Enchanting Snæfellsnes Peninsula Tour | Small Group

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 along some incredible landscapes, past moss covered lava fields and winding fjord roads on the way to one of Iceland’s most famed locations.

The iconic Kirkjufell, or Church mountain, rises nearly 500 m 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, this viewpoint to this famed mountain is surely one of Iceland’s most iconic photos.

From here we continue on to the seaside town of Ólafsvík where we have lunch at one of our favourite local restaurants, 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 drive further around the coast, coming down the western edge of the peninsula, we can start to 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 it’s not hard to see why.

We will drive through the moss covered lava fields that sprawl their way right down to the black sand shores of Djúpalónssandur Beach. This is one unique beach visit, with the mossy lava fields, rocky black shores, green freshwater pools and scattering of old shipwrecks across the beach really adding to the uniqueness of this coastline.

The next stop is the gorgeous fishing village of Arnarstapi. 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 a late dinner.