We have a day to spend on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula in late August, coming from Borgarnes, and are trying to budget our time well. We're going to skip the area north of Berserkjahraun lava field and head east where the road splits. We want to see as much as possible making the full loop around and back to Rjukandi Junction. We're open to some hiking but nothing too long/strenuous so that we can see most all of the area. We need to pre-book our Vatnshellir cave tour so need help figuring out how long to allow for everything prior to that especially. About how much time should we allow at these sites?
(Arrive 9:30am)
Gerduberg Basalt Cliffs
Drive 10 min to visitor center (WC, gas, maps)
Berserkjahraun Lava Field p295 – good to picnic , can drive 30-45 minute loop on a gravel road
Drive through 2 fjords – Hraunsfjardarvatn, Kolgrafarfjordurdur
See Grundarfoss waterfall
WCs at Saga Center in Grundarfjodur
Kirkjufell views from Kirkjufellfoss waterfall
Drive through fishing towns of Olafsvik, Rif, Hellissandur
?Svodufoss waterfall, before Rif
Snaefellsjokull National Park, including (maybe arriving around 3/3:30pm?, allow at least 4 hours?))
?Well of the Irish,
Skardsvik Yellow Sand Beach,
if clear climb Saxholl Crater,
Djupalonssandur Black Sand Beach,
Vatnshellir cave - 1 hour total, pre-book (maybe last tour at 5pm?)
Visitor Center (free WC)
Walk around rock formations at Londrangar
See Sea Stacks, Arches, Cliffs at Hellnar & Arnarstapi
Raudfeldsgja Gorge p309
Photo op at Budir black church
?Bjarnarfoss waterfall p310
Look for seals on Ytri-Tunga beach
Dinner near Hellnar before leaving Snaefellsnes 8pm? (Restaurant suggestions appreciated!)
1 hour drive back to Borgarnes, arrive 10pm?
Thank you for your help - you are an amazing resource!
Posted by
Snohomish, WA
2168 posts
I have been there several times and do not see how you can do all of this is one day.
The road in to Djupalonssandur is very narrow, with twists and turns and big boulders on many sides, so only a few places where two vehicles can let one go without having to backup. The parking there is very limited, and frankly, people park like idiots there, so be warned. Park so that you can get out and are not at the mercy of them.
Vatnshellir cave is nice, but with everything else I would cut it.
Raudfeldsgja Gorge is stunning, so allow plenty of time here. Be sure to hike up into the canyon as far as you are comfortable.
You will want to be at Ytri Tunga at low tide to see the seals. Our first time there, we did not know that and did not see anything except rocks and the ocean;)
The walk from Arnastapi to Hellnar and back is beautiful, so don't miss that. Most people just go to Arnastapi and look around, but once you are on the trail a few minutes away, you will have the place to yourself for the most part.
That first visitors center is nice, with a very large bathroom and then numerous hand knit woolen items. So if you are looking for something, that is a great place to shop.
At Gerduberg, keep on the road a bit to the end to the little church. The story is that the lava was heading towards the church and the pastor asked the congregation to pray to save the church. The lava stopped and it was saved. You can see the lava on 3 sides of it. The owner of a guesthouse that we stayed at relayed this story to us, which is nice because otherwise we would not have known.