Faroe Islands Highlights Small-Group Tour from Torshavn

Saksun and the Pollurin lagoon

Saksun is the first stop and one of the most photographed villages in the Faroe Islands. It lies at the end of a narrow valley in northwest Streymoy, about ten minutes off the main road, where a handful of turf-roofed farmhouses and a small white church from the 1850s sit on a slope above Pollurin, a tidal lagoon framed by a steep mountain amphitheatre. Local tradition says the lagoon was once a deep harbour until a storm filled its mouth with sand.

At low tide the lagoon turns into pale sand flats that wind out towards the sea, and the view from the church is the classic picture of Saksun. You have about 45 minutes for photos and a short walk. The old farm of Dúvugarðar, now a small museum of rural life, can be visited at your own expense. Please respect the private land and the grazing sheep.

Tjørnuvík beach and the Giant and the Witch

About half an hour later you reach Tjørnuvík, the northernmost village on Streymoy, tucked into a deep valley that opens onto a curved black sand beach. High mountains rise on both sides, and the beach is known among cold-water surfers who come for the Atlantic swell. Colourful houses with grass roofs line the shore, and on calm days the water is surprisingly clear.

From the beach you look across the sound to Risin and Kellingin, the Giant and the Witch, two tall sea stacks off the northern tip of Eysturoy. Legend says they came from Iceland to drag the Faroe Islands away, but the sun rose before they finished and turned them to stone. Your guide tells the story while you walk on the sand; about an hour here includes the scenic drive in and out of the valley.

Fossá waterfall and Slættaratindur

Fossá is the highest waterfall in the Faroe Islands and a must-see on any tour of northern Streymoy. It drops in two tiers down dark basalt ledges and bright green moss, with a total height of about 140 metres, and it sits right beside the coastal road, so you can walk up close and feel the spray. After rain it turns into a roaring white curtain; in dry spells it becomes a series of delicate ribbons.

Later the route crosses to Eysturoy and drives past Slættaratindur, the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands at 880 metres. On a clear day its summit offers views over much of the archipelago, and even from the road the scale of the landscape is impressive. Your guide explains how glaciers carved the valleys and fjords, and how the islands are made of layers of ancient volcanic basalt.

Gjógv, the village of the gorge

Gjógv lies at the northeastern tip of Eysturoy and takes its name from the deep sea-filled gorge that cuts into the rocks right beside the village. For centuries this gorge served as a natural harbour: boats were hauled up a steep slipway, and you can still walk down the steps to look into the narrow channel of green water. Grass-roofed houses, a small church and streams running between them make it one of the most charming villages in the islands.

Here you have about an hour for a lunch break and a stroll; lunch is not included, so you can buy a meal in the village or bring your own. For those who wish, a short path climbs to a viewpoint above the village with views over the cliffs and the open ocean, where seabirds nest in summer. It is the most relaxed stop of the Faroe Islands tour.

Funningur viewpoint and the return through the subsea tunnel

Before heading back, the van climbs the mountain road above Funningur, a small village on the shore of Funningsfjørður. From the top you see the famous zigzag road twisting down the steep green slope to the fjord, one of the best-known views in the Faroe Islands. Funningur also has one of the old turf-roofed wooden churches of the islands, dating from the 1840s.

The drive back to Torshavn passes through the Eysturoyartunnilin, a subsea tunnel opened in 2020 that runs under the sea between Eysturoy and Streymoy. Deep under the water it has a roundabout lit in blue and green, decorated with a ring of sculpted human figures, which makes the journey a sight in itself. The tunnel has cut the drive between the two islands dramatically, and you arrive in Torshavn in the late afternoon.