New Hiking Restrictions In The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are increasing in popularity and tourism numbers are on the rise. It's not difficult to see why. It's an absolutely stunning country, with some of the most incredible scenery I've ever seen.

I first visited the Faroe Islands back in the winter of 2017, and this summer I returned again. In the 18 months since my last visit, I noticed quite a lot of changes. The increased number of rental cars and properties available was definitely a bonus, but I also noticed that there had been a lot of changes to things that I wasn't expecting.

One of the reasons we visited the Faroe Islands the first time, and why we came back in 2019 was to hike some of their incredible trails and simply take in the amazing landscapes. Travel, food and accommodation in the Faroe Islands are pretty pricy, but nature is free - or at least, it used to be.

The tourist office website has lots of great inspiration for amazing locations and hikes, but this year we found out that there are now a number of hiking routes that now charge a fee to hike on, and this fee isn't small.

Some of the most popular hikes, like the hike on Vagar out along Leitisvatn/Sørvágsvatn now has a compulsory hiking fee of 450DKK per person with a guide or 200DKK (approx €27) per person without a guide, and if you want to hike to the famous Drangarnir sea stacks, that can only be done with a guide for 550DKK on a guided tour that only departs 3 times a week.

Of course, it is still possible to hike many of the trails in the Faroe Islands without paying a hiking fee, however, in the future this may change too. We were told during our recent visit that all of the land in the Faroe Islands is privately owned, mainly by farmers, who can decide at any time that they don't want to allow tourists to hike across it or to start charging a fee.

I understand that the locals all want to see the benefits of increased tourism, and also raise money that allows them to keep their land and facilities in a good condition, but in just 18 months between my first visit and this recent one, it seems like a huge change.

I still think the Faroe Islands are an incredible place to visit, and I would absolutely recommend anyone to visit there - just make sure that you plan (and budget) accordingly if you are wanting to hike, as you might find that many more of the trails start to charge a heavy fee.

If you want to find out more about the newest restrictions on hiking, there's some information on the tourist office website here.