The Ultimate Guide To Reine (Lofoten’s Most Scenic Village) – What To Do In Reine

The picturesque fishing village Reine, with its scenic landscape of Reinefjord and the small islands, is dotted with red fishermen’s cottages and hugged in between steep mountains that rise straight up from the sea. It is one of Norway’s most photographed villages, and you have probably seen photos from Reine on Instagram. You could say that Reine has become almost synonymous with Lofoten, as it is often chosen as the front cover of traveling books and brochures about Lofoten and Norway.

Reine consists of several small islands, all connected by bridges. There’s Sakrisøya island, where you’ll find Anitas Seafood restaurant and shop, famous for its fishburger. On the island Hamnøy, is Eliassen Rorbuer Accommodation, one of those iconic Reine photo spots.

Reine is really all about those fishermen’s cabins, called rorbuer in Norwegian, and this is the perfect place to stay at a traditional (now renovated and modernized) rorbu.

A boat trip on Reinefjorden is a spectacular way to see Reine and its surrounding landscape. You can get off the ferry at Vindstad and walk over to Bunes Beach, a hidden gem and one of Norway’s most stunning beaches.

The village has been a huge inspiration for artists and films like the Disney movie Frozen, and has been featured in theme parks like Disney’s Epcot in Florida (which has a Norwegian pavilion), Legoland (which has built a mini version of Reine in their theme park in Billund, Denmark), and Medurodam in The Hague in the Netherlands.

You can do activities like hiking, kayaking, SUP (stand-up paddling), or go on a fishing trip. At Reine Cultural Center there is the Harr art gallery.

So bring your camera, mobile phone, and tripod, and head over to Reine to see those breathtaking Lofoten photos on Instagram with your own eyes! You will not be disappointed.

Reine is almost as far west as you can get in Lofoten (only Å is further out) and is a 2-hour drive from Svolvær city. If you take the ferry from Bodø to Lofoten (Moskenes), Reine is the first village you reach and your starting point for your Lofoten adventure.

Reine Travel Guide – What To Do in Reine

This Reine travel guide gives you the best things to do and see in Reine in Lofoten, as well as the best places to stay and eat. Reine’s top attractions, sights, and activities are listed and highlighted on a map, including where to take those iconic and stunning Reine photos. Have a great time exploring Reine! ♥

A Brief History Of Reine

Reine has been an important fishing village and has traded fish (especially cod and stockfish) since 1743.

The Germans partially burned down Reine in December 1941 during World War II, which sadly ruined many of the old rorbuer and the downtown area.

Today, photos from Reine and the famous mountain Reinebringen are on the cover of lots of tourist brochures, guides, webpages, and books.

Even Coca-Cola loves Reine and picked the small village as the place to launch their campaign “Coca-Cola Life” in Norway. They held an outdoor event here in January 2015, whereas almost all residents participated.

What To Do In Reine – The 7 Top Things

Rorbuer, Fjord Cruise, Hiking & Art Gallery

The map above: Reine Travel Guide – What To Do (purple), Best Photo Spots (black), Where To Eat (red), Where To Stay (yellow), Where To Park (blue), Day Trips (green)

Here we give you the best things to do in Reine, a list of the top 7 attractions and activities in and around Reine village. Pick the things that suit you the best based on your interests and how much time you have to spend in this area of Lofoten.

Summary of the 7 top things to do in Reine: 

1. Fishermen’s Cabins/ Rorbuer – Best Poto Spots
2. Art Gallery Harr
3. Boat Trip On Reinefjord
4. Kayaking
5. Hiking
6. Lofoten Toy Museum
7. Yoga

1. Fishermen’s Cabins/ Rorbuer

One of the main reasons for visiting Reine in Lofoten is its breathtaking and picturesque surroundings and landscape. This tiny fishing village is surrounded by steep mountains shooting out of the fjord Reinefjorden, sea, small islands, inlets, and fjords.

The small islands are dotted with cozy red and yellow fishermen’s cabins (called rorbuer) along the shore. It is a stunning sight, and as we walk around the village, I totally get why Reine has become a huge hit on Instagram!

