The Best Time to Visit the Faroe Islands

When Is the Best Time to Visit the Faroe Islands?

The best time to visit the Faroe Islands is in late spring and summer, from May through September. During these months, the days are longest and the temperatures are warmest.

That said, it never gets truly warm the way you might be used to from other European destinations. During your Faroe Islands vacation, you should expect summer temperatures around 55°F (13°C). On rare occasions, it can reach 72°F (22°C).

The high season starts a month earlier — it runs from April through September. That’s the perfect time for an epic road trip around the Faroe Islands.

If you ask us, November and December are the worst times to visit the Faroe Islands. Not only is the weather extremely bad during these months, but it’s also hare hunting season.

The hunt takes place throughout the mountains across the entire country. For this reason, hiking in the mountains is strongly discouraged during this period. And hiking is one of the main reasons tourists come to the Faroe Islands in the first place.

Faroe Islands Climate Overview with Climate Chart

The climate of the Faroe Islands is maritime, humid, and highly unpredictable. That means there are no major temperature swings throughout the year.
Winters are mild, with average temperatures around 37°F (3°C). Summers on the Faroe Islands are cool, averaging around 55°F (13°C).

On the flip side, summer days are incredibly long and it never gets completely dark at night. Around midsummer in June, the sun barely sets at all.

Weather on the Faroe Islands by Season

No matter when you visit the Faroe Islands, nobody can really tell you what the weather will be like the next day — or even in the next three hours. Not any online weather service, and not the locals either.

The oceanic climate is to blame for the fact that the weather truly changes all the time. One moment it’s sunny and warm, an hour later it’s foggy, incredibly windy, and cold. Rain in particular can show up out of nowhere. That goes for every single month.
That said, there are a few differences between the seasons worth knowing about.

Weather on the Faroe Islands in Summer: June through August

The months of June, July, and August are the warmest on the Faroe Islands. Average temperatures sit around 55°F (13°C). Sometimes it can warm up to 72°F (22°C).

These months also see the least rainfall — roughly half of all days are still rainy. And in summer, the sun shines the most, even though “a lot” on the Faroe Islands means about four hours per day.

On top of that, the sun rises incredibly early — in June, as early as 3:30 AM. And it doesn’t set until very late, sometimes just before midnight.

Weather on the Faroe Islands in Fall: September through November

From September onward, temperatures drop on the Faroe Islands. Expect around 50°F (10°C), and by November as low as 45°F (7°C).

Rainy days increase significantly from September — you can expect rain on 20 out of 30 days. Sunshine hours also decrease, sometimes down to just one or two hours per day.

In fall, the sun also rises noticeably later, between 7 AM in September and 9 AM in November.

Weather on the Faroe Islands in Winter: December through February

In winter, the weather on the Faroe Islands is by far the worst. It’s not extreme cold exactly, but it can get seriously unpleasant.

Temperatures hover around 34–37°F (1–3°C), the sun often doesn’t shine at all, and the days feel incredibly short. In December, for example, the sun doesn’t rise until around 10 AM and sets again as early as 3 PM.

The number of rainy days is similar to fall. Snow on the Faroe Islands is actually very rare, since temperatures usually stay above freezing.

Weather on the Faroe Islands in Spring: March through May

From spring onward, the weather improves noticeably on the Faroe Islands. Temperatures range from around 43–48°F (6–9°C).

From April especially, rainfall decreases again — about on par with summer. And the sun shines roughly as much as during the summer months, averaging around four hours per day.

From March, the sun rises significantly earlier again, around 7 AM, and by May as early as 4:30 AM. It then doesn’t set until around 10 PM.

Our Experience with the Summer Weather on the Faroe Islands

A summer on the Faroe Islands is definitely not the kind of summer you know from Spain or southern Europe. We were there in August and never left the house without a hat, thermal underwear, and a rain jacket.
The most beautiful sights on the Faroe Islands are all outdoors, so you’re completely at the mercy of whatever the weather throws at you — and the weather really does change constantly.
Before our trip, we’d often read that as a tourist on the Faroe Islands you can experience all four seasons in the span of one week — and that’s exactly what happened to us.
One day, for example, we set off from our accommodation on the Faroe Islands in Tórshavn in absolutely gorgeous weather. Our destination was the hike to James Bond’s gravestone on the island of Kalsoy.

To get there, we had to take the ferry from Klaksvík. By the time we arrived at the harbor, the world seemed to be ending. The sky was gray, it was pouring rain, and the wind was unbelievable.

We almost turned around, but we pushed on anyway. When we got to Kalsoy and were about to start the hike, it had thankfully stopped raining. But it was still incredibly windy, cold, and suddenly foggy too.

After the hike, we headed back to the ferry and were greeted by the most beautiful sunshine again, which lasted the whole evening. We then spontaneously drove to the village of Viðareiði to take some great photos.

That’s pretty much how every day went for us weather-wise. Most mornings we had really good weather in Tórshavn, but throughout the day the conditions would shift constantly.

It was never truly warm, though. Thermal underwear, a thick sweater, and a jacket were always necessary.

At the evening soccer game, we couldn’t manage without a hat, scarf, and gloves either. And that was in the middle of August. Often it was the wind that was just bitterly cold.

Can You See the Northern Lights on the Faroe Islands?

The good news: Yes, you can see the northern lights on the Faroe Islands. The not-so-good news: it’s supposed to be incredibly difficult.

We didn’t see any ourselves, since we were there at the wrong time of year. The best time to visit the Faroe Islands for northern lights is from late September through early March.

However, the chances of seeing the northern lights on the Faroe Islands are nowhere near as high as in Iceland, Sweden, Norway, or Finland.

Again, the unpredictable climate is largely to blame. Most nights on the Faroe Islands are cloudy and foggy, making it simply impossible to see the northern lights.

So you’ll need a lot of patience and luck to catch a clear, starry night when northern lights activity is also high. But when everything aligns, you can take stunning photos of the northern lights.

Your best bet for viewing the northern lights is in the north of the Faroe Islands, around Viðareiði, the northernmost point.

Holidays and Public Holidays on the Faroe Islands

School vacations on the Faroe Islands follow a fairly typical European pattern. Children have two weeks off around Easter, and summer break runs from late July to around mid-August.

Mid-October brings fall break, and winter break starts just before Christmas and runs through early January. The Faroese also celebrate public holidays such as Ascension Day and Whitsun.

One important national holiday on the Faroe Islands is Ólavsøka, also known as “Saint Olaf’s Wake,” on July 29. The Faroese celebrate the former Norwegian king Olaf Haraldsson II, as the Faroe Islands belonged to Norway during the Middle Ages.

The celebration always spans two days, July 28 and 29. The Faroese take to the streets especially in Tórshavn, celebrating, with some wearing the traditional Faroese national dress.

Things can also get crowded during the two biggest festivals on the Faroe Islands. These events draw many Faroese locals as well as plenty of tourists to the islands.

The G! Festival is usually held on a weekend in mid-July in the small village of Syðrugöta on the island of Eysturoy. The Summer Festivalur is typically held in early August in Klaksvík.

Other dates that could influence your travel plans for the Faroe Islands:

• In April and May, it’s lambing season on the Faroe Islands. This means the lambs are born during this time — and they make for the most adorable photo subjects.
• Usually in July and August is the whaling season on the Faroe Islands.
• From November 2 through December 31, hare hunting season is in effect. Hiking is discouraged during this period.