Things to do in Tórshavn
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tórshavn
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, late May to early September: puffins to August, all boats and hikes operating, near 20 hours of daylight at midsummer.
Spring: light returns fast, lambing season, waterfalls at full flow, puffins from late April and Mykines opens 1 May.
Summer: everything open and booked out, with the main festivals from mid June through Ólavsøka in late July.
Autumn: puffins gone and Mykines closed, but hiking continues, light is golden, crowds vanish and prices ease.
Worst for a first visit: about five hours of daylight, most excursions reduced or closed and the most violent weather.
What's on
- Sørvágur Country & Blues Festival Mid June each year
Country and blues festival in Sørvágur on Vágar in mid June.
- Voxbotn Usually a Saturday in late June
Tórshavn festival in late June, among the loudest weekends in the centre.
- G! Festival Mid July each year
Beloved alternative festival in Syðrugøta, 25 minutes away, with Faroese and international acts, and it sells out.
- Tórsfest Late July, a few days before Ólavsøka
Tórshavn festival day just before Ólavsøka.
- Ólavsøka 28-29 July
The national holiday: rowing finals, chain dancing, the Løgting opening and midnight song on the 29th, so book months ahead.
- Closed for Maintenance volunteer week late April
Volunteer week working on trails and villages with board and lodging provided, places balloted via Visit Faroe Islands.
Best things to do in Tórshavn
Tinganes
Walk unfenced lanes past red turf roofed government buildings on one of the oldest parliamentary sites in the world.
Listasavn Føroya
The national gallery shows Faroese art shaped by sea, cliffs, sheep and weather, and it lands harder after an excursion.
Tjóðsavnið
The national museum explains the whole country, from Viking finds to boats, wool and the open air farmstead at Hoyvík.
Norðurlandahúsið
A turf roofed Nordic cultural centre for concerts, exhibitions and film, plus a cafe with a view over town.
Viðarlundin
The town planted woodland of paths, ponds and sculptures leads along the stream to the small Svartifossur waterfall.
Skansin
A small fort and lighthouse with the best free panorama in town over the harbour, Tinganes and Nólsoy.
Tórshavn Cathedral
The white clock towered cathedral anchors the centre walk, with an altarpiece and votive ship model inside when open.
Tórsvøllur
A small stadium night watching HB or B36 is the most genuinely local evening you can buy in town.
Where to stay in Tórshavn
City Centre / Harbour
first trip, no car, restaurants matter
Walk to every good restaurant, the Nólsoy ferry, free town buses and Tinganes, with parking the only friction.
The hill above town
views and car touring
Modern hotels five minutes drive from the centre with free parking and big views, but you drive or taxi back from dinner.
Hoyvík and Argir
quiet residential stays and longer trips
Apartments and guesthouses with sea views, free parking and a local feel, at the cost of a car or bus for every dinner.
Think twice about
- Outlying village bases such as Gjógv, the Saksun area and outer Kalsoy
Beautiful but isolating as a sole base: one guesthouse, dinner only if prebooked and no alternative in bad weather. This is logistics, not safety.
Best restaurants in Tórshavn
PAZ
Two stars for a long tasting menu built on surrounding land and sea, reinterpreting local traditions in the 62°N Hotel.
Ræst
Nearly everything here is fermented in the traditional wind dried method, then married to Mexican flavours like mole and chilli.
Barbara Fish House
The harbour catch served as sharing plates and tasting menus in a low candlelit turf roofed house cut into the rock.
ROKS
Faroese seafood and wine with a tavern looseness, from crispy cod skins and razor clam to snow crab and tasting menus.
Áarstova
The classic traditional Faroese dinner in one of the oldest houses in town, above all the 12 hour beer braised lamb shoulder.
Katrina Christiansen
Faroese ingredients as shared small plates with a Spanish inflection, fun and sociable and a tier below the Gongin trio.
Etika
The best known sushi in the Faroes, built on world class raw fish landed only hours away, so order the local specials.
Paname Café
A Parisian inspired cafe in the grass roofed Red House, for pastries, organic coffee and rhubarb jam breakfast buns.
Best bars in Tórshavn
Sirkus
A quirky laid back pub that is as lively as nightlife gets in Tórshavn, especially late on summer weekends.
Blábar
A wine and jazz bar with small plates, one of the best evening drink stops in the centre.
Víngarðurin
An intimate wine bar lined with Faroese art, a quieter way to end an evening in town.