A Rorbu or fishermen’s cabin is a traditional Norwegian house used as a temporary home for fishermen when fishing along the coast of Lofoten during the cod (“skrei” in Norwegian) season (January – April).

Rorbuer is typical for Norway’s Lofoten and Vesterålen areas, and rorbu is a North Norwegian word. But you can find these kinds of seasonal fishermen cabins all along the Norwegian coast from Sunnmøre and up north to Finnmark. However, in the southern part of Norway, they are called “fiskarstove,” which means fisherman’s house.

Rorbuer was extremely important back in the old days when men from all over Northern Norway went cod fishing in Lofoten during the winter. They used open wooden boats with no housing or sleeping accommodation onboard. A rorbu ment shelter and a place to get warm, eat, sleep, rest, and dry your clothes in between the fishing.

A rorbu in the old days contained bunk beds where the whole crew of one boat could sleep, a small kitchen area, and usually a table and some chairs. The typical rorbuer were placed close to the sea and the harbor so that the fishermen easily and quickly could get back and from their boat. That way, they could lift their fishing gear and clothes directly from the boat and into the rorbu.

The fishermen could own the rorbu themselves (have built it or bought it), or they could rent a rorbu from the lord of the manor (called a “væreier” in Norwegian) of an area. Fun fact: My great grandfather was the “væreier” of Stamsund in Lofoten and rented out rorbuer to fishermen during the cod fishing season.

Today, most of the old rorbuer in Lofoten has been renovated into cozy cabins with modern comfort like a bathroom with toilet and shower, bedrooms with kingsize beds, a living room with a sofa and tv, and a fully-equipped kitchen, and some even have a fireplace and jacuzzi.

Many of the rorbuer you find in Lofoten today are newly built too, and the only resemblance between the new rorbuer and the old rorbuer is the location by the seashore. The rorbuer is also no longer only rented out to fishermen but tourists and travelers like us. 🙂

You will find rorbuer, especially the old traditional ones, in and close to fishing villages. There are several fishing villages with rorbuer in Lofoten, and Reine is the most famous and picturesque of them all.

Three of Lofoten’s most popular and famous rorbuer is located in and around Reine:

• Reine Rorbuer
• Sakrisøy Rorbuer
• Eliassen Rorbuer

Read more about these three rorbuer/ fishermen’s cabins and how you can stay there in the section “Where To Stay In Reine” further down in this article.

The Best Places To Photograph Reine

Reine is an authentic fishing village and thus has several rorbuer, more than any other fishing village in Lofoten.

You can  find three of Lofoten’s most breathtaking and popular photo spots in Reine (they are plotted on the map further up in this article):

1. Hamnoy Island/ Eliassen Rorbuer

   

   When driving into the village Reine, you will cross several small bridges and islands. One of these bridges is Hamnoy Bridge. Park your car on the small island Hamnoy on the east side of the bridge, and walk onto the bridge and set up your camera/ phone on the pavement. There you will have one of the most famous photo spots in Lofoten – the red Eliassen Rorbuer with the fjord and mountains as a backdrop (see the photo above).

2. Sakrisoy Island/ Sakrisøy Rorbuer

   

   The next photo spot lies on the small bridge connecting the two islands Olenilsøya and Sakrisøy. Park your car on either Olenilsøya or Sakrisøy, and walk onto the small bridge and along the shoreline of Olenilsøya. From there, you will be able to capture the stunning Sakrisøy island with the yellow rorbuer dotted along the shore with the bridges, sea, and mountains as a foreground and background.

3. Reine Village

   

   The most iconic and famous photo of Reine is, however, taken from photo spot no. 3. Park your car at the Reine parking lot, where you turn off the road E10 to drive down to the central Reine area.
   Walk along the road to Reine, and stop by the side of the road in the bay Gravdalsbukta. Here you will get the perfect shot of Reine with the mountain Olstinden in the background and the fjord straight ahead, encircled by rorbuer.

2. Art Gallery – Reine Cultural Center – Eva & Karl Erik Harr

The former Reine School has been reconstructed into an art gallery called Reine Cultural Center. Here you can enjoy paintings by the artist and painter Eva Harr (art gallery Eva Harr) and her older brother Karl Erik Harr.

