17 DAY SELF-DRIVE TOUR FOR LOVERS OF ORNITHOLOGY AND NATURE

Day 1 / Keflavík-Reykjavík
Arrive at KEF Airport. Rental car pick-up. The journey to Reykjavik (45 km). Stay the night in Reykjavik.

Day 2 / Snæfellsness peninsula
Drive around the wonderfully beautiful Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The Snæfellsnes Glacier is especially worthy of attention. This glacier and its dormant volcano was made famous in Jules Verne’s book A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. On the way, you will see many waterfalls, streams, lava fields covered in moss and Iceland’s only yellow sand beach. Do not miss the opportunity to stop by the Langaholt Hotel and take a walk along the coast. Seals can often be seen there. A walk from Hellnar to the basalt cliffs of Arnarstapi will leave a truly great impression.

Take road No. 574 to the village of Stykkishólmur, stopping by the Bjarnahöfn Farm to taste, if you are adventurous, traditional Icelandic “rotten shark” and find out about shark fishing. Stay the night in or around Skykkishólmur.

Day 3 / Ferry trip to the Breiðafjörður pensisula
Take the 9:00 am or 3:45 pm ferry to the Breiðafjörður Peninsula and the beautiful Westfjords, stopping by Flatey Island . Arrive at Brjánslækur. The journey continues on to the town of Patreksfjörður. Stay the night in Patreksfjörður or its environs.

Day 4 / Cliffs of Látrabjarg: bird paradise
The mountainous northwestern peninsula has several points of attraction for ornithologists and all wholove nature. Three of Iceland’s largest bird cliffs can be found in this region. The largest is the 14 km long Látrabjarg Canyon which has an average height of 160 m.

More than two million pairs of Brunnich’s guillemots nest here along with one of the largest colonies (about 7000 pairs) of glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) and common eiders, as well as the tourists’ favourites—(countless) puffins (Fratercula arctica). If an entire day at Látrabjarg is too much, we recommend that you drive to the Keflavik Bay, which will surprise you with its red beach (known as Rauðisandur). Stop by the Hnjótur Folk Museum as you head toward Patreksfjörður or its vicinity where you‘ll be staying for the night.

Day 5 / Deeper into the Westfjords
Journey on further into the northern Westfjords, leaving behind the villages of Tálknafjördur and Bíldudalur. Route No. 619 will lead you to Selardalur Valley in the Arnarfjörður Fjord, where the museum of Samuel Jónsson with an exhibition of his very innocent artistic expressions await you. The sculptures and buildings there were on the edge of disintegration, but in 1998 the decision was made to restore and preserve them. The next stop is the wonderfully beautiful Dynjandi Waterfall, another gem to admire on a visit to the West. Next, the road leads to the Dyrafjörður Fjord and the town of Þingeyri. Stay the night in Þingeyri or the surrounding area.

Day 6 / Capital of the Westfjords: Ísafjörður and the vicinity
Ísafjörður is known as the capital of the Westfjords and its largest town. We recommend a casual stroll through the town, a visit to the Marine Museum, a visit to the former hospital building which is now home to an art museum, and a view of the garden of Jon with the main feature, a gate made of whale bones. For those who are not in a hurry, a visit to the charming island of Vigur is also recommended, especially for bird lovers.

Having spent the afternoon in Ísafjörður, continue your journey on Route No. 61 toward the town of Reykjanes where you can take a swim in 50×12.5 m pools of geothermic water. Fatigue and stress will be dissipated by the hot water and clean air. The journey continues onwards to Hólmavík or if you like, to the small fishing village of Drangsnes. The Museum of Spells and Witchcraft in Hólmavík will transport you to the world of the mystical and supernatural. Here you will find out about the Icelandic witch hunts of the seventeenth century. Stay the night in the area of the Steingrímsfjörð Fjord.

Day 7 / Strandir
The Strandir (literally “coast”) region has been one of the most remote areas in Iceland for hundreds of years. Its landscape is very varied. This is an ideal place for those looking for peace and quiet to better enjoy the incredible beauty of nature. There is a small village called Djúpavík in Reykjarfjörð where a large herring factory was built in the 1930s and operated until 1954. This village has many relics, such as the incredibly interesting and gigantic herring factory.

Trékyllisvík is home to two churches and the Kört, an historical-craft museum. Another village in the area is Gjögur, and Norðurfjörð Airport is not far from there. Further on to the north and offering amazing views is the unique Krossnes Pool, situated at the edge of the Arctic Ocean. This is the last stop of the day. After a swim and a rest, return to the same place you stayed on Day 6.

Day 8 / Hrútafjörður-Skagafjorður
Travel on Route No. 61 toward Reykjavik. Once you reach the village of Melar Bru at the end of the fjord where the Hrútafjörður Bay ends, turn into Route No. 1 and drive in the direction of the town of Akureyri in northern Iceland. I recommend staying the night in the village of Varmahlið in the Skagafjordur region. This region is best known as the place where Icelandic horses are bred. It is also the home of Glaumbær, an open-air museum. You will drive past Hvammstangi Village where I recommend you stop and board a boat to go seal watching.

Day 9 / Akureyri, known as the capital of northern Iceland
This is a very beautiful and cosy town nestled at the foot of the fjord Eyjafjörður. There is more free time today to have a walk around the town as well as visit the museums and the pool. On the hill stands Akureyri Church, a Lutheran church with a very interesting history. It is recommended that you visit the botanical gardens and get to know all of the plants that grow in Iceland. Stay the night in Akureyri or its vicinity.

