Bodø to Tromsø: 2 Weeks Biking in the Arctic

Day 0: Amsterdam – Oslo

Our trip started at the Amsterdam airport where we packed our bikes in cardboard boxes to prevent any damage from the flight. Curious how to pack your bike for an air trip? Check out this video!

We flew to Oslo and stayed there for the overnight layover to Bodø in order to have a fresh and early start the next day. If you are a hardcode camper, you can sleep on the airport floor with your sleeping bag and air mattress; however if you want to afford one last comfy night before starting your journey, there is also a Radisson Blu right inside of the airport.

Day 2: Cycling Kjerkveien – Unstad (57km)

After a quick jump in the water and a short breakfast at the Beach Camp, we were ready to hit the road and excited to go surfing!

Not far from the Arctic Beach Camp, we stumbled upon the Seaweed Shop. It had a great variety of all things seaweed: drinks, spices, chocolates, jewellery, art, postcards… You name it.

The road that followed had a few challenging tunnels with some intense hills, but we made it in one piece into Unstad Beach. We set our tent at the parking space on the right side of the beach (paying but no facilities, even the one toilet is forever out of order), and had a delicious dinner at the Unstad Artic Surf.

After dinner, we enjoyed a walk along the coast and found a fresh water stream where we went swimming. The surfing session would be for the next day.

Day 3: Cycling Unstad – Gimsøysand (55km)

We set course to Hov Gård, a guesthouse farm we wanted to stay at for awhile. On the way, we passed some landmarks like the scenic path connecting Hauklandstranda and Uttakleiv Beach. Most people do it by foot but we did it by bike.

Our destination was Hov Gård, a guesthouse farm with a touristic variety: horse riding, private sauna on spot, delicious locavore restaurant and it’s located by the beach, right next to a golf course.

To do in Gimsøysand

• Horse riding at Hov Gård
• Arctic golf at Lofoten Links
• Fishing trips with Hovsund
• Lots of hiking – see hikes on Komoot

Day 4: Cycling Gimsøy – Trevarefabrikken – Svolvær (56km)

One of the stops we were looking forward to the most was the Trevarefabrikken in Henningsvær, a former factory refurbished into a hotel/restaurant/hangout spot.

We were blessed with good weather (climate was turning extremely fast during the whole trip) and were able to hang out on the rocks by the water and have a few bites. Pizzas are only available certain days of the week, so check before.

Fast forward after a glorious biking of the remaining 25km, we arrived at our last spot of the day: Svolvaer, the most populous city of the Lofoten Islands. It is a cool town, but we came for the nature so we only spent the night. It’s also a stop on the famous Hurtigruten, the famous cruise route sailing from Bergen to Kirkenes over several days. If you’re looking to spend time in Svolvaer, there’s plenty to do during high season:

Things To Do in Svolvaer

Day 5: Cycling Svolvær – Taen (76km)

After a constant 50-60km per day since the start and witnessing that the road was actually much flatter than we anticipated, we wanted to ramp up the speed a little bit and add a little bit of challenge to our adventure and planned a ±80k ride.

This leg of the cycling trip was one of my favourite: the day was gorgeous and, in addition to hopping on a ferry ride and sleeping on a gorgeous beach, we unexpectedly stumbled upon a sandbar on the bridge of Strømpadling Storholmen, between Straumnes and Grunnfør.

Ferries in Norway are awesome: they have snacks and most of them serve fresh Vaflers, the delicious heart-shaped Norwegian waffles. You can eat them with sour cream and jam, or better yet, with brown cheese (caramelized hard cheese), which reminds me or a sweet version of a hard butter or gouda. We would get some at every.single.ride.

We ended our day setting camp on the beautiful beach of Kollvika in Taen where we witnessed a gorgeous and lightly cloudy pink sunset. It started pouring rain during the evening, but this rest stop is ready for all occasions as it has an open refuge with tables and benches where some other travelers set their tents for the night. There are also loads of hiking grounds to get lost in and some interesting rock formations to check out.

Day 6: Taen – Stokmarknes (30km)

We had spotted a hut on the map in Årnessan and it was pouring rain, so we decided to take a somewhat straight route to get there.

On the way, we found the cute little eco-boutique Økolonialen in Stokmarknes, hosted in an even cuter house, all decorated with bright and attractive colors.

In there, the lovely mother of the owner was holding the fort and we found products like eco wash, chewing gums, food, and all sort of reusable things you could ever need.

Upon arrival to the hut, we had a delightful surprise: the hut was there (perhaps because it was pouring rain, but also perhaps because you needed to really look for it to find it), adorable, surrounded by sheep eating grass from the roof, and it was empty!

After taking a dip in the natural pond in front of the hut, we unloaded our gear and proceeded to make ourselves comfortable so we could try to get our stuff to dry out.

