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Explore the magnificent Snaefellsnes peninsula in West Iceland.
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We offer you a scenic winter tour with a great ocean view, stunning landscape, a chance to see the northern lights, and easy cave exploration in Cave Vatnshellir, making this two-day tour great value for money. Snaefellsnes peninsula has been given the well-deserved nickname "Iceland in miniature".
When we have picked you from your hotel we will begin the tour when we drive to Hvalfjordur, if the weather allows. Hvalfjordur is a peaceful fjord, with a dramatic landscape, waterfalls, and cliffs, rich in history.
We will arrive in the small seaside town of Borgarnes, home of the legendary Viking Egill Skallagrímsson. We drive through and onwards towards the peninsula and make our way to the magnificent mountain of Kirkjufell.
We make a stop at the waterfall with the iconic mountain Kirkjufell in the backdrop. At the foot of the mountain is the peaceful little village of Grundarfjordur. We can buy a lunch pack or some refreshments there.
From there we head on our way to the fishing village of Olafsvik, where we’ll stop for lunch.
Cave Vatnshellir
One of the tour highlights is this easy cave exploration in the National Park of Snaefellsnes. Note that this caving tour is optional (see booking engine). If you do not wish to go caving you can take a short walk around the area with your guide, while the rest of the group goes caving.
** There's no need to be in any particular physical condition to explore Cave Vatnshellir. Helmets, gloves, and torches are provided to all travelers during this guided visit **
Inside the lava tube, there are two main sections. The upper section has great features and unique formations of lava statues curved on the sides of the lava tube. The lower part of the lava cave which can be reached by a long and narrow staircase takes us deep down underground to a place that was hidden from the outside world for thousands of years. Vatnshellir was created in a volcanic eruption some 7,000 years ago.
Visiting this beautiful cave offers a unique experience. In the total darkness of the lava cave most senses shut down and the sense of smell becomes dominant, deep underground there is absolutely no sound.
The black-sand beaches
Our next stop will be the black sand beaches of Djupalonssandur and Dritvik, where there were fishing operations in the olden days. The debris of two shipwrecks from some decades ago is still spread along the beach. These beaches are stunning and extremely interesting places to see with unusual cliff formations and black pebbles.
If time allows, we will take a short 30-minute hike along the coastline connecting the two beaches to see the amazing scenery in this area.
Arnarstapi fishing village
We will see a sculpture of Bardur Snaefellsas at the beach of Arnarstapi, who was half-human and half-ogre. After some quite dramatic events in his life, he is reputed to have vanished into Snaefellsjokull ice cap. We take a short hike along the coast at Arnarstapi to see ravines, caves, basalt columns, and seabirds. We’ll carry on and stop at the quaint church of Búðir.
Our last stop of the day is at our accommodation, a nice hotel in West Iceland.
One of the highlights of this day is probably Hraunfossar Falls, a stone’s throw away from Reykholt. The falls consist of a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 meters through a very porous lava field. The waterfalls pour into the River Hvita from ledges composed of the less porous rock in the lava.
Today, after breakfast, we will continue our journey around the peninsula of Snaefellsnes. We stop at the Ytri-Tunga beach, well known for its seal colony.
We will then drive to Gerduberg, an impressive wall of beautiful basalt columns forming geometric patterns in the cliffs. We will also stop at the mineral spring of Raudamelsolkelda in Hnappadalur. Driving west along the peninsula we travel through the peaceful countryside with a dramatic backdrop of towering cliffs and peaks. Rhyolite from ancient volcanoes colors the mountains in bluish and pastel tones.
One of the highlights of this day is probably our next stop at Hraunfossar Falls. The falls consist of a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 meters through a very porous lava field. The waterfalls pour into the River Hvita from ledges composed of the less porous rock in the lava.
A few steps upstream from the Hraunfossar Falls we will find the waterfall of Barnafoss. This name means "the Waterfall of the Children", and is derived from an accident which is said to have taken place there in ancient times. The tale says that once upon a time there was a natural bridge over the waterfall and two children from a nearby farm fell to their deaths using that bridge to cross the river. It is said that the grief-stricken mother had the bridge destroyed.
Our next stop is at Reykholt, a little village in the valley of Reykholtsdalur. Snorri Sturluson, the author of the Edda Sagas and one of Iceland's most significant people in historic times, lived in Reykholt. He was a famous poet and politician whose work left records of the Old Norse language and medieval Icelandic mythology which are invaluable to modern-day scholars. He also left what is probably the oldest hot tub in Iceland.
