The Westfjords punish anyone who plans them from a map. A fjord that looks like a short hop is often a long drive around its inner end, and the highlights are spread out, so the best Westfjords trips cover less ground and stop more often.
How many days do you need for a Westfjords road trip?
Plan on at least four to five days to see the main sights of the Westfjords, because the roads are slow and the highlights are far apart. Five days covers the southern cliffs and beaches, Dynjandi and Ísafjörður, and seven days lets you add Strandir, the hot springs at Heydalur and Drangsnes, or a boat day to Hornstrandir.
The main sights are Dynjandi waterfall, the Látrabjarg bird cliff, Rauðisandur beach, the Hornstrandir nature reserve and the town of Ísafjörður. This itinerary links them in a loop, and our Westfjords region guide has the wider background.
Getting to the Westfjords
There are three ways in. You can drive Route 60 from the south, take the Baldur car ferry from Stykkishólmur to Brjánslækur, or fly from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður. This itinerary starts in the south and runs clockwise, finishing in Strandir on the way back toward Reykjavík.
Best time for a Westfjords road trip
June to early September is the best time to drive the Westfjords, when all roads are open and puffins can be seen at Látrabjarg until mid-August. Some roads in this itinerary, such as Route 614 to Rauðisandur, are maintained in summer only. Even in July, look at the Westfjords weather outlook before the longer days.
In winter, mountain passes such as Dynjandisheiði can close in bad weather, and some roads are only cleared on certain days. If you are going outside summer, check the Westfjords road map every morning and shorten the route.
Day 1: Reykhólar to Flókalundur
The first day takes you along Breiðafjörður into the Westfjords. Reykhólar overlooks the shallows and wetlands of the fjord, and it is a quiet first stop for birdwatching and the Boat and Gift-of-Nature Museum.
Hellulaug, a seaside hot spring beside Flókalundur.
End the day at Hellulaug, a free seaside hot spring about 400 m from Flókalundur and 6 km from the Baldur ferry terminal. The water stays at about 38°C, and there are no changing rooms, so most people change in their cars.
Day 2: Patreksfjörður, Rauðisandur and Látrabjarg
Day 2 is the southern Westfjords, and it is a full day. Patreksfjörður works as the base, with town services and a swimming pool, while Rauðisandur and Látrabjarg are separate excursions from it.
Patreksfjörður, the base for Rauðisandur and Látrabjarg.
The beach at Rauðisandur is about 10 km of sand whose red, orange and brown tints change with the light and tide. It is reached on Route 614, a steep gravel road of roughly 10–12 km that is maintained in summer only, and a 4x4 is sensible. From the parking, allow 15–20 minutes each way to walk to the beach, often through shallow water.
Rauðisandur's sand changes color with the light and the tide.
Látrabjarg is the bird cliff reached from Patreksfjörður, and puffins can be seen there until mid-August. Birdlife is seasonal, so do not build an off-season trip around it.
Day 3: Tálknafjörður, Bíldudalur and Dynjandi
Day 3 heads north through the fjords of the southern peninsula. Tálknafjörður has a town swimming pool and the Pollurinn hot pots outside town, which are separate facilities with separate access.
Bíldudalur sits on Arnarfjörður, and its Icelandic Sea Monster Museum is an indoor introduction to the stories tied to the fjord. Check the opening hours before you plan around it.
Dynjandi drops about 100 m in Arnarfjörður.
The afternoon belongs to the Dynjandi waterfall on Route 60. The main fall drops about 100 m, widening from about 30 m at the top to about 60 m at the bottom, and the walk from the car park to its foot takes about 15 minutes. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the round trip, and pay the parking fee, from about 750 ISK per car through the Parka app in the most recent published rate.
Overnight in Þingeyri on Dýrafjörður, a village with an old blacksmith's workshop and nearby viewpoints such as Sandafell.
Day 4: Flateyri, Suðureyri and Ísafjörður
Day 4 moves into the northern fjords. Flateyri on Önundarfjörður has an old bookshop and fishing heritage, and the village is also a base for kayaking and sea angling on the fjord.
Flateyri sits on Önundarfjörður.
Suðureyri is a fishing village with seafood experiences and an outdoor swimming pool, and it makes a good lunch stop on the way to Ísafjörður. End the day in Ísafjörður, a Westfjords hub, where the historic town and harbor are the focus.
Day 5: Bolungarvík and Súðavík
Spend Day 5 around Ísafjörður. Bolungarvík has Ósvör, a museum of the town's fishing-station heritage, and the Bolafjall viewpoint, a high lookout reached by a mountain road. Check the Bolafjall road separately, because reaching Bolungarvík does not mean the road up is open.
In the afternoon, drive to Súðavík for the Arctic Fox Centre, an exhibition about Iceland's native land mammal. Confirm its opening dates before you go. If you only have five days, start the drive south toward Reykjavík from here.
Day 6: Heydalur and Hólmavík
On a seven-day trip, Day 6 heads toward Strandir. Stop at Heydalur in Mjóifjörður, about 130 km from Ísafjörður and 12 km off Road 61, where there is a greenhouse pool and a natural hot spring at about 40°C.
The hot spring at Heydalur, known since the 12th century.
Continue to Hólmavík on Steingrímsfjörður for the night. Its Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum is a distinctive cultural stop, and it is a good base for the Strandir coast.
Day 7: Drangsnes and the drive south
On the last day, take a detour to Drangsnes, a fishing village in Strandir with shoreline hot pots and boat trips to the nearby island of Grímsey. This Grímsey is a different island from the one on the Arctic Circle in North Iceland, so check which island a trip visits before booking.
The shoreline hot pots at Drangsnes in Strandir.
Adding Hornstrandir
Hornstrandir is a roadless nature reserve reached by sea from the northern Westfjords, and it needs its own plan rather than a slot in a driving day. Most visitors arrive by boat from Ísafjörður, Bolungarvík or Norðurfjörður, with boats running mainly from late June to early September.
Hornstrandir is reached by boat in summer.
Dogs are not allowed, camping is only permitted at designated sites, and from 1 March to 15 June and 1 September to 1 November all activity must be registered with the Environment Agency of Iceland. If you want to add it, give it a full extra day out of Ísafjörður.
Where to stay on a Westfjords road trip
Base yourself in the towns this itinerary passes through: Patreksfjörður, Þingeyri, Ísafjörður and Hólmavík all work as overnight stops. For campervans and tents, our guide to campsites in the Westfjords lists the options along the route.
Westfjords road trip or guided tour?
Driving yourself gives you the most freedom here, but the long driving days are tiring. If you would rather someone else drives, this private five-day Westfjords tour covers the Westfjords alongside Snæfellsnes and Borgarfjörður, with guided stops along the way.
If you want a route built around your exact dates, let us map out your fjords and we will plan the overnight stops and driving days with you.
