 16 October to 30 April inclusive, and a minimum winter tread depth of 3 mm applies over the same period; winter tyres or chains are required outside those dates too if conditions need them.
• Visit Lofoten says rental cars are equipped with winter tyres in winter, that exposed points such as the Gimsøy bridge can close in strong winds, and that drivers should stop only in lay-bys.
• Nappstraum tunnel (E10, Vestvågøya–Flakstadøya): closed 23:00–06:00 with one 02:00 passage and pilot-car convoys by day from 17 August 2026; closed to pedestrians and cyclists; planned completion December 2027.
• Statens vegvesen publishes current road closures and convoy driving on its traffic information pages.