5 Reasons You Should Visit the Faroe Islands Sooner Rather Than Later

Visiting Iceland just a decade ago was far different from what it is today. The Faroe Islands may be following a similar path. The North Atlantic archipelago is becoming more popular, and the same tourist invasion could change the dynamics of visiting.

The Faroe Islands are a self-governed territory of the Kingdom of Denmark and are halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The remote location, inclement weather, and short summer season have so far conspired to keep visitor numbers down. However, the Faroes’ stunning landscapes, fresh seafood, and local farms, coupled with welcoming residents, are propelling the islands to the top of many traveler’s bucket lists.

If you’ve considered a visit, there’s no better time to do so. Here are a few reasons why you should.

1. To Enjoy the Pristine Natural Beauty

The Faroe Islands offer amazing scenery. Go while the natural beauty is unspoiled, and sights (while remote) are relatively easy to access. With connected underground tunnels linking the islands, you can visit 3 islands in just a day.

You can rent a car or hire a guide. With little traffic, the islands are yours to explore.

2. Tourist Numbers Are Increasing

In 2023, the Faroe Islands saw a record number of tourists, over 400,000 by air and cruise ship. Most visits are during the prime season of June, July, and August.

Iceland has over 2 million visitors each year but is much bigger at nearly 40,000 square miles, while the Faroe Islands encompass only around 540 square miles. You can imagine how easily tourism could overwhelm the islands.

Visiting before the volume of tourists increases may be a smart move.

3. There Are Limited Lodging Options

About 50,000 people reside in the Faroe Islands, nearly half of whom are in and around the capital and largest town, Tórshavn on the main island of Streymoy. Tórshavn is a great base for exploring the surrounding area and nearby islands.

Unfortunately, lodging options in the town are limited and should be booked in advance. There are fewer than a dozen hotels in and around Tórshavn. As tourism increases, the availability of lodging could decrease.

4. You Can Still Use Points and Miles To Offset the Cost

Fortunately, you can still use points and miles to offset the cost of visiting the Faroe Islands. Advanced planning is necessary, but it is doable.

Here are some ideas for using rewards currencies for your trip to the Faroe Islands.

Flights

While you could take a 20-hour ferry ride from Iceland or a 2-day ferry from Denmark, flying to the Faroe Islands is more efficient. Vágar Airport (FAE) on the main island can be accessed easily from Keflavik, Iceland (KEF), Copenhagen, Denmark (CPH), Oslo, Norway (OSL), or many other major European cities.

Atlantic Airways, Icelandair, and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) have frequent flights to FAE.

It’s generally not expensive to fly to the Faroe Islands. During the summer, flights are added, and availability also increases.

Cash prices for tickets to the Faroe Islands can be quite affordable if you fly in economy class, even in peak season. Prices increase significantly for the limited premium economy ($1,500+) and business class ($3,000+) connections from the U.S.

With that said, using frequent flyer miles for your flights can be a better alternative. A quick search on roame.travel brings up several options:

Depending on your stash of rewards currencies, you can select an option, dig deeper, and pick specific dates:

For example, if you have a lot of Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards miles, you can use them to book Icelandair flights.

Lodging

There are few options for booking lodging with points or free night certificates in the Faroe Islands. Here are some ideas for offsetting lodging costs:

• Book the Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands with Hilton Honors points or free night certificates earned on select Hilton-branded cards. A standard room can be booked from 50,000 points per night.
• Use Choice Privileges points to book the Hotel Føroyar, Ascend Hotel Collection, for 30,000 points per night.
• Use Delta Stays credits of up to $250 annually on Delta co-branded cards.
• Use the up to $300 annual Capital One Travel credit on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Use the up to $300 annual travel credit on the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.
• Book hotels via the associated travel portal or reimburse the hotel expense using rewards from Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Wells Fargo Rewards (value will vary).

We like that the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card comes with a free hotel night certificate each year after spending $15,000 on the card.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

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An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Welcome Offer

Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 01/13/2027.

130,000 points + Free Night Reward

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $650

Annual Fee

$150

APR

19.74%-28.74% Variable

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Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

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Why We Like This Card

If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
• 6x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. online retail purchases

Cons

• $150 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 01/13/2027.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with benefits like an 80% Points earning Bonus on Stays, daily food & beverage credit or continental breakfast (varies by brand & region), space-available room upgrades at select properties, and more.
• Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card. That’s up to $200 in statement credits annually.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 4X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of U.S. Online Retail purchases.
• Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year. With Hilton Honors Diamond status, enjoy benefits like: A 100% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay, Premium Wi-Fi at select properties, Daily food & beverage credit at select brands in the U.S. and complimentary continental breakfast at select brands outside of the U.S., Space-available room upgrades at select properties, and Executive lounge access at select properties.
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• $150 annual fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Activities

Booking experiences for your Faroe Islands trip with points and miles is possible. Here are some ways to save on things to do there:

• Book Faroe Island experiences via Viator. You can even triple dip rewards — earn up to 3x Ultimate Rewards points for travel purchases with select Chase cards plus Membership Rewards points through Rakuten. You’ll also earn Viator rewards for future bookings
• Book activities via Citi Travel or Chase Travel using rewards points.
• Reimburse your experience purchase with a statement credit by redeeming Capital One miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
• Use the up to $300 travel credit from the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

5. To Have a Unique Experience

With endless hiking trails, driving from village to village, wildlife watching, or trying a local fermented beverage, the islands will deliver unique experiences.

Driving is best, with endless jaw-dropping scenery around every corner, as the ocean is never far away. The high cliffs with waterfalls and wildlife residents are worth seeking out. You may even find puffins!

The residents of the Faroe Islands are welcoming and eager to share stories about their history and sometimes difficult life.

Regardless of your preferences, there will be something new for you to enjoy in the Faroe Islands.

Final Thoughts

Anticipating that the Faroe Islands will eventually become crowded with visitors is a reasonable assumption based on the increasing number of tourists. Those who travel frequently look for new destinations and experiences, and the Faroe Islands check all the boxes.

Eventually, the Faroes might turn into a new Iceland: a rugged, gorgeous place in the North Atlantic, submerged by vast numbers of tourists.

So, if you’ve been thinking of visiting the islands, there are several reasons to go sooner rather than later.