Puffin Guide to Faroe Islands

Mykines | The Complete Guide

By Verified Expert

How do you arrange a day tour to Mykines? Can you get close to puffins on the island? During which period can you visit Mykines? Is there a Mykines ferry? Here is your complete guide to Mykines island.



Mykines is the westernmost of the 18 far-flung Faroe Islands. The island is the home of thousands of puffins and offers spectacular views and awe-inspiring nature.

The island is among the most visited places in the Faroe Islands between May and August. Despite its popularity, the island has maintained a down-home feel. You will get a slow and sensuous experience as there are never more than 250 visitors on the island during a day.

Guided Mykines Tour

Mykines café
A café on the island during the summer months. Photo by Mads Fyllgraf.

A day tour to Mykines is on many travellers’ bucket lists when visiting the archipelago in the summer months. Most people enjoy the island on a guided day tour with a local tour guide.

Experienced local guides take adventurous travellers along rolling green summer hills and all the way to the remotely located lighthouse. Travellers spend a day in Mykines to enjoy the astonishing vistas and recharge.

Mykines village
Mykines island. This is the only village on the ave-inspiring island. Photo by Mads Fyllgraf.

The island is blessed with rich birdlife. Mykines is the best place in the Faroe Islands for watching puffins up close.

Most visitors arrive at Mykines by boat from the neighbouring Vágar Island. The only village on Mykines is located a short uphill stair walk from the small harbour on the island.

Map for mykines

Everyone who enjoys being close to nature will find pleasure and adventure in this popular attraction in the Faroe Islands. Mykines is only accessible to some 20.000 visitors a year. There are only 14 permanent residents on Mykines Island.

A trip to Mykines is one of the best things to do on a summer vacation in the Faroe Islands. The island is truly unbelievable and ads to the many reasons to visit the Faroe Islands in the bright summer months.

1. When to visit Mykines

Atlantic puffin
The island of Mykines is home to the largest puffin colony in the Faroe Islands. Photo by @tjbetrippin on Instagram.

The first thing you need to know about Mykines is when to visit the island. Mykines is open to travellers between 1 May and 31 August each year. This is also the Mykines puffin season. The puffins come to Mykines in late April and leave again in early September. The number of puffins on Mykines peaks in July.

May is the riskiest summer month to visit Mykines, as the sea is often rocky during this month and travellers sometimes find themselves stuck on the island. The sea around the island is usually most calm in June, July, and August.     

Visit Mykines Early During Your Stay

The Mykines public ferry
The Mykines public ferry takes some 80 passengers. The ferry sails to Mykines in the morning at 09:15 and picks up people again at 18:00 in the evening. Note that it is a rolling boat ride every now and then!  Photo by Ólavur Frederiksen.

The sea conditions surrounding Mykines can be challenging. One very good piece of advice is to experience Mykines on one of your first days in the archipelago. All boat tours are canceled every now and then, especially when the wind comes from a western direction.

So just to emphasise how important this is for your chance to actually get to the island, we will repeat the advice. Make sure to do Mykines as one of the first things when in the Faroe Islands. This makes it more likely for you to be rebooked for an alternative day if the weather does not allow getting to the island on your initial booked day.

Whether you take a smooth private boat or the slower public ferry, remember to book your ticket beforehand. Most travellers head to the island in the morning and return to the mainland in the afternoon.

3. Getting to Mykines

Mykines shuttle boat
The Mykines shuttle boat. Photo by Mads Fyllgraf.

The best way to get to Mykines is by boat from the village of Sørvágur located only a stone’s throw from the airport on Vágar Island. Boats to Mykines depart from the Sørvágur marina daily from May to August.

If you want to experience Mykines independently between May and August, you can book the easy private Mykines shuttle boat. The boat comes with a reduced travel time.

Head of puffin
The North Atlantic puffin is the main attraction on Mykines. You will find plenty of them on the island from early May until late August. Photo by @tjbetrippin on Instagram.

Alternatively, you can go for a Mykines ferry ticket and arrive at a slower pace. Check out the ferry ticket here. Due to the island’s popularity, boat tours to Mykines are selling fast.

Those who want to be sure to visit the awe-inspiring island should book a boat ride as soon as possible. Actually, booking Mykines should be the first thing to do once you have decided to come to the Faroe Islands.

Car Parking for Ferry

When you are in Sørvágur, head towards the boat marina. You will see the village’s sandy beach in a western direction. Take the road along the waterfront and you will have the beach on your right-hand side. A minute later, you will arrive at the marina when turning right. If you arrive in Sørvágur in your own vehicle, you are welcome to park your car along the pier. There are some marked parking lots here. You can park here as long as you like. Parking is free.

All sea transfers to Mykines depart from the boat marina in Sørvágur. There are not that many boats around so you will find your boat easily. Moreover, there are signs leading you the way to the boats.

