Nine days along the E10 from Narvik to Å, through Arctic beaches, sea eagles, midnight sun, and the most photographed fishing villages in Norway.
The E10 through Lofoten is one of the world's great scenic drives: 129 kilometres threading between fishing villages on a chain of islands north of the Arctic Circle, where the mountains drop almost vertically into the sea and the road barely has room to follow the shore. This nine-day Lofoten Islands road trip itinerary begins at Narvik, the port city at the mainland end of the E10, and follows the islands south-west through Svolvær, Henningsvær, Reine and on to the literal end of the road at Å.
There is no circular route here. Lofoten is a finger of land pointing into the Norwegian Sea, and the right way to travel it is end to end, dipping off the main road into side valleys and stopping in every harbour that catches your eye. From late May to mid-July the sun does not set at all, turning the midnight hours golden and surreal.
Getting there: Fly to Harstad/Narvik Airport (EVE) or Bodø (BOO). Bodø is useful if you plan to arrive by ferry from Moskenes at the southern end of the route. Most self-drive travellers fly into Narvik and out of Bodø.
Car hire: Book well in advance. Rental stock is limited across Lofoten and Narvik combined, especially in summer. A standard hatchback or small SUV handles all roads; no 4WD is required in summer.
Accommodation: Rorbu (traditional fishing cabins, now often tourist-standard) are the obvious choice and available throughout. Book Reine and Nusfjord several months ahead for July.
Budget: Norway is expensive. Eating from supermarkets (Rema 1000 at Svolvær and Leknes) keeps costs manageable. Expect to pay 150 to 250 NOK per person for a main course at a restaurant.
Narvik is a working port city rather than a tourist town, and that honesty is part of its appeal. The Narvik War Museum explains the ferocious 1940 battles for this strategically vital port, where Allied and German forces fought in one of the most significant naval engagements of the Second World War. After the museum, the Narvikfjellet gondola lifts you above the city for wide views over the Ofotfjord and the Ore Mountains.
Use this first night to rest and stock up on supplies. The supermarkets here are larger than anything you will find in the villages ahead.
Svolvær is the islands' main town and a logical base for eastern Lofoten. The setting is exceptional: mountains press in from every direction and the harbour bustles with fishing boats and small ferries.
The standout activity is the Trollfjord RIB excursion. The gorge is only two kilometres long and barely 100 metres wide in places, its walls rising 1,000 metres on both sides. White-tailed sea eagles nest in the crags and swoop low over the boat in summer. Book the early morning departure for the best light and fewer boats.
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Kayaking is a good half-day option from Svolvær: paddle around the small islands off the harbour without needing a guide. The Svolværgeita twin-peak scramble is possible for experienced hikers but involves exposed moves near the top; hire a guide service unless you are confident on rock.
Thirty minutes south-west of Svolvær, Henningsvær earns its nickname "Venice of Lofoten" by sprawling across a tangle of small islands connected by bridges. Old fish factories have been converted into cafes, galleries and climbing gyms. The football pitch at the seaward edge of the island, surrounded by open water on three sides, is the most photographed sporting venue in Norway.
Arrive early: parking fills by mid-morning in July. Leave the car at the outer lot and walk in. The inner harbour in the late afternoon light, when day-trippers have gone, is one of the best hours on the whole route.
Leknes itself is a functional market town, but its surroundings are the route's beach chapter. Haukland and Uttakleiv beaches are a 15-minute drive from town, and the contrast they offer is genuinely unexpected: white sand, water that turns turquoise in sunshine, and Arctic peaks as a backdrop. A 4.5 km coastal path links the two beaches.
Ten kilometres north of Leknes, the Lofotr Viking Museum at Borg is the site of the largest Viking chieftain's longhouse ever found. The reconstruction is full-scale, the setting on a ridge with fjord views is dramatic, and the demonstrations of traditional crafts give the place a life that display-only sites often lack.
Nusfjord is a village that has been managed and preserved rather than developed, and it shows. The yellow rorbu, the narrow harbour walls, the former cod-liver-oil factory and the small bakery have barely changed in a century. A UNESCO-recognised heritage site, it is best appreciated as an overnight stay when the day-trippers have gone. Walk the harbour perimeter in the evening with the mountains reflected in still water and you will understand why this particular village has been protected.
Reine is the most photographed village in Norway, and arriving there in person confirms why. The red rorbu, the mirroring inlet, the teeth of Reinebringen above: no photograph quite captures the scale of it. The Reinebringen summit hike climbs 448 metres via a steep staircase of 1,978 wooden steps, taking around two hours return. The panorama from the top is the finest on the entire E10.
Use the second day to drive the short loop through Sakrisøya and Hamnøy. Sakrisøya has the famous yellow rorbu and a deli serving locally smoked salmon. Hamnøy is the village most often used for the classic Lofoten fishing-harbour photograph, and both are within five minutes of Reine.
The E10 ends at Å, and so, pleasingly, does the Norwegian alphabet. This compact fishing village has barely changed in decades. Stockfish racks line the harbour (loaded with drying cod heads from February to May), and the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum, housed in original buildings, walks you through the cod trade that sustained Lofoten for centuries.
The Moskenes ferry terminal is a five-minute drive from the village. If your trip ends here, the return crossing to Bodø takes around three hours and, in clear weather, the view back at the islands from the open sea is a fitting farewell.
When to go: June to August for the midnight sun, all businesses open, and the best hiking conditions. Late May and early September offer fewer crowds and lower prices with only marginally shorter days.
Fuel: Stations in Svolvær, Leknes, and scattered through the islands. Fill up at Leknes before heading south; fuel is sparse between there and Å.
Road conditions: The E10 is well-surfaced throughout. Roads to Nusfjord (Fv807) and to the beaches near Leknes are narrower but paved. Expect single-track sections with passing places.
Ferries: The Bodø to Moskenes ferry (3.5 hours) and the Bodø to Svolvær express (around 3 hours 15 min) both require advance booking in summer. Cancellations occur in rough weather; book a flexible ticket.
Mobile coverage: Good in all towns; occasional gaps in side valleys and tunnels. Offline maps are worth downloading before you go.
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The full route — stops, maps, and driving times — is on Routebook by Kington.
Nine days along the E10 from Narvik to Å, driving Norway's most spectacular island chain through Svolvær, Henningsvær, Reine and Nusfjord, with Arctic beaches, Viking history and the midnight sun.
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