Eva Harr was born in Harstad in Northern Norway in 1951 and is a painter and graphic designer, and illustrator.

Eva Harr’s paintings capture nature and the different moods of night and day perfectly, with nature’s unique light that changes with the seasons. You will notice that the moon is often the main subject in her paintings.

Eva Harr is most famous for her paintings of abandoned houses which symbolize the modern time we live in. A time of unrest and changes with centralization where young people tend to leave the countryside and move into the big cities. I love how she balances the bright and light colors with dark colors and complete black.

Eva’s older brother Karl Erik Harr (born in 1940) paints grand landscape paintings where the sea plays the central role. Karl Erik is both a painter, illustrator, graphic artist and author. He lives in Kjerringøy in Northern Norway. He is most famous for having decorated the Hurtigruten ship Richard With and his illustrated works of the famous Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun.

In the same building as the art gallery, you will also find a design and souvenir shop where you can purchase books, arts, local design items, and graphic artwork by Eva and Karl Erik Harr.

• Address: Kirkeveien 38, Reine (next to one of the parking lots in Reine)
• Opening Hours: May – September 09:00 am – 20:00/ 8 pm
• Gallery Harr’s Official Webpage

3. Boat Trip On Reinefjord

To fully explore Reine and its surroundings of small islands and inlets, you should consider going on a boat trip.

A local Reinefjorden ferry (ferry 18-773) takes you from downtown Reine and out on the Reinefjord. The ferry stops at Kjerkfjorden (where you can hike to Horseid Beach) and Vinstad (where you can hike to Bunes Beach). Or can just stay on board the ferry all the way back to Reine. The ferry roundtrip from Reine and back to Reine takes 1 h and 10 min and runs all year round (winter and summer).

Check the ferry schedule at ReisNordland.no or download the Reinefjorden ferry schedule here.

Reinefjord Sightseeing Cruise – Summer

• Season: May-August
• Estimated time: 1 hour

The Reinefjord Sightseeing Cruise has several departures during summer (May-August), all from Reine, and takes you out through Reinefjorden. From the ship, you have a fantastic fjord and mountain view, and the local guide will tell you interesting and fun stories about the history, wildlife, and geography of your surroundings as you glide through the sea.

The boat makes a stop at Kjerkfjorden and Vindstad, where you can get off and go for a hike in the Lofoten National Park. You can, for instance, walk to the scenic beaches Horseid and/ or Bunes (see further down under the section “5. Hiking”). If you go hiking, you can take the next cruise ship back to Reine.

If you don’t want to go hiking, you can just stay onboard during the boat trip. The entire boat trip takes about 1 hour back and forth, and you can choose from different departure times, the earliest at 10:30 am and the latest at 16:00/ 4 pm.

Reinefjord Evening Cruise – Summer

• Season: May-August
• Estimated time: 3 hours

The Reinefjord Evening Cruise is a great way to explore Reine’s beautiful landscape, fjords, and mountains. On this 3-hour boat trip, you get to explore the fjords Kjerkfjord, Bunesjord, and Forsdfjord. A professional English-speaking guide will point out places of interest and tell you all about what you see.

Departure from Reine is at 21:30, and you will be back in Reine around midnight.

4. Kayaking

If you want a more active way of seeing Reine from the seaside, you should head out on the fjords in a kayak. Reine is one of the best places in Lofoten to go kayaking, as beautiful fjords and small islands surround it. It is a good place for beginners to try out kayaking as the Reinefjorden is calm and sheltered. You can go kayaking the whole year-round unless the weather is awful.

Kayaking In Reinefjord

• Season:  Summer
• Estimated time: 3 hours

On this Kayaking in Reinefjord tour, a professional kayaking guide will take you out on the fjord. This is a beginner-friendly tour, so no prior kayaking experience is needed. All equipment needed is included in this tour, also life west/ jacket.
Click here to check availability and the latest prices

Also, Schibevaag Adventure (located on Sakrisoy) and Reine Adventure run kayaking tours from Reine. Shcibevaag Adventure also rents out paddleboarding (SUP) at Sakrisoy.

