From the black sand harbor at Landeyjahöfn, the Westman Islands look close enough to swim to. Heimaey rises out of the Atlantic only about 8 kilometers offshore, all cliffs and green slopes with a young volcano on top. The crossing is short, but the sea between the islands and the mainland has a temper, and that decides a lot about how you get there.
Here is the short answer. Most visitors reach the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) on the Herjólfur ferry from Landeyjahöfn on the south coast, a crossing of about 35 to 45 minutes that runs up to seven times a day. When the sea is rough, the ferry switches to Þorlákshöfn, a much longer sailing, and in winter you can also fly from Reykjavík.
How do you get to the Westman Islands?
You get to the Westman Islands by ferry or by plane. The Herjólfur ferry carries passengers and cars from Landeyjahöfn to the harbor town of Heimaey, the only inhabited island, and it is the way nearly every visitor arrives.
Flights are the backup. Norlandair flies small planes from Reykjavík Airport to Vestmannaeyjar, mainly in winter, when the ferry often has to use the longer route. Unless you are short on time or prone to seasickness, the ferry is the simpler and cheaper choice.
The Westman Islands ferry: Herjólfur
Herjólfur is the ferry that links Heimaey with the mainland, and it runs year-round. The current ship, Herjólfur IV, carries foot passengers, cars and bicycles, and it has bunk beds and small cabins for the longer crossings.
Westman Islands ferry schedule
The Herjólfur sailing schedule lists seven daily departures in each direction when the ferry uses Landeyjahöfn. In October 2026 it left Vestmannaeyjar at 07:00, 09:30, 12:00, 14:30, 17:00, 19:30 and 22:00, and Landeyjahöfn at 08:15, 10:45, 13:15, 15:45, 18:15, 20:45 and 23:15.
Times change for holidays and maintenance, so check the schedule and the announcements on the Herjólfur site for your exact dates.
When the ferry sails to Þorlákshöfn
Landeyjahöfn is a shallow harbor on an exposed sandy coast, and big waves or drifting sand can close it, especially between fall and spring. When that happens, Herjólfur sails to Þorlákshöfn instead, a crossing of close to three hours with only two departures a day.
On those days the ferry leaves Vestmannaeyjar at 07:00 and 16:00 and returns from Þorlákshöfn at 10:45 and 19:45. In mid-October 2026, for example, the ferry announced it would use Þorlákshöfn for several days because of sea conditions, and it advised passengers not to leave cars at either mainland port at that time of year.
A harbor at dusk. Heimaey's busy harbor is where the Herjólfur ferry docks after the crossing.
Westman Islands ferry tickets and prices
Herjólfur's 2026 price list charges 2,700 ISK each way for an adult and 1,350 ISK for teenagers aged 12 to 15 and seniors, while children under 12 travel free. A car under 5 meters long costs 4,050 ISK each way, and a bicycle costs 420 ISK.
For a couple taking a standard car, a return trip comes to about 18,900 ISK, or roughly $155. A bunk bed on board costs 1,080 ISK, which is worth it on a long Þorlákshöfn crossing, and you need to bring your own bedding.
Booking Westman Islands ferry tickets
Book online through the Herjólfur website, especially in summer and on weekends, when car spaces fill up. Arrive at check-in at least 30 minutes before departure, because boarding closes five minutes before the ship sails and all tickets are scanned.
Cancellations within 24 hours of departure are not refunded, and changes cost 500 ISK, so plan around the weather forecast if you can.
Do you need a car on Heimaey?
Not usually. Heimaey is small, and the town, the harbor and the main sights are walkable or a short taxi ride apart. Leaving the car at the free parking in Landeyjahöfn and crossing as a foot passenger saves money, and you can join a guided tour on the island instead.
How to get to Landeyjahöfn from Reykjavík
Landeyjahöfn is about 140 kilometers from Reykjavík, roughly a 1 hour 45 minute drive. Take Route 1 east past Selfoss and the market town of Hvolsvöllur, then turn south onto Route 254 to the harbor. A regular car is fine, and parking is free.
Without a car, a public bus runs from the Mjódd terminal in Reykjavík to Landeyjahöfn, timed to meet some sailings. Check the bus times before you set off, because missing the connection can mean a long wait at an empty harbor.
Combining the ferry with the south coast
Landeyjahöfn sits right on the south coast route, so the ferry fits neatly into a south coast day. The waterfall at Seljalandsfoss, where a path leads behind the falling water, is about 20 minutes' drive away, and Skógafoss is a little farther east.
Seljalandsfoss on the south coast, a short drive from the Landeyjahöfn ferry harbor.
Flights to the Westman Islands
Flights to Vestmannaeyjar take about 25 minutes from Reykjavík Airport and are run by Norlandair, with check-in handled by Icelandair. The route has been subsidized by the government, mostly for the winter months when the ferry is slow or unreliable, so schedules vary by season.
The Norlandair Vestmannaeyjar page shows the current timetable. Flights are small and weather-dependent, so treat them as a convenient option rather than a guaranteed one.
Is a Westman Islands day trip worth it?
Yes, if you catch the ferry from Landeyjahöfn. With a morning sailing out and an evening sailing back, you get eight or nine hours on Heimaey, which is enough to see the main sights at a comfortable pace. A day trip is harder in winter, when the longer Þorlákshöfn crossing leaves little time on the island.
What to see on Heimaey
Heimaey is home to around 4,000 people, and its story is dominated by one night in January 1973, when a fissure opened on the edge of town. The island was evacuated by fishing boat, the new volcano Eldfell buried hundreds of homes, and residents famously pumped seawater onto the lava to save the harbor.
Today you can hike up the Eldfell volcano, whose slopes are still warm in places. The Eldheimar museum below it is built around a house dug out of the ash, and it tells the story of the eruption well.
Lava reaching the edge of a town in a recent Icelandic eruption. In 1973, Eldfell's lava buried hundreds of homes on Heimaey.
Puffins and belugas
From late spring to August, the cliffs around Heimaey hold one of the largest puffin colonies in the world, and you can watch them from viewpoints a short walk or drive from town. In late summer, local children famously rescue young puffins that get lost in town and release them over the sea.
The island is also home to the Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary, which cares for two rescued belugas and runs a visitor center in town.
An Atlantic puffin up close. Puffins nest on Heimaey's cliffs from late spring until they head out to sea in late summer.
Planning a trip to the Westman Islands
The Westman Islands reward even a single day, and the ferry makes them easy to reach in summer. Check the Herjólfur announcements the day before you travel, book a car space early if you need one and leave the car at Landeyjahöfn if you can.
For the full picture of the island before you go, read our guide to Vestmannaeyjar, including where to stay if you want more than a day.
Once you are on the island, the fastest way to see its volcanic side is with a guide.
A volcano ATV ride on Heimaey is a one-hour ride across the 1973 lava field and into the Eldfell crater, running from mid-April to mid-October, which makes it an easy fit for a ferry day trip.
Back on the mainland, the rest of the south coast is only a short drive from the harbor.
If you want the Westman Islands woven into a bigger south coast trip, share your south coast plans and we will fit the ferry into the route.
