To see some of the nicest scenery in Iceland, consider a day trip from Reykjavik to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It will be a full day of driving, but you will be treated to impressive waterfalls, dramatic coastlines, and iconic Game of Thrones scenery that make for some great photo opportunities.
Things to Do
Getting to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula from Reykjavik takes about 2 hours. The drive is mostly scenic, though, and once you’re on the peninsula, the sites tend to be pretty close together.
Given the amount of driving required to visit all the sites on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, we didn’t bother stopping for a meal on the trip. Instead, we swung by the delicious Brauð & Co in Reykjavik before heading out to pick up pastries and sandwich ingredients for the road trip. There’s just a lot to do on the peninsula over the course of the day! Below we detail each of the various stops we made (in order) along the way.
- Kirkjufellsfossar: Honestly, this mountain is the main reason we wanted to visit Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We are huge Game of Thrones fans, and getting to see the famed arrowhead mountain in person was very cool. On the way there, you will first pass a viewpoint that provides a great view of the mountain behind the lagoon. To get to the iconic view, though, you need to map to the waterfall that is across the street from the mountain. There you’ll find a paid parking lot followed by a short walk on a well maintained path down to the falls. Tip: To avoid the high parking fee, we recommend parking on the road just before the lot entrance / camera.
- Bæjarfoss: Our second stop was a nice waterfall in the quiet town of Ólafsvík. There is free parking right at the base of the falls, and it is only a short walk up to get a good view. The trail is not paved towards the end though and can get muddy, so it is recommended to wear proper footwear.
- Svöðufoss: This waterfall is very different but Bæjarfoss but just as nice. Rather than being within a small town, this waterfall feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive down a pretty rough road to get there, but once you do there is a perfectly maintained, flat path that leads you straight to the falls. There is even a nice viewing platform at the end of the path that offers a good view of the falls. For the adventurous type, that is not the end though. To get even closer to the falls, we would recommend a quick scramble over and around the stream. The path is slippery, and you may get a bit muddy, but the views are 100% worth it.
- Snæfellsjökull National Park: This national park is massive. Realistically, you won’t be able to see everything in the park during a day trip like this one, but you can definitely catch the highlights. Lóndrangar View Point is beautiful, as are the various lighthouses in the park. If you need a bathroom break at this point (take advantage because the options are few), we recommend stopping at the National Park Visitor Center.
- Stone Bridge: What we thought would be a quick photo stop took much longer than we expected. Finding the Stone Bridge was surprisingly hard. Without any signs really noting where the main attraction is, you are kind of left to wandering around the coast and looking for the site. Once you find it though, it is pretty cool. The entire area is nice too, so the walk is enjoyable even when you are confused and searching about.
- Bjarnarfoss: The paved walkway to this waterfall is deceivingly steep. It is truly unique though and well worth the effort – we can’t remember seeing any other waterfalls that flowed underneath a solid block of ice. If you’re keen to get closer to the waterfall and see the unique formation, you can hike beyond the paved path up a near vertical climb. With a little help from your hands, you can easily make it to a higher-up viewing platform that has an amazing view of the falls.
- Ytri Tunga: While we were most excited about Kirkjufellsfossar, this beach may have been our favorite stop on the peninsula. There are so many seals here. While you can’t get too close, there are plenty of opportunities to watch the seals playing in the water and to snap some good photos.
- Gerðuberg Cliffs: If you’re short on time or getting tired from the day, you can skip this stop without FOMO. It’s just okay. The basalt columns here are interesting, but they aren’t super close to anything, and you need to drive down a rocky road to see them. We personally preferred the columns found at Reynisfjara Beach in South Iceland.
Other Tips & Tricks
- Transportation: Like elsewhere in Iceland, you are definitely going to want a rental car to visit Snæfellsnes. We can’t imagine visiting the above sites without one.
- Fueling Up: We found gas to be cheaper closer to but outside of downtown Reykjavik. We would recommend fueling up in the morning once you get outside of the city, then keeping an eye on gas stations and prices as you drive around (since you will ultimately end up taking the same route back at the end of your day trip).
- Changing Weather: The weather is fickle everywhere in Iceland, but we found it especially intense in Snæfellsnes. There were some wicked winds along the coast, the rain seemed to stop and start every 5 minutes. Make sure to bring plenty of layers and rain gear in your car in case you need it throughout the day.
Happy traveling!
Kitrina & Jordan