We will visit the hot spring, Deildartunguhver, which has the highest flow of any hot spring in Europe. The water temperature is 97 degrees and the flow rate is over 180 liters per second. You have the option of stopping at the Krauma geothermal baths & spa. If you choose not to visit Krauma, we'll go visit a nearby horse farm and pet some Icelandic horses!
After two amazing days in Snaefellsnes, we head back to Reykjavik, where we will drop you off at your desired location, at around 17-18 (5-6 pm).
Our multi-day tours will give you a small group experience as they are operated in a mini-bus and you get a better connection with the guide.
By booking a multi-day tour with us, you don’t need to have to worry about finding accommodation during the time of the tour as our multi-day tour includes accommodation which is often booked far in advance. You will get more opportunity to explore Iceland further and experience places that you would normally not be able to see on a one day tour. Please be noted that packages do not include accommodation.
All of our tours are English guided so you will have English speaking licensed guide throughout the tour that will tell you everything about what you see along the way and knows where the best locations to stop by at to get the absolute best experience.
When booking you are guaranteed accommodation at a friendly country hotel and/or guesthouse. All of the hotels we have partnered up with are all with the same standard and offer nice rooms with made-up beds. The standard room is a twin room but it is possible to request a double room or a triple room, with no extra charge. The rooms come with private or shared bathrooms, depending on your booking.
Free Wi-Fi, towels, a hairdryer, and a kettle are accessible at all of the hotels.
If you want to have your own room than a single supplement is available but you are not required to pay a single supplement. If you do not wish to book a single room then you will be roomed with another traveler of the same gender.
Breakfast is included at the hotel/guesthouse restaurant during the tour. Meals and beverages are not included on your tour. However, we will make stops at restaurants and conveniences stores where you are able to purchase all necessities.
The average amount spent on food each day per person is 8,000 ISK (80$). Cash is not necessary, as credit cards are accepted at all restaurants and stores. A small amount of cash won't hurt though.
Breakfast is included at all the hotels/guesthouses we stay during the tour. The breakfast will be a typical breakfast buffet, offering bread, toppings, cereal, yogurt, fruits, coffee, and tea etc.
Your guide will also find a good place for the group to eat lunch, where you can find a wide selection of dishes on the menu, so there will be options available for everyone. The dinner is usually at the hotels/guesthouses we stay at for the night.
For multi-day tours, each participant is allowed to bring a small backpack and 1 piece of luggage weighing a maximum of 20 kg (44 lbs). If you have more or heavier luggage with you, you will need to book storage for the surplus luggage before you arrive, there is a small fee for using this facility. Luggage storage in Reykjavík can be added during the booking process of your order in the extras section.
* The combined dimensions of each bag must not exceed 158 cm (62 in).
We welcome all participants of all ages older than the listed minimum age for each tour. Our average group usually consist of participants between the age of 22-55 years. Although we have people of all ages ranging from 8-99 years joining our multi-day tours. We get a lot of solo travelers joining us as well as families and friends.
If you find yourself having difficulties participating in any of the activities included in the tour, for example, a glacier activity, then you are more than welcome to skip it. Iceland is surrounded by beautiful scenery so you can explore your surroundings in the meantime r wait elsewhere while others do the activity. Our guide should be able to drop you off at a nearby place where there are some services available if requested.
The average is around 300 km (186 miles) per day on our multi-day tours. You’ll spend approximately 4-5 hours in the car each day. Stops are of course made on multiple locations throughout the tour for sightseeing, activities, bathroom breaks, lunch stops and etc.
We do offer some necessary items for rent. For most of our multi-day tours, we rent out waterproof jackets and pants as well as hiking shoes. These items are available to book under the selection ‘’Extras’’ in the booking widget when booking your tour on our website.
If you have already booked the tour and wish to add some rental gear to your booking, you can do that at least 24 hours prior to your tour starts, via our Customer Portal.
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and therefore we can unfortunately never promise that they will be seen on your tour. Their appearance depends upon atmospheric and weather conditions. The best time to see the lights is between September - March when it’s a dark and clear sky. The sky needs to be as dark as possible, so the best places to see them are well away from the city lights.
Most of the hotels on our tours are remotely located and therefore ideal to spot the northern lights. If the forecast is in our favor, then it is very likely that you will be able to see the northern lights. Most of the hotels offer a Northern Lights wake-up call upon request if lights are spotted, so it is more likely that you will see the lights on a multi-day tour!
We always highly recommend booking a multi-day tour starting at least one day after arriving in Iceland. If you’re flying in from the US or will be landing early (4-6:30) you should be able to join the tour, but be aware that some risks could follow such as flight gets delayed and could, therefore, miss out on the tour.
