In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Faroe Islands
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is a small harbour capital you can walk in half a day: do Tinganes and the old town on foot, keep the rest of the day for drives to Vágar and Eysturoy, and hold a spare day for weather.
Tórshavn has about 14,000 people and a compact centre: the old town, the harbour and the main street fit within a kilometre, so a first visit takes half a day on foot. The trips that go wrong are the ones that treat it as a base with no weather buffer: fog closes the airport, wind cancels ferries and boat tours, and the buses that run beyond town are infrequent. Four small clusters cover the town; Vágar, Eysturoy and Kirkjubøur are day drives from one kept bed.
- Country
- Faroe Islands
- Best months
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep
- Time zone
- Atlantic/Faroe
- Stay
- 1 days: Tinganes and the old town, Skansin, harbour lunch
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- DKK
- Money
- Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry a little cash for hiking fees and small stands. Faroese notes are not accepted in Denmark.
- Daily spend
- Budget DKK 500–800 excl. bed · Mid DKK 800–1,600 excl. bed · High DKK 1,600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly: the Faroes are outside the EU, so EU roaming rules do not apply; check your plan.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, sea rescue 112 · Tourist information (Visit Tórshavn, check the number) Check locally
- Plugs
- 230 V; two-pin sockets (types C and K). Bring an adapter if you use other plugs.
- Tipping
- Not expected: service is included. Round up for exceptional service.
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink.
- Toilets
- Cafés, the harbour and public toilets in town; carry small coins.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a cafe | DKK 35–55 |
| Lunch (soup or sandwich) | DKK 100–200 |
| Dinner main course | DKK 250–450 |
| Pint of beer | DKK 60–90 |
| Bus 300, airport to Tórshavn | DKK 60–120 |
| Hire car, per day | DKK 700–1,300 |
| Subsea tunnel toll | DKK 100–200 |
| Mid-range hotel, per night | DKK 1,200–2,200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Vágar Airport (FAE)
- FAE to Tórshavn: one pre-booked hire car or transfer, about 45–75 minutes by road through a subsea tunnel; the risk is not the drive but the flight, which fog and wind delay or cancel.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Vágar Airport (FAE) (Vága Floghavn) | Flights from Copenhagen, Reykjavík, Edinburgh, Bergen and other cities (check) | Bus 300, taxi or hire car through a subsea tunnel; toll where charged |
| Tórshavn bus terminal (Bussterminal) | Buses to Vágar, Eysturoy and other islands (check bus.fo) | Walk 5 minutes to Vaglið |
| Smyril Line ferry (Tórshavn port) (Smyril Line) | Ferries to Denmark and Iceland (check the season) | Taxi or walk; check the pier |
Typical fares
- Vágar Airport → Tórshavn, taxi
- DKK 600–1,000, 45–60 min
- Vágar Airport → Tórshavn, bus 300
- About DKK 60–120 (check), 45–60 min
- Town buses
- Free in Tórshavn (check the routes)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside the town, use the free town buses for the outer edge, and hire a car for the islands. There is no rail and no metro.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Tinganes, Vaglið, the harbour and Skansin |
| Town buses | Free (check) | The Nordic House and the outer town |
| Hire car | DKK 700–1,300 a day | Vágar, Eysturoy and Kirkjubøur |
| Taxi | DKK 100–250 in town | Late nights and bad weather |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Hire car for the islands, book ferries and tours ahead; check the price of tunnel tolls when you pick up the car.
- Late at night
- No rail; town buses stop in the evening and buses between villages are infrequent. Check bus.fo or the operator's timetable.
See and do
01Tinganes
The old government quarter with red timber and turf roofs; free and short.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 45–60 min · 62.0118, -6.7695
02SkansinSkansin
The best harbour view in town from an old fortress.
Hours: best A dry hour · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 62.0138, -6.7771
03Vaglið and the main streetVaglið
Shops, wool and cafes; closed on Sunday.
Hours: best Weekday · Price: Free · Time: 30–60 min · 62.0107, -6.7716
04Nordic HouseNorðurlandahúsið
A wet-day stop with an exhibition and a cafe.
Hours: best A wet afternoon · Price: DKK 60–100 · Time: 45–60 min · 62.0195, -6.7820
05Tórshavn CathedralHavnar kirkja
A small, plain church above the old town.
Hours: best When the door is open · Price: Free · Time: 10–20 min · 62.0122, -6.7718
06ViðarlundinViðarlundin
A rare planted wood beside the Nordic House.
Hours: best A dry hour · Price: Free · Time: 20–45 min · 62.0182, -6.7790
07West harbour promenadeVestaravág
A flat harbour walk with boats.
