Our Family Trip to Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands

Our family decided on Denmark this year for our summer holiday.

Why?

Mostly because my husband Joe has been obsessed with the Faroe Islands for years. I mean, I get it. Just look at the place. It looks like Scotland, Iceland, and a sheep had a baby.

We had put this trip off for a long time because getting to the Faroe Islands from our home in Orlando is not exactly easy. It is also very expensive. “Remote island chain in the North Atlantic” and “budget friendly” are not usually holding hands.

However, as a 10xTravel program alumni (not a sponsor), I put my extreme couponing skills to work, and I have to say, I pulled off a miracle.

Seven total flights. None overnight. Including one Virgin Atlantic transatlantic first class flight for four people for zero American dollars.

Just the taxes. I have outdone myself. Why seven flights?

Because once we were finally committing to the Faroe Islands, we decided to make this an all-things-Denmark tour-de-force: Greenland, Denmark proper, and the Faroe Islands.

Yes, I know. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are not “Denmark” in the simple sense. They are autonomous territories within the Kingdom of Denmark, with their own cultures, landscapes, and identities. But that was part of what made this trip so interesting. This was not just Copenhagen and pastries. This was a full Nordic rabbit hole.

If this type of trip interests you, read on.

First stop was Nuuk, Greenland. Why? Because there is now a newer, surprisingly manageable flight from Newark, New Jersey. It is only about five hours long.

Easy-peasy.

Well, Greenland easy-peasy. Which is still regular-travel mildly unhinged.

Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk was our first taste of Greenland, and we kept it simple.

We explored the town, wandered the waterfront, saw the colorful buildings, and eased into the trip. Greenland is not a place where you want to sprint out of the gate. The weather gets a vote. The landscape gets a vote. Your jet lag gets a vote.

But the real magic was Camp Kangiusaq.

The boat ride out to Camp K was amazing. Isolating in the best possible way. No Wi-Fi. No constant checking in. Just mountains, water, quiet, and that rare vacation feeling where your brain finally stops opening imaginary browser tabs.

Without spending a dime on a whale watching tour, we got one. The captain shouted "There she blows!" Not really, but it was that dramatic.

Once at Camp, Sam and the crew were fantastic. The food presumably crafted by some bohemian 20 something around back was honestly some of the best of the entire trip, and the kids agreed. We had reindeer salami, musk ox bolognese (wat!), fish soup, and the kind of meals you remember because they were both delicious and tied completely to where you were.

Camp K ranks very high on our family’s magical rating. Which is not an official scientific metric. But it should be.

Greenland was the part of the trip that felt the most removed from normal life. Not hard. Not scary. Just different. Not Europe, and quiet in a way that made everyone put their phones down because, well, there was no other choice. Highly recommend. Especially if you like nature, but still enjoy eating well and sleeping somewhere civilized.

I had to poop in an outhouse at Camp K. That is my personal outdoor limit, and I am at peace with it.

Blåvand and the Danish Coast

After Greenland, we flew into Copenhagen, picked up a rental car (haaaaaate Europcar), and started the Denmark road trip portion of the adventure. The original itinerary took us through Copenhagen, Odense, Blåvand, South Zealand, and back to Copenhagen.

One of our favorite stops was Blåvand, on Denmark’s west coast. Blåvand was a 10/10 stay for us. Our place had a sauna, cold plunge, and a kids’ water park, which is basically the family travel holy trinity. We went to the beach, had a fancy Danish dinner one night, and visited the World War II bunker museum. It's frequented by German tourists who love to be sweaty in a towel.

The bunker museum was genuinely cool. That whole area has tons of bunkers, and seeing how Denmark has preserved and reimagined that history was one of those unexpected trip wins. You think you are going for the beach and end up getting a fascinating history lesson underground.

Travel likes to sneak up on you like that.

Also, despite some early itinerary drama about whether our stays would have TVs, we had a TV pretty much everywhere. And because we are who we are, we MacGyvered our way into watching the World Cup every night through either the internet and vpn, or local cable. Not all heroes wear capes. Some just figure out how to stream soccer (football) in Danish. I have now listed to over a dozen hours of Danish football commentary and only know the Danish word for Blueberry.

Copenhagen: Bikes, Canals, Metal, and Public Transit

Copenhagen was our urban anchor, and we got to know it in a very real way.

We sailed the canals, which was a lovely way to see the city. Copenhagen makes a lot of sense from the water. You get the architecture, the neighborhoods, the old-and-new contrast, and the general feeling that everyone there has somehow solved city living better than the rest of us.

We also biked Copenhagen for a day, which I would call essential but mildly stressful.

Everyone tells you Copenhagen is a biking city. They are correct. What they do not always mention is that the locals bike like they are part of a silent, highly efficient Tour de Denmark. You can absolutely do it as a visitor, and you should, but maybe do not treat the bike lane like a scenic leisure trail unless you want to be politely destroyed by a Danish commuter.