5. Hiking

Reinebringen – 448 m

• Estimated time: 2-3 hours to the top and back down
• Distance: 1,7 km (steep terrain)
• Hiking Level: Medium

The most popular hike in Lofoten is Reinebringen. And for a good reason; the panoramic view from the top is spectacular! You can see down on the houses in Reine with the stunning fjords Reinefjorden, Kjerkfjorden, and Vorfjorden as a backdrop. It is probably the most famous viewpoint in the whole of Lofoten, and Reinebringen is visited by thousands of people each year.

It is a medium challenging hike as it is pretty steep and not suitable for those who fear heights. However, the path up to Reinebringen has become a little easier to walk since sherpas from Nepal built a stone staircase along the mountain path in 2018. Reinebringen even has its own Facebook page where you can see the latest updates and info before going on your hike.

Reinebringen is a summer hike. Therefore, there might be a risk of landslides, avalanches, and falling rocks in autumn, winter, and spring (when there is snow and rain).

The path to Reinebringen starts next to the tunnel, but you must park at the parking lot at Reinehalsen (along the E10 road to Reine, see the map above). Then, walk along E10 road for a couple of hundred meters past the tunnel (walk on the old road outside the tunnel). Finally, you will see the path just past the tunnel.

Horseid Beach

Horseid is a fantastic 2 km beach on the “outside” of Lofoten. Steep mountains surround the beach. There are two ways of getting to Horseid Beach:

• The shortest walk: Take the ferry from Reine to Kjerkfjorden (ferry 18-773, runs daily, a 15 min ferry trip, check the ferry schedule at ReisNordland.no). When you step off the ferry, turn right at the pier and follow the signs. Walking time from Kjerkfjorden to Horseid Beach: 1-2 hours one way (easy walk, also suitable for kids).
• A longer walk: Drive to Selfjord and park where the road ends. About 50 m from the parking lot, you will see the trail next to the cabin Selfjordhytta. Walking time from Selfjorden to Horseid Beach: 3-4 hours one way.

Make sure to be back at Kjerkfjorden to catch the return ferry back to Reine.

Bunes Beach & Helvetestinden Mountain (602 m)

Bunes Beach is also a really nice stretch of sand. You can climb the neighboring mountain Helvetestinden to get that impressive Instagram shot of the curving white beach tucked in between steep mountains and fjords. Helvetestinden means “hell mountain,” by the way. 🙂

To get to Bunes Beach, you must take the ferry from Reine to Vindstad (the same ferry that goes to Kjerkfjorden and Horseid Beach, ferry 18-773, runs daily, check the ferry schedule at ReisNordland.no).

From the ferry pier at Vindstad, follow the gravel road along the east side of Bunesfjorden until you reach the end of the fjord. Here you follow the old narrow dirt track road uphill (to Einangen, 70 m high) and follow the track downhill on the other side of the hill until you reach Bunes Beach. It’s an easy walk, also for kids.

If you want to hike up to the mountain Helvetestiden, turn right at the top of the hill Einangen instead of downhill towards the beach. Follow the mountain edge up to Brunaksla and the mountain Brunakseltinden. The last bit up to Helvetestinden (602 m tall) is airy, and from the top, you get an amazing view! The walk up to Helvetestinden takes 2-3 hours one way and is steep and airy, with a good path.

Make sure to be back at Vindstad on time to catch the return ferry back to Reine. There is a cafe at the old school at Vinstad in the summer.

6. Lofoten Toy Museum/ Lofoten Leketøymuseum

The unique and cozy Lofoten Leketøymuseum (meaning toy museum), which also goes under the name Dagmar’s Dukke- og Leketøysmuseum, is located on Sakrisøy Island at Reine. Here you get to see old children’s toys from both Norway and Europe from 1860 until 1965. With more than 1500 dolls, teddy bears, and other toys, this is Norway’s largest collection of toys.

Do you wonder why teddy bears are called teddy bears? Head to the toy museum and find out. 🙂 You find an antique shop on the museum’s second floor (free entrance) where you can also buy a cup of coffee.

