Where to stay on Senja? The best hotels and houses

This article is here to guide you through choosing where to stay on the island of Senja. It won’t be too complicated, because there really isn’t much choice — the island has very little infrastructure. But I’ll point you to the main hotels, their pros and cons, and the good locations. I’ll also show you the options for staying in a family house. Let me walk you through it all!

So you’ll get dedicated sections for:

• the island’s main hotels
• houses to rent
• budget-friendly places to stay

So everyone can find something. But before I talk about the accommodation (and by the way, at the end of the article there’s a summary table of more than 30 places to stay!), I’m going to tell you “where” you should base yourself, in which part of the island, and above all why.

My 4 favourite places to stay on Senja

For their location, the quality of the rooms and above all the breakfast, these are 4 excellent hotels that offer several types of rooms and apartments. And I could easily add a few more!

I give a detailed write-up of each one at the end of the article if you want to know more.

Oh, I’m removing the famous Aurora Borealis Observatory because the quality has dropped a lot (but the prices haven’t)

4 great, affordable hotels on Senja

I’ll be honest, accommodation prices on Senja unfortunately tend to keep climbing. But thankfully there are a few places that keep their prices reasonable and, above all, don’t let them explode in summer.

• Skoghus, I really liked it, it’s minimalist but genuinely cheap and you’re close to the main road even though you’re in the south of the island. And there’s a lovely view!
• Finsnes Gaard, I always say you shouldn’t stay in Finnsnes. But here, the place is really nice, quiet, and there’s a real price difference compared to the hotels up north
• Norwegian Wild, it’s brilliant, especially for the price, and the location. If you’re on a tight budget, it’s really something I recommend!
• Yttersea Base, a bit more expensive than the others but much better located, in Skaland!

The details just below!

Find your dream accommodationon Senja!

4 family houses to rent on Senja

When I come for 4 days or more, or when I do my little 2-week stints on the island (yes, I love Senja, I never get tired of it), I enjoy renting a family house, because it’s really “the Norwegian way”, it’s got that period charm and it’s usually superbly located.

Now, the goal isn’t to go for the most rustic option, but for something nice and practical. And there are plenty on Senja, because it’s an island where many families have kept their house but only come back now and then.

And honestly, if you’re travelling as a family, it’s genuinely the best option. Because you get the comfort, the view, the space.

4 cabins and apartments for couples

If you’d rather not stay in a hotel and don’t want a large place, there are loads of lovely little accommodations on Senja. And once again, with a stunning view! Because if you come to Senja, that’s really what it’s all about 🙂

Find your dream accommodationon Senja!

Which towns to sleep in on Senja

Senja is big. But since it’s a very sparsely populated island with little infrastructure, you could say you’re not exactly spoilt for choice — and I’d say that’s a good thing, it’ll make writing this article a lot easier 😀 But more importantly, it’ll simplify your own choice of where to sleep, which town to base yourself in.

So Senja is big, but basically there are 3 roads for 3 zones:

• Finnsnes, honestly, I think you should forget it. The appeal of Senja is the landscapes, the surroundings. Finnsnes has nothing going for it, it’s ugly, the scenery around it isn’t great, nothing within walking distance. And on top of that, very few hotels. It’s not like being in Tromsø, for example
• The northern fjords, from Gryllefjord to Fjordgård. This is really Senja. A whole string of gorgeous little fjords one after another along the 862 road — this is where you’ll find (almost all of) the nicest spots to base yourself and to visit. As for nice little villages to stay in, you’ve got Gryllefjord, Hamn, Skaland, Mefjordvær, Fjordgård.
  • Gryllefjord : great spot, incredible fjord, but almost the end of the road. I mainly recommend the Kaikanten accommodation
  • Hamn : the paradise-like beaches, an idyllic setting. There’s only one hotel, and not just any — the superb Hamn i Senja!
  • Skaland : great setting, close to everything, beautiful mountains, right by the water. A super handy spot! The Skagi is very decent, otherwise there are quite a few houses
  • Mefjordvær : a little slice of paradise with its small harbour, and here of course I recommend the lovely Mefjord Brygge
  • Fjordgård : a beautiful, little-known corner, the starting point for some crazy hikes. Several guesthouses such as the Segla Bed&Go
• The western fjords and Ånderdalen park, a place too often overlooked by tourists. Yet both the park and these fjords are really worth seeing. On the other hand, finding somewhere to stay is much trickier. Sifjord and Stonglandseidet further south can make good bases. But when you’re in this area, it takes longer to reach the north of the island.

