Itinerary for the Magic of Snaefellsnes tour

Day 1, Magnificent West Iceland and Glacier
This Nature Explorer adventure day tour starts by driving to Thingvellir where the oldest running parliament in world was founded and you can see the tectonic plates drift apart. After Thingvellir we cross the rough mountain road of Kaldidalur (Cold Valley) were we enjoy great variety in barren landscape before reaching Langjokull, Iceland´s second largest glacier. After a short cruise on the white plains of the glacier on the Super-Jeep we visit one of Iceland´s largest and most magnificent lava caves, Surtshellir which was once inhabited by outlaws. We provide you with helmets and headlights so you have the option of caving and explore the strange lava formations. We continue down to Borgarfjordur to see Hraunfossar (Lava Waterfalls) where the river flows from underneath the lava field and cascades down into river Hvítá. Just a few meters away there´s another great waterfall, Barnafoss. We pass through the historical site of Reykholt before visiting Iceland´s most powerful geothermal spring, Deildartunguhver. Next we drive to the town of Borgarnes where we can visit the Settlement Center and have coffee before the last hour drive to Hotel Budir in Snaefellsnes.

On winter evenings, if the skies are clear, you have a chance to see the aurora borealis. Sometimes we can see them just from the hotel as there is no light pollution while other times, we take a short drive to the north side of the peninsula to find clear skies.

Accommodation: 4* Hotel Budir

Day 2, Snaefellsnes Peninsula
At the westernmost part of Snaefellsnes is Snaefellsjokull glacier, which is considered by many to be the most beautiful glacier in Iceland as it’s situated on a mountain on the edge of the peninsula.  The glacier is said to have mystic powers and is the setting of Nobel-winner Halldor Laxnes’s Christianity under the Glacier and the entrance to Earth’s core in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. We will circle the glacier and do many different stops and a few short walks.

There is a 2,5 km lovely walk along the sea cliffs from Arnarstapi to Hellnar we recommend doing. You’ll enjoy the view of Snaefellsjokull on one side and the lava sea cliffs by the Atlantic Ocean on the other.  On the route you will find Gatklettur cliff and other strange lava formations.  There is a beautiful natural harbor in Arnarstapi and around the village are several cliffs that form an interesting shape to the ocean. We will also stop at Djupalon which is famous for its black pebbles, called Djupalons-pearls.
Accommodation: 4* Hotel Budir

Day 3 – Two Options, A or B
You can choose between two options, ending the tour in Reykjavik or if you have an afternoon flight out of Iceland, in KEF airport.

Option A: Northern Snaefellsnes to Reykjavik
If you are ending the tour in Reykjavik, we can use the day to explore the northern part of Snaefellsnes peninsula. We visit the a few fishing villages, such as Grundarfjordur and Stykkisholmur. At Bjarnarhofn we can visit a local farmer who is an expert shark hunter and has opened a small museum at his farm. We cross over the mountain range and head to Borgarnes where you have the option to visit the Settlement Exhibition before either going the short cut through the tunnel under the fjord or the scenic tour around the fjord.

Option B: Blue Lagoon and KEF airport
If you have an afternoon flight out of Iceland, in KEF airport on this day, we drive east along the south coast of the Snaefellsnes peninsula, stop at Ölkelda mineral spring to taste the natural carbonized water coming out of the ground. We drive through the town of Borgarnes, through the tunnel under the fjord of Hvalfjordur passed Reykjavik and to the Blue Lagoon. This is about a 3 hour drive which would leave you with about 2,5 hours to enjoy a relaxing soak in the Blue Lagoon before we drop you off at KEF airport around 3 pm, 2 hours before your 5 pm flight out of Iceland. If we start the day a bit earlier and shorten the Blue Lagoon visit a bit, we can take the scenic back roads to the Blue Lagoon, through the lunar like landscape of Reykjanes peninsula. On the way you would see lots of lava, take a photo stop at the secluded lake of Kleifarvatn and visit the geothermal area of Seltun in Krysuvik.

The itinerary is not set in stone and we will gladly adjust the tour the best we can according to your needs and wishes. Of course we are also a little bit dependent upon weather, snow- and road conditions (but much less so than all other cars as our Super-Jeeps are able to get through most).

Tour Highlights

Thingvellir national park
– Where the tectonic plates meet
– Iceland’s original parliament site, Althingi

Iceland’s second largest glacier, Langjokull
– Off-roading on the glacier
– Kaldidalur mountain route (sometimes impassable or closed)

Waterfalls
– Hraunfossar
– Barnafoss

Snaefellsjokull glacier

Djupalon

Arnarstapi

Hellnar

Olkelda (natural mineral water spring)

Great off-roading across unbridged rivers and on a glacier.

What to bring and other helpful details

Warm wind & wet proof clothes
Warm sweater (fleece or wool)
Good shoes for walks in uneven terrain
Sunglasses
Comfortable evening wear
Bathing suit
Camera

Hotel Budir is nice little boutique hotel, one of very few 4* hotels in the countryside of Iceland – but it is therefore often quite booked. This tour is of course dependent upon availability. If Hotel Budir is fully booked, we can adjust the tour and price by staying at another hotel.

We deliberately do not include photos of the auroras and are careful about mentioning them in the itinerary. The reason is that this tour is available all year but the auroras are only visible in winter – and only if the skies are clear.

So we don’t want over-promise and under-deliver, or create unrealistic expectations as some might look at the photos but not read the ‘fine print’.

However, by staying in a countryside hotel, away from the city lights, you have a much greater chance of seeing the auroras than if you stayed in Reykjavik.