Norway · Lofoten · Premium route guide
Lofoten Scenic Route
Red fishing cabins, granite walls straight out of the sea and bridges between islands.
From Å at the end of the E10 through Reine, Hamnøy, Ramberg and Flakstad to Leknes, a detour out to Henningsvær, then Svolvær and the Raftsundet bridge. Built from our own track.
- Distance
- 200.1 km
- Peak elevation
- 449 m
- Elevation gain
- 1,864 m
- Best months
- Jun–Aug
- Norway · Nordland · Lofoten
- One-way
- 100% paved
The route
A one-way ride along the E10 across Moskenesøya, Flakstadøya, Vestvågøy and Austvågøy, with the side road out to Henningsvær and back. Most riders arrive on the Bodø to Moskenes ferry, which lands close to the start. The ferry is optional access, not part of the route.
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~-2 m at the base to 449 m at the top, 1,864 m of total climbing across the route.
Our track is 200 km with about 1,860 m of climbing, roughly 5 to 6 hours of riding without stops. Norway's official National Tourist Route through Lofoten is about 230 km because it continues further than our end point. The highest value on our profile comes from height data over a tunnel, the road itself stays close to sea level.
Why ride it
Reine and Hamnøy are the postcard views, Ramberg has a white sand beach, Flakstad an old wooden church, and Henningsvær sits on tiny islands at the end of a narrow causeway.
Hazards
Camper vans and tour coaches on a narrow road, strong side winds on the high bridges, long and narrow tunnels with wet surfaces, sheep on the road, and rain that can arrive in minutes.
Fuel
Fuel in Reine, Leknes and Svolvær. Fill up in Leknes before the Henningsvær detour.
Best months and difficulty
June to August, with midnight sun until mid July. Difficulty: moderate.
What to see along the way
- Å - End of the E10 and start of the route.
- Reine - Classic fishing village under steep peaks.
- Hamnøy - Red rorbu cabins on the water.
- Ramberg - White sand beach.
- Flakstad church - Red wooden church from 1780.
- Leknes - Main town on Vestvågøy, fuel and shops.
- Henningsvær - Island village at the end of the detour.
- Svolvær - Lofoten's main town.
- Raftsundet bridge - End of the route.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Lofoten Scenic Route
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Svolvaer - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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