Hours: best Dry evening · Price: Free · Time: 15–40 min · 62.0110, -6.7760
08Skansin fortress and lighthouseSkansin
A fortress and lighthouse with a harbour view.
Hours: Open air (check) · Price: Free (check) · 62.0138, -6.7771
09Vaglið and Niels Finsens gøtaVaglið
The main street and shops.
Hours: Shops 09:00–17:30; Sun closed (check) · Price: Free (check)Hours: Shops 9:00 AM–5:30 PM; Sun closed (check) · Price: Free (check) · 62.0107, -6.7716
10Viðarlundin parkViðarlundin
A wooded park beside the Nordic House.
Hours: Open (check) · Price: Free (check) · 62.0182, -6.7790
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkjubøur | Bus or car about 20–30 min | Half day |
| Vágar (Sørvágsvatn and Gásadalur) | Car about 45–60 min; toll for tunnels where charged | Full day |
| Eysturoy (Gjógv, Saksun) | Car about 1–1.5 h; toll for the subsea tunnel | Full day |
| Mykines (puffins) | Boat or helicopter from Vágar, then a drive | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarket and bakery picnic (generic) | Bread, cheese and fruit · Vaglið | DKK 60–140 | Budget |
| Bakery or cafe on Vaglið (generic) | Coffee and a pastry · Vaglið | DKK 40–160 | Budget |
| Nordic House cafe | Soup or open sandwich · Nordic House | DKK 60–200 | Mid-range |
| Old-town harbour seafood restaurant (generic) | Fish of the day · Old town | DKK 200–400 | Mid-range |
| Barbara Fish House | Fish main · Old town | DKK 250–450 | Higher |
| Faroese tasting dinner (generic) | Tasting menu · Old town | DKK 500–1,200 | Higher |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | DKK 350–600 dorm bed · DKK 900–1,300 double | Town centre, west harbour | Hostels, guesthouses |
| mid | DKK 1,300–2,200 | Town centre, harbour | 3-star hotels, guesthouses |
| high | DKK 2,200+ | Harbour, west harbour | Higher-end hotels |
Per room per night in Danish kroner, 2026 estimate; Ólavsøka and summer weekends add 30–100%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good day | Góðan dagGOH-an dah |
| Thank you | Takktahk |
| Please | Ger so væljehr soh vehl |
| Yes / No | Ja / Neiyah / nay |
| How much is this? | Hvat kostar hetta?kwat KOS-tar HET-ta |
| Cheers | Skálskawl |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Sheep and farmland: Do not cross fences or enter private farmland without permission or a posted fee; leave gates as you found them.
- Tipping: Service is included; no tip is expected.
- Cliff and wildlife: Keep well back from cliff edges and do not disturb nesting birds.
- Driving: Give way in single-lane tunnels as marked; pull in on narrow roads; switch on headlights.
Red lines
- Do not walk through private farmland or cross fences without the posted permission or fee.
- Tinganes is a working government quarter: keep to the paths and off the turf roofs.
- The traditional pilot-whale drive is legal locally; if you come across one, keep your distance and follow the local police.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unposted hiking fees: pay the farmer or the official trail site, not a stranger who asks for cash by the roadside.
- Resold ferry, boat or helicopter seats on social media: book with the operator.
- Unlicensed taxi offers at the airport: use the rank or your booked transfer.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover. Skip: Nordic House and the day drives.
- 09:309:30 AMTinganes
- 11:0011:00 AMTórshavn Cathedral
- 12:3012:30 PMHarbour lunch
- 14:302:30 PMSkansin
2 days
A short break. Skip: Vágar and Eysturoy.
Day 1 — Old town and Skansin
- 09:309:30 AMTinganes
- 14:002:00 PMSkansin
Day 2 — Nordic House and a drive
- 10:0010:00 AMNordic House
- 13:001:00 PMKirkjubøur by car or bus
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Faroe Islands (official): visitfaroeislands.com/
- Visit Tórshavn (tourist office): www.visittorshavn.fo/
- Wikivoyage — Tórshavn: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/T%C3%B3rshavn
- Wikitravel — Faroe Islands: wikitravel.org/en/Faroe_Islands
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Tórshavn
English is widely understood; show the street name.
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- SkansinSkansin fortress and lighthouse
- VagliðVaglið and Niels Finsens gøta
- NorðurlandahúsiðNordic House
- Havnar kirkjaTórshavn Cathedral
- ViðarlundinViðarlundin park
- VestaravágWest harbour promenade (Vestaravág)
- Police, ambulance, fire, sea rescue112
- Tourist information (Visit Tórshavn, check the number)Check locally
There are no embassies in Tórshavn; the US and UK embassies are in Copenhagen.
Faroese is the local language; Danish and English are widely understood. Show the street name.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/torshavn). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.