Flakstad has two strong but very different seasons. June to August brings the midnight sun, hiking weather, and long daylight that runs from late May to mid-July without a true night. This is also the busiest time, with tour buses heading along the E10 and the few hotels and rorbuer booked weeks ahead.
October to March is the off-season but has its own draw: the northern lights, fewer crowds, and the dramatic winter cod fishery (the Lofotfiske) when boats pack into the harbours and drying racks fill with cod. Daylight is short — only a few hours around the winter solstice — but the low light is extraordinary for photography. Winter driving on the E10 requires winter tyres and a steady hand on the narrow side roads.