Image a distant panorama of historical mountains, the strata layers of volcanic creation seen to the bare eye. These mountains are unfold out like fingers of a hand, surrounded by water and sparsely dotted with red-roofed farmhouses. The rugged lands of Iceland’s Westfjords are far sufficient away from the touristed Ring Highway to supply an genuine and transformative expertise for guests, but shut sufficient to suit it in with simply 5 days in Iceland.
Whilst you discover the whole lot right here that makes Iceland so magical — glaciers, cliffs, puffins, waterfalls, and scorching springs — the Westfjords are far sufficient off the well-trod vacationer path to make it a perfect vacation spot for individuals returning to Iceland for his or her second or third journey. If it sounds intriguing however you don’t know the place to start out planning, comply with this Iceland Westfjords itinerary to prepare your journey.
If you’re taking an extended Iceland street journey across the whole Ring Highway, chances are you’ll solely need to spend at some point within the Westfjords. You may nonetheless slot in a number of the highlights that I’ll level out under, however I’d encourage you to remain just a few days.
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I spent 4 days within the Westfjords on my third journey to Iceland on a ladies’ journey. On this journey, as an alternative of heading south or to the Golden Circle, like most first-time guests, we headed west. We first spent a full day on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, earlier than heading as much as the Westfjords.
On this journey, as an alternative of self-driving and exploring on our personal, we paired up with Hidden Iceland to expertise a personal tour with an area driver-guide. Hidden Iceland volunteered to point out us round in order that we might expertise and evaluation their tour, however we coated our personal lodging and meals.
We completely liked our time with Ryan from Hidden Iceland and I’d extremely suggest hiring them to both assist arrange your journey to Iceland or offer you personal guides and drivers.
In case you would like a guided, personal tour, I extremely suggest my associate Hidden Iceland. Hidden Iceland affords absolutely personalized itineraries and skilled guides and by mentioning WE3TRAVEL if you contact them, they’ve graciously provided our group preferential remedy and a few extra perks whereas on tour.
Attending to the Westfjords
Your drive from Reykjavik to the sparsely populated Westfjords of Iceland will take about 4 to 5 hours, relying on the place you begin your exploration of the Fjords. An alternative choice can be to spend an evening in West Iceland or in Stykkisholmur on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
From Stykkisholmur, you may also take a automotive ferry to the Westfjords. Nevertheless, it takes about the identical size of time as driving so when you endure from movement illness, chances are you’ll simply need to drive.
Since we stayed in Stykkisholmur, we drove from there to our first cease in Heydalur within the northern fjords on our first day on Route 54 and 60.
Here’s a map of the route I’d suggest for this Westfjords itinerary.
Map supply: Google My Maps
Iceland Westfjords Itinerary
Right here is the day-by-day breakdown of our Iceland Westfjords itinerary so that you can comply with:
Westfjords Day 1
Erpsstadir
On our method to the Westfjords from Stykissholmur, our first cease of the day was at Erpsstadir, a dairy farm providing home made ice cream, Skyr, cheeses, and different merchandise. This family-run enterprise is a superb pit cease alongside your drive, providing entry to a playground and livestock (for a payment), bogs, and scrumptious dairy merchandise.
In case you get an opportunity to take a farm tour — do it! The dairy is fascinating and the child cows — simply too cute. Double examine on their open hours and in case you are visiting exterior of the summer season, be sure you name forward to make an appointment.
Eiriksstadir
Only a bit additional down the street, you possibly can go to a recreation of a Viking longhouse and find out about Iceland’s Viking roots at Eiriksstadir. This homestead of Erik the Purple and Leif the Fortunate affords excursions by guides in conventional Viking clothes.
It pays to affix an organized tour to study the fascinating historical past — and perhaps even meet a real Viking descendent. Whereas a lot of a go to to Iceland is in regards to the panorama, don’t miss out on this opportunity to study a little bit in regards to the historical past and tradition too.
Budardalur
After leaving Eiriksstadir, we stopped for lunch within the small city of Budardalur. Bear in mind, in these components of Iceland, cities are few and much between. It is advisable use the chance to make use of the washroom, seize some meals, and refill on gasoline when you may have it.
Lodge Heydalur
As you make your manner north on Route 61, you’ll start to note the altering panorama. The mountains will get taller and extra rugged. You might be coming into the oldest a part of Iceland, as these mountains are 15 million years outdated.
You’ll start to wind your manner alongside the fingers of the Fjords and be tempted to cease at each unmarked waterfall and charming farmhouse to take footage. Simply keep in mind that you’ve got a number of driving forward!
