Day 8: An In-Depth Exploration of Snæfellsnes
Day eight brings you to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula — often called ‘Iceland in Miniature’ for good reason. The landscapes here shift constantly, from lava fields and black sand beaches to glacier-capped peaks, all packed into a single drive.
Before you leave Stykkishólmur, a boat tour across Breiðafjörður Bay is well worth the morning. The bay is alive with seabirds and marine life, and some tours let you fish for your breakfast along the way.
Heading west, you’ll pass through the village of Bjanarhöfn, home to its famously quirky shark museum. Don’t expect tanks and live exhibits — this place is all about the Icelandic tradition of catching, fermenting, and preparing shark. The end result is hákarl, the notorious national dish that tends to polarise visitors.
Polarise is probably the right word. hákarl is pungent, and its flavour is firmly in the ‘acquired’ category. The museum softens the blow with a traditional shot of Brennivín — you’ll need it.
After that culinary detour, you’re heading for one of Iceland’s most recognisable sights. Kirkjufell — ‘the Church Mountain’ — rises sharply beside Kirkjufellsfoss waterfall, and it’s easy to see why it gets called the most photographed mountain in the country. The shape is almost too perfect. Walk around the base to find different angles before moving on.
From here, continue to the western tip of the peninsula and Snæfellsjökull National Park, which centres on the twin-peaked glacier and volcano, Snæfellsjökull. It’s an arresting sight — glacier sitting on top of a volcano, surrounded by hardened lava and sea cliffs.
The glacier carries real literary weight too. Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness set his novel ‘Under the Glacier’ here, and Jules Verne chose Snæfellsjökull as the entrance point for his characters in ‘A Journey to the Centre of the Earth.’ Standing beneath it, you can see why both writers were drawn to it.
Inside the park, look out for Lóndrangar — a basalt plug left behind by an ancient volcanic crater. A short hike gets you close, and the sea cliffs around it are excellent for seabird watching.
As you loop around the peninsula and back out of the national park, you’ll pass through the near-deserted hamlet of Hellnar and then the livelier village of Arnarstapi, which is a good spot for lunch. If you’re visiting in summer, a short detour north to Sönghellir is worth it — this lava tunnel has remarkable acoustics that feel almost theatrical when you’re standing inside.
After lunch, a hike into Rauðfeldsgjá gorge is rewarding. At the entrance there’s a quiet waterfall that casual walkers can enjoy, but if you have sturdy boots and waterproof trousers, you can push further into the fissure itself.
Continuing east along the peninsula, the isolated church at Buðir appears out of nowhere against a stark landscape. A little further along is Bjarnafoss waterfall, reachable on a pleasant short hike from the road.
At Ytri Tunga Beach, seals regularly haul themselves onto the rocks just offshore — sometimes in decent numbers. Keep driving east and the roadside scenery opens up to the striking geometric basalt columns of Gerðuberg, one of those formations that looks almost engineered.
The day wraps up at the crater of Eldborg, where a winding staircase climbs to wide panoramic views. Spend some time up there before heading to one of the villages on the peninsula, or push on to Reykholt or Borgarnes for the night — either puts you in good shape for day nine.
Day 9: Discovering West Iceland
West Iceland tends to get overshadowed by the south and the Golden Circle, but it’s worth slowing down for. Two towns anchor this region, and both have more going on than you might expect.
Reykholt is a small, attractive village with a church notable for its red steeple. It was once home to Snorri Sturluson, the medieval writer and historian whose work underpins much of what we know about Northern European monarchies and Old Norse mythology. His Edda preserved a belief system that had largely been passed down by word of mouth. His life was turbulent too — he lived through Iceland’s civil war period — and you can read more about all of it at the Snorrastofa Research Centre in Reykholt.
Borgarnes, one of Iceland’s earliest settlements, is home to the Icelandic Settlement Centre. The museum runs two exhibitions: one covers the island’s settlement history from its first inhabitants through to the founding of the Alþing, or National Assembly, in 930 AD, and the other brings Egill’s Saga to life — early heroes, poets, and a window into what Icelandic culture looked like in those centuries.
The history is just part of the day, though. West Iceland has plenty happening outdoors.
Deildartunguhver is the highest-flowing hot spring in Europe — it pushes up gallons of near-boiling water continuously and the steam is visible from a distance. The Krauma Spa sits nearby and makes good use of that geothermal energy if you want to soak for a while.
- See also: Best Swimming Pools in Iceland
A short drive away, Barnafoss and Hraunfossar are two waterfalls close together but completely different in character. Barnafoss charges through a tight canyon; Hraunfossar seeps gently across a wide lava shelf. Standing between them, the contrast is striking.
West Iceland also takes in Hvalfjörður — Whale Fjord — where a hike leads to Glýmur, Iceland’s second-tallest waterfall. The path is generally calm, but crossing the river on a log bridge asks for a bit of care.
Head back to Reykjavík in the evening and mark the end of your trip properly — the city has no shortage of bars to choose from.
Day 10: Farewell to Iceland
Your last day depends largely on when your flight leaves. With an evening departure, there’s still time to do something worthwhile. Leiðarendi is a lava tube just outside the capital and a good option for caving, or you can head down to Reykjavík’s Old Harbour for a whale-watching trip. The Blue Lagoon is another popular final stop if you want to soak one last time in the geothermal water.
If the schedule is tighter, a walk along Laugavegur — Reykjavík’s main street — covers a lot of ground quickly and gives you a last chance to pick up a souvenir. The city’s landmarks are all close together too: Hallgrímskirkja church, the Harpa Concert Hall, and the Sun Voyager sculpture are all within easy reach of each other.
Aim to arrive at Keflavík airport two hours before departure, and leave with ten days of Iceland well and truly behind you.
