Image a distant panorama of historic 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.
When you discover all the pieces 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 folks 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, observe this Iceland Westfjords itinerary to arrange your journey.
If you’re taking an extended Iceland street journey across the total Ring Highway, you could solely wish to spend in the future within the Westfjords. You’ll be able to nonetheless slot in a number of the highlights that I’ll level out beneath, however I’d encourage you to remain a number of days.
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I spent 4 days within the Westfjords on my third journey to Iceland on a women’ 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 a neighborhood driver-guide. Hidden Iceland volunteered to point out us round in order that we might 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’d extremely advocate hiring them to both assist arrange your journey to Iceland or give you non-public guides and drivers.
In the event you would favor a guided, non-public tour, I extremely advocate my companion Hidden Iceland. Hidden Iceland provides absolutely personalized itineraries and skilled guides and by mentioning WE3TRAVEL while you contact them, they’ve graciously provided our group preferential remedy and a few further 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. Another choice could be to spend an evening in West Iceland or in Stykkisholmur on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
From Stykkisholmur, you can too take a automotive ferry to the Westfjords. Nevertheless, it takes about the identical size of time as driving so in the event you undergo from movement illness, you could simply wish 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 advocate 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 observe:
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 good pit cease alongside your drive, providing entry to a playground and livestock (for a price), loos, and scrumptious dairy merchandise.
In the event you get an opportunity to take a farm tour — do it! The dairy is fascinating and the newborn cows — simply too cute. Double examine on their open hours and in case you are visiting exterior of the summer time, make sure you 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 study 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 hitch an organized tour to study the fascinating historical past — and possibly 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 bit of in regards to the historical past and tradition too.
Budardalur
After leaving Eiriksstadir, we stopped for lunch within the small city of Budardalur. Keep in mind, in these elements of Iceland, cities are few and much between. You might want to use the chance to make use of the washroom, seize some meals, and refill on gasoline when you’ve got it.
Resort Heydalur
As you make your approach 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 outdated.
You’ll start to wind your approach 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 a number of driving forward!
We spent the evening on the Nation Resort 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 lease. This conventional Icelandic horse farm additionally provides horseback driving, mountain 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 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. It is a rescue and academic heart 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 fatherland mammal to Iceland, all the pieces 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 fulfill the rescue foxes exterior.
Since rescues are typically launched again into the wild, you by no means know what can be there throughout a go to. We obtained 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 can actually make this your house base for a few days of exploring as there are many lodging and restaurant choices.
We had one of the best meal of the journey (and that’s saying loads!) 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 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 recent off the range.
Vigur
After lunch, we hopped aboard a ship with West Excursions for a visit out to Vigur, often known 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 folks stay on this island year-round they usually 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 job 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 experience 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 guide 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 regardless that 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
In the event you solely have in the future within the Westfjords, that is in all probability the place you wish 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 might have spent 5 days within the Westfjords, I’d have cut up this into two separate days to cut back the quantity of driving.
Our first cease was on the 100-meter-tall Dynjandi waterfall, one among Iceland’s tallest waterfalls. You really want to provide 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 overlook to show round and take within the view of the fjord beneath. The reflections off the water will be fairly beautiful 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 evening on the beautiful and fashionable Resort West. We had views overlooking the fjord that have been fairly lovely.
Stúkuhúsid in Patreksfjordur made an excellent 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 outdated whaling ship that was beached in 1981 and right now is a well-liked picture opp.
We thought of 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 large, flat sand stretching out to the ocean. If we had cut up this present day into two, I’d have loved a pleasant, lengthy stroll on a type of seashores — whether or not it was purple 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 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 beneath. As with most pure points of interest in Iceland, you gained’t discover any guardrails alongside the delicate cliff edge so stick with the trail and take care, particularly when it’s windy. It actually appears 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 circumstances for the aurora borealis have been prime. That night we saved a watch on the aurora forecast and headed out with our cameras and tripods to see if we might spot the Northern Lights. We actually obtained fortunate with a wonderful show — really a bucket record expertise!
West Fjords Day 4
Grábrók
Our closing day within the West Fjords was actually all in regards to the drive again to Reykjavik. In the event 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. Nevertheless, simply the drive up and over the mountains and alongside the fjord was simply beautiful 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’ll be able to climb alongside the edges of three volcanic craters and try 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. Severely, who wouldn’t wish to cease at a spot known as Bifrost?! It makes me wish 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 resorts within the Westfjords, in addition they aren’t as crowded or costly, making a visit to the Westfjords splendid for somebody eager to expertise Iceland on a tighter funds. 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 obtained to expertise this distant a part of the nation. Nevertheless, there are undoubtedly a number of issues that you just want to pay attention to earlier than you guide a visit.
- Because of the nature of the geography, there’s a LOT of driving concerned in a go to to the Westfjords that it’s good to be ready for. We really appreciated having a driver and information at some point 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 time go to from Could-early October. Many of those roads are closed fully for stretches of time within the winter. I’d NOT advocate attempting to go to the Westfjords within the winter. Plan to go to between June-August for one of the best circumstances.
- 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.
- Carry Dramamine or ginger sweet/drinks/tablets in the event you get movement sick because the winding roads are sure to set off it.
- Get gasoline, use the bathroom, and get meals when you’ve got an opportunity — you by no means know when the subsequent alternative might come up.
- Remember that lodging are extra reasonably priced within the Westfjords than in different elements of the nation, however they’re additionally restricted so reservations are extremely advisable.
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Tamara Gruber is the Founder and Writer of We3Travel. A former advertising and marketing 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.
