really enjoyed this report! thank you for posting

Great report! I considered going there via Iceland a number of years ago, but I heard too many "why would you want to go there" and I talked myself out of it. Two things have changed. Information is more readily available about some of the more "off the beaten path" destinations and of course this report. I'll be reconsidering a stop here for at least a couple of days.

Yeah, I was a bit surprised that when I first mentioned that I was considering the Faroes. A lot of the Danish and British people I knew seem to have a mental image of it being a low-rent version of the Shetlands that's not worth visiting, while I myself thought they were quite cool.

Mind you, I almost went to the Faroes last October enroute to a family event in England, but a review of the weather and people's october photos told me it was likely a better idea to wait until June. :)

Absolutely wonderful TR: Just realize I was there at the same time- flew r/t from CPH which RC does 3 times pr day - so if the KEF connection doesnt work out for some from the US - then going via CPH is very doable. We actually did FAE on a 3day long weekend - which is not much but gets you to see a lot of the Islands. And RC is a surprisingly good airline with all-economy service that includes a cold meal and all hot and cold drinks incl alcoholic. Rare these days.

We did Mykines, Torshavn, Eidi, Gjogv (I asked and was told the pronounciation is 'Yegv' by the lady in the Gjogv guesthouse.).
The hikes around there are amazing and we did Sandoy on a rainy day - really worth it , and that ferry hardly ever cancels - so good for a bad-weather day. And you can bring your car.
Agree Koks was amazing. Also Barbaras fishhouse and Aarstova are both great.
Can't wait to go back and do Kalsoy - your pics inspired me now :)

Yeah, I rather liked RC. A decent in-flight meal (although the exact same thing on both RKV->FAE and FAE->EDI, a curry chicken sandwich), a non-crowded cabin (I suspect the short runways led to a reduced capacity), and a pleasant staff. And I don't know about your tickets, but ours were pretty cheap (total for both of us was 2600 DKK for all flights, so that was about 90 USD per leg per passenger). I'm wondering if RC gets subsidies (as an aside, my BOS->KEF, RKV->FAE, FAE->EDI was probably the cheapest transatlantic crossing I've done since 1998 or so... my return LHR->KEF, LEF->BOS cost a lot more)

And despite a nominally strict luggage weight policy, they happily just let me check an extra bag. (Between my photography gear, and formal wear that we needed for family events in Scotland and London that would have been very out of place in the Faroes, we weren't exactly traveling light).

I want to go to the Faroe Islands. How many days would you suggest?

You missed the event when they kill the dolphins and the ocean is red? I think it's dolphins.

I remember your great reunion trip report. Did you swim in Reunion? They have the most shark attacks.

I am going to Mauritius in October and decided to skip reunion as I like to swim.

I'd budget at least three days. Two of the basic attractions (Vestmanna cliffs and Mykines) require almost an entire day to themselves, and you want some other time to explore the area. As it was, I rather wish I had 2-3 more days to check out Sudaroy and Sandoy, and maybe take another stab at one of the good hikes.

On the other hand, I think after about 7-8 days, unless you are hardcore into hiking and side trips, most folks would get bored. I know that the Australian couple I met that had been there for a month house-swapping were still enjoying it, but had remarked that after the first two weeks they were like "Yeah. Another little village with turf roofs and a church."

Part of it, however, is paced by airline availability. Neither of my flights in or out is a daily flight, just 3x/week flights.

Pilot whales. Missed that by a few days (it's not scheduled, they basically wait until a large pod shows up).

I did. Saint-Pierre has an awesome beach (and reef-protected so no sharks).

Thank you for posting this incredible trip report, Kaszeta! I've been toying with the idea of going to the Faroe Islands next summer, so this is wonderfully timed. Your report is one of the most useful sources I've seen so far (the other has been looking at the official tourist web site and the Visit Faroe Islands Instagram account, which posts amazing photos.) Your summary of what you'd do differently is exactly the kind of information I've been looking for.

