What to do:

1. Go on a Sea Cave Boat Tour

The Faroe Islands are known for their rugged cliffs, wild landscapes, and many, many waterfalls. They are also known for having spectacular sea caves!

A sea cave boat tour with RIB62 should 100% be on your list. The tour consisted of an hour and a half boat ride around the island and through some really amazing caves. The tour was a combo of speeding and slowly gliding through the wild ocean to admire the scenery around us. It was a great mix of adventure and ease. We even saw a few puffins and dolphins during our tour!

I typically get pretty nervous/seasick on boat rides. However, our RIB62 captains made me feel super safe and comfortable the whole time. They also had us jamming to really fun music during the ride.

I couldn’t recommend this tour more.

Book it here: https://guidetofaroeislands.fo/book-holiday-trips/caving-tour-hestur/

Location: Tour departs from the Gamlarætt Ferry Port

2. Rent a car and get out of Torshavn

Torshavn is a great city. There is so much beauty and history there, but the real beauty lies outside of the capital. You should rent a car to see as much as possible during your time in the Faroes.

We rented our car with Enterprise and I would highly recommend doing so. The pick up/drop off process was seamless and our car was clean and in great condition.

However, if you do not want to rent a car, then there are a number of great tours that offer pick up from your accomodations in Torshavn. Guide to the Faroe Islands is an excellent website to find a tour that fits your needs.

Here are a few great tours that offer pick up from Torshavn :

• Outstanding 7 Hour "See It All" Faroe Islands Tour- https://guidetofaroeislands.fo/book-holiday-trips/the-full-day-see-it-all-faroe-islands-tour/

• Incredible 8 Hour Guided Tour to Kalsoy & Kallur Lighthouse- https://guidetofaroeislands.fo/book-holiday-trips/day-tour-to-kalsoy-and-kallur-lighthouse

• 3 Waterfalls in 1 day | Múlafossur, Fossá & Saksun Waterfalls- https://guidetofaroeislands.fo/book-holiday-trips/waterfalls/

3. Marvel in the beauty of Múlafossur Waterfall

If you have seen any photos of the Faroes, you have likely seen Múlafossur Waterfall. It is basically the poster child of the Faroe Islands.

Due to the proximity to Vagar Airport, Múlafossur Waterfall is a great first place to stop when you arrive. The drive is only about 10 minutes from the airport. You will arrive at a small parking area and walk a trail for about a minute or so to the waterfall viewing area. It is truly a magnificent site to see.

If you land in the Faroes and the weather isn't great, then you also have the option to stop here right before your departure flight!

Address: Search for "View on Mullafossur and Gasadalur village" on the Google Maps App to find the parking area.

4. Go shopping for wool products

The Faroe Islands have more sheep living on the islands than residents. Faroe Island literally means “sheep island,” which was named by the Vikings when they arrived on the islands and found so many sheep. Due to the over 70,000 sheep living on the islands today, the Faroe Islands produce a lot of high quality wool goods.

There are so many beautifully handmade wool pieces to buy in the Faroes. Consider purchasing for yourself or bring home as a souvenir for a loved one.

Here are a few stores in Torshavn that sell gorgeous wool goods:

• Guðrun & Guðrun

• Føroya Heimavirkisfelag

• Öström

5. Visit Saksun and Saksun’s Black Sand Beach

Saksun is a tiny, picturesque village with about 8 residents living in beautiful turf-roofed cottages. The village is surrounded by steep mountains and a lagoon that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

If you want to explore the village up close along with Dúvugarðar Saksun Heritage Farm, there is an entry fee of 150dkk (about $22USD). However, you can wander outside of the village, hike to the waterfall, and visit the old church in Saksun for free.

We paid the entry fee to walk through the village and I personally didn’t find it worth spending the money. I thought the view overlooking the village is much better if you hike to the waterfall, which is free.

If you are visiting Saksun, plan your trip around low tide so you can also visit Saksun’s Black Sand Beach. During low tide, you can walk along the sand that leads to the Atlantic Ocean. It was truly so magical to see the wild landscapes, black sand, and bright blue ocean. Visiting this beach is free.

You can visit this website for the tide schedule: https://www.tideschart.com/Faroe-Islands/Streymoy/

Lastly, there is a hiking trail you can take from Saksun to the nearby village, Tjornuvik. It takes about 2 hours (one way) to complete this hike and is rated as moderate difficulty due to the elevation gain.

6. Walk the historic streets of Tinganes

Tinganes, in Torshavn, is a historic area of the city containing old parliament buildings. The parliament met in these turf-roofed houses for the first time during the Viking era. Tinganes is rumored to be one of the oldest parliamentary meeting places in the world.

Aside from being a section of the city filled with so much history, it is also gorgeous and makes a perfect Instagram worthy photo!

7. Drive around the world’s only underseas roundabout

The Eysturoyartunnilin is the world’s first and only underseas roundabout. Not only is the roundabout really cool to experience, there is also artwork created by the local artist Tróndur Patursson as you drive around it. It just just makes the whole drive a total vibe.