We spent the night time on the Nation Lodge Heydalur, which affords reasonably priced single, double, and even triple rooms. This charming guesthouse is quintessential Icelandic — easy Scandinavian decor, charming hosts, and home-cooked meals in a country setting.
There’s a pure scorching spring throughout the river, an indoor swimming pool and greenhouse and on-site self-catering cabins to hire. This conventional Icelandic horse farm additionally affords horseback using, mountain climbing, fishing, and sea kayaking excursions. It was a stunning keep and the comfort of the on-site eating and included breakfast made it a perfect cease on our journey.
Westfjords Day 2
Arctic Fox Centre
Our first cease on our second day within the Westfjords was on the Arctic Fox Centre in Sudavík. This can be a rescue and academic middle for rehabilitating wild arctic foxes. There are 6,000-8,000 wild arctic foxes in Iceland, which is the fifth largest inhabitants on the planet behind Siberia and Canada.
The arctic fox is the one place of birth mammal to Iceland, the whole lot else has been introduced over by the Celts, Vikings, or later settlers. The knowledge inside is pretty fascinating, however the true deal with is getting to fulfill the rescue foxes exterior.
Since rescues are usually launched again into the wild, you by no means know what can be there throughout a go to. We acquired fortunate to see a child fox, which was simply in regards to the cutest factor ever. Our tour information even gave me an opportunity to feed it some small dried fish pellets.
Ísafjordur
Our subsequent cease was within the city of Ísafjordur, the unofficial capital of the Westfjords. You possibly can actually make this your own home base for a few days of exploring as there are many lodging and restaurant choices.
We had the most effective meal of the journey (and that’s saying so much!) at Tjöruhúsid in Ísafjordur. This inconspicuous restaurant within the fishing village affords the freshest and tastiest fish dishes — on par with something yow will discover in a serious metropolis — with a barn-like, cozy however rustic inside. The meals are served buffet type, however with a steady circulate of various pans of sautéed and baked fish contemporary off the range.
Vigur
After lunch, we hopped aboard a ship with West Excursions for a visit out to Vigur, also referred to as Paradise Island or Puffin Island, a distant island within the fjord that’s residence to over 80,000 puffins in the summertime. Sadly throughout our go to the final week of August that they had already departed for the season.
Solely two individuals dwell on this island year-round and so they make a residing harvesting the down from Eider geese. Don’t fear, they don’t damage the geese, they pluck the feathers out of the nests. This laborious activity explains the excessive price ticket related to eiderdown duvets.
After a strolling tour across the island, we popped into the cafe for espresso, tea, and a number of home made desserts — which have been scrumptious! Simply don’t overdo it as a result of the boat journey is usually a bit uneven.
Kirkjuból
After a fast cease in Flateyri, as a result of how might we resist testing the oldest retailer in Iceland, which simply occurs to be a e-book retailer, with continued on to our lodging for the night time at Kirkjuból Visitor Home.
We had an uncommon family-style dinner at Kaffi Sol close by, though you would simply keep and have dinner in Isafjordur. And despite the fact that there are accommodations in Isafjordur, we discovered the Kirkjuból Visitor Home fairly charming and reasonably priced, with lovely views of the encircling mountains.
Westfjords Day 3
In case you solely have at some point within the Westfjords, that is in all probability the place you need to spend it as these are the sights with the largest wow issue and probably the most well-known of the locations to go within the Westfjords.
Dynjandi Waterfall
We actually lucked out on our third day within the Westfjords with sunny skies. This was an enormous day and if we might have spent 5 days within the Westfjords, I’d have break up this into two separate days to scale back the quantity of driving.
Our first cease was on the 100-meter-tall Dynjandi waterfall, considered one of Iceland’s tallest waterfalls. You actually need to present yourselves a minimum of an hour right here to climb to the highest and take photographs of the bridal veil falls and decrease falls from a number of angles.
Simply don’t neglect to show round and take within the view of the fjord under. The reflections off the water might be fairly gorgeous and through our journey in late August, the autumn colours have been already draped throughout the fields.
Patreksfjordur
After visiting Dynjandi, and making numerous picture stops, we made our method to Patreksfjordur, which is the place we have been planning to remain the night time on the pretty and trendy Lodge West. We had views overlooking the fjord that have been fairly lovely.
Stúkuhúsid in Patreksfjordur made an important cease for lunch with scrumptious salads, sandwiches, and dessert. Whereas Patreksfjordur was pretty, we had extra to see that day earlier than returning for a scrumptious dinner on the Fosshotel West Fjords.
