The Faroe Island archipelago of 18 islands is connected by road tunnels, ferries, causeways, and bridges, which are self-governing under the Kingdom of Denmark.
How I booked the Flights to Denmark
I used 88K ANA mileage club miles to book the SAS business class roundtrip from Chicago to Copenhagen in 2019. It is hard to find SAS Business Class Saver Award space for partner bookings during this post-COVID time.
Flight to the Faroe Islands
Vágar Airport (FAE) has nonstop flights from Copenhagen (CPH) and several other European cities like Oslo, Bergen, Edinburgh, Paris, Barcelona, and Mallorca.
Based on the cash ticket prices, roundtrip SAS flights from CPH to FAE can be booked with 15-16K United or Aeroplan points. A rental car (with unlimited miles) is a must when exploring the Faroe Islands and advance booking is recommended since they tend to be pricey.
Faroe Islands Accommodations
It is easy to find several low-priced accommodations on either booking.com or hotels.com. Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands is another choice for Hilton loyalists. I recommend staying at least 5 days in the Faroe Islands to cover all the scenic regions which are spread over a large driving area and some of them require taking a ferry (the maps below will assume that you are staying near the airport). We stayed at Gjaargardur Guesthouse in Gjogv which had plenty of free parking and was within walkable distance from Gjogv gorge.
Faroe Islands Attractions near Vágar Airport
Trælanípa Region
Trælanípan is also known as the “Slave Cliff” which is very close to the Vagar airport in the Faroe Islands. This region contains Lake Sorvagsvatn, Bosdalafossur waterfall, and Geituskorardrangur vertical sea wall. The one-hour trek to Lake Sorvagsvatn begins from a church parking area in Miðvágur. When you are at the cliff’s southern edge, you will experience an optical illusion when the lake appears elevated much higher from the sea.
Lake Sorvagsvatn is also home to a 30-meter-high Bosdalafossur waterfall and 116-meter-high Geituskorardrangur vertical sea wall, which are worth exploring.
Múlafossur Waterfall
Múlafossur waterfall in the village Gásadalur is easy to reach with a short hike and view the 200ft drop from the clifftop into the ocean. The waterfall does not have a large volume and the flow varies depending on the time of the year.
Drangarnir Sea Arch
Drangarnir sea arch can be explored by a boat tour which can sail through the hole in the rock formation as permitted by weather.
Faroe Islands Attractions to Drive and see
Fossa waterfall
The Fossa waterfall is found near Haldarsvik village and can be easily seen from the car.
Scenic Villages & Gjogv Gorge
You should spend a day driving to see the scenic villages (Saksun, Funningsfjørður, Gjogv, and Tjørnuvík) which are breathtakingly beautiful. I recommend that visitors park there and take a short walk to see the Gjógv gorge.
Faroe Islands Attractions to take a Ferry and see
Vestmanna Sea Cliffs Boat Trip
I highly recommend taking the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs Boat Trip which is very scenic with unique rock formations (one rock looks like a large elephant) https://guidetofaroeislands.fo/book-holiday-trips/vestmanna-sea-cliffs/. You can drive to the meeting point in Vestmanna and be there 30 minutes before the trip.
Hvíthamar
Hvíthamar is easy to reach via ferry and after a 10 min walk uphill you will get to the viewpoint overlooking the Funningsfjørður fjord.
Ásmundarstakkur
You have to take a 2-hour ferry Smyril from Tórshavn to Suðuroy island and head west to Rituskor to reach the viewpoint of Ásmundarstakkur.
Kalsoy island
Kalsoy island has a flute-like shape and once you reach the island I recommend doing the Kallur lighthouse hike (https://www.alltrails.com/faroe-islands).
Mykines island
Mykines island is known as a bird lover’s paradise and interested travelers can explore the region to find various species of birds.
Summary
The Faroe Islands have incredible natural beauty and appear entirely different from Iceland (one should not compare them). The scenic hikes there are breathtaking with massive cliff views. These islands are cloudy or rainy most of the time and travelers should pack clothes accordingly.