Our Top Highlights of Two Weeks in the Arctic Circle

This year we ticked off a trip that had been sitting on our wish list for quite a while. There's something incredibly satisfying about dreaming up an adventure, researching it for months and then finally making it happen. We know how fortunate we are to be able to travel like this, and this one certainly didn't disappoint.

Our destination? The Lofoten Islands in northern Norway.

We flew to Tromsø via Oslo, spent two nights in a lovely Airbnb apartment to get our bearings, then collected a campervan and set off on our adventure. We started on the island of Senja, which completely blew us away, before travelling through the northern part of Andøya and then winding our way down through the Lofoten Islands. On the journey back to Tromsø we made a detour into the Lyngen Alps after a tour guide we met at a picnic stop insisted we shouldn't miss them. I'm so glad we took his advice.

We couldn't wait to experience summer in the Arctic Circle, with 24 hours of daylight and the freedom that comes with travelling by campervan. I was a little apprehensive about the weather and whether I'd be cold, so I packed everything from thermals and waterproofs to T-shirts and shorts. As it turned out, we experienced every type of weather imaginable, and we loved every minute of it.

These aren't necessarily the must-see attractions in Arctic Norway. They're simply our highlights.

1 - The Midnight Sun

This is something I'll never forget.

We stopped at Lofoten Beach Campsite after spotting that the forecast promised clear skies all night. Sitting on the west coast, it felt like the perfect place to experience the midnight sun.

Standing on the beach waiting for midnight to arrive, while the sun was still shining brightly, felt surreal. It was peaceful, beautiful and unlike anything I've ever experienced. I felt incredibly lucky just to be standing there.

2 - Cinnamon Buns

I'm convinced Scandinavian cinnamon buns are one of the reasons we love travelling there so much, and this trip certainly didn't disappoint.

Our first stop was Unstad Arctic Surf, home to the self-proclaimed "World's Best Cinnamon Bun". At around £9 each they weren't cheap, but the whole experience made them worth every penny. We sat by the window admiring the view, chatted to the staff about football and admired the quirky surf lodge, right down to the toilet door covered from top to bottom in stickers.

Our second favourite was the famous bakery at Å, right at the end of the Lofoten Islands. They've been baking here since 1878. We grabbed our pastries to take away and sat amongst the traditional red rorbuer (fishermen's cabins), watching the world go by.

3 - Van Life and Freedom

Out of the two weeks we spent in the campervan, we only stayed on campsites for four nights. The rest of the time we simply wandered around Senja, Andøya, the Lofoten Islands and the Lyngen Alps.

There is something incredibly freeing about not knowing exactly where you'll end up each evening. The campsites were lovely (Skarungen and Lofoten Beach were our favourites), but nothing quite compares to stumbling across the perfect overnight spot with an unforgettable view.

4 - Choosing the Back Roads

The E10 is the main road through the Lofoten Islands. It's great for getting from A to B, but the real magic happens when you leave it behind.

The smaller roads are quieter, more scenic and much more relaxed. One morning we turned off towards Tengelfjord and ended up staying there for the rest of the day. We found a beautiful walk, settled down with our books and spent hours watching the water, hoping to spot minke whales. And we did!

Don't be afraid to wander. Some of our favourite moments happened because we weren't following a plan.

5 - The Landscape

There seemed to be something extraordinary around every corner.

Towering mountains, dramatic fjords, tiny fishing villages, sweeping white beaches and endless views from every ferry crossing and hiking trail. Even opening the campervan door each morning felt like waking up inside a postcard.

It's one of those places that photographs never quite do justice.

6 - The Colours

As an interior designer, I couldn't stop noticing the colour combinations around me.

We experienced everything from snow flurries and torrential rain to fog, sunshine and clear blue skies. Somehow, every change in the weather made the landscape even more beautiful.

One combination that has stayed with me was the warm yellow ochre buildings in Nusfjord against the charcoal-grey rock behind them, the swirling water below and the soft grey clouds above. My camera roll is now full of colour palettes rather than tourist attractions.

7 - Time to Wander

One of the greatest luxuries of travelling by campervan was having nowhere we had to be.

No alarm clocks. No hotel check-in times. No rushing from one attraction to the next.

We changed our plans several times, usually because someone recommended somewhere we hadn't heard of. We only rushed once, and that was to catch a ferry after a last-minute change of direction.

For two weeks we simply wandered.

It reminded me how much I dislike rushing through life. Norway has a wonderfully relaxed pace, and it's something I've tried very hard to bring home with me.

8 - The Hikes

This was definitely hiking rather than the walking I'm used to in the UK.

Many of the trails began on well-maintained paths before quickly turning into scrambling over rocks, crossing streams and carefully picking our way uphill. If you want to experience Norway's mountains properly, you have to earn the views.

Our favourites were Hesten on Senja, Ryten overlooking Kvalvika Beach and the famous Reinebringen climb, where more than 2,000 stone steps built by Sherpas lead you to one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the Lofoten Islands.

9 - The Beaches

We had quite a few beaches on our list of places to visit, and they didn’t disappoint.

For me, that's what makes Norway so special. It's where mountains tumble straight into the sea. Andy always says he'd rather live in the mountains, while I'd choose the coast. Norway somehow manages to give you both.

Lofoten Beach will probably always be my favourite because it's where we experienced the midnight sun. It's a beautiful stretch of white sand with an incredible backdrop and somewhere that will always hold special memories.

Unstad came a close second. It's the northernmost beach where surfing is possible year-round. We didn't brave the waves ourselves, but we happily sat and watched everyone else.

Ersfjord on Senja became another favourite. We stopped there on the way south and again on our return journey. White sand, crystal-clear water, a peaceful overnight parking spot and the perfect place to spend an evening reading in the campervan.

Hov Gård on Gimsøya was another beautiful stop, with stunning blue water and plenty of space to stay overnight.

Haukland Beach is probably the most photographed beach in Lofoten. We visited on a cloudy day and found it much busier than many of the others. It was still beautiful, but if you're looking for somewhere quieter, I'd definitely recommend exploring some of the lesser-known beaches instead.

Looking back, this was one of the best trips we've ever done. The scenery was every bit as spectacular as we'd hoped, the hiking was unforgettable and travelling by campervan suited us perfectly. But if there's one thing I took away from this trip, it's that social media rarely tells the whole story.

I'd spent months looking at photographs and videos of the Lofoten Islands, so naturally I'd built up a picture in my mind of what it would be like. In reality, some of the places that looked idyllic online felt surprisingly commercial, while others had changed from traditional fishing communities into holiday accommodation. That's not necessarily a bad thing as tourism is an important part of the local economy, alongside the fishing industry, but it wasn't always what I'd imagined.

The weather is another good example. We were incredibly lucky. We experienced sunshine, dramatic skies, the midnight sun in the second week. Some people visit for two weeks and barely see the sun at all. I think you have to go expecting whatever the Arctic decides to throw at you and embrace it. The changing weather is all part of the experience and, if anything, it makes the landscape even more dramatic.

The moments that have stayed with me weren't the ones I'd saved on Instagram. They were the unexpected ones: pulling into a quiet bay for the night, watching sea eagles circling overhead, sitting on a beach at midnight with the sun still shining, or turning down an empty road simply because we wondered where it might lead.

We came home feeling incredibly grateful to have experienced such a remarkable part of the world. It wasn't exactly what I'd imagined, but in many ways it was the smaller moments that made it so special.