One question-- you mentioned in a comment that some people thought Faroe was like a "low-rent" version of Shetland. Can you expand on that? Any chance you've also been to Shetland and so could compare more directly? I went to Shetland this summer, and I loved it, and Faroe seemed appealing in many of the same ways. And Faroe seems like it might be slightly easier to get to from the U.S. by flying via Iceland, rather than the multiple connections required to get to Shetland.

I should also give a good plug here. The Bradt travel guide to the Faroes is quite good and well researched. I found it very useful. (As opposed to, say, Lonely Planet where the Faroes only rate half a page in the back of the Iceland guide.

Mostly, for better or worse (mostly better, in my experience), the Faroes are still developing a tourism economy. There's not a lot of accomodations, hotel or otherwise. Airbnb is still making inroads there (although that's where half our lodging came from, and quite a good deal at that!). A lot of the various ferries have limited capacity, and even worse, it is perfectly plausible that you could get stuck on Kalsoy or Mykines if you are unlucky. And restaurants? I'm not kidding when I say that I could count all of the non-gas-station restaurants in the Faroes outside of Torshavn on my fingers.

The Shetlands aren't that much better in these respects, but they have fewer challenges.

Mind you, I like the rustic nature, but many people seem to be turned off by it.

Yeah, if I timed it right, I could get to Vagar in a not-too-long day of travel with one connection in Iceland (and rumor is that next year RC is going to be flying out of KEF year-round).

For that matter, it was also delightful to talk to my brother (who was meeting us in Edinburgh) while we were in Viðareiði and he was in London, and realizing that from a "travel time" perspective we were a lot closer to Edinburgh than he was (70 minute drive to Vagar, 60 minutes for checkin and security, and a 1:45 flight.... vs his combination of tube and train for 6.5 hours)

Thank's very much for sharing the report about an unknown destination which is on my list to visit already for a while longer (it might be heresy to say here, but I'd heard great stories about taking the Denmark-Faroe-Iceland ferry).

Beautiful pictures, and a great read from start to finish.

I've heard mixed reports on the Norrona. I've heard it's quiet pleasant for accomodations and food, and has a nice staff.

I've also heard that both the Denmark/Faroes crossing, and the Faroes/Iceland crossing can be particularly rough and choppy due to high winds.

Unless you are bringing a vehicle on the ferry, the Iceland port is a little inconvenient, since it's a rather small without a huge amount of amenities (by Iceland standards, in the Faroes that town would be yuuuuge).

Nice trip!

Do they mow their roofs or do the sheep keep the grass manageable?

Wow, a great TR, from every angle. Your eccelent pics were most enjoyable. You actually helped me move Faroes from a very low position on the bucket list to one considerably higher. You seem to have been well prepared, large credit for that. Beeing a constant searcher for anything new to eat, when travelling, your lunch/dinner resumes almost made me salivate ;)

Your suggestions on bringing picnic lunches are benefits of following someone who already made the research for you.

A great big thanks for sharing!

I never figured out the answer to this one. I did actually see sheep on a roof, however.

Edit: Some googling solved this one for me: yes, they do mow the roofs.

Thanks. One of the reasons I pick obscure places to go is that I love learning new cuisines and ingredients.

great report and photos !

interesting their langoustines (and some other food) seem famous

good to hear about Hofn!

Fabulous report and fantastic pictures. The Faroes have been on my radar for a while but your report has truly brought it to life.

I'm glad you mentioned Gasadalur as a village you didn't visit, as throughout your report I was wondering what the name was of the iconic village / cliff / waterfall image that seems to be a weekly fixture on my Instagram feed :)

Awesome TR. Thanks!

Loved this trip report.
Add me to the list of going to Iceland in 2017.

Also per wikipedia looks like Atlantic will be flying out of KEF beginning 10-31-16.