Our Airbnb was out in the suburbs, so we also became intimately acquainted with Copenhagen public transit. Trains, buses, transfers, the whole thing.

Loved visiting the Carlsburg Brewery and sampled their Smorbrod smattering. You start getting used to those little Danish rye bread open face sandwiches.

By the end, we were basically locals, minus the language skills, effortless cool, and responsible outerwear. We had to download at least 3 Danish transit apps. All terrible.

And then there was Copenhell.

We took the kids to the Copenhell metal festival, which was Joe’s reason for living. And I have to admit, it was so much fun. Even the bus that picked us up had devil horns on it. That is commitment to theme. Iron Maiden was the headliner when we went, and the whole experience was weird, loud, organized, family-friendly in the very Danish way, and completely memorable. The food was outstanding for a concert. The people were more than kind. They passed out earplugs, provided an iced coffee station and a full wine bar. And no one had to visit the "mental health pavilion." There was a freaking mental health pavilion at a metal concert! What a country.

Die Spitz, an Austin band playing Copenhell

Copenhagen can give you canals, pastries, design museums, and a "number of the beast(burger)."

The Faroe Islands: The Reason This Whole Thing Happened

Then came the Faroe Islands, the reason this entire trip started. We started immediately with the Trøllkonufingur hike. We didn't realize we would see so many waterfalls on this trip that we'd stop reacting to them.

We based ourselves first in Tórshavn, and one of the best things we did was bike the whole city. It was a great way to see it all without turning the day into a museum march. The entire city is a hill. I know because my quads still hurt.

We also visited the wind farm at the top of the hill just before town, which felt super illegal, but wasn't. I feel like there's no way they'd allow us to get this close to these giant windmills in the states.

We hiked what we started calling the “map glitch” hike, better known as the Lake Above the Ocean at Trælanípan. If you have seen photos of the Faroe Islands, you probably know the one. The lake looks like it is floating over the sea, and your brain briefly refuses to process the geography.

Hence: map glitch.

We also took a boat to Drangarnir, the giant angular sea stack, and saw puffins too. Visit Vágar describes Drangarnir as two sea stacks between Vágar and Tindhólmur, named Stóri Drangur and Lítli Drangur.

Drangarnir is one of those places that looks fake even when you are staring directly at it. Big, sharp, moody, ridiculous, and the reason Joe wanted to come here in the first place.

The Faroes are very good at making you feel like your phone camera is not enough.

We did not make it to Suðuroy, which is fine. That is the thing about the Faroe Islands: you cannot do everything, and trying to do everything is how you ruin it. Having said that, I'd recommend it.

Weather, ferries, time, and sanity all matter.

Planning a Custom Faroe Islands Trip

A custom Faroe Islands trip is not hard in the way people sometimes imagine, but it is also not the kind of place where you want to wing everything.

Flights are limited. Rental cars matter. Ferries matter. Weather matters a lot. And if you are traveling as a family, where you stay can completely change the rhythm of the trip.

For us, the best choices were not just the famous scenic stops. They were the planning choices around them: staying in Tórshavn first, giving ourselves flexibility, moving north to Klaksvík, building in Kalsoy with a local experience, and accepting that we were not going to see every island.

That is where custom Faroe Islands trip planning helps.

Not because you need every minute scheduled.

Please do not schedule every minute. That is how vacations become hostage situations with better scenery.

You need the right framework. You need to know which days should be anchored, which ones should stay flexible, and where the “this could go sideways” points are hiding.

For a first Faroe Islands itinerary, I would focus on fewer bases and better experiences rather than trying to chase every viewpoint on Instagram. The islands look small on a map, but weather, ferries, tunnels, hikes, and road timing make them feel much bigger once you are there.

The Faroe Islands reward travelers who are prepared but not over-scheduled.

That is a weird balance. But it is the whole game.

Our Faroe Islands Route

Our Faroe Islands route looked roughly like this:

Tórshavn first, to get settled and explore the capital.

Vágar for Drangarnir, puffins, and the Lake Above the Ocean.

Klaksvík as a northern base, including Kalsoy.

Vestmanna at the end, before flying back to Copenhagen.

We did not make it to Suðuroy, and I would not force it into a first Faroe Islands trip unless you have more time. The islands are small, but they are not quick in the way a map makes them look.

This is the kind of destination where less can actually be better. See fewer places well. Leave room for the weather. Build the trip around the experiences that matter most.

Klaksvík, Kalsoy, and One of the Best Experiences of the Trip

Our Airbnb in Klaksvík scored way above its weight on our family chart.

It had a jacuzzi on the deck, which is exactly the kind of thing that turns a good stay into a “remember that place?” stay.

From Klaksvík, we went to Kalsoy, and this ended up being one of the best experiences of the entire trip.

We spent time with a local farmer and his family, saw the James Bond memorial, visited the Seal Woman statue, (a husband favorite) and shared a meal with them.

Again, the food was amazing: fish soup, lamb salami, and dried cod.

The dried cod was… culturally important.

