Snaefellsnes Peninsula Tour

Your Snæfellsnes Peninsula day tour from Reykjavík begins with our morning pickup service. Our pickup service serves dozens of locations in the city center area. Alternatively, you can save money by coming to our centrally located meeting point. Once the whole group is gathered, we leave the city behind and drive north along the number 1 highway before diverting west towards Snæfellsnes. And here the adventure begins!

Snæfellsnes is a volcanic region and indeed Snæfellsnesjökull glacier sits atop a stratovolcano. The peninsula is dotted with other volcanoes in addition to this though. An eruption 4000 years ago formed the Berserkjahraun lava fields, our first stop of the day. As well as the moss-covered rocks, this eruption formed the scoria volcanic craters Rauðkúla and Grákúla. We will see the lava fields from the Vatnaleid view point.

The odd place name is derived from the Eyrbyggja Saga and its account of two Swedish berserkers, or Viking warriors, who cleared a pathway through the lava fields for an Icelandic farmer before being betrayed and murdered. Folktales are often developed to explain strange geological features like this.

In this area, there is also a waterfall called Selvallafoss waterfall, also known as the waterfall at Vatnaleid. It is a part of the lava fields’ charm.

Mount Kirkjufell is perhaps the country’s most photographed mountain and is synonymous with the area as a whole. Just a short distance from the town of Grundarfjörður, this distinctive arrowhead-shaped mountain stands only 463m high but appears more imposing as it seems to pierce through the otherwise flat surrounding landscape. Kirkjufell means church mountain in Icelandic, though the precise reason beyond this moniker is unknown.

Kirkjufell is Iceland´s most photographed mountain for a reason, with the classic take framing the distant peak with Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall and the mountain´s mirror image in the lake. A well-maintained path to the waterfall enables you to get this perfect shot.

In Game of Thrones, a snowy Kirkjufell is featured in a season 7 episode in which our hero Jon Snow ventures beyond the wall in search of evidence to prove the existence of wights.

Snæfellsjökull National Park is a protected environment with Snæfellsjökull glacier and volcano at its center. Located on the western tip of the peninsula, the snowy cap of this glacier can seen across Faxaflóa Bay from Reykjavík on a clear day.

The entrance to the center of the earth is located here, at least in the imagination of legendary French sci-fi author Jules Verne. In his seminal novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, the heroes of the tale rappel down the inactive volcano and face great danger and creatures in the depths of the earth.

Our next stops are also part of the national park.

We further explore the national park at our next stop, the volcanic black sands of Djúpalónssandur. Like all black beaches, the sand´s dramatic color comes from an old volcanic eruption that saw broiling lava enter the sea. The sea eventually eroded this volcanic mass, leaving beyond the black sand we see here today. The beach is also ringed with interesting lava formations.

The coastline here has for centuries been fished by both local and foreign trawlers. The lost fishing village of Dritvík was once an important regional center. Local fishermen would test their strength here by lifting stones of varying weight. To be considered for a spot on the boat, a prospective fisherman would need to lift a 54kg stone. There are three other stones which you can test your mettle against; Amlóði (Useless) is 23kg, Hálfsterkur (half strength) is 100kg, and Fullsterkur (full strength) is 154kg.

The wreck of one fishing boat, the Epine GY7, can still be seen on the beach here. In 1948, 14 men lost their lives when the trawler went down in stormy seas. The wreck sits here as a stark tribute to this tragedy and others. The sea symbolizes both life and death in Iceland.

We move to the southern side of the peninsula now. Our next stop is to see Lóndrangur pinnacles, volcanic plugs of basalt that stand together in the roaring sea having been hewn for the surrounding cliffs by centuries of crashing waves. These two peaks stand out at 75 and 61 meters above the surrounding landscape. A nice walking path allows you to explore the area and enjoy the pinnacles from various viewing points.

We continue to Arnarstapi village, a tiny hamlet on the sea with stunning views of the surrounding mountains and coastline. Once an important fishing center, industry here has since slowed and tourism has become an important lifeline for this hardy community.There is much to see here. The cliffs here teem with bird life and are an important nesting spot. Viewing platforms here offer great vantage points for photographers interested in the various species who call the area home. Striking basalt columns and curious rock formations are interlaced with thin walkways caused by years of erosion as the land fights against a sea that wants to reclaim it.Walk on the stone bridge below which the sea has eroded the cliff into a stone arch. This is another popular subject for keen photographers. In pictures, it may look precarious but rest assured it is perfectly safe.

The most famous black church in Iceland, Budir black church, or as it is known locally, Búðakirkja, was originally built in 1848, and restored in the 1950s and again in the 1980s. A popular subject for photographers, professional and amateur alike, the striking black church at Budir contrasts sharply against the remote and desolate landscape on which it sits, making it a great subject for photos.

Our final location on this tour is the golden sands of Ytri Tunga Beach. Although overlooked by many in favor of our black sand beaches, this beach has a special surprise. It is one of the best places in all of Iceland to see seals with the colony often lolling about on rocks just offshore.

After Thingvellir, we drive back to Reykjavík.

This is the last stop of our day and we begin the meandering drive back to the city where you can continue your Icelandic escape.