Látrabjarg Cliffs
After lunch, we launched into the lengthy drive over primarily gravel roads to a different one of many Westfjords’ most well-known points of interest, the Látrabjarg Cliffs, the westernmost level in Iceland. Our first cease was the Gardar BA 64 shipwreck, an outdated whaling ship that was beached in 1981 and immediately is a well-liked picture opp.
We thought of stopping at Raudisandur, a red-sand seashore alongside the coast, however all of the driving was attending to us and we determined to skip it. Simply the glimpses of the seashores alongside this southern fjord have been fairly spectacular although, with large, flat sand stretching out to the ocean. If we had break up this present day into two, I’d have loved a pleasant, lengthy stroll on a type of seashores — whether or not it was pink or yellow sand.
I’m glad that we didn’t lower our time brief on the Látrabjarg Cliffs as a result of we might have walked endlessly alongside these towering cliffs. These cliffs are residence to hundreds of puffins in the summertime, however they left for his or her winter within the Atlantic Ocean after we arrived on the final day of August.
Just like the Cliffs of Moher in Eire, however taller, these cliffs tower as much as 400 meters with a sheer drop to the ocean under. As with most pure points of interest in Iceland, you received’t discover any guardrails alongside the delicate cliff edge so persist with the trail and take care, particularly when it’s windy. It actually looks like a robust gust would blow you proper off.
It really turned out to be an ideal climate day as a result of not solely did the solar shine on us for many of the day, however the situations for the aurora borealis have been prime. That night we saved an eye fixed on the aurora forecast and headed out with our cameras and tripods to see if we might spot the Northern Lights. We actually acquired fortunate with a lovely show — really a bucket checklist expertise!
West Fjords Day 4
Grábrók
Our ultimate day within the West Fjords was actually all in regards to the drive again to Reykjavik. In case you have been persevering with on to Northern Iceland or spending a while in West Iceland, you would actually add in additional stops within the Westfjords. Nevertheless, simply the drive up and over the mountains and alongside the fjord was simply gorgeous and the right capstone to our time in Iceland.
As soon as we reconnected with the Ring Highway, we stopped on the Grábrók Crater. You may climb alongside the edges of three volcanic craters and check out the remnant of Viking settlements.
Glanni Waterfall
The ultimate cease on our journey was on the Glanni Waterfall, simply previous Grabrok close to the city of Bifrost. Critically, who wouldn’t need to cease at a spot known as Bifrost?! It makes me need to attend the College there.
Glanni is about within the Nordura River, which is a salmon fishing river. You park close to a golf course after which it’s a brief stroll to the overlook of the falls.
From Glanni, it’s one other 1.5 hour drive again to Reykjavik (see my put up on the place to remain in Reykjavik.)
The place to remain within the Westfjords
Whereas there are fewer accommodations within the Westfjords, in addition they aren’t as crowded or costly, making a visit to the Westfjords perfect for somebody eager to expertise Iceland on a tighter finances. We liked our lodging on the following locations:
Ideas for Visiting the Westfjords
I LOVED my time within the Westfjords and I’m so glad I acquired to expertise this distant a part of the nation. Nevertheless, there are undoubtedly just a few issues that you just want to pay attention to earlier than you e-book a visit.
- As a result of nature of the geography, there’s a LOT of driving concerned in a go to to the Westfjords that you might want to be ready for. We really appreciated having a driver and information all through our journey!
- Most of the roads within the Westfjords are gravel, with various levels of upkeep and street situations. A few of these roads cling to the cliff’s edge.
- We visited the Westfjords in early September and this Iceland Westfjords itinerary is greatest for a summer season go to from Could-early October. Many of those roads are closed completely for stretches of time within the winter. I’d NOT suggest making an attempt to go to the Westfjords within the winter. Plan to go to between June-August for the most effective situations.
- Give your self a minimum of 4 days to benefit from the Westfjords. Don’t attempt to squeeze it in throughout a 7 or 10-day Ring Highway journey. Both make a separate journey for the Westfjords, mix it with West Iceland, or plan to spend 2-3 weeks exploring all the nation.
- Convey Dramamine or ginger sweet/drinks/tablets when you get movement sick because the winding roads are certain to set off it.
- Get gasoline, use the bathroom, and get meals when you may have an opportunity — you by no means know when the subsequent alternative could come up.
- Needless to say lodging are extra reasonably priced within the Westfjords than in different components of the nation, however they’re additionally restricted so reservations are extremely really helpful.
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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Writer of We3Travel. A former advertising govt and journey advisor, Tamara is an award-winning journey author and acknowledged skilled in household journey. Tamara is a member of SATW, NATJA, IFWTWA, and the Journey Journey Commerce Affiliation, and serves on the Board of the Household Journey Affiliation. She can be the writer of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Trip Professionals journey podcast.