• Opening Hours: Summer (May-August): 11:00 am – 17:00/  pm every day (also Sundays).
• Lofoten Toy Museum’s Facebook Page

7. Yoga

If you are a yogist or want to try it out, you should join a yoga session at the beautiful Catogården.

The yoga is every morning at 08:00 am, and for 90 minutes, you get to stretch your body and calm your mind at this Kundalini Yoga class. It is even free! No previous yoga experience is required; everyone can join.

Catogården is located in central Reine and is an old wooden mansion house surrounded by a lovely garden. The house has been turned into a boutique hotel and yoga place.

Where To Eat In Reine

Anita’s Seafood

Anitas Mat/ Anita’s Seafood is the best place to eat in Reine. You cannot visit Reine without setting your foot at Anita’s (at least to just look at all the goodies).

Here you can have breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and indulge in freshly cooked seafood and fish from Lofoten, which you can either eat in the restaurant or grab with you to go. Anita’s is most famous for its fishburger topped with shrimps and salmon (Winnie the Pooh/ Ole Brumm).

We tried the classic burger, and it was awesome! Highly recommended! They also have a delicious fish soup as well as sandwiches with fresh shrimp. And for dessert, try one of their homemade cakes or a cinnamon bun together with a freshly brewed coffee or tea.

Anita’s also has a delicacy shop with a great selection of fresh fish, seafood, and snacks (such as stockfish, reindeer jerky, seaweed sal, seaweed pasta, and locally produced chocolate and jam). You can buy some fish and seafood that you can bring with you back to your rorbu and cook later yourself. For example, why not buy some king crab and boil it when you get to your rorbu, delicious! This is a great place to buy souvenirs and gifts to bring back home.

Be aware, however, that the prices can be a bit steep.

The Norwegian Automobile Association NAF has picked out Anita’s Sea Food as Norway’s best truck stop.

• Opening hours: 10:00 – 20:00 every day (also Sundays). Check their webpage for the latest opening hours (they have limited opening hours in winter).
• Anita’s Seafood Official Webpage
• Anita’s Facebook Page

Underhuset Restaurant

Just across the road from Anita’s Seafood on Sakrisøy Island, you find the restaurant Underhuset. The restaurant belongs to the Sakrisøy Rorbuer.

Here you can have some delicious local food (mostly fish and seafood) in a cozy and charming wooden rorbu house dating back to 1840. The view is excellent too.

On the menu, you find the catch of the day, beef cheeks, bacalao, smoked salmon, whale, and for dessert, my favorite – creme brulee as well as homemade ice cream.

• Opening hours: 15th of June – 15th of August: 17:00/ 5 pm – 21:00/ 9 pm. Closed on Sundays.
• Underhuset’s Official Webpage
• Underhuset’s Facebook Page 

Bringen Cafe

Bringen is located in the center of Reine, in a beautiful and romantic old white wooden house. They have a lovely seating area outside where you can have your food and drinks while enjoying the view and take in the Reine atmosphere.

At Bringen Cafe, you get delicious homemade cakes, buns, sandwiches, cinnamon buns, milkshakes, coffee of all kinds, hot chocolate, and tea. They also have take-away and free wifi.

• Opening hours: 10:00 am – 16:00/ 4 pm
• Bringen’s Facebook Page

Restaurant Gammelbua

The only “real” restaurant in the downtown area of Reine with a high-class selection of food and dishes. It belongs to the hotel Reine Rorbuer and is a cozy and atmospheric restaurant in a 200 years old rorbu house that used to be the old general store in Reine.

The fireplace makes your dining experience warm and super cozy if the weather is bad, or you can sit outside and enjoy the sun and view if the weather is good. The hospitality and service are excellent.

Head here for breakfast (breakfast buffet with a wide selection of food), lunch or dinner. On the menu, you’ll find stockfish, king crab, lobster, reindeer, whale steak, cod, and halibut. Or you can opt for the set feast menu with a little taste of everything (4 starters, 4 main courses, and 2 desserts).