Outdoor things to do in Tórshavn
Mykines
The westernmost island packs one village, thousands of puffins in season, gannets and exposed Atlantic scenery into one day.
Vestmanna Bird Cliffs
Boats sail under high cliffs, through grottoes and arches and past nesting puffins, guillemots and kittiwakes in season.
Nólsoy
A 20 minute ferry reaches a car free village island with colourful houses, a whale bone gateway and walks toward Borðan lighthouse.
Kirkjubøur
The medieval bishop seat holds the Magnus Cathedral ruins, St Olav Church and one of the oldest inhabited log houses anywhere.
Trælanípa
The cliff viewpoint makes Sørvágsvatn appear to float above the Atlantic, with Bøsdalafossur pouring from the lake into the sea.
Múlafossur
The waterfall drops straight off the cliff into the ocean below Gásadalur, a short walk from the car park.
Saksun
A turf roofed church and farm sit above a tidal lagoon you can walk into at low tide if you check the tide times.
Tjørnuvík
A black sand surf beach faces the Risin og Kellingin sea stacks, to be admired only because the currents are dangerous.
Best hotels in Tórshavn
Hotel Føroyar
A turf roofed design hotel in the hillside grass above town with panoramic views, free parking, strong breakfast and a spa.
Havgrím Seaside Hotel 1948
A small boutique villa by the sea in the former commodore house, with harbour views and a walk to dinner location.
Hotel Hafnia
The classic centre hotel puts every good restaurant a short walk away, with a sauna and a much praised breakfast.
Hotel Brandan
A modern eco profiled hotel near the stadium with free parking, hot tubs, a gym and larger brighter rooms than the centre.
Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands
The only international brand hotel in the country offers a predictable product, sea view rooms and free parking for drivers.
62°N Hotel
A solid central hotel sharing reception and breakfast with the guesthouse next door, and home to the PAZ restaurant.
62°N Guesthouse
Small rooms, a large shared kitchen and a genuinely good included breakfast make this an excellent location base camp.
Mørk Apartments
Self catering apartments with a kitchen cut daily costs dramatically in Tórshavn, so vet heating, parking and linen before booking.
Is Tórshavn expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | DKK 1,200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | DKK 2,500 a person |
| Splurge | DKK 4,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Norðurlandahúsið: a few days ahead
- Heimablídni: months ahead
- Mykines: weeks ahead
- Vestmanna Bird Cliffs: a few days ahead
- Kallur Lighthouse: weeks ahead
- RIB62: weeks ahead
- PAZ: months ahead
- Ræst: weeks ahead
- Flights and rental car first, months ahead for summer, as there is no cheap short notice way in.
- Book PAZ months ahead, then Ræst, Barbara and ROKS weeks ahead, as walk in fine dining in peak season is not a plan.
- Book the Mykines ferry and hiking fee, Kalsoy car ferry spaces and Drangarnir guided hike early, as supply is capped.
- Book hotels and restaurants months ahead for Ólavsøka week in late July, when the whole country comes to Tórshavn.
Is Tórshavn safe?
- Tórshavn is exceptionally safe at any hour, and the real risks are cliff edges, wet rock and weather that changes in minutes.
- Never step backward for a photo at unfenced viewpoints, keep back in gusts and turn back when fog closes a mountain path.
- Tjørnuvík has dangerous currents and sneaker waves, so admire the surf and do not swim. Emergency number is 112.
- Sheep wander every road, and if you hit one you must report it to police on 112 for the farmer insurance claim.
Tórshavn travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Old photo itineraries miss the Mykines lighthouse path closure and recent Kalsoy fee and ferry changes.
- Rigid itineraries fail in fog, so build two flex days into a week for viewpoint and boat weather.
- Many shops, museums and restaurants close or shorten hours on Sunday, so plan it as a hiking and driving day.
- Gear costs Faroese prices on arrival, so bring a waterproof shell, overtrousers and broken in waterproof boots from home.
Getting around Tórshavn: public transport and more
- Rent a car for Section 2 sights and book months ahead for summer, as supply is finite and prices high.
- Subsea tunnels are tolled by number plate through the rental company, so budget tolls into a northern islands week.
- Town buses in Tórshavn are free, and ferries are listed only reliably on ssl.fo, so check the day before.
- The subsidised helicopter is for island residents, so treat any spare visitor seat as a bonus, never planned transport.
Who Tórshavn suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Tórshavn your trip
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