That is the polite review.

But I’m glad we tried it. Food does not always have to be your favorite thing to be part of the experience. Sometimes it is there to tell you something about the place, the history, and the people.

The fish soup and lamb salami, though?

No notes.

This is the kind of travel moment I love most. Not just seeing a place, but being hosted inside it for a minute. That is hard to manufacture, and when it happens, it sticks.

What We’d Tell Someone Planning the Faroe Islands

Do not plan the Faroes like a checklist. Book the experiences that matter most.

Leave space for weather. Stay in more than one base if you have enough time.

Do not underestimate ferry logistics. Rent the car.

Bring layers. Accept that you will not see everything.

That last one is the hardest.

The Faroe Islands are basically designed to make you feel like you missed something. That does not mean you planned badly. It means the place is stacked.

A custom Faroe Islands itinerary works best when it is planned around flexibility. The big scenic stops are worth it, but the logistics matter just as much: rental car timing, ferry access, weather backups, lodging location, and how many times you want to move bases.

For our family, the winning combination was Tórshavn, Vágar, Klaksvík, Kalsoy, and Vestmanna, with Copenhagen as the city anchor before and after.

What Made This Trip Work

This trip worked because it had contrast.

Greenland gave us isolation, nature, and that incredible Camp K experience.

Denmark gave us beaches, saunas, bunkers, public transit, canals, bikes, and metal.

The Faroe Islands gave us cliffs, puffins, weird hikes, local food, hot tubs, ferries, farmers, and views that make you question whether the earth is showing off.

It was not the easiest trip. It had flights, rental cars, ferries, weather, suburbs, maps, and many chances for a family of four to become lightly unhinged.

But it worked because it was built around how we actually travel.

We like comfort, but not boring comfort.

We like food, but not just fancy food.

We like nature, but we are not pretending to be survivalists.

We like cities, but we do not need to spend the whole trip in one.

We like weird side quests, especially when they involve devil-horn buses and musk ox bolognese.

That is what custom travel planning should do. It should not just check off attractions. It should build a trip that feels like you.

Faroe Islands Trip Planning FAQ

Is the Faroe Islands a good family trip?

Yes, especially for families with older kids or teens who like nature, boat rides, hikes, scenic drives, and unusual places. It is not a theme park trip. It is better for families who can handle changing weather, flexible plans, and some outdoor adventure.

How many days do you need in the Faroe Islands?

I would not go for less than four nights if you are coming from the United States. We had enough time to experience Tórshavn, Vágar, Klaksvík, Kalsoy, and Vestmanna, but we still did not make it to Suðuroy. The islands look small on a map, but weather, ferries, and road timing matter.

Do you need a rental car in the Faroe Islands?

For the kind of trip we took, yes. A rental car made it possible to explore beyond Tórshavn, reach hikes and villages, move between lodging bases, and adjust to weather. Without a car, you would need to lean heavily on tours and public transportation.

What was the best experience in the Faroe Islands?

Kalsoy was one of the best experiences of our trip. We visited with a local farmer and his family, saw the James Bond memorial and the Seal Woman statue, and shared a meal with fish soup, lamb salami, and dried cod. The dried cod was not my favorite bite of the trip, but it was absolutely part of the experience.

Is the Lake Above the Ocean hike worth it?

Yes. We called it the “map glitch” hike because the view looks like the lake is floating above the sea. It is one of those places where photos explain the appeal better than words, but being there is still different.

Can you combine Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands in one trip?

Yes, and I think it works really well. Copenhagen gives you food, canals, biking, public transit, museums, and city energy. The Faroe Islands give you cliffs, puffins, hikes, ferries, and tiny villages. The contrast is what makes the trip memorable.

Should I use a travel planner for the Faroe Islands?

I would, especially if you are traveling as a family or combining the Faroes with Greenland, Denmark, or other Nordic stops. The destination is not impossible to plan yourself, but the logistics are easy to underestimate. Flights, ferries, rental cars, weather backups, and lodging locations all matter.

Would We Recommend This Trip?

Absolutely. But not to everyone.

This is not the trip for someone who wants guaranteed sun, pool chairs, and one easy nonstop flight. That trip has its place. I respect that trip.

This trip is for travelers who want something different. Families with older kids. People who like cool weather, big scenery, coastal towns, unusual routes, local food, and places their neighbors probably have not already visited five times.

It is for people who hear “Greenland, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands” and do not say, “Why?”

They say, “Wait, can we actually do that?”

Yes. You can. But bring the rain jacket.

And maybe a backup plan for watching the World Cup.

Want a Trip Like This?

Want a trip like this without spending your nights cross-checking flights, ferries, rental cars, lodging, tours, weather backups, and whether your family will mutiny halfway through a hike?

That is what Jess.Travel does.

We build custom trips around how you actually travel. Not generic packages. Not copy-paste itineraries. Real trips for real people who want something better than “five nights in Copenhagen and good luck.”

Although yes, we will still tell you where to get the pastry.