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Aerial view of a long blue fjord, green shores and a road winding along the water in the Westfjords

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Iceland's far west: Snæfellsnes and the Westfjords

Snæfellsnes, the Breiðafjörður ferry, Látrabjarg, Dynjandi, Ísafjörður & Strandir

Photo: Tamara Bitter / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Westfjords are the part of Iceland most travellers never quite reach. The road here winds round every inlet, mountains drop straight into the water, and between settlements there are dozens of kilometres of emptiness, sheep and seabirds. It isn't a fast country: distances look small on the map, but every fjord adds half an hour, and every view adds another stop.

This sample route starts on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, crosses Breiðafjörður by ferry and heads into the southern Westfjords: a red-sand beach, the bird cliffs of Látrabjarg, Dynjandi waterfall and Ísafjörður, the region's small capital. The way back runs through the quiet Strandir coast. Almost everywhere there are two nights, long bright summer days and time on foot. It suits couples, and travellers who have already seen Iceland or are looking for its quieter side; the pace and the stays would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Reykjavík
  2. Snæfellsnes
  3. Breiðafjörður ferry
  4. Látrabjarg
  5. Dynjandi
  6. Ísafjörður
  7. Hólmavík
  8. Reykjavík
  1. A small black timber church behind a lava-stone wall in a green meadow under a clear sky in west Iceland

    01Days 1–3 · Reykjavík & Snæfellsnes

    A peninsula beneath the ice cap

    After the flight, a night in Reykjavík, then the car and roughly two hours north-west. The south coast of Snæfellsnes means lava fields, the black timber church at Búðir and the coastal path between Arnarstapi and Hellnar, where kittiwakes nest in the basalt. On the second day, round the ice-capped Snæfellsjökull to the peninsula's north shore and the little town of Stykkishólmur, where you'll board the ferry the next morning.

  2. Four Atlantic puffins on dark, rain-wet rocks in Iceland

    02Days 4–5 · Breiðafjörður, Rauðisandur & Látrabjarg

    To Europe's western edge

    The ferry across Breiðafjörður threads between hundreds of small islands and saves a long drive round the bay; the car comes too. On the far side, two nights near Patreksfjörður. One day goes to Látrabjarg, a fourteen-kilometre wall of cliffs where, roughly from May to August, thousands of seabirds nest, puffins among them, often very close to the cliff edge. On the way back, the pinkish sands of Rauðisandur beach and a coffee at the farm above it.

  3. The broad, tiered Dynjandi waterfall spilling down a green mountainside in the Westfjords

    03Day 6 · Arnarfjörður & Dynjandi

    A waterfall like a bridal train

    North over mountain passes and down into Arnarfjörður. Dynjandi falls in broad tiers nearly a hundred metres high, and a path along the river, past several smaller falls, leads right to its foot: half an hour's climb, best taken slowly. Further on, Þingeyri, one of the oldest trading posts in the fjords, and one more pass to Ísafjörður.

  4. Two Icelandic sheep among mossy boulders in a mountain hollow above Ísafjörður

    04Days 7–9 · Ísafjörður & Hornstrandir

    The fjords' capital and a land without roads

    Ísafjörður sits on a sandspit halfway along its fjord: old timber trading houses, a fish restaurant by the harbour and mountains that all but hide the sun in winter. Three nights here leave a day for the Hornstrandir reserve: in summer, roughly late June to August, boats cross to this uninhabited peninsula, reachable only on foot. You can walk among abandoned farmsteads and flower meadows and, with luck, see an Arctic fox. Another day might mean kayaking on the calm fjord, or a hike up the mountain above town.

  5. An old timber hut in long grass above a calm fjord in north-west Iceland

    05Days 10–11 · Strandir, Hólmavík & Reykjavík

    Home by the quiet coast

    Back south along the arms of Ísafjarðardjúp, where seals often lie out on the rocks, and into Strandir. Hólmavík is a small fishing town with an unusual museum of sorcery and witchcraft, and in the fjords nearby the evenings are quiet enough to hear the birds. A last night here, then about three hours' drive to Reykjavík or straight on to the airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    By ferry across Breiðafjörður

    A few hours on the water among islets and seabirds, and a shorter way into the fjords.

  2. 02

    The Látrabjarg cliffs

    Europe's westernmost point and seabird colonies you can watch up close in summer, always well back from the edge.

  3. 03

    Dynjandi up close

    A path past the smaller falls to the great one itself: one of the finest short walks in Iceland.

  4. 04

    A day in Hornstrandir

    By boat to a peninsula without roads or residents, where meadows bloom in summer and Arctic foxes rule.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More on foot

    Instead of a day, a guided multi-day trek across Hornstrandir, camping or staying at one of its few guesthouses.

  • More slowly

    An extra night on Snæfellsnes or in Ísafjörður: time for kayaking, riding or simply a day of bad weather.

  • With the Ring Road

    With two and a half weeks, the fjords can be joined to north Iceland, returning via Akureyri.

  • With a driver-guide

    If gravel roads and mountain passes don't appeal, part or all of the route can be travelled with a local driver-guide.

Practical considerations

  • This route is designed for summer (roughly June to August), when the passes are open, boats run to Hornstrandir and the seabirds are nesting on the cliffs. Outside that window road conditions can change a great deal.
  • The Westfjords have plenty of gravel roads, mountain passes and single-lane bridges; drive unhurriedly and plan distances generously.
  • Ferry timetables and car space on the Breiðafjörður crossing depend on the season, so in summer they're worth arranging in advance.
  • Places to stay in the fjords are few and simple, mostly farm stays and small guesthouses, so plan well ahead.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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