Sailing to Drangarnir: My Favorite Experience on the Faroe Islands

You don’t need me to tell you that the Faroe Islands are beautiful, and getting around the archipelago by car is surprisingly simple. But while many people explore the Faroes by land (and you can definitely have a great experience doing so), I think that you’re missing out if you don’t see these beautiful islands from the water. 

On my second trip to the Faroe Islands, I was invited by Guide to Faroe Islands to join one of the archipelago’s most iconic tours. The tour involved sailing to the picturesque Drangarnir Sea Stacks, which have starred in many Instagram photos and blog posts. Getting here on your own is pretty much impossible, so I jumped at the chance to take this tour. 

In addition to seeing these sea stacks up close, the boat tour was an amazing opportunity to photograph the Faroe Islands from an angle that few others do. Based on my experiences, I’ve put together this comprehensive review. By the end, you should have all the information you need to determine whether joining this tour is right for you. 

*This post is sponsored by Guide to Faroe Islands. However, all opinions are my own and based on real-life experiences.  

About the Drangarnir Sea Stacks

The two sea stacks are known as Stóri Drangur and Lítli Drangur, and they’re just off the coast of Vágar—one of my favorite islands on the Faroes. You can only reach these as part of a guided tour as they’re on private property. Their names literally mean “big sea stack” and “small sea stack” in Faroese.

The sea stacks, especially Stóri Drangur and its arch, are two of the best-known landmarks on the Faroe Islands. The arch itself was a filming location for the live remake of How to Train Your Dragon, while Drangarnir was also the inspiration for the original version. 

Your two options to visit the sea stacks are via a boat tour or a guided hike. You aren’t allowed to walk here without a guide; if you want to combine both, you can join a two-hour hike and boat tour. 

Which Tour Did I Take? 

I took this one-hour boat tour, which went right up to Drangarnir. As part of the excursion, we also got to see Tindholmur—which is just behind it and another beautiful landmark on the Faroe Islands.  

In addition to seeing the sea stacks up close, we also got to various other points along Vágar from the sea. We sailed in a high-speed RIB boat, which—considering I was actually pretty scared beforehand—was a lot more fun than I expected. 

Arriving at the Tour’s Starting Point

The tour starts at the port in Sørvágur, which is close to the archipelago’s only airport. We were planning to explore Vágar that day anyway, so adding this tour to our itinerary that day was logical. We had spent part of the early afternoon on Streymoy, and it was easy to drive here through the tunnel connecting both islands. 

The drive from Tórshavn to Sørvágur is around 45 minutes. Search for Bluegate.fo in Google Maps and park your car at the port when you arrive. 

From the airport, it takes less than 10 minutes to drive to the port in Sørvágur. 

Starting the Tour

Once we arrived, we checked in and were dressed up in safety gear. The tour guides then gave us a briefing; it was possible to receive these in both English and Danish. Since the group was quite big, we were divided across a couple of boats. 

By Faroese standards, the weather was *relatively* well-behaved. We were slapped with hailstones at the start of the tour, but this quickly dissipated. The waves were also relatively calm; considering that it was 17 m/s for much of my first visit to the Faroe Islands, this was a welcome relief. 

Exploring Vágar From the Sea

After leaving the port in Sørvágur, we were instantly thrust into the Faroese wilderness. I had already been to Vágar once before this tour, but seeing it from a boat was a unique experience. The boat went pretty fast before slowing down at some of the island’s main sights. 

For example, we sailed right up to the beautiful village of Bøur. Here, we saw the village’s church up close and a small beach. Seeing Bøur from this angle made me realize that although it’s small, I missed so many small details the first time I was here. 

In addition to Bøur, we stopped at nearby Skarðsáfossur. Compared to Múlafossur, which features in *that* iconic photo of Gásadalur, Skarðsáfossur is somewhat hidden. However, it looked particularly stunning with the clouds rolling over the mountains behind it. 