• Opening hours: 06:00 – 21:00 (until 22:00 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays). Dinner menu: 17:00 – 22:00
• Gammelbua’s Official Webpage

Gadus Restaurant

Gadus is a Norwegian/ Italian fusion with local ingredients from Lofoten. It belongs to the Eliassen Rorbuer, but you can visit Gadus even if you are not staying there.

They have Italian dishes with a Norwegian touch, like stockfish ravioli, Lasagne Con Broccoli, and Frutti di Mare. They have the Italian classics on the menu, such as Pasta Carbonara, seafood pasta. Make sure to try their tiramisu and Panna Cotta for dessert, soooo good. There are children’s portions available if you are traveling with kids.

Affordable, good-sized-portions and high-quality Italian food with local Norwegian ingredients sum up Gadus perfectly.

• Opening hours: 18:00/ 6 pm – 22:00/ 10 pm
• Gadus’ Official Webpage

Tapperiet Bistro

Located in downtown Reine, Tapperiet Bistro is a more casual and informal place to dine than Gammelbua Restaurant. It is a combination of a pub, bar, and bistro that serves fish & chips, fish soup, hamburger, fish burger, and pizza.

It is a nice place to sit outside (they have a huge terrace) with a beer or a glass of wine in the evening, enjoying the view and atmosphere of Reine.

Tapperiet also has live music once in a while, usually on the weekends, and serves local beer from Lofoten and Northern Norway. This place is affordable if you are looking for a place to eat in the lower price range.

• Opening hours: 12:00 – 22:00/ 10 pm
• Tapperiet’s Official Webpage
• Tapperiet’s Facebook Page

Havet Restaurant

A 10-min drive south of Reine (towards Å), you find the small village Sørvågen/ Sorvagen. In Sorvagen you will find the new and modern hotel Loften Rorbuhotell with a great restaurant called Havet (which means “the sea” in English). We stayed two nights at the Lofoten Rorbuhotell and had breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Havet Restaurant.

Finding this kind of cool and modern restaurant in this part of Lofoten really took me by surprise! The chic design and atmosphere were like taken out of a design magazine, and I felt like I have stepped into a hip restaurant in New York but with a way better view. The huge floor-to-roof windows give a fantastic view of the fjord and mountains; I could sit there for ages looking at the sea.

Here you can try local dishes like stockfish, cod, whale steak, fresh shrimps, and mussels. Or you can opt for their 7-course tasting, where you get to try the specialties of Lofoten. We opted for the entrecote, which was delicious! Go for the rhubarb soup for dessert; it is a North Norwegian specialty and one of my favorite summer desserts.

Havet restaurant was a big surprise, and I can’t wait to stay and eat there again! One of the highlights of our Lofoten trip.

• Opening hours: 08:00 am – midnight. Breakfast: 08:00 – 10:00 am. Lunch: 12:00 – 16:00 pm. Dinner: 16:00/ 4 pm – 22:00/ 10 pm.
• Havet’s Official Webpage
• Havet’s Facebook Page

Where To Stay In Reine

Reine is all about rorbuer/ fishermen’s cabins. It is the place in Lofoten with the most rorbuer, and it is the perfect place to check them out and try to live like a fisherman. However, the historical and traditional fishermen’s cabins are totally renovated for tourists and have all modern amenities.

There are three rorbuer/ fishermen’s cabins accommodation facilities in Reine; Reine Rorbuer, Eliassen Rorbuer, and Sakrisøy Rorbuer, which you can read more about below. All three are in the same price range and allows pets.

Reine Rorbuer
Right in the middle of the downtown of Reine, you find Reine Rorbuer (by Classic Norway Hotels). The 39 bright red wooden cabins lay beautifully by the shore of Reinefjord.

The cozy cabins have a private bathroom and a fully-equipped kitchen (including a coffee machine). That way you can cook your own food, for instance, your self-caught fish straight out of the sea. All cabins have a fjord view. If you are traveling with kids, family, or a group of friends, you can choose between 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom rorbu.

The hotel has a restaurant as well, the restaurant Gammelbua (read further up under the section “Where To Eat In Reine”) serving breakfast.
Click here for the latest prices

Eliassen Rorbuer
Eliassen Rorbuer is probably the most famous of all rorbuer in Lofoten due to its picturesque location right by the sea, surrounded by tall mountains. Just do a search for #Lofoten on Instagram, and plenty of beautiful photos with Eliassen Rorbuer in front of the sea and mountains will pop up.

