Puffins Faroe Islands: Mykines Complete Travel Guide
Planning a trip to the Faroe Islands and hoping to see puffins?
Well, the island of Mykines is the best place to spot them, with a well-established colony nesting along dramatic cliffs above the Atlantic coastline. It makes a memorable addition to a Faroe Islands road trip, combining close-up puffin encounters with some of the archipelago’s most striking scenery.
You’ll take the public ferry from Sørvágur and, once on the island, can join an organised walking tour to explore the puffin colony. In this guide, I’ll explain how to book the ferry and walking tour separately, what to expect on the island walk and when to visit, along with practical tips to help you plan your day.
Puffins Faroe Islands Overview
Operators: Mandatory to book an organised tour via the Hiking FO website. Note that this must be booked seperately to the ferry ticket
Ferry Meeting Point: located at the port in the town of Sørvágur (Vagar) | Google Maps
Ferry Schedule: There are two departure times during the summer season of 9:30 AM or 15:30 AM | Ferry Timeable
Tour Time Slots: Tours run twice daily, aligning directly with the ferry departures
Tour Meeting Point: Once on Mykines the meeting point is at the local school | Google Maps
Duration: The activity goes for 3 hours
Tour Price: Tour cost is 400 DKK per person
Ferry Price: The ferry is approximately 120 DKK per adult for a return trip
Highlights: Views of Drangarnir sea stack, Tindhólmur Island and Mykines village
Where is Mykines in the Faroe Islands?
Mykines is the westernmost island in the Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic just west of Vágar. Its small village sits on the island’s eastern side, while steep cliffs and rugged coastline stretch out around it.
The puffin colony is found above the village, along a sharp ridgeline overlooking the ocean. This elevated setting gives visitors a chance to see puffins nesting close to the walking route, with sweeping views across the Atlantic and back towards the Faroe Islands. Most visitors travel from Sørvágur on Vágar, making Mykines a popular day trip during a visit to the archipelago.
How to Get to Mykines
Mykines is reached by public ferry from Sørvágur on Vágar. You can drive to the harbour and leave your hire car in the nearby parking before boarding as a foot passenger. Once you arrive on Mykines, you can explore the village and join an organised walking tour to visit the puffin colony. I’ve outlined the drive and ferry journey below.
Hire Car Self-Drive to Sørvágur
Hiring a car is the easiest way to reach Sørvágur. Avis, Budget and Europcar have rental locations at Vágar Airport and in central Tórshavn. Car hire can be a significant trip expense, so compare prices before booking.
Sørvágur is a convenient starting point for a Mykines day trip, with the ferry departing from the village harbour. Drive to the port, park nearby and board the public ferry as a foot passenger. You won’t need to take your hire car to Mykines.
Free parking can be found in close proximity to the ferry | Google Maps
The journey details are:
Distance from Tórshavn: Around 50 km
Drive time: Approximately 45 minutes
Roads: Paved, including the subsea tunnel connecting Streymoy and Vágar
Having a hire car makes it easier to explore Vágar before or after your Mykines trip, especially if you want to visit places such as Múlafossur Waterfall or Sørvágsvatn.
Ferry from Sørvágur to Mykines
The public ferry to Mykines leaves from the port in Sørvágur on Vágar. You’ll need to book your ferry ticket separately from the organised walking tour.
Check the Strandfaraskip Landsins (SSL) website for the Mykines ferry timetable and booking details, and book ahead as spaces are limited.
I’d recommend arriving at least 15 minutes before departure so you have time to park and find the boarding point.
The crossing takes around 45 minutes. The ferry is basic, with bathrooms but no food or drinks for sale, so bring anything you’ll want during the journey. When the sea is calm, the crew may sail past Drangarnir Sea Stack and Tindhólmur Island. If you want the best view make sure that you are sitting outside.
We were extremely lucky on our trip and got to see Drangarnir right up close from the water.