Skaland and Hamn are super central, perhaps the easiest for reaching the central road that goes to Ånderdalen, so you can explore in all directions. Gryllefjord and Fjordgård are more out of the way but are truly unusual villages, a bit like Husøy on its island. Mefjordvær is a good compromise, right next to Tungeneset and a very pleasant place to be.

To make your journeys and your research easier, I’ve gathered everything into a Senja map made on Google Maps. On it you’ll find:

• the most beautiful spots
• accommodation all over, with prices and ratings
• the hikes
• the mini-markets
• cafés and restaurants
• a few activities

All with photos!

⭐️ Enlarge the Senja map! ⭐️

Descriptions of Senja’s main hotels

Well, as we’ll see, it’s actually really easy to go through all of Senja’s hotels because there are so few 😀 And yet the island is touristy, but mainly in summer, popular with Norwegians who have their own family houses. So on the hotel front, I’m going to introduce the ones that are worth it, and I’ll steer clear of the ones in Finnsnes for two reasons. First of all, it’s not a good place to stay and the few hotels there aren’t anything special.

Hamn i Senja

Hamn i Senja is more than a hotel. It’s a small (paradise-like) complex on its own island, with classic hotel rooms but also modern cabins and apartments. I really loved it, especially the setting, which is exceptional. It’s on the north coast, in a small archipelago with crystal-clear water, no one around and close to the main points of interest like Gryllefjord, Bergsbotn, Tungeneset, or an hour to get back to Finnsnes.

The rooms are comfortable. The most basic ones are fine without being amazing but are still at an affordable price. The cabins and apartments are much nicer but much more expensive. So it’ll depend on whether you’re always out and about or whether you want to relax and spend a fair bit of time indoors.

The hotel offers (paid) activities such as snowshoe outings, boat trips to see whales (they have their own harbour), and northern lights excursions. And in fact, Hamn i Senja is an excellent place to see the aurora because there’s very little light and you get a very wide view.

Finally, a big plus: the typical Norwegian hotel breakfast, a good hearty buffet with quality produce and local salmon.

The second photo below is taken just past Hamn, which you can actually see in the shot. The third is taken from the hotel at sunrise — an exceptional setting, truly.

• Pros:
  • the magnificent setting
  • very nice rooms and bungalows
  • the breakfast
  • far from light pollution
• Cons:
  • apart from the tiny rooms, the accommodation is expensive

Discover Hamn i Senja!

Mefjord Brygge

I’ve been there a couple of times and I really like this place. For a start, Mefjordvær is a lovely little village, very well situated in the fjords and fairly central. Mefjord Brygge is a hotel that ranges from the tiniest room to large cabins, with a sauna and spa (and the sauna is pretty good). The view of the mountains is great, it’s in the village so it’s not like Hamn, but it’s pleasant and a few hikes are within walking distance. If you want to stay a while, they have very handy apartments.

What I like about this hotel (besides the comfort and the location) is the team who run it — they’re really nice and accommodating. And the service is good. I find it offers good value for money, and the prices haven’t skyrocketed like they have at Hamn.

• Pros:
  • the team is very friendly
  • even if the prices are going up, they stay reasonable
  • the surroundings are great
• Cons:
  • I can’t see any. Unless the road is closed because of snow or roadworks, but otherwise it’s really perfect

Discover the Mefjord Brygge hotel!

Senja Fjordhotell

A brand-new hotel on Senja that has set up in a different spot, right in the southwest of the island, at Stonglandseidet where there’s absolutely no one else. Made up of around twenty rooms and, above all, lovely bungalows and fishermen’s cabins, it’s well located, right by the water with its little harbour, a bit Hamn-style, offering plenty of activities.