Eliassen Rorbuer is located on Hamnøy Island (a 10-min drive from downtown Reine). Here you stay in renovated fishermen’s cottages, all with a kitchen, living room, and private bathroom. The rorbu accommodation has a restaurant, the Gadus (serving Italian-Norwegian fusion food, read more about Gadus further up in this article), where you have breakfast. They have two-bedroom cabins (for four persons) and one three-bedroom apartment (for six people).
Click here for the latest prices

Sakrisøy Rorbuer
Sakrisøy Rorbuer is a 7-min drive from downtown Reine, just across the road from Anitas Seafood which serves Lofoten’s most famous fishburger. The charming fishermen’s cabins are renovated and have a private bathroom and modern kitchen.

Here you can choose between several sized rorbuer, from the small budget double room cabins (no sea or mountain view) to 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom cabins. The accommodation has a museum of children’s toys which is quite cute, and a cafe and antiques shop in the summer. In addition, Sakrisøy Rorbuer has its own restaurant, the Underhuset Restaurant, where you can enjoy breakfast and delicious local Norwegian dishes for dinner.
Click here for the latest prices

Catogården Boutique Hotel
Catogården almost feels like staying at someone’s home, right in the middle of downtown Reine. The old historical wooden villa has roots back to 1775 and has been transformed into a creative guest house where all 10 rooms are unique (painted in different colors) with a sea or mountain view.

Catogården does not have a restaurant, so breakfast is not included, but you can head over to the neighboring cafe Bringen or Gammelbua for breakfast. The rooms also have shared bathrooms. At Catogården, you can join in on yoga classes or rent a kayak.
Click here for the latest prices

Lofoten Rorbuhotell
A 10-minute drive south of Reine village (towards Å/ A), in the cozy fishing village Sørvågen/ Sorvagen, you will find the brand new and chic hotel Lofoten Rorbuhotell. We stayed two nights here, and it was one of our best stays in Lofoten!

From the modern, comfortable room and bathroom (had the most comfortable shower and beds ever) with a fantastic view of the fjord and village of Sorvagen, to the amazing restaurant Havet – everything was just perfect!
You can choose to stay in one of the guest rooms at the hotel (which we did) or a rorbu cabin with a private kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor area. They have small cabins (2-8 people) and a deluxe suite (12 people). There is a grocery store just across the road from the hotel.
Click here for the latest prices

Day Trips From Reine

Å

The small and traditional fishing village Å (a 15-min drive from Reine) is the last stop and endpoint on the E10 road through Lofoten.  Å fishing village has been turned into a well-preserved museum. Here you can walk around the old traditional houses and stockfish racks and see how they lived back in the day. Å also has a fantastic bakery making one of the best cinnamon buns in Lofoten!

⇒ Read More: Travel Guide To Å – Lofoten’s Best-Preserved Fishing Village (Folk Museum)

Sund

The main reason for heading to Sund (a 20-min drive from Reine) is its smith (goes under the nickname “Smeden i Sund,” meaning the blacksmith in Sund), making his famous black cormorant standing on a rock with his wings spread out. Here you also find Sund Fishery Museum, Lofoten’s oldest tourist attraction, dating back to 1947.

Nusfjord

The cutest fishing village in Lofoten must be Nusfjord (a 45-min drive from Reine). It is one of the oldest and best-preserved fisherman’s villages and is beautifully located in a narrow fjord tucked between tall mountains. Here you find rorbuer, an excellent restaurant, and an art gallery and museum.

Ramberg

Ramberg Beach (a 30-min drive from Reine) is one of the longest and most beautiful beaches in Lofoten. The crescent of white sand washed by crystal clear turquoise sea is a great place to see the midnight sun in the summer (May – July) and watch the northern lights in the winter (September – March).

Here you can go kayaking, SUP (stand up paddling), kitesurfing, windsurfing, and surfing.

