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Where and when can you see puffins in Norway?

The puffin season, some of the colonies and the trips to see them.

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Short answer

You can see puffins in Norway in the breeding season from April to August, for example on Runde in Møre og Romsdal and at Gjesværstappan near Nordkapp. In Lofoten, about a quarter of the mainland puffin population breeds on Røst. Puffins are listed as endangered on the Norwegian Red List.

Whales, puffins and wildlife in Norway a dog with a leash sitting next to a small moose silhouette and a vet cross

Why

  1. Fjord Norway says the breeding season on Runde runs from April to August, when many thousands of birds take over the island.
  2. The two-hour BirdSafari boat tour from Gjesvær goes to Gjesværstappan nature reserve, home to one of Norway's largest groups of puffins and kittiwakes.
  3. Store norske leksikon estimates 1,465,000 pairs on mainland Norway, and all the big colonies of more than 10,000 pairs lie west of Nordkapp.

Details

On Runde the puffins nest on the outermost cliffs, and the guided evening puffin safari lets you watch the birds come home after the day's fishing. Opplev Runde AS runs a guided puffin hike, and the walk to the bird cliffs takes about 45 minutes. Puffins lay a single egg in scree or in burrows up to two metres long that they dig themselves.

Tip

If you can choose, aim for June or July, the period when the puffins feed their chicks.

What may differ

At Gjesværstappan the tour operator gives the nesting period as April to September, so the season varies a little between colonies.

People also ask

  • Where can you see puffins in Norway?
  • Where can I see puffins in Lofoten?
  • When is puffin season in Norway?

Sources

Information checked on 20 October 2026.

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