The Ferry

The boat ride to Mykines is a nature experience in itself. There are beautiful sights along the route to Mykines from Sørvágur. First, you will sail out of the Sørvágsfjørður fjord. At the end of the fjord, you will sail along the Drangarnir sea arch and the Tindhólmur islet, weather permitting.

When you have been in the boat for half an hour or so, you will see impressive cliffs. Basalt columns rise here to some 60 meters.

Because it looks rather like an ancient spruce forest, it has been given the popular name of Steinskógir – the stone forest. You can see these formations from the boat when approaching the island.

You will arrive in Mykines in a small bay surrounded by tall basalt cliffs. From the landing-place, a steep staircase leads up past the old boathouses and green meadows to the village, or bygd, which lies snugly in a green hollow with a river running through it. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy a fine section of turf-roofed houses.

It adds to the island’s tranquillity that there are literally no cars at all! It is a fantastic feeling walking on a car-free island.

There is but one place where the island can be reached and only under certain weather conditions. When the sea is calm, no surf and the barometer high and rising.

Ferry schedule Sørvágur – Mykines

Houses roofed with turf
There is only one settlement on the island. Most houses are sod-roofed. Photo by Mads Fyllgraf.

The public ferry to Mykines departs from the boat marina in the village of Sørvágur each morning at 09:15 AM then at 13:15 PM and at 17:15 PM from 1 May to 31 August. The return ferry departs from Mykines at 10:00 AM (this departure is only relevant if you are staying overnight on the island) then at 14:00PM and finally at 18:00.

There is a bus connection from Tórshavn to Sørvágur where the ferry departs. Check the Tórshavn to Sørvágur bus timetable here if needed.

Take a look at this Mykines shuttle boat for more flexibility. You can join a morning tour or an afternoon tour.

Mikines By Helicopter

Helicopter at helipad
A helicopter ride to Mykines takes 11 minutes. The tour starts from Vagar Airport. Photo by Polina Kuzovkova known as @p_kuzovkova on Instagram.

Helicopter transfers to Mykines is in general not advisable. The helicopter service runs three times a week but the service is made especially for the locals. Tourists can book the remaining spots in the 14 seat helicopter to Mykines.

Several travel bloggers have written about the option to get to Mykines by helicopter. The helicopter is run by the public company Atlantic Airways, which is the only helicopter company in the Faroe Islands. The company has introduced higher prices for travellers in order to reduce the public service as a means to explore Mykines.

Moreover, tourists can only travel one way by helicopter when visiting the island. So you will either take the boat to Mykines from Vágar and then the helicopter back to Vágar or the opposite way around. It is way more convenient and reliable to take the ferry both ways.

Private Helicopter Tour to Mykines Island

The helicopter ride to the puffin island departs from Vágar Airport. It takes 11 minutes in a helicopter from the Vagar Airport to Mykines. The helicopter departs from the airport once a day, three times a week. There is an extra fourth departure in June, July, and August according to the helicopter timetable to Mykines.

As travellers are limited to a one-way helicopter ride, the only option for a roundtrip is to rent a helicopter. You will be charged a minute rate when renting a helicopter. The minute rate when renting the helicopter in the Faroe Islands is 1,106 DKK (VAT included). A roundtrip in a rented helicopter departing from Vágar airport to the puffin island costs 24.332 DKK (VAT included). Private helicopter tours in the Faroe Islands are made for those looking for Luxury Travel.

4. Hiking in Mykines Faroe Islands

Puffins
The sloping side of the hill is covered in puffins. Puffins on the hills are a wonderful sight and they attract people to the island in the summer from May to August. Photo by @tjbetrippin on Instagram.

When you have reached Mykines, you can go for the hike to the famous lighthouse. We recommend all visitors to hike all the way to the lighthouse at the far end of the isle Mykineshólmur.

The path to Mykines Lighthouse on Mykineshólmur is closed throughout the summer season of 2024. You are unable to enter the Mykineshólmur islet in 2024.

The land administrators on Mykines Island have imposed a tax for walking on the island in recent years. You will pay nothing as long as you hike uphill to the edge of the island. The hike from the village and to this edge is just under 500 metres (0,3 miles). You will see lots and lots of puffins on the public path free of charge.

The path to the lighthouse
The path to the lighthouse is closed in 2024 due to a landslide in the area. Photo by Oda Andreasen.

Start your hike from the village up the hill. On your way to the lighthouse, you will spot thousands of puffins everywhere.

The hike to the lighthouse will take you between an hour and a half to two hours. The length of the trip to lighthouse depends on the number of stops you make on the way.



There are thirty species of birds nesting on the island, but no other bird is as numerous as the puffin. All along the western part of the island, the ground is completely excavated by their burrows.

The puffins sit in front of their burrows and do not seem to be worried by people walking on the path close to them. You will see puffins in all directions.

