Frequently Asked Questions

Detailed itinerary for the 2-Day Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour:

Day 1 | The Silver Circle with Lava Caving

Your 2-day West Iceland adventure will begin when we collect you from your accommodation in Reykjavik and drive you to Borgarfjordur. It’s a quick journey as we take the coastal route past Mount Esja and a road tunnel deep under Hvalfjordur to Borgarnes, the gateway to the region. There’ll be a quick stop here for refreshments and to enjoy the fantastic views of Hafnarfjall (Harbour mountain) and Skessuhorn mountain.

Then we leave the Ring Road behind and turn inland through fertile farmlands, crossing rapid rivers from the nearby Langjokull glacier, the second biggest in the country.

Deildartunguhver​

Deildartunguhver is the next stop on our tour, the site of the most powerful hot spring in Europe, which pumps out more than 180 liters of boiling water every second. Deildartunguhver produces hot water and heating for all the towns and villages in the surrounding area. The power of nature can be felt as you walk amongst clouds of steam vapor and bubbling springs on boardwalks, or you can see these from a viewing platform instead.

Hraunfossar​

Just a little further inland, we soon come to Hraunfossar, a magnificent stretch of waterfalls running nearly a kilometer over a rugged lava field. Hraunfossar, the “Lava Waterfalls,” is a wide plateau waterfall with several viewing platforms that allow you to see the cascades from many different positions. Glacial meltwater from the nearby Langjokull glacier crashes over jagged cliffs into the fierce Hvita (White) river below. It’s incredible to view countless waterfalls stretching as far as the eye can see.

Barnafoss

Another nearby waterfall is Barnafoss, the “waterfall of the children.” Once, a stone arch made a natural bridge over the Hvita river here. Years ago, two children from a nearby farm drowned when they tried to cross it. Their heartbroken mother destroyed the bridge to save others from the same sad end.

Vidgelmir Lava Cave​

The highlight of the first day in West Iceland is a 1.5-hour expedition to the Lava Cave at Vidgelmir. Just over a thousand years ago, a volcanic eruption in the Hallmundarhraun lava field created a hollowed-out lava tube that stretched hundreds of yards. Over time, the roof of this tube has collapsed in several places, making it possible for visitors to climb down and explore the depths in safety on well-built walkways with permanent lighting. The Vidgelmir Lava Cave is an incredibly colorful underworld, measuring 1585 meters long, 16 meters high, and 16 meters wide. That means it’s easily the largest lava tunnel in the country. Inside, guided by local experts, you will see some incredible sights – delicate lava formations, ice crystals, stalactites, and stalagmites. It is thought that early Viking settlers may have sheltered here, making visiting even more exciting.

Husafell

Husafell is a charming place filled with Viking history between two glaciers, with traditional turf houses and little elf huts to amuse the children. This is a lovely spot, with thick birch tree forests and pretty waterfalls, and it has been an inspiration for local artists. As well as that, the “Husafell Stone” can be found here, a legendary “lifting stone” once used to test the strength of the locals and is still used in strongman competitions today.

Reykholt

The last stop on the first day of the tour is Reykholt, a historical site in Iceland’s folklore, featured in the writings of Snorri Sturluson, a famous poet and local chieftain. Snorralaug (Snorri’s Pool) is an old-time hot spring where locals have bathed for hundreds of years. Snorralaug is now a protected archaeological treasure, and there is also a traditional timber church here to look at too.

Borgarnes

You’ll stay overnight in Borgarnes, which was one of the original settlement sites for the first Icelanders a thousand years ago. You can learn more about the story of those pioneers with an optional visit to the excellent Settlement Center, which features interactive displays and intriguing stories from the Icelandic Sagas. Borgarnes is in a stunning location on a beautiful peninsula with amazing views of nearby Hafnarfjall (the Harbour mountain) and Skessuhorn mountain, which appeared in Game of Thrones as “Bulls Horn.” This is also an ideal place to look out for the Northern Lights when they are active.

Day 2 | The Snaefellsnes Peninsula

The second day of our West Iceland adventure takes you to the Snaefellsnes peninsula, which translates as the “Snow Mountain Peninsula.” Snaefellsnes is also described as “Iceland in Miniature” because it contains all of the best aspects of Iceland in one great region. Snaefellsnes is packed with colossal mountains that hug the coastal roads, an enormous glacier-topped volcano, marvelous waterfalls, black sand beaches, seal and bird colonies, rapid rivers, rugged volcanic cliffs, and so much more.

As soon as we leave Borgarnes and start our circuit around this 100km peninsula, the glacier-topped volcano called Snaefellsjokull comes into view. At nearly 1500m, Snaefellsjokull dominates the skyline, capped with a glittering crown of snow and ice.

Snaefellsjokull inspired Jules Verne when he wrote “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” where the entrance to the planet’s core was thought to be located, and many people still think of Snaefellsnes as a very spiritual place.

Ytri Tunga Seal Colony

Our first stop is the Ytri Tunga seal colony, where you’ll get the chance to visit these cute creatures as they swim and feed around here on summer days, with their home on a golden sandy beach. The seals are often quite playful when they’re here, and Ytri Tunga is also unusual for being a golden sand beach when black sand beaches are more common.

The Black Church of Budakirkja

The next stop on the peninsula’s southern edge is the beautiful 19th-century church of Budakirkja. This black wooden church is famous for having been built by a strong-willed local woman when the church authorities didn’t think there was any need for a church here. Nowadays, it’s a very trendy place for couples to get married, because it’s in such a fabulous location.

Arnarstapi – fishing village and sea arches

Powerful Atlantic waves crash onto the rocks at the pretty fishing village of Arnastapi, which is the next stop. Here you can take a thrilling cliffside stroll to see the stunning sea-arch of Gatklettur, the “Rock with a Hole.” There is a lovely combination of colors here, with the black lava rocks covered with yellow and green mosses contrasting with the brilliant blues of the Atlantic. There’s also a tribute to Jules Verne and an enormous troll-like stone monument.

Londrangar Cliffs

A few more minutes further on the south side of Snaefellsnes, we arrive at the striking Londrangar Cliffs, where excellent basalt columns cling to rugged 70-meter-high pillars of rock, a summer nesting site for puffins and other seabirds as they feed and raise their chicks. Watch out for the Arctic terns, who often try to scare visitors away!

Black Beach of Djupalonssandur

Our next stop is the beautiful black sand beach at Djuplalonssandur, a sweeping and dramatic coastline, which we reach by walking through ancient lava fields. Here you will find the four “Lifting Stones” used to test the strength of the local fishermen, as well as the remains of a shipwrecked English trawler. Test your strength to see which of the four stones you can lift – could you have sailed with the Vikings?

Kirkjufell – the most photographed mountain in Iceland!

Kirkjufell, or the “Church Mountain,” is one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. It has been seen in “Game of Thrones” as the “Arrowhead Mountain” and in several Hollywood films. Set in a sweeping fjord, this mesmerizing mountain also resembles a shark’s fin. Kirkjufell is a spectacular sight at any time of the year, with its extraordinary shape, as it stands almost alone from the surrounding hills. There are many great spots to take a phenomenal photo here – we’ll show you where!

Estimated arrival time in Reykjavík is around 20:00.