The tunnel connects the island of Streymoy to the island of Eysturoy and has been operational since 2020. It is very close to Torshavn and is definitely worth a visit (you will likely drive through it anyway if you plan on visiting Eysturoy or the northern islands). It is really cool.

Something to keep in mind- the tunnels in the Faroes are not free. The toll fees vary depending upon the tunnels you are driving through. The Eysturoyartunnilin is 175 DKK one-way (about $27USD), which I think is pretty expensive.

You don’t have to stop anywhere to pay for a toll when entering or exiting the tunnels. A photo will be taken of your license plate and you will be charged by your car rental company the toll fees.

8. Go Hiking

No trip to the Faroe Islands are complete without hiking at some point during your stay. There are many different trails you can explore from easy to more challenging.

Here are two hikes I did that I would recommend:

1. Hike to Bøsdalafossur Waterfall:

• This hike is a must do when visiting because not only do you end at the Atlantic Ocean viewing the spectacular Bøsdalafossur Waterfall, you also encounter Lake Sørvágsvatn (The Lake Above the Ocean) and Trælanípa during your hike.

• Visit my blog post for more info: www.placeswiththepeoples.com/blog/how-to-spend-a-day-in-the-faroe-islands

• Difficulty: Easy

• Location: Vagar Island

2. Gongutúrur / Hvithamar Trailhead

• This is not a typical hike mentioned on other guides, which is surprising because the view is spectacular. The hike leads you to a magnificent view of Funningur village and the Funningsfjørður fjord and is definitely worth checking out.

• What to Expect:

  • You will start the hike at the Gjáarskarð mountain pass (there is a parking lot)

  • The path is easy to follow- there are green arrow signs leading you in the direction to take

  • This hike consists of a three parts- the first part leads you to the Hvíthamar ridge viewpoint (takes about 10 mins and is flat and easy), the second part is a really steep climb to the Skeggjanøv viewpoint (takes about 20 minutes uphill), then the third is a steep walk down along the fence back to your parking area. You basically make a triangle shape. There is a photo at the start of the trail explaining the course.

• This hike is VERY muddy so make sure you are wearing a pair of waterproof, sturdy shoes.

• Difficulty: First Section (Easy) + Second and Third (Moderate)

• Location: Eysturoy

Here are a few hikes I wanted to do but didn’t have time for:

• Dunnesdrangar- Vágar Island; Easy difficulty

• Ásmundarstakkur- Suðuroy Island; Moderate difficulty

• Kallur Lighthouse- Kalsoy Island; Easy difficulty

9. Have a locally brewed beer at OY Brewing

OY Brewing is a lovely brewery in Torshavn that brews their beers onsite. It is the perfect low-key spot to settle down after a long day of exploring and driving. They also have a schedule on their website with live entertainment and events if you are looking for a more up-beat experience.

OY Brewing also is a restaurant and they are serving up some seriously good food. Their pulled pork and spicy cucumber salad is elite.

Address: 4 Falkavegur, Tórshavn 100, Faroe Islands

https://www.oy.fo/

10. Eat Salmon

The Faroe Island salmon farming industry is one of the most successful in the world. They are known for raising salmon naturally without any antibiotics, producing a high quality and favorable fish.

It was pretty cool driving around the islands and seeing the salmon farms in the water.

So while you are in the Faroe Islands (if you are a salmon lover) you have to give it a try. It was really so delicious.

Seasonal things to do:

11. See the Puffins (May-August)

Puffins are adorable seabirds that migrate to the Faroe Islands during the summer months. Seeing the puffins are one of the top attractions that bring tourists and photographers from all over to observe them. Sadly, the puffins were mostly all gone when I arrived in September. We saw 1 puffin in the water during our sea cave tour.

The best places to view the Puffins are:

Mykines Island- the westernmost of the Faroe Islands and the most popular viewing site for the puffins. During the summer months, you can take the ferry from Sørvágur to Mykines. There are also a number of tours that will take you to the island. The boats sometimes get cancelled due to rough waters so if you do want to see the Puffins, be sure to schedule this excursion on one of your first days in case you have to reschedule.

Nolsoy- is another great spot to view the Puffins. It is only a 20 minute ferry ride away from Torshavn. Some of the locals argue that it is better to see the puffins on Nolsoy than Mykines, but you can decide that for yourself!

12. Admire the Northern Lights (September- March)

The Northern Lights are visible in the Faroe Islands (sadly we didn't see them during our stay, but I hope you do!)

The best time of the year to see this phenomenon is from September to March, with November to February having the highest chances.

The Northern Lights are more visible the further away you are from city light. It is said these towns are the best places to view from: Gásadalur, Tjørnuvík, Eiði, Vestmanna, Funningur, Saksun, Gjógv, Klaksvík, and Viðareiði

I would suggest downloading the Aurora app, which will let you know your chances of seeing the Northern Lights so you can plan your night accordingly.