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Last summer, I was invited by Guide to Faroe Islands to experience their boat tour to Vestmannabjørgini, the bird cliffs north of the town of Vestmanna in the Faroe Islands. This tour has long been a favourite among tourists and I’d known about it since my second visit back in 2015. But as a budget traveller, I’d just never been able to justify the price. Turns out I should have.
I didn’t expect to get views better than those I can get for free when sailing around the Faroes with my friends, but I was very very wrong. The landscape that we saw was majestic. There is no other word to describe it. Past me absolutely should’ve prioritized going on this tour – but better late than never!
The company had allowed me a plus one so I brought along my travel buddy who was on his first ever trip to the Faroe Islands, and it’s safe to say that he enjoyed the boat trip just as much as me – if not more!
After a night at the local campsite, we set off from Vestmanna in the morning for our 1,5-hour boat trip. The sun was out and while that always proves a challenge for photography, I couldn’t help but be thankful for it. Faroe Islands in the sun is just always more beautiful – and as rare as it is, I always appreciate sunny days there much more than back home.
The mighty bird cliffs stretch for six kilometres along Streymoy’s west coast but they are not visible from any road or village in the archipelago. As soon as the boat left Vestmanna’s marina, the landscape opened up and the cliffs came into view. On the other side of the sound, we spotted the colourful houses of Slættanes. This village was abandoned 59 years ago, and hiking there is quite the adventure!
We came up close and personal with the incredible cliff formations as the captain navigated us around sea stacks, under rock arches and into dark caves. The captain reminded us to look up to spot the sheep roaming around the cliffs rising some 600 metres above us – no matter how often I see sheep basically hanging off vertical cliffs, it still surprises me every time. They are the ultimate climbers!
But these cliffs are not only home to daring sheep; we also saw hundreds of seabirds flying around and diving into the sea to hunt for fish.
I enjoyed this trip immensely. It was a new way of exploring the Faroes for me. I’ve hiked all over the country and sailed quite a few places too, but never into caves or up close to sea stacks. I would really recommend this tour for the chance to get a fresh perspective on the Faroese landscapes. I promise you won’t regret it!
Want to tour the Vestmanna bird cliffs?
I recommend booking with Guide to Faroe Islands as our trip was smooth and the captain made sure to make our experience unique and fun! There are a few different tours to choose from:
- The cheapest option is the classic 1,5-hour tour, which only includes the boat ticket so you’ll have to make your own way to and from Vestmanna. The tour runs from April to October.
- There’s also the option to combine the boat tour with a visit to Mykines, the puffin paradise of the Faroe Islands! This 5-hour tour gives you the ultimate chance to spot puffins while seeing some stunning scenery. The tour includes the boat ticket and a guide on the boat (but not on Mykines). Please note that transport to/from Vestmanna is not included, and neither is the hiking fee on Mykines (read more about that here!). The tour runs from mid-June to late July on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
- If you’d like to spend the whole day exploring the bird cliffs and also see the Viking settlement remains in Kvívík, the famous Múlafossur waterfall and the quaint village of Bøur, you could consider this 8-hour tour. The tour includes transport to and from hotels in Tórshavn, the boat ticket, a guide and food and beverages. The tour runs from May to October.
↠ This trip was made in collaboration with Guide to Faroe Islands ↞
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