Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour

We start the day departing from Reykjavik on the ring road heading north, passing underneath Hvalfjörður, the Whale Fjord, by driving through the six kilometre subsea tunnel. As we get closer to Snæfellsnes, we will start to notice a change in the scenery, with everything becoming more dramatic. We will start to pass through enormous lava fields, mountains that seem to rise from the ocean and endless bays and beaches.

We will make our first stop at a lookout over Selvallavatn and its surrounding landscapes of mountains, lakes and lava fields. It is here that there is even a hidden waterfall,  which just tops off this incredible introduction to the beauty of Snæfellsnes.  We then continue our drive to the beautifully situated town of Stykkishólmur, with its well preserved and colourful old buildings overlooking the countless islands in Breiðafjörður bay.  We have lunch within our favourite restaurant in the town, Narfeyrarstofa, which takes advantage of the local produce and seafood, all within the cosiest of settings. You can choose from their delicious lunch menu, with lunch included in the price of the tour.

After lunch we continue on to one of the must see sights in Iceland. The iconic Kirkjufell, or Church mountain, rises nearly 500m up right above the seaside town of Grundafjörður. This arrow shaped mountain was famously depicted in more recent episodes of the hit TV show Game of Thrones. The views from the picturesque waterfall of Kirkjufellsfoss are incredible.

From here it is on to the black sand of Djúpalónssandur beach. This beach is amazing with the a walk through it’s small gorge, lava fields and past the mineral water pool always a delight. It is here we we can also admire the enormous and powerful Snæfellsjökull volcano, which will dominate the skyline for the rest of our drive. On clear days, this famous glacier capped volcano is visible from Reykjavík. Snæfellsjökull inspired Jules Verne when writing his book, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and its not hard to see why.

The next stop is the gorgeous fishing village of Arnastapi. Here the rock formations, coves and sea cliffs are to be explored and admired, with the crashing waves constantly eroding various shapes into the exposed cliffs. It is only a short drive on to one of rural Iceland’s most iconic churches. The black church of Búðakirkja would have to be the most photogenic church in Iceland, with its stunning backdrop of lava fields and mountains making this a great last stop before heading back to Reykjavik in time for late dinner.

In winter road conditions Djúpalónssandur beach isn’t always accessible, so extra stops will always be made if this is the case.