This “miniature Iceland” is filled with waterfalls, beautiful churches, stunning beaches, high cliffs, lighthouses, fishing villages, and impressive lava fields. Iceland is truly a unique land of natural wonders and out-of-this-world landscapes, but if you are short on time and can’t venture too far from Reykjavik, then the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is definitely the place to go. Below we present our Top Things to See and Do in Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula Travel Guide.
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Obviously, the following list is not an exhaustive one, but we wanted to focus on the things that were indeed the most impressive to us. We also only wanted to include places that we visited ourselves — we wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending something or someplace we didn’t get to experience personally. At the bottom of this page, we will also provide links to additional resources that you could find useful for your trip planning.
All the attractions listed below are accessible by a 2WD vehicle.
Snaefellsnes Orientation
Snæfellsnes is a large peninsula extending 90 km from West Iceland, between the Reykjanes Peninsula to the south and the Westfjords to the north. Although it detours from the more famous Ring Road, it’s definitely worth your time. It was without a doubt our favourite area to visit north of Reykjavik as there are so many great sites of interest in close proximity to one another: Indeed, the Snæfellsnes peninsula is often referred to as a “Miniature Iceland”, because of the diversity of its beautiful and stunning landscapes, not unlike what you’ll find elsewhere around Iceland, but all packed into a small peninsula.
Snæfellsnes peninsula is the perfect place to visit if you only have a few days in Iceland and most of the sites listed below can be visited in a day (though we visited them in two separate half days), particularly if you come during summer or shoulder season when there is still plenty of daylight hours. The exception would be if you visited during mid-winter, For more information on how to organize an itinerary around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, especially if you don’t plan on going on a full loop around Iceland, be sure to check out our page on the Best Day Trips and Itineraries From Reykjavik.
This post assumes you will have your own rental car to explore the peninsula and visit at your own pace. If you prefer to take a tour, there are several good options, including a Snaefellsnes Peninsula Day Tour from Reykjavik that is extremely popular and well-rated. There is also a 2-Day Snaefellsnes Peninsula Tour, however, this tour doesn’t spend that much more time on the peninsula, but it rather takes you to some attractions that are in between Reykjavik and the Snaefellsnes peninsula.
Map of top things to see and do in Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula
If you were to drive nonstop around the peninsula, it would take you roughly three hours to complete the loop, but you wouldn’t have had time to truly enjoy the scenery as several of the main attractions require you to walk a little bit from the designated parking areas. So ideally, you should plan to spend at least 5-6 hours on the peninsula to truly make the most out of your time here.
Stykkishólmur
Assuming you are visiting the peninsula following a counterclockwise itinerary, the first place worthy of a stop is the town of Stykkishólmur, the peninsula’s largest town. Stykkishólmur is a charming town with colourful houses and a picturesque harbour. Stopping by the town’s striking church, Stykkisholmskirkja is also worth your time, as it’s one of Iceland’s few modern-looking churches with impressive and unique architecture.
Note that it’s a short detour from the main road to get to Stykkishólmur, about 10 min each way. So if you want to maximize your time in nature or don’t have a particular need for any of the town’s amenities, you can probably skip the town and head straight for the…
Berserkjahraun lava field
Heading further west from Stykkishólmur you will come across the Berserkjahraun lava field. To our surprise, many seem to drive right past this area, but honestly, it was one of our favourite places to explore (from the comfort of your vehicle) in Iceland, and definitely one of the top things to see and do in Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula. You can’t be in a rush though, as the best way to visit the area is to slowly drive around the bumpy gravel loop road that goes around and through the 4000-year-old lava field. The landscapes here are completely otherworldly. Without photo-stops, the loop through the lava field will take you about 25 min.
Kirkjufellsfoss & Kirkjufell
After touring the lava field, brace yourself for one of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland, Kirkjufellsfoss, made famous in part of the scenic backdrop offered by Mount Kirkjufell and its distinctively shaped peak. Indeed, many pencil-in Snaefellsnes into their Iceland itinerary simply to get a shot of this view:
The best time to visit Kirkjufellsfoss is either during the sunrise or sunset to see the scenery in its full glory. Unfortunately for us, while we did visit the site twice, once in the late afternoon and a second time early the following morning, it was very overcast and rainy during both times. But I suppose you could argue weather made the scenery look more dramatic.
Once you reach the western point of Snæfellsnes you will have entered Snæfellsjökull National Park, where several sites of interest offer great opportunities to stretch your legs and admire spectacular coastal scenery.
Golden and Black Sand Beaches
Skarðsvík Beach is a beautiful and rare golden sandy beach in Iceland, encompassed by dark volcanic rocks. While you might think this is not something unusual, keep in mind that the vast majority of beaches in Iceland are of the black volcanic type.
While the road to reach the beach is paved, the road that continues west beyond it is not. Although it allows you to visit a pair of lighthouses along the west coast of the peninsula, we opted to venture there due to the quality of the gravel road and not having a 4wd vehicle.
Djúpalónssandur is a black sand beach beautifully framed by stunning rock formations. From the car park, you can either walk downstairs to the beach or follow a trail that leads to the top of the cliffs (from where the below picture was taken)
Warning regarding the above-mentioned beaches: take heed that these are treacherous waters and the Atlantic Ocean’s rip currents can easily carry you out to sea. They are best enjoyed from a safe distance.
Lóndrangar
The Lóndrangar basalt pillars are an impressive sight. Once a volcanic crater, all that remains after millennia of ocean erosion are two great pillars upon a cliff. The dramatic setting has earned them the nickname ‘the rocky castle.’
Arnastapi & Gatklettur
After exiting the National Park and heading back east, you will reach Arnastapi & Gatklettur. The former is a picturesque small fishing village at the foot of Mount Stapafell, while the latter is a stunning arch-shaped rock formation, set over the water with bird-rich cliffs nearby.
Depending on where you are in your day, Arnastapi is a great stop to grab a bite to eat. We thoroughly enjoyed our Fish and Chips at FRISTA Food Truck Arnarstapi.
Búðakirkja
A short drive further east and a slight detour towards the coast will take you to one of Iceland’s most photogenic churches, Búðakirkja, a small wooden church dating from 1848. Though the current incarnation is a restored version of the original, with the restoration work taking place in 1987.
Ytri Tunga
Our last stop on before leaving the peninsula Ytri Tunga Beach famous for its seal colony. However, unfortunately for us, they were nowhere to be found that day. Typically the best season to see them is during the summer months from May to early August, meaning that we were about a month too late to see any seals around.
That wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Travel Guide on the Top Things to See and Do in Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and that it will prove useful in helping you plan your trip to Iceland!
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