West Iceland
Just an hour’s drive north of Reykjavik, you can admire Iceland’s wonderful nature. Here you can take a short 2-hour hike to the Glymur Falls for stunning views from the summit. Learn about Icelandic settlement history and local sagas in the small village of Reykholt and the Settlement Center in Borgarnes.
And you are advised to visit the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, which is called “Little Iceland” because here you can find a little bit of everything Iceland has to offer: amazing basalt columns, tiny fishing villages, coastal cliffs passing by arches, mysterious rock formations, lava fields, volcanic craters, black and yellow sand beaches, waterfalls, lava caves and more.
Highlights:
- Hike to Glymur Falls (Iceland’s tallest waterfall)
- Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls
- Small historical towns of Borgarnes, Reykholt, Hvanneyri, and the Settlement Center
- Gerðubergi basalt columns
- Buðakirkja and Buðahraun lava fields
- Cliff Walk from Arnarstapi to Hellnar (with fish soup at Fjoruhusið)
- Snæfellsjökull National Park and Lóndrangar cliffs
- Djupalónssandur black sand beach with shipwreck remains
- Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall and Kirkjufell Mountain (Iceland’s most photographed)
How to get here: Drive 1.5 hours north from Reykjavik along Route 1 to Route 54.
Westfjords
You can travel away from the crowds and head to the western fjords, one of the most remote corners of Iceland visited by few tourists. Stop here for breathtaking scenery, drive along tranquil and majestic fjords and tiny fishing villages nestled between towering flat-topped mountains. See a colony of puffins and gulls on the Látrabjarg cliffs and in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. Stop for a picnic at the massive Dynjandi waterfall, which is surrounded by a picturesque fjord setting. Use Isafjörður as a base for your trip to the area and spend the day kayaking through the fjords. Or take a boat trip to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve for a day or a few days hike that you will never forget.
Highlights:
- Explore Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, untouched Iceland at its best
- Walk along the Latrabjarg bird cliffs high above the water
- Walk along beaches with red or golden sand (unique for Iceland
- Enjoy a fjord-side picnic below Dynjandi waterfall
- Climb to the “Troll Seat” above Isafjörður and feast on the best fish in Iceland at Tjöruhúsið
How to get there: 4 hours drive from Reykjavik to Southern Westfjords, 5 hours to Isafjordur. Or take a 45-min domestic flight into Isafjörður.