It’s in a different part of the island that gives easy access to nice spots like Skrollsvika, Rødsand or Ånderdalen park. On the downside, you’re fairly far from the northern fjords, around 1h30, but it’s an easy drive because the road is superb.

• Pros:
  • a lovely team
  • a very beautiful setting
  • great bedding
  • reasonable prices
• Cons:
  • it’s a bit far, not very convenient for heading north

Discover Senja Fjordhotell!

Summary table of accommodation on Senja

Find your dream accommodationon Senja!

Things to do on Senja

I’m not going to repeat what’s already been said, but the things to do on Senja are heavily focused on nature. Makes sense. You’ll find:

• seeing the northern lights on Senja, it’s a truly perfect place for it because there are few tourists, little light pollution, gorgeous landscapes and clear open views. The hotels (Hamn i Senja, Mefjord Brygge) offer these outings in particular, but you can very easily do it yourself — good spots are everywhere!
• seeing whales and other marine animals — in autumn and winter it’s possible because they hang around the area. Obviously there are no guarantees, I did two outings without spotting any, but it’s more or less possible depending on the year. And the same hotels offer the trips
• the hikes — in winter it’s not easy, but as soon as the snow is gone there are dozens of great hikes to do. Whether at Gryllefjord or Segla, the island’s most iconic mountain, or in Ånderdalen park, you’ll wear out your boots!
• snowshoeing — in winter, instead of hiking, you can go snowshoeing. You can rent snowshoes from the hotels, but they also organise outings
• simply enjoying the landscapes. You’ll genuinely get an eyeful on Senja, so take your time to drive the roads, explore the fjords, head to Ånderdalen, to Sifjord.

A few practical tips

How long to stay on Senja

Oh, I’m not at all objective. Some people do the loop in 2 days, just enough to drive the main road, a couple of photo stops and off they go. It’s a shame, because you can really spend a lot of time here. 4 days would truly be a minimum, a week is already pretty good.

Which is the nearest airport

Well, the closest one is Bardufoss. You’re 1h from Finnsnes and 2h from the northern fjords. The simplest option is to take a flight to Oslo with a mainstream airline, then look at flights between Oslo and Bardufoss with Widerøe, a domestic airline.

Otherwise there’s Tromsø, which is further away (4h drive) but cheaper. I’d say you save almost €100 on the trip, but Bardufoss is really more convenient if you’re not spending a few days in Tromsø. That said, there aren’t many flights to Bardufoss. And if you need to rent a car, it’s better in Tromsø.

Don’t hesitate to compare airlines using the comparison sites, and check flights across several days because it really varies from one day to the next. For my part I use Discover Cars, a safe bet in my view, with clear information.

How to get to and around Senja

Here you have no choice, you’ll need to rent a car. There are buses but they only link the villages a few times a day. So if you want a bit of flexibility, to get to slightly out-of-the-way places, it’ll be complicated by public transport. I recommend picking up the car at your arrival airport, because otherwise it’s in Finnsnes and there it really costs an arm and a leg. Generally speaking, a car rental costs between €30 and €50 a day.

And as with the flights, compare! Compare the comparison sites! I use the well-known Booking (which has absorbed Rental Cars) and Discover Cars, it varies from time to time, they’re both safe bets for me. But don’t rely on a single site, compare.

In the next article, I give you all the options for getting to and around Senja.

If you need more information, don't hesitate to ask me by clicking here 🙂How can I help you ?

Final thoughts on where to stay on Senja

As you’ve seen, most of the accommodation is in the north of the island. You can choose between the hotels and the family houses. The hotels really have the advantage of being very high quality (and with amazing breakfasts!) and also offer activities. But it’s not cheap. The family houses are bigger, not necessarily cheaper, but it’s a house so more space and more beds. And above all you’ll be in the fjords, with an inevitably exceptional setting. So it’s hard to make a bad choice 🙂

Resources on Senja:

• All the information on Senja
• The most beautiful spots on Senja
• Seeing the northern lights on Senja
• Taking the boat between Tromsø and Senja
• How to get to Senja
• 2-week itinerary between Tromsø, Senja and the Lofoten Islands