The puffins are on the ground and they are swarming over you. This is an unforgettable sight.

5. Mykines Puffins

Puffin with fish in beak
Puffin carrying fish to its young. Photo by Kah-Wai Lin.

Red-legged, white-smocked, puffins sit in groups on the lush grass and sun-warmed rocks. Sit down and simply enjoy being in nature as much as you will ever be. There are more puffins on Mykines than anywhere else in the Faroe Islands.

While you are hiking up and down steep hills towards the islet of Mykineshólmur, remember to take care. Be very careful and respect the cute little puffins and their private life.

Puffins are nesting during early summer. And when the next generation of puffins is born, the puffins are carrying sand launch to its young. It is important for the puffins to be able to carry out their important task and return from the ocean with their catch.

The puffins are flying with small fishes in their beak. The catch is what will make the chicks into adorable grown-up puffins themselves.

6. Crossing the Mykines bridge

Mykines island seen from the air
Mykines is stunning and safe to explore. Photo by Larry on Flickr.

At some point, Mykineshólmur becomes separated from the island itself by a deep, narrow cleft. This is the cleft of Hólmgjógv. A narrow cable bridge spans the cleft some 40 meters (131 feet) above the North Atlantic Ocean. The crossing is simple and safe.

From its highest point at 133 meters (436 feet), Mykineshólmur slopes southwards. The smooth surface is covered in lush grass. There are numerous caves on the island’s north side.

7. The Mykines Lighthouse

When you have crossed the bridge, head directly towards the lighthouse on the western end. When you make it to the lighthouse at the end of the islet Mykineshólmur, it feels as if you made it to the end of the world. You are far away from everything.

Sit down for a moment and enjoy the sound of puffins and the waves. Now, if you have brought something to eat, this is an epic scenery to enjoy your packed lunch.

Man walking on Mykines Island
This is part of the sight on your trip to Mykines. Photo by Andrew Mayovskyy on Shutterstock.

Towards the east, there is a narrow ridge called Oddarnir. It is open to the Atlantic so that even a moderate wind from the west or south makes a constant surf, or brim as it is called, crashing against the cliffs. You will see Oddarnir on your walk towards the lighthouse and also on your way back to the village.

The weather here is quite unpredictable. The only thing you will know for sure is that the weather changes quickly.

Flying puffin
There is a puffin guarantee in Mykines from May to August. Photo by @tjbetrippin on Instagram.

Sometimes you can stand by the lighthouse and see both Mykineshólmur islet and the entire Mykines Island. At other times you might only experience fog and the view will be somewhat limited. But the puffins are still there and you will always experience their lovely presence.

In the old days, the island might be cut off for weeks, even months, at a time. It is said that people here talk so loudly because they need to be heard above the sound of the sea.

8. Back in the Mykines Village

Boats to Mykines arrives here
Boats to Mykines arrives here. There is only one settlement on the island.

The coastline is steep and inaccessible with beautiful basalt formations. The island is surrounded by numerous holms and skerries.

The highest mountain is Knúkur (560 metres / 1837 feet). On its west side the mountain slopes steadily through the valley of Djúpidalur down to the village.

Houses on Mykines Island
The village on Mykines island is worth exploring. Photo by Mads Fyllgraf.

You will have a great view of Djúpidalur on your hike back to the village. While you are waiting for a boat to bring you back to the main islands, enjoy the peaceful settlement on the island.

Take a look at the small river running through the village. You can also go inside the local café Mykinesstova which serves food and beverages.

Stay Overnight on Mykines Island

Stream on Mykines Island
The lovely small river on the island Mykines. Photo by Mads Fyllgraf.

If you want something truly special then go for an overnight stay on Mykines. There are also a handful of AirBnb options on the island. Staying overnight on Mykines will definitely add to the uniqueness of the place.

When sleeping on Mykines, you will have the option to experience the puffins during the late evening hours. What an amazing experience that is.

​The charming puffin
​The charming puffin. The Faroese word for puffin is Lundi.

When stepping on board the boat again after a trip to Mykines, many visitors ask themselves: how can a place as beautiful as Mykines be so unknown by the rest of the world? You will feel lucky and thankful for being one of the very few people who have visited this truly special place on earth. Mykines is a great landscape experience and you will truly feel the remoteness of the Faroe Islands.

A day tour to Mykines is a journey to the edge of the unspoiled Faroe Islands. It is a journey to untamed nature and serenity. This Mykines Day Tour includes the ferry ticket, a local tour guide, food, and more! Make sure to visit Mykines when you are in the Faroe Islands during the summer months.

Other great articles
Drangarnir sea arch

Drangarnir and 4 other stunning sea stacks in the Faroe Islands

Salmon jumping

Sports Fishing in the Faroe Islands

Salmon Farming in the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Island Salmon Success