A Travel Expert’s Personal Review of Explore’s Walking in the Faroe Islands
- Adventure Coordinators
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
It’s often the places at the edge of the map that capture my imagination — and the Faroe Islands are about as edge-of-the-map as it gets. Combine it with a Norse culture and fantastic food, and you have me hooked. Tucked between Iceland, Scotland and Norway, these islands feel suspended somewhere between sea and sky. I joined an Explore tour to uncover the essence of this rugged North Atlantic archipelago, and what followed was a week of ever-changing skies, dramatic landscapes, resilient communities, and a final moment of travel chaos to keep things interesting.
Here is my personal review of Explore’s inaugural Walking in the Faroe Islands
First Impressions
The trip began with an overnight flight to Reykjavík. The sun rose around 2:30am Toronto time just as we flew over East Greenland. Below, jagged mountains were lit up by that ethereal Arctic dawn — one of those moments you don't dare sleep through. Reykjavík airport lived up to its reputation as an disorganised mess, nearly causing me to miss my connecting flight to Vágar. But I made it — just in time to board a small turbo-prop with a curious passenger list that included several tourists juggling oversized luggage.
Our descent into the Faroes was memorable. We flew up a fjord, cliffs rising on either side, and landed hard on the only flat stretch of tarmac around. It felt like arriving somewhere secret and significant. After a short walk on gravel tracks, dragging my wheelie bag along with me, I found my hotel: clean, stylish in an IKEA sort of way, and blissfully quiet. There were a total of three hotels we stayed at during the tour. This was probably my favourite, although the one in Tórshavn was excellent too. We stayed at the old Seamen's Mission in Klaksvík as well, which was quite bare-bones albeit comfortable enough. A new hotel is scheduled to open in Klaksvík and the expectation is the tour will stay there in the future.
A hot shower and coffee gave me the jolt I needed to explore the nearby village of Sørvágur on foot. There wasn’t much to the town itself, but I followed a trail out back that quickly became a solitary cross-country hike. Cairns replaced the trail, and I picked my way across the fell, alone except for birds and the occasional patch of wildflowers. Fifteen kilometres later, I returned sun-drenched and windblown, just in time for the group meeting.
My group consisted of 14 people - just over half of them from the UK, along with a lady from Singapore, an Aussie, a couple from the US and myself. They were a great bunch of people and we got along very well indeed. We were also joined by Marco de Man, an ex-pat Dutchman and the owner of the local tour company running the trip for Explore. Behind the scenes Marco quietly organized all the moving parts that make for a good tour. Having him along was not only great fun but also gave me some unique insights into the running of the tour.
Puffins, Waterfalls & Whale Meat
Our first full day began with a walk to Sørvágur's harbour, where we stumbled across a raw slice of Faroese life: locals were butchering pilot whales dockside. Little children were running around among the carcasses and it was a visceral reminder that these are not just remote islands catering to tourists — they are places of long-standing traditions and subsistence practices. If travel is meant to open your eyes and mind to other cultures, this was one of those moments. **
The ferry to Mykines was choppy despite calm skies, and the views during the 45-minute crossing were wonderful. Once ashore, our guide led us uphill and along a dramatic ridge trail with stunning sea cliffs and a puffin colony. Although puffin numbers were lower than usual, those present were endlessly entertaining.
After a wind-blown return crossing - about half of the ferry crossing gets cancelled due to high seas - our driver Eyvind took us to Gásadalur, where a beautiful waterfall plunges straight into the ocean. Until the tunnel was built in 2006, villagers carried coffins over the mountains to bury their dead in consecrated ground — another reminder of how isolated life here once was.
Birdcliffs and Optical Illusions
The next day saw us meet our local guide, Rannvá Joensen — a spirited outdoorswoman with a deep love of her homeland and the best local leader I have had the pleasure to travel with. She was a great storyteller and conversationalist, had a deep knowledge of local culture and history, knew how to read the group and was good at organizing. (Incidentally Rannvá has a great Instagram feed worth following for anyone interested in the Faroes. Find her at @rannvajoensen)
We headed to Vestmanna, where a boat took us out to the bird cliffs. Once past the shelter of the harbour, the swells kept us on our toes. Bird numbers were sparse, but the towering cliffs — apparently 700 metres high — were breathtaking. It's hard to fathom that farmers still retrieve sheep from the slopes here several times a year.
Lunch was a buffet of salad and fish soup, which warmed me up after the bracing sea air.
Later, we visited Sørvágsvatn, where the landscape plays tricks on the eye. From a certain angle, the lake seems suspended high above the ocean, although in reality it sits only 30 metres above sea level. We followed an undulating trail to the point where the lake spills off a cliff as a waterfall. It was a beautiful spot to rest and take in the sheer scale of the place.
That evening we dined in Bøur, in a converted stable on the edge of the fjord. The village and the setting were a highlight - flower-clad hills, black-tarred houses along the still waters of Sørvágsfjørður, a rushing creek tumbling into the ocean.
Dinner was a salmon salad with lemon mayo and sorrel, baked cod with pearl barley risotto, and a rich chocolate kladdkaka for dessert. I paired my main with a crisp Riesling and then walked back towards the hotel in the golden Faroese twilight, picked up halfway by the bus. It was one of those quietly perfect travel moments.
Hikes, High Roads & Weather Watching
The following day delivered a full dose of Faroese weather: shifting clouds and scattered rain. But thanks to a network of webcams - installed to get up-to-the-minute weather conditions - we chased the sun to the neighbouring island. Our steep uphill hike from the village of Eiði along Eiðiskollur’s cliffs offered a commanding view — whether or not you were brave enough to crawl to the edge. The 350-metre drop to the ocean below was dizzying, made more dramatic by the wind roaring off the sea.