Who told you that you have to park outside and go into Gasadalur? We just drove straight through the tunnell and parked along the road, the village was completely abandoned and we were totally alone on the roads. Except for the sheep, of course... ha ha.

But it was indeed a severe storm coming, with hurricane wind and torrential rain just 2 hours later....when we were driving from the airport to Torshavn. A drive I will never ever forget in my life. We had to stay inside the tunnels so that the cars didn't flip over from the hard wind gusts. And I am by no means joking or exaggerating the horrible weather. It was really bad. I am from Norway myself, but such bad weather... I have never ever experienced before. I really feared for my life.

So you were REALLY lucky with the weather! Amazing views of the green, brown, and blue!

But who on earth wants to see the grindadrap? It is a really bad tradition that I hope the faroese stop immideately. It is a pointless torture - not only murder - of other living beings. Cause you cannot put a whale to sleep in an ethical way. And for what? "Tradition"? It is the worst excuse. I love the faroe islands, really, and sometimes I tell people "I think I really am faroese instead of norwegian". But then I remember the grindadrap... And I realise I am neither a faroese nor a proud norwegian - cause we seem to be stuck in the viking age of pointless torture of animals. It makes me ashamed.

Totally support the praise about Atlantic Airways though - we got sushi served on our way from Copenhagen! :D

PS: Love the comment about the grave stones. They are 100% traditional norwegian / faroese / (scandinavian?) - go to any cemetary in Norway and you'll see the exact same thing. Very elaborate pieces, that cost ~5000EUR / ~6000USD

What a wonderful review! We spent a day in the Faroes this summer - our cruise ship docked in Klaksvik. You have made me curious to return!

Great trip report..wouldnt have known about this place if not for your review and great photos.
Any recommendation on the budget for a 4-7 day trip (without the air fare)?

They've pretty much always shifted to KEF during the winter, but supposedly the plan is to remain at KEF next spring instead of shifting back to RKV.

I'm of mixed thoughts on that. Good if one is traveling via KEF and trying to get there. But I rather liked that I could, with near zero drama, walk from my hotel near Hallgrimskirkja to RKV in ~20 minutes carrying luggage. It was barely more effort than just getting to the bus terminal.

I can tell you approximately what we paid for stuff for our 7 day/6 night stay

1. Lodging: Averaged 1200 DKK a night, both for the hostel in Torshavn and the airbnb in Svinair. You can spend a lot more at the two nice hotels in town (Foroyar and Hafnia)

2. Rental car: 5600 DKK for 6 days.

3. Fuel: Spent 700 DKK on fuel for the rental, around 75 liters of gas. Driving was our primary way of getting around, but there's not a lot of real distance driving.

4. Tunnels: 600 DKK for tunnel tolls.

5. Food: Aside from the almost 2000 DKK for dinner at KOKS, food was expensive but not alarmingly so. Removing the KOKS dinner from the equation, we spent a total of 2400 DKK on a mix of self-catered food from the airports and restaurant food.

6. Mykines Ferry: 400 DKK (two RT tickets)

7. Vestmanna tour: 590 DKK (two tickets)

8. Kalsoy Ferry: 220 DKK (Car w/ driver plus extra passenger)

9. Flights: 3,272 DKK (in from RKV, out to EDI)

10. SIM cards: 128 DKK (for two)

11. Misc. Expenditures (souvenir glasses, Museum entries): 800 DKK.

Total: 21,910 DKK. Around $1565/pp (although this neglects the cost of getting to Iceland, and getting back from London, since this was part of a larger trip)

I'm told that yes, indeed, we were somewhat lucky compared to typical July weather.

And particularly during non-summer visits, the Faroes have some legendarily bad weather, especially with heavy winds (and don't let the pictures fool you, two of those "nice" days also had gusting winds over 70 mph!).

Those wanting to see what the Faroes can be like at bad times, google "Smyril" or "Norrona" to see either of those ferries in rough seas.

Awesome TR. Very much enjoyed it.

