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.
When you discover every thing right here that makes Iceland so magical — glaciers, cliffs, puffins, waterfalls, and sizzling 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.
In case you are taking an extended Iceland highway journey across the total Ring Highway, you might solely wish to spend someday within the Westfjords. You’ll be able to nonetheless slot in a number of the highlights that I’ll level out under, however I might 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 non-public tour with an area driver-guide. Hidden Iceland volunteered to point out us round in order that we might expertise and assessment their tour, however we coated our personal lodging and meals.
We completely beloved our time with Ryan from Hidden Iceland and I might extremely suggest hiring them to both assist set up your journey to Iceland or offer you personal guides and drivers.
When you would like a guided, personal tour, I extremely suggest my accomplice Hidden Iceland. Hidden Iceland gives absolutely personalized itineraries and knowledgeable guides and by mentioning WE3TRAVEL while you contact them, they’ve graciously provided our neighborhood 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 even take a automotive ferry to the Westfjords. Nevertheless, it takes about the identical size of time as driving so should you undergo from movement illness, you might 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 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 method to the Westfjords from Stykissholmur, our first cease of the day was at Erpsstadir, a dairy farm providing selfmade 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 cattle (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 examine on their open hours and in case you are visiting exterior of the summer time, be sure you name forward to make an appointment.
Eiriksstadir
Only a bit additional down the highway, you may 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 gives 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 concerning the panorama, don’t miss out on this opportunity to study somewhat 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 elements 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’ve gotten it.
Resort 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 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 bear in mind that you’ve got numerous driving forward!
We spent the evening on the Nation Resort Heydalur, which gives inexpensive 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 sizzling spring throughout the river, an indoor swimming pool and greenhouse and on-site self-catering cabins to hire. This conventional Icelandic horse farm additionally gives horseback driving, 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. 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 place of birth mammal to Iceland, every thing 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 satisfy the rescue foxes exterior.
Since rescues are typically launched again into the wild, you by no means know what will likely 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 most effective meal of the journey (and that’s saying rather a lot!) at Tjöruhúsid in Ísafjordur. This inconspicuous restaurant within the fishing village gives 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 movement 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 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 stay 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 selfmade desserts — which have been scrumptious! Simply don’t overdo it as a result of the boat journey could be 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 evening at Kirkjuból Visitor Home.
We had an uncommon family-style dinner at Kaffi Sol close by, though you possibly can simply keep and have dinner in Isafjordur. And although there are lodges in Isafjordur, we discovered the Kirkjuból Visitor Home fairly charming and inexpensive, with stunning views of the encompassing mountains.
Westfjords Day 3
When you solely have someday within the Westfjords, that is most likely 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 an enormous day and if we might have spent 5 days within the Westfjords, I might have cut 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 offer yourselves at the very least an hour right here to climb to the highest and take pictures 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 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 photograph stops, we made our method to Patreksfjordur, which is the place we have been planning to remain the evening on the pretty and trendy Resort West. We had views overlooking the fjord that have been fairly stunning.
Stúkuhúsid in Patreksfjordur made an excellent 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 sights, 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 as we speak is a well-liked photograph 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 at the present time into two, I might have loved a pleasant, lengthy stroll on a kind of seashores — whether or not it was crimson or yellow sand.
I’m glad that we didn’t reduce our time quick on the Látrabjarg Cliffs as a result of we might have walked endlessly alongside these towering cliffs. These cliffs are house 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 sights 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 appears like a robust 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 a lot of the day, however the circumstances for the aurora borealis have been prime. That night we stored 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 received fortunate with a gorgeous show — actually a bucket listing expertise!
West Fjords Day 4
Grábrók
Our last 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 possibly can 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 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. 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 quick stroll to the overlook of the falls.
From Glanni, it’s one other 1.5 hour drive again to Reykjavik (see my publish on the place to remain in Reykjavik.)
The place to remain within the Westfjords
Whereas there are fewer lodges within the Westfjords, additionally they aren’t as crowded or costly, making a visit to the Westfjords excellent for somebody desirous to expertise Iceland on a tighter finances. We beloved 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. Nevertheless, there are positively a number of issues that you simply want to pay attention to earlier than you e-book 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 is advisable to be ready for. We actually appreciated having a driver and information at some stage in our journey!
- Most of the roads within the Westfjords are gravel, with various levels of upkeep and highway 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 finest for a summer time go to from Could-early October. Many of those roads are closed totally for stretches of time within the winter. I might NOT suggest attempting to go to the Westfjords within the winter. Plan to go to between June-August for the most effective circumstances.
- Give your self at the very least 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 the whole nation.
- Carry Dramamine or ginger sweet/drinks/tablets should 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 gotten an opportunity — you by no means know when the subsequent alternative could come up.
- Take into account that lodging are extra inexpensive within the Westfjords than in different elements 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 knowledgeable 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.