Departure point: Sørvágur harbour I Google Maps
Crossing time: Around 45 minutes
Departure times: Check the SSL Timetable
Ferry tickets: Book separately through Strandfaraskip Landsins
After landing on Mykines, you’ll usually have around 20 minutes to walk up the steps and find the meeting point for the organised walking tour.
Puffins Faroe Islands Map
Use this Puffins Faroe Islands map to see where Mykines sits in the archipelago and how it relates to Vágar and the ferry port in Sørvágur. It also highlights the village and puffin-viewing area, helping you picture where you’ll go once you arrive on the island.
Where to Stay for Visiting Mykines
Mykines is usually visited as a day trip, so choosing a base near the ferry port in Sørvágur makes the trip easier. You can stay nearby, drive to the harbour for your ferry, then explore more of Vágar before or after your visit. Since Mykines is one of the best places to see puffins in the Faroe Islands, staying close to the port also makes it easier to catch an early ferry.
Tórshavn is another option if you’re staying in the capital, though it means an early drive to Sørvágur on ferry day.
Best Places to stay in Sørvágur
Sørvágur is the most convenient place to stay for a Mykines trip. The public ferry leaves from the village harbour, so staying nearby means a short journey to the port on the morning of your departure. We stayed in Sørvágur and found it a handy base, with the airport close by, a supermarket in town and easy access to sights across Vágar.
It’s also well placed for exploring the island beyond Mykines. Múlafossur Waterfall in Gásadalur is about a 10-minute drive away, while the trailhead for the Sørvágsvatn hike and the viewpoint for Trøllkonufingur are also within easy reach.
The best places to stay in Sørvágur are:
Cottages by the Sea - These cosy, self-contained cottages are set beside the marina, with sea views and a terrace. Each has a kitchenette, bathroom, living area with a sofa bed and an upstairs sleeping loft, making them a practical option for couples, families or small groups.
Hotel Vagar - A convenient hotel near Vágar Airport, with comfortable rooms, free Wi-Fi and an on-site restaurant serving breakfast. It’s a good choice if you want a straightforward stay close to the airport and within easy reach of Sørvágur and the island’s main sights.
Featured Faroe Islands Posts:
When is the Best Time to See Puffins on Mykines?
The best time to see puffins on Mykines is during the summer breeding season, from May to mid-August. They usually start returning in late April, but sightings can be less reliable in early May, as puffins may still be spending much of their time at sea. By summer, they’re nesting in burrows along the cliffs and are easier to spot from the guided walking route.
June and July are usually the safest months to plan around puffin sightings, with long daylight hours and the birds actively nesting and raising their young. August can still be a good time to visit, though the puffins begin leaving later in the month. The exact timing varies from year to year, so sightings can never be guaranteed.
We went in mid-July and there were plenty of Puffins around!
Keep your plans flexible if you can. The ferry is weather dependent and may be cancelled in rough conditions, so it’s helpful to leave more than one possible day for Mykines in your itinerary. Check the latest ferry schedule and local guidance before travelling. It’s a great time to experience the Faroe Islands puffin season.
Booking a Guided Puffin Tour on Mykines
To visit the puffin colony, you’ll need to join an organised walking tour with a local guide.
The tour is arranged by the landowners, and booking it does not include your ferry ticket.
You can reserve your place on the tour on the official Hiking.fo webiste. This site has a number of hikes on it across the Faroe Islands.
The tour is scheduled around ferry arrivals, and the meeting point is at the school beside the church in the centre of Mykines, one of the best places to see Faroe Islands puffins.
Tour prices and seasonal arrangements can change, so check the current listing when booking. The website currently lists advanced booking at 400 DKK per person aged 15 and over; children under 15 are free.
The site makes it clear that the tour is open to visitors between 10 am and 5 pm, and that a full refund is given if the ferry is cancelled due to weather.
What is the Mykines Puffin Tour Like?