Re-reading the TR today, again amazed at the pics of beautiful sights presented to us .

This TR stands out to many others for:
1. An exciting and unusual destination, far away from unreachable, requiring no tedious visa procedures before travelling.
2. OP made a good research before travelling, thus beeing prepared for most things happening when not on your own ground.
3. An open mind to try previously unknown, in some eyes strange, food traditions, instead of some TRs I've read, where the visitor to a previously unknown country complains about not beeing able to get the usual breakfast items.

"TR of the year" ?

We were there in May, so maybe July is better. Will deafo return one day!

Totally know what you mean about the ferries in rough seas - my husband is a nautical officer that sails all across the atlantic all year round. He often sends me some "interesting" videos of the weather they experience :eek:

The Faroe Islands is one of my favorite places I've ever been. I went in October 2014 for an extended weekend (4 nights) -- something which is eminently doable for Americans if your city is an Iceland Air gateway. I arrived in KEF and had around 4 hours between flights to make my way to RKV in a taxi (note: that ride is about $120 USD one way; there are cheaper ways to do it via bus). On the way back, I had a similar layover but Atlantic Airways actually flew into KEF that day.

I have never smelled air so clean and fresh as in the Faroe Islands. An awesome and unique destination. Once was enough though, at least for me.

I would do this in a heartbeat, except the picky eater in me curled up into a small ball while reading about the food. If I would probably have to live off salmon if possible.

Thanks for the great pics, enjoyed the ones of the puffins.

Thanks for a very informative, entertaining and inspiring TR. I am just intrigued by: 1) all that grass on the roofs, 2) how those votive ships hang perfectly balanced on one thread.

Yeah, if anyone here is ever finding themselves with a KEF-RKV transfer, two things to note:

1. Allow at least two hours for it.
2. Take the flybus to the Reykjavik bus terminal. From there, you can walk (10-15 minutes), take the 15 bus (sporadic), or take a taxi (cheap, since it's so short). Make sure you know which RKV terminal you want (almost always RKV West)

I figure one more trip and I will have seen most everything, although I could see it being a fun place to just kick back and relax if I could find a cheap weekly airbnb.

Thanks for all your effort for this fantastic TR! Definitely put this onto my bucket list!

Unfortunately the above link is dead. Do you have an update on the missing pic?

http://www.lifeandall.org/?p=2832 is the full link.

And since their visit was just about concurrent with ours, that blog has similar pictures of the various sites. And a few I didn't get to, like Villingdalsfjall:

http://i1.wp.com/www.lifeandall.org/...-17.jpg?w=1240

Thanks! The juices look great. Did you try most of them?

I didn't, since I did the wine pairing, which was excellent.

Thank you for posting this - I hope to visit the Faroes next year.

In addition to the Bradt guide, do you know of any specific resources for hiking? Partly because I have very little sense of location, I really need almost step-by-step trail guidance, including just to find the trailhead, and I like to know in advance how difficult the trail is likely to be.

Most of my actual hiking was done with VisitFaroeIslands.com hiking guide (download from their website):

http://visitfaroeislands.plantaps.ne...compressed.pdf

(You can also email them and they'll mail a copy to you, or buy one there for 15 DKK)

Most of the hikes there have a distinctly informal nature to them. Since there are no trees, many of the hikes are "Start here. See that hill? Walk up it by whatever means seem most expedient". Which means a lot of walking across sheep pastures...

Thanks for the reply.

FWIW, one of my friends has been trying to persuade me not to do any of this--she thinks it's all beyond my capacity. I don't know her source of information, but she says that Faroes hikes entail a 3,000-foot gain of elevation and last a minimum of six hours. I told her that I know my limits.

Thank you so much for the wonderful report.

Your consistently seamless integration of the visual and the verbal is about the best I've ever seen -- anywhere.

I'm really glad I braved the rather forbidding "Ultima Thule" sounding title and decided to read!