West Iceland

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Day 3: Þingvellir to Arnarstapi

The Snæfellsnes peninsula is often referred to as 'Iceland in miniature'. Starting our trip here gave us an idea of what we were going to encounter on the rest of the island: lava fields, black sand beaches, waterfalls, valcanoes and glaciers. 

Specific sights on the peninsula include: 

Eldborg crater
Gerðuberg basalt columns
Kirkjufell mountain
Snæfellsjökull National Park
Djúpalónssandur & Dritvik black sand beaches
Arnarstapi & Hellnar fishing villages

Eat

Hotel Budir

Stay

Arnarstapi Cottages

Westfjords

Day 4: Arnarstapi to Patreksfjörður

The Westfjords is one of the most remote locations in an already remote country. There are two ways to get to the Westfjords from the Snæfellsnes peninsula; ferry or drive. The ferry only crosses once daily outside of the summer months and the timing did not work for us. We also thought we would see more of the landscape by driving. The drive turned out to be one of the most exhilarating that we have ever been on. The roads are steep and winding, not to mention you are driving on gravel a lot of the time. As we drove up and down the coastline of each fjord, we couldn't help pulling over frequently to take in the amazing views. 

Eat & STAY

Fosshotel Westfjords

Day 5: Patreksfjörður to Heydalur

To do a full circle of the Westfjords, you have to take mountain roads between Þingeyri and Flókalundur on Route 60, which are closed most of winter. Thankfully the snow hadn't arrived yet and we were able to continue up north past Ísafjörður, the largest town in the Westfjords.

Eat & Stay

There are not many places to stay past Ísafjörður but we wanted to keep driving. After some research, we found Country Hotel Heydalur, a guesthouse on a farm. You have to get off the main road, Route 61, and take a gravel road until you reach the end of the fjord. 

Reykjavík & Golden Circle

Reykjavík

Day 1: Keflavík to Reykjavík

Our flight landed at Keflavík airport in the early afternoon. We picked up our rental car and started our drive towards the capital, Reykjavik.

The city's architecture is really interesting. Most of the buildings are constructed from corrugated iron in various colours. Apparently Icelanders began using this material in the 1870s. It was an affordable material that provided protection against Iceland's harsh climate. Prominent structures include the Harpa concert hall, which was built in 2011 and has a distinctive shape covered in glass. Then there's Hallgrímskirkja, the tallest church in Iceland, built to resemble volcanic basalt columns. From the top of the tower is the iconic view of the colourful city below. 

Eat

There are several really good restaurants in Reykjavík. One that gets mentioned all the time is a New Nordic restaurant, Dill. See our seven-course tasting menu here. 

Golden Circle

Day 2: Reykjavík to Þingvellir

The Golden Circle is a route that covers several attractions within a short distance. It starts east of Reykjavík to as far as the Gullfoss waterfall before looping back. Some of the most popular attractions include:

Þingvellir National Park
Haukadalur geothermal area (Geysir and Strokkur geysers)
Gullfoss waterfall
Secret Lagoon
Kerið Crater Lake

Eat & Stay

Situated near Þingvellir National Park, the ION Adventure Hotel is a good base from which to explore the Golden Circle. It is also a unique design hotel in the middle of a lava field.