Fishing villages, polar night, northern lights
This is leg 1 of 2, the opening leg.
Travel leg · Lofoten & Tromsø
Reine to Svolvær
Reine and Svolvær sit about 70 km (43 mi) apart in a straight line, with Svolvær to the north-east. It is leg 1 of 2 on our Lofoten & Tromsø itinerary, an 8-day trip. Here is how long it takes by car, what to see on the way and where it fits in a real itinerary.
- Straight-line distance
- 70 km · 43 mi
- Est. road distance
- 84–98 km
- Est. drive time
- 1 h – 2 h
- Direction
- Heading north-east
- Curated routes
- 1 itinerary
Road distance is estimated as 1.2–1.4× the straight line; drive time assumes average speeds of 50–80 km/h with no stops or traffic. These are rough estimates — check a maps app for the actual route.
Ways to get there
We don't have live routing data, so the figures below are labelled estimates built from the straight-line distance. Use them to plan the day, then confirm in a maps app.
By car
Most travelers on our Lofoten & Tromsø itinerary do this leg by car. We estimate 84–98 km (52–61 mi) of road and 1 h – 2 h behind the wheel, so check live traffic before you set off.
Fly Oslo to Bodø and on to Leknes with Widerøe, or take the car ferry from Bodø to Moskenes (about 3 to 3.5 hours). Hire a car with studded tyres; Reine to Svolvær is about 130 km on the E10, 2 hours in good conditions. From Svolvær the northbound Hurtigruten sails in the evening and reaches Tromsø the next afternoon, or fly via Bodø. In Tromsø the airport bus and city buses reach everything; tours pick up in the centre.
Worth stopping for
Picks from our curated guides at both ends.
When you arrive in Svolvær
Lofoten's main town and base for Henningsvær and Kabelvåg; 2 nights.
Svinøya Rorbuer
Restored fishermen's cabins on the island of Svinøya, linked to central Svolvær by a short bridge.
Lofoten War Memorial Museum
Private collection in a 1923 post-office building covering the German occupation of Lofoten and the 1941 commando raids.
Børsen Spiseri
Restaurant in an 1828 fish-trading house on Svinøya, serving stockfish, cod and lamb by candlelight.
Magic Ice Lofoten
Ice bar and gallery in a harbour warehouse, with sculptures of Lofoten fishing life carved from ice.
Vågan Church
The 1898 'Lofoten Cathedral' in Kabelvåg, a wooden church built for the fishermen who crowded in each winter.
Henningsvær
Fishing village spread over skerries south of Svolvær, with galleries, cafes and a harbour of working boats.
Before you leave Reine
Rorbuer under granite peaks at the southern tip of Lofoten; 2 nights.
Reine Church
White wooden church from 1890 at the edge of Reine, set right under the snow-covered Olstinden massif.
Å and the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum
The village at the end of the E10, where old rorbuer, a bakery, a cod-liver-oil works and a boathouse form an open-air museum.
Anita's Sjømat
Seafood shop and cafe on Sakrisøy known for its fish burgers, fish cakes and smoked salmon.
On this curated route
Where Reine → Svolvær sits in the full itinerary. Highlighted stops are this leg.
Going the other way? Svolvær to Reine is the same 70 km in a straight line, heading south-west. Reverse directions in Google Maps ↗
Weather at each end
The biggest gap comes in January, when Svolvær averages highs 2°C cooler than Reine. Over a year, Svolvær gets about 220 mm more rain.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reine high | 3° | 3° | 3° | 5° | 7° | 10° | 13° | 14° | 11° | 8° | 6° | 4° |
| Svolvær high | 2° | 1° | 2° | 5° | 8° | 11° | 15° | 14° | 12° | 8° | 5° | 3° |
| Reine rain | 107 | 92 | 95 | 70 | 56 | 62 | 73 | 75 | 112 | 111 | 119 | 126 |
| Svolvær rain | 122 | 106 | 108 | 83 | 71 | 83 | 92 | 93 | 139 | 135 | 137 | 145 |
Temperatures in °C, rain in mm per month. Long-term monthly averages from NASA POWER satellite climatology — a guide to typical conditions, not a forecast. Month headings link to Svolvær month guides.
Reine to Svolvær: questions travelers ask
How far is Reine from Svolvær?
Reine is about 70 km (43 mi) from Svolvær in a straight line, with Svolvær to the north-east. By road, we estimate 84–98 km (52–61 mi), or 1.2–1.4 times the straight line. Check a maps app for the exact route.
How long does it take to drive from Reine to Svolvær?
An estimated 1 h – 2 h, assuming 84–98 km of road at average speeds of 50–80 km/h with no stops or traffic. It is not a routed time, so check a maps app on the day.
Which itineraries include the trip from Reine to Svolvær?
Our Lofoten & Tromsø itinerary includes this leg. Lofoten & Tromsø runs about 8 days across 3 stops, best in Late Nov – Mar.
Onward from Svolvær
- Svolvær to Tromsø 236 km
Guides for both ends
- Reine travel guide
- Reine weather best time to visit
- Svolvær travel guide
- Svolvær weather best time to visit
Svolvær by month
Plan Reine → Svolvær with your crew
Add this leg to a shared itinerary, poll the group on where to stop, split fuel and tickets, and keep everyone's packing list in one place in TripsCircle.