Brim Explorer · Svolvær
A hybrid-electric sightseeing boat leaves the square in Svolvær, sails through the Raftsundet strait and noses into the narrow Trollfjord before turning back. Pick it for comfort: warm indoor lounges, open decks and an engine quiet enough to hear the eagles, with no wetsuit and no age limit.
Brim Explorer runs this trip on a purpose-built hybrid-electric boat with a silent electric engine. You board on the square in central Svolvær, next to Thon Hotel Lofoten, get a safety briefing and head north past the Fiskerkona statue at the harbour mouth. It takes about an hour to reach the fjord, through Raftsundet, the strait between Austvågøya and Hinnøya. The crew talk about wildlife, the landscape and coastal history on the way, and if the sea is calm they drop an underwater drone to show kelp and fish on the screens.
A small point of geography: the Trollfjord is not technically in Lofoten. It cuts into Austvågøya from Raftsundet but belongs to Hadsel municipality in Vesterålen, according to SNL. Nobody on board cares. The fjord is about 2 to 3 km long with a mouth roughly 100 m wide, and the walls rise steeply on both sides, which is why boats here go in slowly and the time inside is mostly spent watching for white-tailed eagles.
Two caveats. Food and drinks are sold in the cafeteria, not included, and Brim's own page says you can't bring your own on board. And if you're staying in Reine or Hamnøy, Svolvær is about 121 km and two hours away by car, so the morning sailing means an early start. The cruise is wheelchair accessible, per the listing.
Find the pier on the main square in Svolvær, next to Thon Hotel Lofoten. Brim's own page asks you to be there 15 minutes ahead.
A short briefing, then the boat slides out of the harbour past the Fiskerkona, the fisherman's wife statue.
The listing names Høla, Oddvær and Reknesbukta along the way. Watch the shoreline for eagles, and the screens for the drone if it goes in.
The boat turns slowly in the fjord. This is the time to be on the open deck with a long lens.
The return passes Molldøra. The cafeteria serves food on the way home, and you can thaw out in the lounge.
★★★★★Great way to see Trollfjord. The boat was very comfortable to travel in and we got a great perspective of the fjord.
★★★★★The boat is very quiet, so we could really enjoy the peacefulness of the sea
★★★★★Particularly noteworthy was the deployment of the underwater drone, which provides spectacular underwater views.
★★★★★We saw lots of eagles and beautiful fjords that are inaccessible by land.
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Not quite. It cuts into Austvågøya, Lofoten's largest island, but belongs to Hadsel municipality in Vesterålen. Every boat to it leaves from Svolvær, about an hour away by sea.
About 3.5 hours: an hour or so each way through Raftsundet and time inside the fjord. Brim's own page gives 3 to 3.5 hours.
Very likely, but not certain. White-tailed eagles live along Raftsundet year-round, and guests regularly report several. Brim says it does not feed wildlife, so sightings are natural ones.
Only with a long drive. Svolvær is about two hours from Reine each way. If you're based at the southern end, see our guide to how many days you need before booking boats from Svolvær.
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A quiet electric boat from Svolvær into the Trollfjord, with sea eagles and warm lounges. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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