Day 10 / The Mývatn region
The Mývatn region is about 90 km from Akureyri, so the journey will not be long. You will travel through a beautiful valley and see the incredibly beautiful and historically significant Goðafoss Waterfall. You will be greeted by Lake Mývatn with all its riches and abundant bird life, trout fishing, flora and amazingly clean freshwater. Take a walk through the lava labyrinths of Dimmuborgir, do some bird watching, see the fumarole fields of Námaskarð and take a walk through the Skútustaðir Pseudocrater Field. You can finish your day by taking a swim in the Jarðböðin Nature Mývatn Baths (similar to the Blue Lagoon but smaller). Stay the night in the Myvatn region or in the vicinity of Húsavik.

Day 11 / The Mývatn region-Húsavík
Journey to Húsavík. Try some whale watching or take a walk around the town. Drive even further north to the Jökullsárglúfur National Park and see the impressive basalt cliff canyon of Ásbyrgi and the largest and fastest waterfall in Europe—Dettifoss. Here the road is not paved, but it can be navigated with a regular car—you just have to drive slowly and carefully. Take Route 864 and return to the Mývatn region. Spend the night at the same location you stayed the previous night.
Another option for today is to drive to the Askja Crater. This is a spectacular trip to the Askja Volcano followed by swimming at the bottom of the crater. This is a trip for the whole day and it will cost EUR 130 per person. Spend the night in the Mývatn region.

Day 12 / The Sprengisandur road
This day is long and somewhat special. It entails a long trip over the Icelandic mainland to the south. The road you will be driving along can only be navigated by off-road vehicles and is known as the Sprengisandur Road. The route number is F26 and it leads through two glaciers: Hofsjökull and the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. To get there you will have to cross a few rivers and you will see several waterfalls. In the north, turn at the Godafoss Waterfalls (Waterfalls of the Gods) to the left and take Route F26 to Landmannalaugar. At Landmannalaugar you will encounter colourful basalt mountains. We recommend being in the area for 2-3 days. Stay the night in Landmannalaugar at the Hrauneyjar or Leirubakki Hotel.

Day 13 / Landmannalaugar
Spend the day as you like. You can hike up the mountains; do some photography; the atmosphere there is great and it‘s always nice to mingle with the other tourists. There is a natural hot pot, so you can take a dip.

Day 14 / The southern coast-Skogarfoss-Vik
Once you have taken in the beauty of Landmannalaugar, drive on toward the south on the main road known as Iceland’s highway (Route No. 1). The journey continues along the southern coast all the way to the town of Vik, the southernmost point of Iceland. Along the way you will see many waterfalls. One of the more impressive waterfalls, Skogarfoss, is in the Skogar Settlement, as is the Skogar Open Air Museum. I highly recommend a visit to this museum because the exhibits are really interesting, and you will learn how the people of Iceland lived a long time ago. Before you reach Vik, turn right, into Route No. 218. Make sure to visit the Reynisfjara coast and the Dyrholaey Cliffs. There is an abundance of birdlife here and this is the best chance to see some large-billed puffins. Stay the night in Vik or its surrounding area.

Day 15 / Kirjubæjarklaustur-Jókulsárlon-Skaftafell National Park-Vatnajökull Glacier
Continue on your journey. On the way, visit the Kirkjubæjarklaustur Settlement. A beautiful waterfall is hidden away here, and if you climb to the top of the mountain from which the water falls, you will be able to see the lake that is the source of the waterfall. Drive on to Skaftafell National Park. Here there is a big information office where you can book various trips with a tour guide or on your own. Try hiking up the glacier, traveling to the Svartifoss (Black Falls), a natural miracle of impressive beauty, or go on one of the many day-trips on offer. You will find more detailed information about everything once you get there. Then journey on to the Jökulssárlon Glacier Lagoon where you can ride around the icebergs with a hovercraft and stroll along the lagoon. You will take a lot of pictures. An iceberg as big as a building several stories high breaking off from an even larger iceberg, falling into the lagoon and floating down the river into the ocean is a remarkable sight. You will be left with an indelible impression! If you are lucky, you might even see some seals, which like to swim around the icebergs. 2 nights at the Skaftafell National Park or its environs.

Day 16 / Reykjavik
Travel all the way back to Reykjavik. On the way we recommend you stop by the town of Hveragerdi, an area where there are plumes of steam rising from its many hot springs or Stokkseyri where you can have a taste of incredibly delicious lobster. Now you will have the rest of the day to spend as you wish in Reykjavik. Options: the Hallgrimskirkja Church, Harpa Concert Hall, the Old Harbour, museums, swimming pools, cosy old town streets, galleries, or a hike on Mount Esja, 20 km from Reykjavik.

Day 17 / The Krísuvík coast-the Blue Lagoon. Keflavik airport
On your way to the airport, which is 45 km from Reykjavik, instead of using the highway, I recommend taking Route No. 42, which turns to the left from the town of Hafnarfjördur. This road is only a dirt road in some places, but it will be much more interesting. Here you will be able to see Kleifarvatn Lake, mountains, fumarole territory, the fishing village of Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon.
The airport is about 15 km away from the Blue Lagoon. Return your car and enjoy your journey home.

Trip itineraries can be added to, shortened or made longer according to personal preference.