Cycling holiday in Norway, The islands north of Lofoten

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
Our cycling trips are designed to have a low environmental impact. While flying to and from Norway can account for a significant share of a trip’s carbon footprint, we make conscious choices to reduce the impact of the journey itself. By using local accommodation and services, choosing sustainable transport where possible, and exploring Norway by bike, we aim to offer memorable experiences that bring you closer to nature while treading lightly on the environment.

This cycling tour in Vesterålen is a self-guided cycling tour designed to minimise its environmental impact. Cycling produces no direct emissions while you ride, and where other transport is required as part of the tour, we use public transport whenever possible. Air transport is not included in the tour package, and guests are not accompanied by a support vehicle.
The tour operates on fixed departure dates, allowing us to coordinate luggage transfers efficiently and make the best possible use of transport resources.
We also encourage our guests to make conscious choices throughout their journey, such as reducing waste, using resources responsibly and supporting local businesses.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
The cycling route follows established roads and avoids deliberately taking guests through vulnerable natural areas.
Plastic pollution is a major challenge along the Norwegian coastline. We encourage all our guests to help keep beaches and shorelines clean by taking their litter with them, using designated waste disposal facilities and participating in local clean-up initiatives whenever possible.

Norway's Nature Diversity Act provides a framework for protecting biological, geological and landscape diversity and maintaining ecological processes. We encourage our guests to travel responsibly and respect the natural environment throughout the tour:

- Nature must not be damaged!
- Always bring back your litter, never throw rubbish outdoors
- There might be stricter access to protected areas
- Show respect for people and animals

People

LOCAL ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
Discover Norway is a small, privately owned Norwegian company based in Lillehammer. Our office is located in FABRIKKEN, a shared workspace bringing together around 30 small businesses within the arts, culture and adventure industries. The community encourages cooperation, resource sharing and the development of creative local businesses. The premises are close to public transport, and the businesses share a focus on responsible resource use and recycling.
Whenever possible, we choose locally owned accommodation in smaller communities. This helps direct tourism revenue to local businesses and supports jobs and services that contribute to vibrant, year-round communities.
Our tours generate business for accommodation providers, restaurants, bicycle rental companies and luggage transport services along the route. We also encourage guests to explore local galleries, museums, arts and crafts, and to take part in guided excursions and activities offered by local operators.
Food is an important part of the experience. We seek out restaurants that serve traditional dishes and use local ingredients where available. In Vesterålen coast, guests may also have the opportunity to enjoy fresh fish and seafood from local waters.

In Vesterålen our guests stay two nights in Nyksund. This way we support the owners and help them keep and restore the historic community. Nyksund has gone from being a large fishing village with approx. 250 permanent residents to be completely displaced and then resurrected and now house several businesses in arts, culture and tourism. Several of the old docks in this colorful fishing village are restored or about to be restored. In Vesterålen there is a great awareness of preserving the culture and the small communities.
Our activity in Vesterålen contributes to employment-related to accommodation, dining and bike rental. We also encourage our guests to visit local museums. We also provide some information on local arts and crafts.
We support the local economy by recommending guided excursions and activities.

INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
We believe that tourism should create positive experiences for both visitors and the communities they encounter. As a self-guided tour, this tour allows guests to explore at their own pace, enjoy nature and discover local culture independently.
We value cooperation across different businesses and industries and recognise the importance of diverse local communities. By working with a range of accommodation providers, restaurants and activity operators, we help guests experience the different people, traditions and ways of life that make Vesterålen unique.
We encourage our guests to approach local communities with curiosity, consideration and respect, helping create welcoming encounters and a positive experience for everyone.