While on the boat tour, we also saw a unique view of Árnafjall—one of the mountains towering over Gásadalur. The mountain/waterfall view is a top-of-bucket-list experience for everyone visiting the Faroes, but the mountain looks even cooler from the sea. It almost looked 4D and made for some excellent landscape photography. 

A Bonus Puffin Sighting

Since we visited the Faroe Islands in mid-April (it was a trip to celebrate my 30th birthday), I wasn’t expecting to see puffins. My original plan was to revisit the Faroes at some point on a summer trip (which is still very much my intention). Still, though, I wasn’t complaining about seeing one. 

While sailing in the open water, our guide pointed out a puffin. After the initial amazement, I quickly grabbed my camera to capture it. This was the first time I had seen one in person, and I have to say that I wasn’t aware how fast they were 😄. 

Outside the breeding season, puffins are at sea. So, you have to head out into the ocean to find them at other times of the year. This was a rare but welcome treat; I would love to see them on land at some point, too. 

Arriving at Drangarnir

After sailing along the coast of Vágar, we arrived at Drangarnir. The view of Stóra Drangur was great, and I also liked how Tindholmur looked through the arch. 

At Drangarnir, we were greeted by a lot of seabirds. There was no shortage of fulmars, and one was so happy to see me that it… well… made itself known :).  

The lighting wasn’t great from a photographer’s perspective at this point, but to be honest, I didn’t really care. It was really cool to see the sea stacks up close, and I’d love to return and join a hiking tour in the future. 

Preparing for the Tour: Practical Information

You probably already guessed this, but… this is the Faroe Islands, and the weather is volatile at best, most of the time. While we were largely quite lucky, I’ve experienced enough Faroese storms to know that it’s not always like this. 

Bring warm and waterproof clothing. It was still quite chilly on the water, and it’ll also probably feel windy, even if you visit in the summer. Dressing in layers is a good idea; I personally had a wool turtleneck and baselayer under my jacket. 

Since this is on a RIB boat, you need to be comfortable with traveling at those speeds. I found it quite fun after a while, but it took a few minutes to get used to. If you aren’t comfortable with this, you may want to reconsider. 

Do I Recommend Taking This Tour? 

100%. This was the highlight of my second Faroe Islands trip, and if you can only do one tour, make it this one. Seeing Vágar from the North Atlantic was a special experience, and even if I wasn’t into photography, I would still do it. Seeing a puffin was a nice bonus, too. 

Seeing Drangarnir up close was also nice, especially when you can’t visit on your own. We also learned about each sight we went past, too, which I thought was really interesting. 

The only times I wouldn’t recommend taking this tour is if you’re prone to sea sickness or aren’t comfortable on high-speed boats. Otherwise, I’d say this is a must-do when you’re in the Faroe Islands. 

My Other Faroe Islands Tour Recommendations

In addition to this tour, I’ve taken others in the Faroe Islands. Below are the two I recommend adding to your itinerary. 

• 7-Hour “See It All” Tour: I took this tour on my first visit to the Faroe Islands in March 2024, and it was a great way to see some of the Faroe Islands’ main sights. Our guide took us to Gjógv, Tjørnuvík, and numerous other iconic locations. They were also incredibly informative. 
• Visiting the Faer Isles Distillery: This unique experience took us to the Faer Isles Distillery in Vestmanna. We learned about the challenges and opportunities of creating spirits on the Faroe Islands, along with getting to try gin and more. I wrote a full review of this tour, too, if you’re interested. 

A Memorable Experience, and Not Just for the Sea Stacks

While the Drangarnir Sea Stacks were the main reason for this boat tour, it was an excellent all-around experience. We got to see some of the Faroe Islands’ most iconic sights from a unique angle, and the guides were also very informative. 

In terms of value for money, this is one of the best experiences in the Faroe Islands. And if you only have time for one tour on the archipelago, make it this.

A huge thank you to Guide to Faroe Islands for sponsoring this post. If you’re interested in experiencing the boat tour yourself, remember to book here.