After a quick lunch bought from a local supermarket, we crossed a spectacular mountain pass to reach the pretty village of Gjógv. From here, we hiked up another windy ridge and took in views across the sound and down to the village.
Afterwards, coffee and waffles never tasted better, especially because I was able to enjoy them in the sunshine. That evening we reached Klaksvík, our base for the next two nights. We had a fun dinner and night out on town which included a stop for ice cream at the store in a gas station. The sign above the counter had some of my travel companions a little confused: flavours like diamond, gull and silver were outside of their ken. Luckily, my understanding of Scandinavian languages helped to decipher this was the menu of car wash choices rather than ice cream flavours.
A Slow Morning in Klaksvík
If I have any criticism of the itinerary, it is the free morning in Klaksvík given while most shops and attractions were closed. Still, I wandered through town, finding interest in the details: a forlorn history museum, a tangle of gravestones including some Commonwealth war graves, and a sunny stroll past a church and a bench to rest on in a local park. I even managed to find the post office thanks to some hand gestures and deciphering Faroese.
In the afternoon we drove out to the island of Viðoy to visit a local church. From here we continued to one of the few bits of forest one can find on the Faroes at Viðarlundin i Kunoy, and had a delightfully sunny walk through meadows and glens.
The day culminated in a hike up Klakkur which gave us a spectacular view over some of the Northern Isles and the town of Klaksvík.
Roundabout Tunnels and a Taste of Tradition
Our driver Eivind greeted us the next morning and took us through a series of tunnels en route to the capital Tórshavn — including one with a roundabout inside, which he thoughtfully circled twice for our amusement. A walking tour of the old town of Tinganes followed, past 17th-century buildings housing Faroese government offices.
A recurring issue with the tour was organizing lunches. It wasn't always clear when or where we would purchase lunch, or we were given too many options, which meant time was wasted. Today that meant some of us hurried to purchase lunch for the day ahead (while making dinner reservations for that evening) before ferrying to Nólsoy for a misty hike. Low clouds forced us to turn back early, but Rannvá salvaged the day with her stories and an impromptu picnic: pilot whale, blubber, dried cod, and potatoes. I found the flavours unique and surprisingly enjoyable, especially the combination of blubber, whale and potato.
That evening, four of us shared a leisurely dinner at Aarstova. The tasting menu of local cheeses, lamb tartare, shoulder of lamb and root veg, and a rhubarb trifle — each course paired with wine — was a delicious way to mark our last full day together.
The Fog Rolls In
As I had a cruise to join in Reykjavik on the last day of my Faroes tour, I had planned to leave the islands a day early to buffer for any flight cancellations. On that last morning the group headed out for one final hike. It was the one day where the weather was abominable but I am told Rannvá again saved the day by teaching everyone the Faroese chain dance in the pouring rain.
Meanwhile I visited the National Museum en-route to the airport. It turned out to be an excellent choice — surprisingly large and thoughtfully curated. But the weather wasn't getting any better. By the time I reached the airport, it was thick with fog - even the bus driver said he had never seen it so bad. And sure enough, airlines began cancelling flights one by one. Mine wasn’t cancelled — it just disappeared from the board. Only after calling Iceland Air did I learn I’d been rebooked for the next day. No help from the airline was available - I was on my own to book a hotel and find transportation.
Everything in town was fully booked except a Bring Your Own Tent campsite and a student dorm room with shared bath for $200. I quickly booked the latter before rushing back to town where I joined the group for dinner one last time, soaking in the camaraderie.
Late that night I went to bed exhausted but wired — my new flight would arrive in Reykjavik just 90 minutes before my ship departed. With an hour's drive between airport and cruise terminal it would be tight.
The Mad Dash
The next morning I squeezed in one last hike in the hills above Tórshavn, counting my blessings how fortunate I was to have spent a week in this beautiful place.
Then it was off to the airport. Despite a beautiful sunny morning, the airport, which is an hour away from Tórshavn, was still fogged in.
My Iceland Air plane aborted two landings - watching it unfold on Flight Tracker was a cliff hanger - before finally sticking the third. The terminal erupted in cheers.
After further delays we landed in Reykjavik. I took a bus to the terminal. I bolted through the airport. I installed an eSIM on the fly. I waited for my bag. I raced to the taxi ramp - signage was intermittent. The clock was ticking.
At 3pm and with that hour's drive ahead of me, I jumped in the first taxi I saw. I told the driver my ship was leaving at 4pm. He said he'd do his best. We sped along the highway into town. We dodged roadworks and slow vehicles. He took a wrong turn. I opened Google Maps to guide him. Time was running out.
We reached the ship at 3:59pm. Did I say it would be tight?
My rating & Who this trip is for
The Faroe Islands offer a rare kind of travel — one where nature sets the agenda and beauty is everywhere you look. This trip with Explore was a brilliant mix of wild landscapes, local encounters, and immersive hikes. The weather kept us on our toes, but the rewards were worth a few soggy moments.
I’d give this trip a solid 8 out of 10. There were a few glitches - as one might expect from a brand-new tour - those will be ironed out in future editions. Personally I would have liked to include a visit to a Norse site, to learn more about the history of the islands.
But that's all small fry - I did come home with a great impression of the Faroes and its people at the end of a fantastic trip.
If you like a set itinerary, big cities, sunny skies and warm temperatures, this is not the trip for you. It’s however ideal for travellers who thrive in remote settings, enjoy walking, and don’t mind a bit of unpredictability. If that’s you, the Faroes are calling.
** To read more about the Faroese whale hunt, please refer to this Wikipedia page.
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