Day 7: Cycling Stokmarknes – Sortland (30km)

From that day onwards, it was POURING rain every day so we did the best we could. We had planned a nice 60km ride for that day, but the rain was so heavy and not scheduled to stop and it was getting unsafe for cycling and camping so we just rode to the next available hotel where we could dry our clothes, our tent and get a bit of comfort. It allowed us to have a dry and cozy night in, eat some real food (as opposed to snacks the whole rest of the trip) and to enjoy the Pust. sauna right at the hotel!

Day 8: Cycling Sortland – Bøveien Beach (64km)

Technically leaving the Lofoten archipelago, we stepped bike on the Versterålen, the next channel of islands on the way to Tromsø. The bike ride to Marmelkroken in Bø was probably our best riding day, with a changing scenery all throughout. After spotting a white reindeer in the wild, we stopped at the Andøy Fritsluftssenter and had the silkiest salmon soup yet; that’s also where we tried the cloudberry for the first time, only found in the Arctic circle and generously spread on a portion of heart-shaped waffles.

When we checked in at Marmelkroken for the night, we didn’t expect the nature observation paradise that was hiding behind the restaurant building: tall grass, uncut flowers, and a top-of-the-art birdwatching platform protecting you from the wind while you’re looking at all kinds of birds flying around. The B&B also lets you borrow a pair of great-quality binoculars so we could spend hours observing nature.

We had both the dinner and the breakfast on location, which I highly recommend. The menu was featuring delicious dishes made with local, organic produce.

Day 9: Cycling Bøveien Beach – Bleik (42,5km)

Our goal was to reach the Bleik Golfhytta near Andenes, one of the Northernmost golf course on Earth. We had a few new experiences on that day: we stumbled upon a see-through mirror public bathroom in Bukkekjerka, where you can pee while looking at the gorgeous nature around; we played golf in the Arctic circle; and I had my first Sunday Roast at a golf club, surrounded by only local regulars. It was a good (but rainy) day!

While in Bleik, it’s worth considering a cruise in Andenes, one of the best spots for whalewatching. The company Green Gold of Norway offers a Whale & Puffin watching cruise from Bleik:

Day 10: Cycling Bleik – Mefjordvær (103km-incl 30km Ferry!)

The way to Mefjordvaer was a tough, although a rewarding one. It was pouring rain throughout and there were no waterproof options for camping, so we had to power through. After several miserable hours under the rain, we stopped at Camp Steinfjord, a fishing camp (filled with testosterone!) that also has a small restaurant downstairs. We were drenched and cold, but the food was amazing, and the atmosphere cozy around those fishermen coming back from duty.

As we left, we could clearly see the sea urchins and sea stars from the bridge.

We biked the last 20kms to our hotel, the Mefjordvær Brygge in Senja. We were so exhausted from the ride and it felt so good arriving at such a warm and cozy place that we took a rest day and booked another night.

Day 11: Hiking around Mefjordvær (Rest Day)

Senja is famous for its hikes, so while our bodies were sore from cycling 10 days straight, we wanted to explore around without the commuting anywhere. We followed one of the many routes available on Komoot to go to the Halsen Shelter.

Day 12: Cycling Mefjordvær – Sommarøy (62km)

Finally blessed with a beautiful day, we cycled some more of Senja before taking our final ferry to the Tromsø urban area. We saw a cool island channel on the way and decided to head there as our final destination approached and we had much time left, and landed in Sommarøy, a small paradisiac archipelago (only thanks to a bridge) with crystal clear waters and many beaches.

There are only a few options to camp on Sommarøy, and we picked WoMo Stellplatz, a dogs- and kids-free spot. Halvar, its owner is a lovely guy with lots of interesting stories and great humour, and we ended up drinking a beer with him.

Past 5pm, there are also very limited options for dining, so we had a surprisingly delicious burger at Anne-Grete Jensen Havfrua Krom, a snack shack in the middle of the island.

Day 13: Cycling Sommarøy – Tromsø (80km)

The next morning was already our last day of cycling before reaching Tromsø, so we mapped the route through the South of Kvaløya to make it a tad longer. On the way, we passed prehistoric stone drawings in Hella, where you can also stop for a break.

These last kilometers felt like the road would never end; upon arriving at our hotel, the Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromsø, we discovered that the biggest music festival of the year was happening at its door that weekend. Some famous artists were playing and we could hear it all from the front of the hotel, so we just hung around for the next few nights.

Day 14 and up: Chilling in and biking around Tromsø (Bonus routes!)

As we didn’t know when we would be in the Arctic circle again, we decided to use the next 3 days to discover the surroundings of Tromsø by bike. We went to see the Ishavskatedralen, the Tromsø Alpine Park, experience the many gravel/mountain biking trails in the middle of Tromsøya island and visit the new design residential areas in Solligården, on the West side of the island.

Planning for a 2-week Norwegian bike-packing trip