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 Street to offer an genuine and transformative expertise for guests, but shut sufficient to suit it in with simply 5 days in Iceland.
When you discover every part 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 super 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 complete Ring Street, you might solely need to spend at some point within the Westfjords. You possibly can nonetheless slot in a few of the highlights that I’ll level out under, however I might encourage you to remain a couple of 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 non-public tour with a neighborhood driver-guide. Hidden Iceland volunteered to indicate us round in order that we may expertise and overview their tour, however we coated our personal lodging and meals.
We completely cherished our time with Ryan from Hidden Iceland and I might extremely suggest hiring them to both assist set up your journey to Iceland or give you personal guides and drivers.
When you would like a guided, personal tour, I extremely suggest my accomplice Hidden Iceland. Hidden Iceland provides totally personalized itineraries and skilled guides and by mentioning WE3TRAVEL once 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 could be to spend an evening in West Iceland or in Stykkisholmur on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
From Stykkisholmur, you can too take a automobile ferry to the Westfjords. Nonetheless, it takes about the identical size of time as driving so in case you undergo from movement illness, you might 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 might 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 solution 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.
When you get an opportunity to take a farm tour — do it! The dairy is fascinating and the infant cows — simply too cute. Double test on their open hours and in case you are visiting outdoors of the summer season, make sure to name forward to make an appointment.
Eiriksstadir
Only a bit additional down the street, you’ll be able to go to a recreation of a Viking longhouse and find out about Iceland’s Viking roots at Eiriksstadir. This homestead of Erik the Pink and Leif the Fortunate provides 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 concerning the panorama, don’t miss out on this opportunity to study a bit concerning 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’s essential to use the chance to make use of the washroom, seize some meals, and replenish on fuel when you might 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’re coming into the oldest a part of Iceland, as these mountains are 15 million years previous.
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 photos. Simply keep in mind that you’ve got a whole lot of driving forward!
We spent the evening on the Nation Lodge Heydalur, which provides 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 provides horseback driving, climbing, fishing, and sea kayaking excursions. It was a beautiful keep and the comfort of the on-site eating and included breakfast made it a super 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. It is 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 earth behind Siberia and Canada.
The arctic fox is the one fatherland mammal to Iceland, every part else has been introduced over by the Celts, Vikings, or later settlers. The data inside is pretty fascinating, however the true deal with is getting to satisfy the rescue foxes outdoors.
Since rescues are typically launched again into the wild, you by no means know what can be there throughout a go to. We received fortunate to see a child fox, which was simply concerning 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 could possibly actually make this your own home base for a few days of exploring as there are many lodging and restaurant choices.
We had the perfect meal of the journey (and that’s saying so much!) at Tjöruhúsid in Ísafjordur. This inconspicuous restaurant within the fishing village provides the freshest and tastiest fish dishes — on par with something yow will discover in a significant metropolis — with a barn-like, cozy however rustic inside. The meals are served buffet type, however with a steady move of various pans of sautéed and baked fish recent off the range.
Vigur
After lunch, we hopped aboard a ship with West Excursions for a visit out to Vigur, also called Paradise Island or Puffin Island, a distant island within the fjord that’s house 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 harm 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 choice of home made desserts — which have been scrumptious! Simply don’t overdo it as a result of the boat trip generally is a bit uneven.
Kirkjuból
After a fast cease in Flateyri, as a result of how may we resist testing the oldest retailer in Iceland, which simply occurs to be a ebook retailer, with continued on to our lodging for the evening at Kirkjuból Visitor Home.
We had an uncommon family-style dinner at Kaffi Sol close by, though you may simply keep and have dinner in Isafjordur. And though there are resorts in Isafjordur, we discovered the Kirkjuból Visitor Home fairly charming and reasonably priced, with lovely views of the encircling mountains.
Westfjords Day 3
When 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 most important wow issue and essentially 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 a giant day and if we may have spent 5 days within the Westfjords, I might 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, one in all Iceland’s tallest waterfalls. You actually need to present yourselves not less than an hour right here to climb to the highest and take images of the bridal veil falls and decrease falls from a number of angles.
Simply don’t overlook to show round and take within the view of the fjord under. The reflections off the water will 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 solution to Patreksfjordur, which is the place we have been planning to remain the evening on the beautiful and fashionable 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 beautiful, 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 previous whaling ship that was beached in 1981 and at the moment is a well-liked picture opp.
We thought-about stopping at Raudisandur, a red-sand seaside 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 extensive, flat sand stretching out to the ocean. If we had break up this present day into two, I might have loved a pleasant, lengthy stroll on a kind of seashores — whether or not it was pink or yellow sand.
I’m glad that we didn’t minimize our time brief on the Látrabjarg Cliffs as a result of we may have walked endlessly alongside these towering cliffs. These cliffs are house to 1000’s 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 keep on with the trail and take care, particularly when it’s windy. It actually looks like a powerful gust would blow you proper off.
It actually 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 circumstances 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 may spot the Northern Lights. We actually received fortunate with a ravishing show — actually a bucket checklist expertise!
West Fjords Day 4
Grábrók
Our closing day within the West Fjords was actually all concerning the drive again to Reykjavik. When you have been persevering with on to Northern Iceland or spending a while in West Iceland, you may actually add in additional stops within the Westfjords. Nonetheless, simply the drive up and over the mountains and alongside the fjord was simply gorgeous and the proper capstone to our time in Iceland.
As soon as we reconnected with the Ring Street, we stopped on the Grábrók Crater. You possibly can 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 submit on the place to remain in Reykjavik.)
The place to remain within the Westfjords
Whereas there are fewer resorts within the Westfjords, additionally they aren’t as crowded or costly, making a visit to the Westfjords best for somebody desirous to expertise Iceland on a tighter price range. We cherished our lodging on the following locations:
Suggestions for Visiting the Westfjords
I LOVED my time within the Westfjords and I’m so glad I received to expertise this distant a part of the nation. Nonetheless, there are positively a couple of issues that you just want to pay attention to earlier than you ebook a visit.
- Because of the nature of the geography, there’s a LOT of driving concerned in a go to to the Westfjords that you could be ready for. We actually appreciated having a driver and information in the course of our journey!
- Lots of the roads within the Westfjords are gravel, with various levels of upkeep and street circumstances. 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 Might-early October. Many of those roads are closed totally for stretches of time within the winter. I might NOT suggest making an attempt to go to the Westfjords within the winter. Plan to go to between June-August for the perfect circumstances.
- Give your self not less than 4 days to benefit from the Westfjords. Don’t attempt to squeeze it in throughout a 7 or 10-day Ring Street journey. Both make a separate journey for the Westfjords, mix it with West Iceland, or plan to spend 2-3 weeks exploring your complete nation.
- Convey Dramamine or ginger sweet/drinks/tablets in case you get movement sick because the winding roads are certain to set off it.
- Get fuel, use the bathroom, and get meals when you might have an opportunity — you by no means know when the following alternative could come up.
- Take into account that lodging are extra reasonably priced within the Westfjords than in different components of the nation, however they’re additionally restricted so reservations are extremely beneficial.
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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Writer of We3Travel. A former advertising and marketing government 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 also be the writer of YourTimetoFly.com and the co-host of the Trip Professionals journey podcast.