How To Get To Reine

By Car

The best and most convenient way to get to Reine is by car. You can rent a car in for instance Svolvær, Leknes, Bodø, Harstad, Narvik, or Tromsø, and drive to Lofoten and Reine.

It takes about two hours to drive from the capital city of Lofoten, Svolvær, to Reine (one way).

I highly recommend that you rent a car as there are few buses. That way, you get to go around Lofoten and see all those beautiful places and attractions.

• Check out availability and the latest prices on rental cars here

By Ferry From Bodø To Moskenes/ Reine

If you fly to Bodø (from, for instance, Oslo or Tromsø), a popular way to get to Lofoten is to take the ferry from Bodø city to Moskenes. Moskenes is only a 7 min drive from Reine.

The ferry (Bodø – Moskenes) takes about 3-4 hours, and you can bring a car depending on the weather. During summer (high season), 3-4 ferry departs from Bodø to Moskenes each day, but there is only about 1 daily ferry in winter. Therefore, you should book the ferry in advance in summer as the ferry is extremely popular and often gets full.

You can get to Bodø by air from Oslo or Trondheim (which are served by many direct flights). You can also take the train to Bodø on the Nordland Line.

• Find the schedule for the ferry and book your ferry ticket in advance: torghatten-nord.no

By Bus

There are a few buses that run to and from Reine, but not many:

• Bus no. 300: Narvik – Harstad/ Narvik Airport Evenes – Svolvær – Reine – Å (plus several places in between)
• Bus no. 18-742: Å – Reine – Leknes (plus several places in between). From Leknes, you can take the bus to Svolvær.
• Bus no. 18-772: A local bus that runs between Å – Sørvågen – Moskenes Ferry Terminal – Reine – Hamnøy
• Find the bus schedules here: ReisNordland.no

By Air

The closest airport to Reine is Leknes Airport, a 1-hour drive away (one way). You can get to Leknes Airport from Bodø Airport (a 25-min direct flight), operated by Widerøe Airline. There are several flights daily between Leknes and Bodø.

Where To Park In Reine

There are two parking lots in Reine. The first one you get to is located between the E10 main road and the smaller road down to downtown Reine. You will easily spot it; it’s on your left-hand side. You also get to take the most popular and classic Reine photo from this parking lot with the fjord in the foreground and the mountain Olstinden in the background.

You will find the next parking lot as you drive down towards downtown Reine. The parking lot is on your left-hand side, next to Reine Cultural Center (which houses Harr art gallery).

A third option is in downtown Reine, in front of Bringen Cafe and Gammelbua Restaurant. But this parking lot is small and usually full (at least during the summer). If you plan on staying the night at one of the rorbuer/ hotels in Reine, you will get free parking right outside your cabin.

That’s it, our ultimate travel guide to Reine in Lofoten. This guide shows you the best activities, tours, and attractions in Reine, with all the best things to do and see in Reine. I hope this Reine guide can be of help to you when planning your trip.

Reine is a fantastic village with plenty to do and see and with some great nearby day-trip options. It is definitely one of the highlights when visiting Lofoten.

Make sure to check out what else you should not miss when going to Lofoten in our recommended 2-weeks Lofoten itinerary.

⇒ Read next, our other articles about Lofoten: 

• The Ultimate Guide To Svolvær (The Capital Of Lofoten) – What To Do In Svolvaer
• DIY Walking Tour Of The Idyllic Svinøya Island (In Svolvær, Lofoten)
• Why You Should Do A Trollfjord Cruise (By Silent Electric Ship) When Visiting Lofoten
• Top 7 Things To Do In Kabelvåg (Lofoten) – Kabelvåg Travel Guide
• The Ultimate Guide To Henningsvær (Lofoten’s Hippest Village) – What To Do In Henningsvaer
• A Complete Guide To Lofotr (Lofoten’s Viking Museum) – Ready For The Vikings?
• Travel Guide To Å – Lofoten’s Best-Preserved Fishing Village (Folk Museum)

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Do you plan on adding Reine to your Lofoten itinerary? Which attraction in Reine do you look forward to seeing the most? We would love to hear from you in the comment area below. If you like this article and find it useful, please share it on social media. Thanks! 🙂