The postcard perfect views of the Reine fishing village are hard to beat. The waterfront is lined with traditional red Rorbu houses, and the town is flanked by impressive jagged mountains at every turn. Reine is the ‘pretty town’, and a must visit for the views. We visited for a few nights at the end of our Lofoten road trip, using it as a base in the west of the archipelago to explore nearby towns, hikes, and relax.
Reine is located right next to the popular and ‘must do’ hike Reinebringen.. the views from the top are incredible (read more below). The proximity of Reine at the ‘end’ of Lofoten Islands makes it an excellent and easy addition to your road trip. It’s also close to the Moskenes ferry port, a common entry/exit point on the island. Reine has a variety of easy day trip options, with nearby towns of ‘A’, Hamnoy, and Sakrisøy all worth exploring for day trips. Reine also has kyack and boat tours, attractions that are excellent in pleasant weather.
See a few tips from our visit to Reine – Lofoten Islands
Hiking Reinebringen – a few things to know:
The famous Reinebringen hike is located around 1-2 kms from the town of Reine, and is easily the most popular hike in Lofoten Islands. It’s definitely one of the shorter hikes in total distance, but don’t think it’s easy. You will have to hike up 1970ish stairs directly up. There are not period of flat ground, only stairs.. lots of stairs. There’s no hand rails, and the stairs are relatively steep (but in good condition). You need a decent level of physical fitness to reach the top, so be prepared for this. The hike will likely take you 1-1.5 hours up, and 45-60 minutes down, pending your fitness and rest breaks. You will need to park in the town (which will cost), or at a few parking points along the road. These get very busy, so you will need to go early if you want a park. Be prepared all of the parking locations, including in the town, require a 1-2km flat ground wall to the start of the trail head. However, despite the effort, the views are incredible at the top and we think it is a must do in Reine.
A few good day trip towns from Reine:
The nearby towns are all very photogenic, however not all of them are ‘must visit’ options. See our thoughts below.
Sakrisøy: A collection of little, bright yellow houses make up the tiny town of Sakrisoya. Home to a couple of restaurants, an antique shop, and a few accommodation stays, the town is great for a brief visit. Enjoy the views of the mountains, fjords, and the cute houses. It’s only a few minutes away from Reine, meaning you can easily add this onto your stay or road trip in this region.
Hamnøy: The popular town of Hamnoy is on many ‘must visit in Lofoten’ lists. Made up of red traditional Rorbu houses, Hamnoy is pretty much entirely accommodation. Home to one bakery, the town can be walked in 5 minutes, and while an easy addition to your road trips, it’s not particularly a must visit. Go for a quick visit on the way past.
‘A’: Located on the tip of the islands, ‘A’ is a popular addition to many Lofoten road trips. However, after visiting, we don’t agree with many other guides online. The town itself is very small, and while home to some colourful houses, it’s not a picturesque as many on the lists above. While the bakery in town is busy, is is not remarkable, and the museum doesn’t appear to be a must do. Tourist busses often roll in, so it can get busy. While it can be an easy visit from Reine, we don’t think you need to prioritise it above some other towns on the list.
Watching the midnight sun in Reine?
The midnight sun is one of those ‘bucket list’ things you need to do if you visit Lofoten islands in summer. Only occurring between June and July, this unique phenomenon occurs in the arctic circle where the sun doesn’t set at all. The location of Reine on the island means it is shrouded from the sun by the mountains, meaning it isn’t the ‘best place’ for the midnight sun. However, the Reinebringen hike is popular for people wanting to see the midnight sun over the mountains, so this may be a good option. You can also see more about our experience with the midnight sun and a few good locations here.
Should you visit Reine or Henningsvaer?
Reine is a must visit for the views and nearby attractions. however, don’t expect Reine to have quite the same ‘substance’ as Henningsvaer. We found that there was less ‘to do’ in Reine town (but more day trips nearby), the cafes/restaurants in Reine were a lot more touristic and poorer quality, and the unique experiences like yoga and saunas by the water were lacking in Reine. If you have to choose only one, then pick Henningsvaer, however, due to the small size of the Lofoten Islands, we recommend you visit both, and stay a few nights in both. If you are visiting for to short a period of time to visit both, then we urge you to weigh up if it’s worth even visiting the Lofoten Islands. This archipelago isn’t a ‘2 day visit’ location. It’s hard to reach, the weather is unpredictable (even in summer), and despite their small size, there’s a lot to do. We recommend a minimum 4 nights to allow time for day trips, seeing the towns, hiking and more.
Where should you stay in Reine?
We stayed in a traditional red Rorbu house right at the edge of the town. The accommodation had a lovely host, and was perfectly located near the Reinebringen trail head. It also had a lovely deck and a kitchen, making it a perfect base for a few day visit. See Reine accommodation here.
You can also check out a few other excellent Reine accommodation options below:
- The Famous Yellow House – Book early, and plan your budget accordingly. It’s popular and famous for a reason.
- May’s Apartment – A whole studio apartment in the heart of Reine.
- Catogarden – A boutique hotel in town with sauna, fitness facilities and more.
- Lofoten Hi Hostel – Up the road in ‘A’, it’s a decent budget option but not in town.
Keen to travel more around Norway? See a few of our guides below..
- Our guide to the colourful seaside town of Bergen
- Our guide to Oslo, a great Scandi city break!
- Our road trip from Bergen to Odda and Aurland through Vestland fjord country!
- See why the Woodnest in Odda is one of the best accommodation stays in the world!
- Our road trip stop at the picturesque Stalheim!
- Enjoy the natural beauty of Odda.. here’s what to do and why you should visit!
- A road trip stop in Norheimsund – why you should visit!
- See impressive drone shots from our visit to the Woodnest in Odda
- Aurland is one of the best fjord towns in the region – see our guide here!
- See our road trip stop in Gudvangen here.
- Laerdal is a cute spot for a coffee on your road trip in Norway!
- See why we loved Henningsvaer and think it’s a Lofoten MUST visit.
- Want to watch the Midnight Sun in Lofoten? See our guide and experience!
- See what towns in Lofoten Islands we think you should visit!
Enjoying our free guides & travel advice? Subscribe to our blog!
Jump your email into the list below. We won’t spam you! It’ll just keep you updated whenever we post another travel-related adventure, memory or tid-bid!
WANT TO SEE MORE FREE TRAVEL GUIDES AND TOP TIPS?
Note: this post contains affiliate links. This means that if you purchase or book anything using these links, we get a small percentage of the sale, at not extra expense to you. This helps us to run the site.