The organised puffin tour starts at the school beside the church in Mykines village. After a short introduction, the group heads north towards Grótvalaportrið, then follows the ridgeline to viewpoints overlooking the village, sea cliffs and puffin colony. One of the highlights is Á Rógvu, which looks out over the Faroe Islands’ largest puffin colony. The path to the lighthouse is currently closed to protect the nesting birds, so the tour does not go there.
The tour is listed as a moderate walk. There’s a fairly steep climb at the start before the route levels out along the ridgeline. Groups are typically around 15–20 people, although there were only about six of us on the day we went.
For me, one of the best parts was hearing about island life from our guide, who was born and raised on Mykines. Only around 13 people live there year-round, so it was fascinating to hear what growing up in such a remote place was like. Their local knowledge added a lot to the walk and gave us a glimpse of life beyond the puffins and scenery. It made the tour a memorable way to experience puffins in the Faroe Islands up close.
How Long Does it Take?
The guided walk takes around 2–3 hours and covers approximately 2–5 km. After arriving on Mykines, you’ll usually have about 20 minutes to walk up the steps to the village and find the meeting point before the tour begins.
The tour is scheduled around ferry arrivals, but check the current timetable and allow enough time for your return sailing when planning the day. Weather can disrupt ferry services, so build some flexibility into your itinerary if possible.
Our tour left enough time for us to quickly have a look around the Mykines townsite and purchase some food before returning to the ferry.
What to Wear and Bring
Wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots with good grip. The route climbs steeply out of the village, and the path can be wet, muddy or slippery. Bring a waterproof, windproof jacket and dress in layers, as Mykines is exposed and the weather can change quickly.
Take a water bottle with you, as there’s nowhere to buy drinks once you leave the village. Stay on the marked path, follow your guide’s instructions and avoid stopping in areas where puffins may be nesting.
Is Visiting Mykines to See Puffins Worth It?
Absolutely. Seeing puffins on Mykines was one of the experiences I was most excited about on our Faroe Islands trip. Coming from the Southern Hemisphere, seeing puffins had been a long-held goal of mine. We’d visited Iceland a few years earlier hoping to spot them, but arrived after they had left for the season. So when we planned our trip to the Faroe Islands, seeing puffins became a top priority.
Mykines lived up to that anticipation. The guided walk takes you along a dramatic ridgeline, with puffins nesting close to the path and sweeping views over the Atlantic. The chance to learn about the island from a local guide made the experience even more memorable.
Our Experience Mykines Puffin Tour
We took the morning ferry from Sørvágur to Mykines, excited to finally see puffins in the wild!
The crossing itself was a highlight. On the way over, the boat passed close to Drangarnir, giving us an incredible view of the sea stack from the water, then continued past the jagged island of Tindhólmur. I hadn’t expected these sights to be part of the ferry trip, so they felt like an amazing added bonus.
Once we arrived, we climbed the steps to the village and met our guide at the school beside the church. There were only about six of us in the group, which made the walk feel relaxed and gave us plenty of opportunities to listen and ask questions. Our guide was born and raised on Mykines, a remote island with only around 13 year-round residents. Hearing what it was like to grow up there, and learning about island life from someone who knew it so well, was one of the highlights of the tour.
As we walked up from the village and along the ridgeline, we saw around 50 puffins nesting and moving about near the path. Seeing them up close, with the Atlantic stretching out behind them, was everything I’d hoped for.
The return ferry offered another memorable view. It travelled closer to Vágar’s coastline, and we got to see Múlafossur Waterfall from the ocean. Seeing the waterfall spill over the cliffs from out at sea was a brilliant way to end the trip.
Related Posts:
Drangarnir is a dramatic sea stack rising from the North Atlantic off the rugged coast of Vágar in the Faroe Islands. The experience begins with a short boat transfer that drops hikers at a remote landing point along the coast. From there, a rewarding hike leads across rolling green hills and exposed cliff paths toward the viewpoint overlooking Drangarnir. Along the way, sweeping ocean views, sheer cliffs, and powerful Atlantic swells immerse visitors in the raw, untamed landscapes that define the Faroe Islands.